First Snow
Goniff's excited voice filled the common room. "Hey, will you look at this!"
The three men had managed to drag themselves from their beds and into the common room after one of the Warden's all night debriefing sessions which included another long rant on their childish and immature behavior. None of them had the strength or the desire to look out the window that morning or was it afternoon? Truth was, they didn't care, but they humored Goniff and walked to the windows to peer out.
Actor's face broke into a smile and he spoke first. "Now that is a sight I have not seen in a very long time." It was the first snow of the season and the estate was covered with at least a foot of glorious, sparkling, white snow. For all the cons this was the first snow in years that they were able to see without the interference of bars, walls, and guards with guns.
Suddenly, Actor was no longer standing in the manor's common room; he was transported in his memory to a moment in his life where he was sitting in a horse-drawn sleigh with a young woman by his side. They waved at the people walking on the road and spoke of all the possibilities that the future held for them. It had been a truly magical day for him. The bright clear azure colored sky, the cold crisp wind against his face and lovely Lara laughing and singing silly little songs by his side. The day had been a gift but as any young fool; he had been completely oblivious to how wonderful a gift it was. He sighed softly; youth is truly wasted on the young.
Casino too was caught up in a memory. He was once again a young boy standing in the kitchen of his home helping his younger, wiggling and giggling, siblings with boots and mittens, shushing them so they wouldn't wake the folks, chasing them around the yard, making snow angels and forts for snowball fights. They had been so young and so very happy. He remembered looking up to see his parents smiling and waving at them from their bedroom window. It had been a perfect day and at that time of his life he could never have thought that the time would come when they would never share a happy carefree day like that again. Such a sweet heartache this memory was.
Then Goniff looking at Actor as if he had lost his mind said, "Haven't seen in a long time...? What are you talk'n about? Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd see anything like that!" He pointed to the astonishing sight of the Warden and Chief at the front of the manor running around, laughing, falling and throwing snowballs at each other.
Goniff called out, "Hey what was that you said about childish and immature behavior not being tolerated anymore, Warden?"
The two men stopped, looked up, turned to look at each other, and then turned back to throw their snowballs at the window. Goniff was ready and ducked but the other two were not as lucky.
Casino yelled, "Wait till I get down there, I'll show you two how to throw a snowball!" And he ran out of the room followed closely by Actor.
Goniff, standing straight and tall, framed in the window, did his best Winston Churchill impression, "Of course you know, this means war!" Which was promptly followed by another snowball thrown at the window. Laughing, he said as he ran out of the room to join the fun. "I've got to get a camera so I can send some pictures to me Mum. She'd love this."
The Sergeant Major had been on his way to the manor to fetch the cons for some winter field training when he stopped in disbelief at the sight of his charges engaging in an old-fashioned, knockdown, dragged-out, snowball fight. These men were convicts, hardened criminals, hoodlums...playing in the snow like a bunch of school boys. Who would believe it? The Sergeant Major laughed and decided to enjoy the spectacle of these four...wait there were five of them. The Lieutenant was right in the thick of things. Well the Sergeant Major thought to himself, field training could wait a little longer. He deserved a good laugh and he settled into watch a once in a lifetime winter show.