ones.
They had already reached the top of Eli’s hill and were on the way down. The paths they had cut to smooth perfection on Monday, now slick from the sun’s rays, had frozen and melted and frozen again. It made for glorious sledding.
The sun, the flying bits of snow, the absolute speed, the cold, all filled Isaac’s mind. So when the horn sounded, the brakes screeched, the children screamed and screamed without stopping, it took a while until he knew something wasn’t right.
In fact, something awful had just occurred.
Chapter Seven
I SAAC WAS OFF HIS Lightning Flyer before it stopped, left it and began to run.
The vehicle had skidded to a haphazard stop, sideways on the road. A small black figure lay inert on the cold, hard macadam.
A middle-aged couple emerged from the car, the man reaching for his wife’s hand. Her gloved hand was held across her mouth, her eyes wide with terror.
Teacher Catherine reached Raymond first. She bent, put out a hand, then looked up as the English man reached her. He got down on one knee. Isaac was relieved to hear a moan, followed by an ear-piercing scream.
It was Raymond! He was conscious.
Isaac was joined by Calvin and Michael, then Jake and Danny, the fifth-grade boys. Teacher Catherine got up, spoke sternly, loudly, as Raymond’s screaming continued.
“Take them all inside. Ruthie. Dora. Nemmat die kinna ny .” (Take the children in.)
With one wild look at Raymond, the car and the English man and his wife, they obeyed, herding the sobbing huddle of black-clad children back to the schoolhouse, where they promptly stationed themselves on the bench below the windows, watching.
An approaching car stopped. The man got out, assessed the situation and pulled his cell phone from his coat pocket, as Raymond continued his screams of pain.
The English lady dashed back to the car, returned with a crocheted afghan in red and green, then bent to lay it gently over the child.
Teacher Catherine was on her knees beside Raymond, stroking his hair, talking to him in Pennsylvania Dutch, but nothing helped. Raymond just went on screaming.
Isaac could hardly take it. He felt sick to his stomach, and the white, white world went crooked for an instant. He swallowed and was all right.
Why did the fire company take so long? Surely it shouldn’t take the medics that much time.
Teacher Catherine left Raymond only long enough to step over and tell the boys to scooter to Jesse Kauffmans’ and tell them to come, fast.
The boys ran, grasped their scooter handles, bent low and pedaled furiously, one leg flung back as far as it would go to build momentum.
Raymond’s mam was eating her lunch. Her face turned white, but she remained calm, instructing her older daughter Ella Mae to run to the phone shanty and call her dat, who worked at the welding shop in Gordonville.
“ Bleib yusht do ,” (Just stay here.) she told Ella Mae, then hopped on a scooter and followed the schoolboys.
The medic had arrived. Raymond was sedated and put on a stretcher before his mother got there.
Isaac was relieved, glad Jesse sei Anna did not have to witness that horrible screaming.
They opened the back doors of the ambulance and loaded Raymond into it. His mother was taken with the English people who had accidentally hit him.
The police swarmed about, their yellow lights whirling on top of their vehicles, their radios crackling, asking questions, jotting down information.
Teacher Catherine remained calm and effective, answering questions. Her face was white, her blue eyes huge, filled with liquid her pride would not allow to spill over. Isaac admired her so much. He sure had a story for Sim.
They went back to the schoolroom and sat in their desks. No one wanted to continue sledding, work on the poster or practice for the Christmas program.
Teacher Catherine asked each family whether their parents were home, and then dismissed the school at one o’clock. She said as soon as she received any news about
They had already reached the top of Eli’s hill and were on the way down. The paths they had cut to smooth perfection on Monday, now slick from the sun’s rays, had frozen and melted and frozen again. It made for glorious sledding.
The sun, the flying bits of snow, the absolute speed, the cold, all filled Isaac’s mind. So when the horn sounded, the brakes screeched, the children screamed and screamed without stopping, it took a while until he knew something wasn’t right.
In fact, something awful had just occurred.
Chapter Seven
I SAAC WAS OFF HIS Lightning Flyer before it stopped, left it and began to run.
The vehicle had skidded to a haphazard stop, sideways on the road. A small black figure lay inert on the cold, hard macadam.
A middle-aged couple emerged from the car, the man reaching for his wife’s hand. Her gloved hand was held across her mouth, her eyes wide with terror.
Teacher Catherine reached Raymond first. She bent, put out a hand, then looked up as the English man reached her. He got down on one knee. Isaac was relieved to hear a moan, followed by an ear-piercing scream.
It was Raymond! He was conscious.
Isaac was joined by Calvin and Michael, then Jake and Danny, the fifth-grade boys. Teacher Catherine got up, spoke sternly, loudly, as Raymond’s screaming continued.
“Take them all inside. Ruthie. Dora. Nemmat die kinna ny .” (Take the children in.)
With one wild look at Raymond, the car and the English man and his wife, they obeyed, herding the sobbing huddle of black-clad children back to the schoolhouse, where they promptly stationed themselves on the bench below the windows, watching.
An approaching car stopped. The man got out, assessed the situation and pulled his cell phone from his coat pocket, as Raymond continued his screams of pain.
The English lady dashed back to the car, returned with a crocheted afghan in red and green, then bent to lay it gently over the child.
Teacher Catherine was on her knees beside Raymond, stroking his hair, talking to him in Pennsylvania Dutch, but nothing helped. Raymond just went on screaming.
Isaac could hardly take it. He felt sick to his stomach, and the white, white world went crooked for an instant. He swallowed and was all right.
Why did the fire company take so long? Surely it shouldn’t take the medics that much time.
Teacher Catherine left Raymond only long enough to step over and tell the boys to scooter to Jesse Kauffmans’ and tell them to come, fast.
The boys ran, grasped their scooter handles, bent low and pedaled furiously, one leg flung back as far as it would go to build momentum.
Raymond’s mam was eating her lunch. Her face turned white, but she remained calm, instructing her older daughter Ella Mae to run to the phone shanty and call her dat, who worked at the welding shop in Gordonville.
“ Bleib yusht do ,” (Just stay here.) she told Ella Mae, then hopped on a scooter and followed the schoolboys.
The medic had arrived. Raymond was sedated and put on a stretcher before his mother got there.
Isaac was relieved, glad Jesse sei Anna did not have to witness that horrible screaming.
They opened the back doors of the ambulance and loaded Raymond into it. His mother was taken with the English people who had accidentally hit him.
The police swarmed about, their yellow lights whirling on top of their vehicles, their radios crackling, asking questions, jotting down information.
Teacher Catherine remained calm and effective, answering questions. Her face was white, her blue eyes huge, filled with liquid her pride would not allow to spill over. Isaac admired her so much. He sure had a story for Sim.
They went back to the schoolroom and sat in their desks. No one wanted to continue sledding, work on the poster or practice for the Christmas program.
Teacher Catherine asked each family whether their parents were home, and then dismissed the school at one o’clock. She said as soon as she received any news about
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