A Sled Ride with Daddy

A SLED RIDE WITH DADDY
Written By Sue Raymond

Leta shook me awake, “Susie hurry up get up Daddy said there is enough snow that he will take us sledding. Get up sleepyhead before he changes his mind.”
I groggily opened my eyes revealing my elder sister standing on the metal ladder to my bunk bed. She was two years older dark brown hair Mommy braided tightly against the sides of her head. Her mouth twitched with frustration over me not wanting to crawl out from under my warm woolen quilt into the nippy morning air.
Our bedroom was a converted front porch, which we shared with our Uncle Leonard who was three years older than Leta. It was without a heat register so the door had to stay open to the living room so heat from the oil-burning stove would gravitate through. We slept on bunk beds and Uncle Leonard slept on a rollaway.
Finally, she yanked the quilt away. The frosty air sent shivers throughout my whole body. “Letie stop it! It’s cold!” I snapped in response.
“Girls, you better settle down and get in here to breakfast before I decide not to allow you to go sledding before doing your chores.” We heard Mommy’s voice calling from the kitchen.
Leta threw my quilt back to me, “Here make your bed while I get your clothes.” She descended the ladder going to our small dresser pulling out a sweatshirt and pair of jeans then two pairs of socks. I yawned stretching before I pulled the quilt up tucking the quilt under my pillow laying my teddy bear at the back of the bed straightening the quilt as I made my way to the ladder.
We received teddy bears for Christmas that were approximately two feet tall stuffed firmly with tiny foam beads. Leta’s bear was light lilac with a white stomach and mine was red with a white stomach.
I smoothed the corners then crawled down onto Leta’s bed. She pulled the sweatshirt over my head catching one of my braids in the process. I gave a yelp that was quickly hushed with Leta’s hand over my mouth so Mommy would not hear. I pulled my head away sliding my arms in the sleeves. I slid my jeans on while Leta fished under her bed for our shoes.
I grabbed my socks and shoes running for the kitchen table for breakfast. My three little sisters were sitting in their chairs. Candy and Bunny were eating bowls full of rolled oat mash. Mary was drinking her bottle of milk in her highchair. I turned my nose up at the bowl of rolled oats sitting in my space and Leta quickly poked me in the ribs before Mommy saw the face I was making.
Why couldn’t she make cream of wheat instead of rolled oats? I hated rolled oats. I slowly stuck the spoon into the bowl pulling a slimy heaping spoonful out nibbling at the contents. To get me to eat rolled oats Mommy would place a handful of raisins in the bottom of the bowl before adding the rolled oats. The rule was no picking the raisins out of the oats. I had to eat the stupid oats to get to my raisins.
The back door opened and Uncle Leonard’s tall thin frame came in carrying two containers of milk. It was one of his chores to go up the hill to the neighbors to get milk each morning. They owned several milking cows that gave more milk than they could use so they arranged with Daddy to have Uncle Leonard go get some each morning. He handed Mommy the milk hanging his coat on the back of his chair sitting down inhaling his bowl of rolled oats smiling mischievously across the table at us.
Bunny smeared oats across her face before making it into her mouth. She was wearing more of the slimy oats than eating them. I was glad Candy was between her and me. Candy let out a yelp as Bunny smeared a large spoonful across Candy’s cheek. Mommy turned from the stove taking the spoon and bowl from Bunny. She took a dishcloth wetting it cleaning the mess Bunny created.
I forced the last of my oats down as Daddy came through the door, “Well are you three ready yet? I have the Oliver warmed up.”
Uncle Leonard, Leta and I quickly put our bowls in the sink. I sat on the floor pulling my socks on then tugging at my shoes while Uncle Leonard got our coats for us. He handed them to us then slid his coat back on following Daddy out onto the back porch pulling on his black boots waiting for us. Each of us had a pair of black rubber snow boots with buckles that slid over our shoes.
Leta and I followed tugging our boots on. Uncle Leonard squatted down buckling my boots while Leta securely tied my scarf around my head tucking the ends down in my coat collar before doing the same to her scarf. She handed me the pair of socks I left at the table going out the door pulling a pair of socks over her hands for gloves. I struggled slightly to get them far enough up my sleeves to stay.
We trudged through the snow over to the large side yard where Daddy was waiting for us. He had our large sled tied to the back of our Oliver tractor with a length of rope. Uncle Leonard sat at the back of the sled placing Leta in front of him and me in front of her. He wrapped his legs around us placing his feet on the steering board picking up the rope attached to the board trying to get set before Daddy dropped the Oliver down in third gear, popping the clutch roaring the Oliver to life, sending us flying off the back of the sled as the tractor lurched the sled forward out from under us.
We sat up covered in snow watching Daddy bring the sled around in a loop to us laughing as the tractor chugged pass us, “I thought you three wanted a sled ride not making snow angels.”
He stopped the tractor and we crawled back on the sled once more. Daddy put the Oliver down into first looking over his shoulder making sure we were ready before taking off across the yard. We were truly ready and when the lurch came, there were cheers of glee instead of yelps in the snow.
Down the yard, we slid across the snow leaving only tractor treads and runners tracks in the snow. Daddy looped the yard several times before starting making figure eights giving the tractor small burst of speed in the turns to snap the sled through the turns as we burst with laughter egging him to go faster. He smiled over his shoulder merriment twinkling in his eyes. He pulled the tractor to a halt dropping it down into third gear popping the clutch sending us flying over the ruts in the snow bouncing us off rut after rut while the tractor plowed through them. The wind whipping across our wet ruddy cheeks caused our eyes to fill with tears having them freeze to our lashes for a few second before the heat of our cheeks melted them causing our faces to grow ruddier.
Several more turns in the yard caused ruts to chew it up. Now our ride was no longer smooth. Every few seconds we plowed through a track or flew over a rut landing with a jarring thud shaking our inners down to our toes. Nevertheless, there was not one utterance of complaint coming from us. The socks we used for gloves were soaked and our fingers were numb as our lips started turning blue. Daddy took us down the yard straight for the gate turning sharply at the last moment spilling us into a snowdrift. He brought the tractor to a halt as Uncle Leonard was helping us up.
“That’s enough for today, go into the house and warm up before doing the rest of your chores.” Daddy said heading off toward the barn with the sled in tow.
Uncle Leonard knelt down, “Here Susie climb aboard and I’ll give you a lift back to the house.”
I climbed upon his back wrapping my legs around his chest and arms hugging his neck as he curled his arms around my legs securing me in place before the three of us trudge slowly back to the house knowing Mommy would have warm towels to dry us with and hot cocoa to warm our souls.
Later that night after Mommy put Candy, Bunny, and Mary to bed we sat on the couch while Mommy read one or two chapters of Tarzan to us before we too had to retire for the night.