Solitude | [eng]

01/03

January is a cold and lonely month, where the birch trees surrounding the forest fade away, and the sky takes on a light gray hue, clouding the air, and life is covered by the pure white of the snow. January, along with November and December, is one of the most challenging months for Einar and Eldur.In January, one must carefully tend to the garden and greenhouse, while unpleasant memories resurface, and food becomes scarce as animals hunker down for the cold.It was dawn already, Einar hadn't slept well, he had woken up at 5 in the morning, a bit troubled, and decided to go to the living room to check the fire. Next to the fireplace was Eldur, curled up in his bed. Despite his thick, white fur with some gray patches, Eldur loved to sit in front of the fireplace, often gazing at it with his icy eyes.Einar approached the fire and warmed his hands, then took two cut logs and threw them into the fireplace. Eldur, hearing the thud of the wooden logs, opened his eyes and seeing Einar, started wagging his tail happily.Einar went to the kitchen to prepare a hot drink for himself, then sat down in his armchair in the living room, sipping his drink. Eldur, immediately drawn to the strange concoction, seemed to be asking in every way possible to taste what Einar had prepared.Einar stroked Eldur behind the ears and on the head, saying, — Well, no Eldur, this is for me, not for you.— Eldur seemed to have immediately understood his master's words, and the large sled dog pouted for a moment and then gave in.Several hours had passed, and Einar had checked his agenda to see what he had to do today. He was supposed to go fishing, but fishing could wait. There was something troubling him, and it was the repair of the greenhouse. Indeed, the greenhouse needed fixing. A large branch had fallen, causing a hole in the tarp that protected and kept the plants warm. Einar had noticed it the night before when he returned from his chores, seeing what had happened in his absence. He had tried to move the branch, but it was too heavy, and he would have to cut it. Since he was quite tired, he had decided to deal with it the next day, even if it meant postponing the fishing trip.Einar took a ladder and a saw from his tool shed, approached the hole, and began cutting the branch into smaller pieces. The job didn't take him long, and by midday, he had just finished getting rid of that branch. Meanwhile, Eldur had watched him from the ground, with his icy eyes. Einar now had to replace the torn tarp with a new one, luckily, there was plenty left, so he climbed down the ladder to go to the shed to work on that new part of the project, which he did. Given his meticulous and precise accuracy in doing things, it didn't take him long, and it was already evening. He decided then that he would go fishing the next day. He prepared dinner, gave Eldur his share, and then they both fell asleep, one in his bed and the other in his bed.