Chapter Five

Snow, Sniffles, and Coughs

“When is this drought going to END?!” Gabrielle complained, for the twentieth time.

“It’ll end when it ends.” Xena replied patiently, for the twentieth time. She couldn’t fault Gabrielle. She wondered the same thing, for the hundredth time.

“So how many times have you had to fetch water?”

“Ten – twelve times. I lost count. Doesn't matter. They don't know any is missing.”

“But how many more times are you going to have to do that?  When is it going to RAIN?”

“It’ll rain when it rains.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Xena came running into the cabin, it was barely light outside.

“Gabrielle! Wake up! The drought is over!”

Gabrielle was up in an instant. She ran outside, expecting to be soaked with cold, refreshing, wet rain. Instead, she saw only a dark gray, overcast sky.

“So where’s the rain?”

“Look up! Hold your hand out! It’s starting to snow!”

Gabrielle was vaguely aware of a few flakes drifting down to land in the palm of her hand.

“That’s IT? That’s the end of the drought?”

“Yes! It’s snowing! And we can melt the snow to get water. Hurry! Get all the pots and pans and bowls and anything else we have to catch the snow.”

Gabrielle shook her head in disappointment, but went inside to comply.

Gradually the few flakes turned into a steady snowfall that lasted all day, and all night, and all the next day, and longer.  The water barrels were full for the first time in more than a month. 

Gabrielle was glad she had gathered up so much firewood. The cabin didn’t hold much heat so it was being burned up pretty quickly.

“Just as soon as the snow lets up we’ll have to get as much wood as we can. I have a feeling it’s going to be a pretty cold winter,” Xena said at supper on the fourth day as it continued to snow.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Xena, is it EVER going to stop snowing?”

“It’ll have to stop sometime.”

“That’s what you said about the drought.”

“I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Well, sure, but the question was more rhetorical than anything. I know it’s going to stop, sometime. I just wish I knew when. And DON'T say  ‘it’ll stop when it stops.’  I know that!”