The event in this story is based on an actual occurrence while I was in Nottingham, England. The date is real, the sleet was real, but everything else is fictitious. The weather description was written off the top of my head, and I accept full responsibility for any errors. Thanks are due to Katrina and Kari for the editing! :-)
The usual disclaimer applies. All characters belong to Alliance. Any mistakes are my own. Comments and criticisms welcome at tsejuie@pl.jaring.my.
by Hsu-Lyn Yap
"What is the date today, Benny?"
"July 1st, Ray."
"What season are we supposed to be in, Benny?"
"Summer, Ray." Fraser looked up quizzically. What was Ray getting at?
"Come here, Benny. Tell me what you see."
Fraser went to join Ray at the window and looked out into the street. There was a lot of traffic on the road, but that was normal for that time of the day. He peered out cautiously again in case he had missed something, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. Glancing over at Ray, he observed that he was not looking down at the street, but straight ahead instead. Fraser frowned a little. Straight ahead was a brick wall!
"Do you see that, Benny?" Ray turned an outraged face towards Fraser.
"See what, Ray?" Fraser was genuinely baffled. There was nothing to be seen!
"That!" he jabbed at the window pane.
Fraser followed the general direction he was pointing to, but again, came up against the brick wall. "I'm sorry, Ray. I don't understand what you are trying to tell me. What did you see?"
Ray fastened him with an unblinking stare. "This is no time to be funny, Fraser. It's out there, it's cold, it's wet..."
Fraser's eyes widened in understanding. "It's rain, Ray."
"I *know* it's rain! I'm not that stupid! But it's not just raining, Fraser, there is *sleet*!" he turned back to staring morosely out of the window.
"It is supposed to be summer. Sun, warm breezes...but, we have sleet on the 1st of July. That make sense to you, Fraser?"
"Well, Ray, it is not that uncommon an occurrence. I believe it happens occasionally in the British Isles."
"Benny, maybe this has escaped your attention, but we are in Chicago, *not* the British Isles. I don't care if it snows there in summer. It does *not* happen here in Chicago!"
"Well, Ray, it's not an impossibility. There are constantly changing areas of high and low pressure in the atmosphere, and if it gets cold enough, no matter how unusual that might be, there is a chance that..."
"Benny..."
"...the water vapour in the atmosphere could freeze, and if it were very cold, it just might..."
"Benny!"
"Yes, Ray?"
"I know how we get rain and sleet. No need for the weather lecture, okay?"
"Okay." Fraser gave his red serge jacket a last brush and hung it up.
"What are you doing, Fraser?" Ray turned away from scowling at the rain through the window.
"There is a dinner at the consulate tomorrow night, and I thought I should get my dress uniform ready."
"A formal affair then?" Ray raised an eyebrow knowingly.
"Well, yes. How did you guess?"
"Just a hunch." Ray shrugged and turned to look out the window again.
"Staring at it is not going to make it stop, you know."
"I know. But I sure as hell can try!" Ray frowned as the rain just got heavier.
"Hey, Benny.You have heating in here?" he gave an involuntary shiver and hugged himself.
"It's summer, Ray!"
"Yeah, but we're not meant to have sleet in summer as well!" he shivered again.
"Maybe if you come away from the window, you won't feel as cold." Fraser suggested.
"There's no difference in your apartment, Benny. It's like living in an igloo! Now, *you* might be used to it, but *I'm* not!"
"I've never lived in an igloo, Ray."
"Moot point. Point is..." Ray stopped and stared. "What are you doing Fraser?" Fraser was busy doing something to his belt buckle.
"Sharpening my buckle, Ray."
"I can see that! Why should you want to do that?!"
"Well, it got us out of the padded cell."
"Yes. But I don't see that happening again in the near future, if you'll stay out of nuthouses!" Ray continued staring as Fraser put the belt away.
"They are hospitals, Ray. And the patients aren't exactly crazy. They just have psychological disorders that make them behave differently from normal people."
"Like I said, nuts!" Ray seated himself on a chair and watched as Fraser picked up his boots and polish. "And I must be nuts too, sitting here, watching you polish your boots, when I can be at home, watching TV."
"You don't have to watch, you know." Fraser caught his glance at the other boot.
"No way. I'll pass on this one." Ray shook his head firmly. "I would go home if I hadn't parked the car so far away. I'd be drenched by the time I et to it. Geez! It *is* cold in here."
He started as something huge, white and furry settled on his feet, slowly warming them. Diefenbecker looked up at him and appeared to give a wolfish grin, as he settled his head back on his paws.
Fraser bent down, caught Dief's eye and mouthed one word. "Traitor!"
Ray laughed. "He knows who feeds him the donuts, don't you Dief?" Dief simply fixed him with his intelligent brown eyes and gave an answering whine of agreement.
A long silence followed, only broken by the sound of the rain and sleet pelting against the window pane, and of Fraser's vigorous polishing of his boot. Ray looked at him for a long moment.
"Benny?"
"Yes, Ray?" Fraser looked up curiously as Ray took the soft cloth and boot out of his hands.
"You know, I could think of a million things I could be doing right now..."
Fraser looked surprised at first as he watched Ray, but his surprise soon turned into amusement. He never thought he would ever see Ray doing what he was doing at that very moment.
"Not a word, Benny!" Ray warned, and Fraser's grin widened.
"Not a word, Ray." He agreed, suppressing his mounting amusement, as he watched Ray vent his frustration by energetically polishing his boot.
THE END