Warmth

It was a cold night.
So cold.

I remember how I could see my breath right before my eyes, my fingertips red and numb. My ears and neck exposed were as cold as ice cubes.
Ah, but this feeling was nothing compared to home.
Nothing could compare.
"Imagine, not having to feel anything at all."
Such a small simple thought gave me a gentle smile.

"Dude, are you okay? It's almost in the negatives!"

Why
Why are you talking to me?

Suddenly I feel warmth. I look over towards my left side to see a woman sitting besides me on the park bench. It is a woman. She is wearing a full winter coat and accessories. Earmuffs and everything.

"I'm fine, I was just deep in thought, that's all." I respond half in it.
It was silent. The sound of the trees rustling and the grass moving put my mind at ease.
Yet,
why... Why are you still here beside me?

"You know, when I was a child, I met a girl. She had beautiful golden hair. She walked up to me one day at the zoo and asked to hang out with me. Ever since then we were the best of friends. She always kept a smile on her face and would always give me advice when I had a problem. She was a good friend." The woman pauses her sentence as she takes a exhale, looking at her cold foggy breath.
"If only I could have given her the same treatment, yknow?"

I interrupt her with an irritated tone.
"Why are you talking to me? It's the middle of the night-"

The woman and I looked each other in the eye. Tears were streaming down her cool skin.
I look away and stay silent.

"When we were in our last year of high school, I received a phone call from her mother. She spoke to me and said.."
The woman sniffles and wipes a tear on her eyelash.
"She said that she killed herself. All alone, in her room."
The wind picks up and trees rustle. Even with all the sounds around us, it couldn't blare out the faint sobbing coming from her.
"Why didn't she tell me? Why did I not know? I could have done something. If I would have known- she might have.."

I take a glance over at the woman and look at the ground.

"Sir, please."
I look at her and see her staring at me.
"......"

"If you might know someone or if you are going through something, please know that it will not last forever. Life will continue to move forever, and nothing lasts. Any pain that you might be feeling, imagine what it would be like to not have to feel that anymore. Imagine all the things you'd love to have."
The woman grabs the scarf she is wearing and begins to unwrap it.
"If you want a dog, go to a shelter and adopt one. Hungry for something to eat? Get you something to eat. If you want to travel the world, go travel the world. There is nothing stopping you besides you and yourself. Everyone is going through different things, but that doesn't mean you have to keep your emotions bundled up to yourself."

She stands up and puts the scarf behind my exposed nape, and begins to wrap it around me.
"Fight for what you want. Fight for your life. You have to live for yourself. Become someone I couldn't be when my friend was alive. Please."

The woman tightens the scarf and steps back away from me.
For a second time, we made eye contact. But this time her face had a smile. She then began to turn away and walk until she was no longer visible from my sight.

It was warm.
So warm.
The tips of my ears began to warm up, and my fingertips inside the cozy scarf began to feel.
The feeling was a nice feeling.
It felt comfortable.
It felt pleasant.
It felt as if I were loved.