During the summer, I often visited my grandmother. She lived just four miles away, and I could reach her quickly by bicycle. The journey wasnt always smooth as the road was bumpy, and not all of it was tarmac. The adventure always made me think of it as a real expeditionwheat fields stretched out on the right, a winding river on the left, and in the distance, you could see the yellow faces of sunflowers. Sometimes, I had to pedal over gravel, walk my bike through the sand as if wandering down a beach, and cross a narrow wooden bridge, making sure not to tumble into the water below.
Winter, naturally, was another matter entirely. There was no way to cycle to grandmas, so my dad and I drove over in his car, until late December when a true snowstorm swept through. That evening, the frozen earth was dusted beautifully, and by morning, thick snow had piled up to our knees. My parents spent the entire day shovelling the drive from the house to the gate.
I was mesmerised by how the snow sparkled beneath the morning sunlight, but for some reason, my dads mood was rather tense.
Last night your grandma was feeling unwell. This dreadful weather raised her blood pressure, and we forgot to pick up her medication. We kept putting it off…
Mum insisted Dad and I head over to his mothers house and deliver the necessary medicine, but the roads were completely snowed under and the car didnt stand a chance. Only the villagers could clear the path, but who would bother when more clouds loomed and fresh flurries had already begun?
We bundled up in warm clothes, packed a rucksack and took the old sledge, just in case I got tired, and set off on our lengthy journey.
It honestly turned out to be the best excursion of my life. Dad and I tramped through deep snow, played guessing games, sipped sweet and salty tea from a flask, and munched on meat sandwiches Mum had wrapped up for us. The cold bit at our faces so sharply our cheeks turned scarlet.
We reached Grandmas by nightfall. She hadnt expected us in the slightest and couldnt believe wed managed the trek through the blizzard.
We made the whole trip for you, I boasted.
Grandma was as thrilled to have her tablets topped up as she was to see us in person. After calling Mum, we decided to spend the night at her place. We tucked into fresh oven-baked crumpets and clustered round the stove, thawing out our frozen hands and feet. As I stared up at the peeling ceiling, I felt sure no winter would ever be as wonderful as this one.
Later, I realised that sometimes the greatest journeys are the ones you take for someone you love. The memories you make along the way are worth more than anything else.
