Monday, January 19th, was the epitome of an odd day. First, I had no school! Secondly, I would be speaking at Saint Joseph’s Academy, where I had gone to school, about going to high school. Those two things… as well as a third I wasn’t expecting… defined the day.
Unfortunately, even though I had no school, I still had to wake up early. After a doctor’s appointment and doing my daily chores, I did some homework. My mom read the newspaper and clipped out an article she thought my grandmother would enjoy. She also had a few other things for my grandma, and needed me to pick up a file in Adrian and drop some toys off at my sister’s friend’s house.
Leyna, my sister’s friend, had visited the week before, and had left a few pieces of doll clothing and a handful of doll accessories at our house. Her house was on the way to the Academy, so I offered to drop them off, as well as pick up my mom’s file and take the things to my grandma’s. My mom readily agreed; she had other work to do anyway.
I set about 11:40; my appointment to speak at the Academy was at 12:30. My first stop was Leyna’s house.
But before I go any further, you must know two things:
1.) Last May, I went to an extreme handling course in Georgia with my dad. I learned how to drive a car in all sorts of bad and extreme conditions, including slick roads.
2.) Leyna’s older sister Mandi is my friend, and she used to drive a 1987 Ford Escort station wagon, gray in color, which she nicknamed the “Mousemobile.”
Anyway, I drove out M-52, to where their house was, slowing appropriately to turn into their long, bumpy, hilly, driveway. I noticed two things immediately – the first being that I was way too close to their address post, which was hammered into the ground near the driveway, and the second being the Mousemobile, now for sale, sitting maybe five feet from the post. The third thing I noticed a bit too late.
The driveway was icy, and I was going too fast.
The car started skidding and I was heading towards the Mousemobile, back end sliding dangerously. I was plummeting down the approach to the driveway, hurriedly steering and attempting to brake, eyes glancing in panic to the Mousemobile, with which I seemed to be on a collision course with.
By this time I was yelling and praying and yes, I think I might have sworn once (or twice). All my eyes really wanted to do was close and let me hit the Mousemobile. I bumped down the hill to the second part of the driveway, still skidding, praying a Hail Mary as fast as I could. The Mousemobile loomed large in my window, and my car headed straight towards it, and…
Then the car stopped. It just stopped, and my foot was on the brake, and I was twelve feet from the Mousemobile. Somehow, I had managed to avoid it.
No one thought this was quite as scary as I described it.
It certainly wasn’t funny when it was happening, but people tell me it’s hilarious now.