Sanctity

Chapter 5

By Thanksgiving we had gotten half a dozen storms already and there were mountains of snow piled all around our complex. My friend Erica and I spent almost every afternoon outdoors playing in the banks or sledding down one of the nearby hills. Our most recent storm cancelled school one day and as soon as I heard the news I asked my mother if we could stop by Erica's to see if she could play. She told me we needed to pick up a few groceries after the plows came through and I'd have to wait until we got back.

We went to the store after lunch and when we got home Erica was just coming out of her building. I waved to her as we drove by. She waved back and ran the length of the sidewalk to where we parked. I hardly had a chance to unbuckle and get my door open before she was beside my window eager to find out if I planned on coming out to play. We made our plans while my mother collected the grocery bags from the trunk.

I motioned my mom to hurry as she shuffled along the walkway careful not to step on any ice patches. After she let us in I wriggled into my snow pants and found my hat and gloves. My boots were on a mat by the door and I began the struggle to get them on. As my mom finished putting the groceries away she glanced over and noticed how much trouble I was having. She offered me hand and twisted first one foot into a boot then the other.

Once I finished bundling up, I asked if I could head down. "Sure, sweetie. I'll be right out," my mom opened the door for me and I scrambled down the hall. I took the stairs rather than waiting for the elevator and found Erica standing by the side door.

"Wanna go sledding?" she asked as soon as she saw me.

"Sure! We have to wait for my mom, though."

We tried building a snowman to pass the time but the snow wasn't sticky enough and it ended up being more of a snow mound than anything else. Hoping to give it some character we found two twigs for arms and scavenged the banks the plows had piled up looking for something to use for eyes, a nose and a mouth. As we placed our pebbles, my mom joined us.

"Not very good snow, huh?" she asked.

"No, but can we try sledding?"

"As long as it's okay with Erica's mom. Why don't you run in and let her know where we'll be while I get your sled?"

Erica and I went together and hurried back as soon as she had her mother's permission. Once we were all outside again, Erica and I made a dash for the hill.

There wasn't enough room for both of us to slide down at the same time so we took turns. I took the first run and while I pulled my sled behind me and trekked back up Erica came racing down. We formed a steady circuit and even got my mom to take a trip or two. Eventually we wore ourselves out and plopped down to take a break. It was getting dark and our clothes had gotten soaked from all the snow. We both felt cold and uncomfortable so Erica and I decided it was time to head back. My mom eagerly agreed and helped both of us with our sleds.

We walked Erica back to her building and after she rang her buzzer, we waited until she was safely inside. I breathed a sigh of relief once we were in our own apartment and shimmied out of my snowy, damp clothes. After I peeled off all my layers, my mom suggested that I take my shower to help warm up before dinner. She promised a hot cocoa as an after dinner treat and sent me on my way while she gathered up all my wet clothes and stuffed them into the washer.

My dad came home as I finished getting dressed. "Early bath?" he asked me.

"We went sledding."

"Did you have fun?"

"Lots," he helped me twist my hair into a towel so it wouldn't drip all over the dining room while we ate.

"That's good. Dinner's ready. Are you hungry?"