Hot Winter Nights
December 10th, 1991
It was colder than usual tonight. The mountains offered no shelter from the frigid winds father winter heaved upon the northeast. It was a bitter cold. Dry.
In a shared home for three generations of Solis,’ cozy was the word. Tia Meli was married to Tio Waldo. They had no children, though they were hopeful. She was the flamboyant aesthetician, and he was the reserved concrete journeyman.
Louis was the only child of the home. He was only 6 and already had them in them all in the palm of their hands. Roberto and Adriana were young parents, but they loved it. Roberto was a painter. His overalls told you what he had worked on even though he didn’t. Adriana was extroverted in the best way. Her smile and charm welcomed any and everyone in. Her bar tending skills were second to none.
Louis played with everyone in his own peculiar way. Rough bear hugs and WWF moves for the men. Gentlemanly gestures for the fairer sex.
At the top of the hierarchy, Raul and Maria welcomed both Pablo and Roberto with open arms.
Cartoons near the fireplace on a Saturday afternoon. Grandpa Raul and Louis sat next to each other watching Rugrats. It was the one where Tommy gets entered into a girl’s beauty pageant. The two ate palomitas and laughed aloud.
The fire burned slowly warming up the house. A commotion in the kitchen as the women of the house fixed dinner. The men sat at the table sipping on tequila and talking American football. Enchiladas for everyone. Verde de pollo. Arroz y frijoles pa que amaren.
The liveliness of the house was tenfold at dinner. Inside jokes. Indirectas con amor. Innuendo for the adults trying to conceive. Rugrats one liners for grandson and grandfather. The fireplace smoldered on.
As the night wound down and eyelids began to close, Grandpa Raul put one more log onto the fire.
Winds at high speeds in close corridors are known to pick up speed. On this night it was enough to blow a few embers onto a carpet and the set of drapes.
Roberto managed to get Louis outside. Deciding to go back in to try to save the rest of his family, fate had something else in mind.
The ruins of the house gifted a black snowfall.
One gust. One ember. One home. 7 lives changed forever. 6 taken. 1 left alone.
December 9th, 1992
Louis’ heart had frozen over. That night had taken it and shoved it into a freezer to which he had no key. The state had labeled him a schizophrenic. Episodes of catatonia would overcome him often and deeply.
With no next of kin here in Texas, he was placed in a hospital on the west side of El Paso. Days of staring in stupor followed by nights of energetic drawing and painting meant the state would keep a watchful eye on the child for years to come.
He would eat when hungry. Sleep when he was tired. The summer sun was his worst enemy. Now in the winter, it didn’t matter how cold it got, he would never ask for the heat to be turned up. Louis preferred the cold. Tonight, a winter storm rolled in with a fury. There was rain, sleet, and even snow in the forecast. The windows trembling from such force awakened something deep inside Louis.
Some triggers were obvious while others were still to be discovered. Certain foods were off limits, and the dinner setting was also put on pause. Louis sat in his room eating dinner most nights watching Cartoon Network. It had just launched and was all the rage.
Outside, the storm drew closer. Wind gave way to sleet, which finally became snow. And on this day, it stuck. The darkness of the night invited it.
Down in the mess hall, a band of musicians had taken the stage. From time to time the hospital would invite clowns, magicians, musicians to perform for the residents. They even brought in a comedian one time. Today they had invited a local band to help bring in some holiday cheer as the hospital began decorating. Echoes of Micheal Jackson and Rod Stewart filled the halls.
Louis stared outside watching as the snow piled on.
The band ended a rough rendition of Rod Stewarts Forever Young and after feeling the room, quickly jumped into a crowd favorite. A very faithful cover of Mark Mothersbaugh’s Rugrats Theme. The joy and wonder of the music bounced on down the hallway and into Louis’ bones, kickstarting his heart.
Louis slowly opened his window and felt the welcoming of the snow. He sat there for a minute taking it all in. The frosty numbness of winter and the melody of his happier days snapped something back into place.
While everyone else seemed to be enthralled in the Christmas spirit, Louis raced back inside on a mission.
One standard HI-VI vest from the janitor closet for Tio Waldo.
One curling iron and brush from Miss Maggie’s room for his Tia Meli.
One set of overalls from Mr. Palomares room for his dad.
One fanny pack from Claudia’s room for his mom.
One shawl from old lady Cindy for his grandmother.
One classic black Homburg from Sergeant Millers room for his grandfather.
December 9th 1992, 10:12 P.M.
Jubilant and free, Louis romped wildly outside. The flurries of snow coasted gracefully down onto the ground. He carefully constructed each member of his family with astonishing detail. Each of them stood erect in the way he remembered the night of their last dinner together.
Louis moved like the 7-year-old he was. Alive and full of joy. He let himself be himself with each member of his family.
Football and WWF talk with his dad and uncle. Sting had been named the WCW United States World Heavyweight Champion after beating up on some bum named Steve Austin. Sting was the man. None better.
Later, he sat with his mother and Tia as they gossiped about their respective jobs. Janelle at the salon was cheating on her husband with the new girl, Veronica. It was insane. Louis had no idea what cheating was, but still he was appalled.
When he finally moved onto his grandparents, he hummed the Rugrats theme. It was their favorite time together. Running and jumping as the commercials started to reup on popcorn and juice before it started was Louis forte. He had done it so many times before, his grandma and grandpa had started timing him. He never failed.
December 10th, 3:15 A.M.
Tio stood still dirty with his work vest on. His father next to him with an acrylic paint littered pair of overalls. They were discussing whether it was the Cowboys year.
Tia Meli sat next to his mother, brush, and curler in hand. His mother was counting tips out of her fanny pack for the night.
In the center, his grandmother and grandfather sat together. That’s where he sat. That was his favorite spot. In the chaotic charm that was his family, his grandparents were his solace. It would be the last snuggle of his short life.
