Winter Chill

   I got up to get myself more coffee, then paused and asked Cheryl, "Would you like another cup of tea?"
   "Sounds good." Cheryl held out her tea cup. Then she added, "I thought you were taking Uncle Billy to Manny's this morning."
   I took her cup. "He called while you were in the shower to cancel," I said as I walked into the kitchen.
   "Oh? How come?"
   I leaned around the doorway, "He said it was too damn cold to go out."
   "Too cold? That doesn't sound like Uncle Billy."
   I poured hot water into her cup. "I thought it was a little strange, too ... I mean it is freakin' cold out there, but it's not like Billy to be slowed by it."
   "Well, they are talking about wind chills below zero ... maybe it is getting to him."
   I filled my cup with coffee while the tea bag steeped in Cheryl's. "I suppose ... I told him I had to go out to run some errands anyway, so it was no trouble to me."
   "And he still didn't want to go?" said Cheryl.
   "Nope."
   "You don't think that there is anything else going on, do you?"
   "Like what?"
   "Like he's not feeling good or something."
   I took the tea bag out of her cup. "I don't think so ... do you want cream in this?"
   "Yes, please ... well, maybe it is just the cold."
   I poured a splash of cream in her cup. "Maybe ..."
   "But you suspect it's something else?"
   I picked up the cups and walked back into the dining room. I set Cheryl's tea in front of her.
   "Thank you."
   "No problem." I sat down and took a sip of my coffee.
   "Well?" she asked.
   "Well what?"
   "What do you suspect made Uncle Billy cancel?"
   I looked out at the branches bending in the north wind. "I don't know ... I'm wondering if it has anything to do with this Mike Burczyk business."
   "Oh? How so?"
   "Nothing I can put my finger on ... he just seems to be a bit preoccupied since he got into this stuff with Burczyk."
   Cheryl took a sip of her tea. "Well, maybe that's a good thing ... I mean, he needs something to keep himself busy."
   I drummed my fingers on the side of the coffee cup. "Yeah ... I guess ... I just hope he doesn't find himself out in the cold."