Period 4

13 May 2009

English 4

Short Story

Where's The Cold?

Characters:

-Antonio Answor

-Michael Answor

-Cory Melts

-2 Scientists

Antonio Answor, former scientist, couldn't handle the increasingly hot summers in Barstow California, so he set off on an unknown journey to find a cooler destination to live. He thought to himself, before he can set out on this journey where would his destination lead him. He knew himself well enough to know he's not too good at making decisions especially with his future in hand. So he called his older brother for a piece of advice, he couldn't set off without talking to his brother.

When his brother, Michael, received Antonio's phone call he didn't seem too surprised on what he was asking him for, or why he was asking him for advice he knew he wouldn't be able to give him. Yet again, Antonio was searching for all the answers to global warming. When 4 years ago, Antonio lost everything he had. His investment in global warming and trying to find answers led him to the loss of his life savings. He never knew it would cost him his life and future. He was a brilliant scientist in Las Vegas Nevada, until his passion for finding answers on global warming made everything vanish slowly beneath his own eyes. This incident in his life led him to where he is today, living in Barstow California just trying to live day-by-day surviving. Michael told Antonio that he didn't think it was such a great idea, thinking back on what happened before when he got himself into this. But even though Michael gave him the advice on not to do it, Michael as well as Antonio knew that even though he had said those things he would still do what he was passionate for and nothing would stop him.

Antonio hung up the phone, and seemed a little down and somewhat upset at the fact that his brother wasn't behind him on his experiment on global warming.

He walked himself to a local bar, and sat for a few hours thinking on what he was going to do, what would accompany him on his journey ahead, and if it would truly be worth it all in the end. He thought to himself some more, there was no more to lose in his life, and this could possibly be the last and only chance he had an opportunity to do this. He was watching a show that was playing at the bar on a small television just above the bar and high enough over the alcohol stacked on the shelves of the wall. It was a diesel truck show; showing diesel drivers who drive all over the U.S. as well as Canada and experiencing different weather climates and how to survive within your means. He suddenly had a great idea, north is where he was headed. By the amount of distance and the timing of summer to be ended, he would hitch hike his way to Canada for a cold weather experience. And maybe hop on a diesel or two to help the journey ahead. He slammed his beer down on the old wood counter of the bar, and took the clothes with him on his back, the money he had in his pocket which wasn't much only about $150 bucks, and headed out.

He hitches for about 4 days, 4 very long days. Waiting patiently for someone to help him set off on his journey. He didn't want to start walking right away; he wanted to get a good night sleep in the back of a truck to rest his legs for miles to be taken. It was getting hotter and hotter, the temperature climbing 80 degree's, 90 degree's, and 100 degree's he couldn't take it anymore. He kept thinking, the cold is waiting for me in Canada I'll be out of this town soon enough, just wait patiently. He held his thumb out, and just before all hope was to be washed out of his mind he heard the loud thunder of a diesel truck tires screeching to a halt. He looked up, and saw the truck driver wave his arms to come inside the truck. Finally! There was hope.

"Howdy Partner!" Said the truck driver with a huge smile on his face. He looked as if he hadn't showered for days, and the smell in the truck smelled like hotdogs, junk food, and ICEE drinks.

"Hi... Thanks for picking me up I really appreciate that." Said Antonio getting into the truck slowly with a grin on his face. He seemed happy to finally get a ride after waiting in the hot sun for 4 days. He said to himself quietly "It's as if god wanted this to happen." Antonio then spoke again to the diesel driver "Can I have your name? I'm Antonio Answor, former scientist, famous at that in Vegas!"

"I'm Cory. Cory Melts, truck driver, and loves his job. Basic simple facts about myself, and all you need to know their sir." Explained Cory. Antonio looked at him with a confused look on his face, and as if he wanted to ask him a question but resisted on it.

They drove a few hours, and Cory went on and on talking to Antonio about his life. How he ended up with this job after his wife left him, and his kids were taken away from him. Bad memories he had, and to keep them away he drove far enough away from home where he could feel free and calm himself from the loss of his family. Antonio dozed off after he heard that, he was just too tired to respond. He woke up, looked outside and saw to his surprise, the people that were outside of the gas station had big coats on. He touched his hand against the window and felt the cold bitterness of the window. He smiled to himself and sat back.

