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The Challenge / By Erma Stephens My father brought home a sled that had been discarded. Its runners were bent and a board was missing. He could fix anything and it was not long before he had it looking like new - runners straight, board replaced and painted a shiny blue. I was seven at the time. I couldn't wait to try it out, so the first thing after breakfast I said to my mother, "Can I go play in the snow with the sled?" "You can go out, but wait until later to take the sled." Being the youngest of eight children was difficult at times. When you want to go with an older sister or brother they don't want you to tag along and when you think you are big enough to go alone your mother thinks you should wait for them. That was the case this morning. I decided to give it one last try. As sweetly as I could I said, "Please, Mother." "Oh all right, but don't go into the street." And she added her usual, "Dress warm." It was fun sledding down the hill in front of our house, but it could be dangerous. You needed someone to watch for cars at the intersection. On the other hand, there were fewer cars on the street in the 1940s and when it snowed you could hardly get around without tire chains. We just had several inches of snow, the kind with large flakes that slowly float to the ground and cover everything with a blanket of white. The air was clear. Everything felt crisp and clean. With the sun shining the snow was glistening. I had not been outside long when Milton, a neighbor boy one year older, came out with his sled. He yelled, "I'll bet I can beat you down the hill. I said, "I can't go into the street." After a few minutes he challenged me again. I repeated my mother's instructions, adding, "Anyway, there is no one to watch for cars." He smiled and said, "Aw, don't worry, I'll beat you to the corner." I will never know why I couldn't resist his challenge. I was not in the habit of disobeying. We held out sleds up to our chests and with a "Ready …. Set …. Go!" we slapped our sleds to the ground and lunged down on them. The sled took off in a flash. I couldn't believe how fast I was going. I could feel the sting from the snow blowing up from the street, hitting my face. I looked back and I was leaving Milton behind. "I knew I could beat him." Then reality set in. I was rapidly approaching the intersection. No one watching. I wasn't supposed to be there. I heard the clickety clack of tire chains. I looked to my right and saw the car. We were going to arrive at the intersection at the same time. Then I remembered my brother's warning: "If you see a car roll off the sled." I kept saying to myself, "Roll off, roll off." I rolled. The front tire rubbed my elbow as my body left the sled. I rolled away from the car onto the snow-covered street as the sled continued to slide under the wheels. The car slowly came to a stop. |