Above the Fire: A Novel

by Michael O'Donnell

“What do bears do in the winter?” “They hibernate.” “Which means?” Tim put on his professorial voice and began to recite facts that he knew well. “The sow finds a shelter for herself and her young, they eat as much as they can to store fat for the winter, and then they sleep through the coldest months of the year.” “Very good. And when winter ends?” “They wake up?” “They wake up. And if you had been sleeping for three or four months, what would you do first thing?” “Poop!” The boy began to laugh hysterically and then danced around jutting his bottom out and making gassy noises. His father watched him and smiled. “Right. And after that, you’d want to eat. That’s what bears do. When they’re done hibernating, they are hungry.”