Antonio jumped out of the truck, and now it was to time to put his legs to work. He thanked the great man, and hoped to see him again in the near future. Cory drove off, and honked a few times as his way to say good-bye.

He set off on his journey; it took him nearly 2 months to get to where he was going. But finally, after walking for 60 days, going through different weather climates and states on the way, he finally reached Canada. It was dark, very dark. He found a cold bench outside of a frozen yogurt parlor and sat down. He found some newspaper on the sidewalk; he laid that out to lie on top of. He laid across, close his eyes, and grabbed a blanket that he found a few miles before to cover him. It would be a cold night and a cold morning, he wanted to be prepared.

He woke up, sweating from head to toe. He opened his eyes to a bright hot sun shining on him, and the noise of loud kids running up and down the local main street to get a scoop of ice cream. He rubbed his eyes, and couldn't figure out what was going on. He tore the blankets off of his sweaty body, and stood up looking around him. Wow, he thought to himself this was not the weather he intended to have when he set off his journey to come here. The weather was just as hot here as it was in California. He became sad, somewhat depressed at the fact that even after all of this time, thinking hard and long while walking to Canada that he thought he would be able to experience the meaning of "global warming." He sat back down on the bench, with his head down into his legs and wondering what his next step was now. He could see his brother in his head, nagging at him about how he was right, and that his journey and experiment was only pointless. But no, he didn't want to admit that his brother was right.

Just then, he over heard 2 men talking about global warming. He looked at the corner of his eye and saw 2 men arguing towards each other, and they were dressed in long white lab coats. Who are these people? Could they be scientists experimenting on the same things he was? And why do they seem to be talking about something he’s so passionate for to find the answers to. They were! They were scientists, and it was clear to see that.

"Come on now, global warming. It's not possible. It doesn't exist! You and I both know this is the fact and truth about the world and the lies that we live in,” Said the taller man in the white lab coat. He had a five o'clock shadow, and was nearly 6 feet tall. He had a deep voice, and you couldn't hear what he was clearly saying because he mumbled when he talked. He found great interest in everything they were saying; He walked slowly behind them and listened.

"Okay, global warming exists. Why would our Earth suddenly become warmer and glaciers be melting in Antarctica?" Said the shorter man with a stern voice. I thought to myself, within my own thoughts on the education he perceived of myself. If frozen things do in fact melt or at least recede after cooling period mercifully end. The glacial retreat we read about is selective. However, glaciers are also advancing all over, including lonely glaciers nearby their more popular retreating neighbors. If glacier retreating were proof of global warming then glaciers advancing are evidence of global cooling; they cannot both be true and in fact neither is. So that answer was clear to him on the question. But just then, the taller man took a deep breath and said to him slowly, "I don't think that it's global warming that exists, it's the word global that doesn't make sense at all. Global warming must specifically mean, that the world is globally warming at the same time every year that goes by. But in fact, it's not globally happening. Different parts of the world are warming and cooling. Warming is happening, but it is slight, it is relative, and it is not what they say "global" in that it is not warming everywhere."

He stopped following them, and took a deep breath to himself and realized he was right. The unknown brilliant scientist was RIGHT! Global warming doesn't exist as "global" its different parts of the world that are warming and cooling. And he was right to find a different destination to cool off, because where ever he is and the weather is hot, there is another place in the world that is cool and not as hot. With a smile on his face he headed back over to the bench he was sitting on, and saw a bus pull forward. He hopped on, not caring on where the bus was going but still holding the smile to my face knowing he, Antonio Answor was right, and that his gut feeling was right for once in his life.

He wasn't sure on how long it finally took him to get back to Barstow, but at that point in his life he couldn't care any less. He found the answer to this global warming issue that overwhelmed his life for so long. The town was still hot, but summer was just ending in Barstow. He didn't want to leave anywhere, to get colder or warmer. He was determined to stay in Barstow, thinking about his great experience and knowing that the answer to his greatest, time consuming, most difficult experiment was worth it all. He found the answers among a great scientist, who he had no clue was, but truly found the answer with in himself. It just took someone else's knowledge to have him find it.

-The End