Winter was finally loosening its frozen grip on the city. Small drops of water were forming at the bottom of icicles that had adorned the rooftops for the past 3 months. The sun was trying to claim its right in the sky by breaking through the blanket of clouds that shrouded the area for so long. It’s rays bounced off the frozen canals beckoning the children to come out and play. After many months of a harsh winter, kids were finally able to go outside and greet their friends.
The sleepy city was coming alive with people ready to get out and about. Dads were on their way to work and moms were on their way to the market. The kids could hardly wait to go ice skating on the frozen canals. Shrieks of delight were heard all over the city as they scooted across the icy playground.
Not everyone was able to go and play though. In a house not to far from the festivities, two pairs of eyes longingly gazed out the front window. The older sister was trying her hardest to look as if she couldn’t care less while the other glared at her homework wishing it would finish itself. Their mother and father were both doctors and there was to be no play unless their homework was complete and correct. Not only that, they both had to practice their instruments for at least two hours. Margaretha, the younger sister was the active one of the two and she was fit to be tied that she couldn’t be out with her friends.
As the sun was retiring from it’s watch over the city, street lamps slowly flickered on. The canal house was silent except for the scratching of pencils from the two young girls. Their parents had stepped out for the evening and they were alone with the nanny. Nora, the older sister, dropped her pencil and grabbed her sister. “Mam and Pop are out for at least three hours, we can skate for at least an hour and no one will know! Rita, you need to talk to Nanny and tell her our plan.”
The quiet cove off the canal hadn’t been skated on all day though the sun shown brightly in this deserted corner. The two young sisters laced up their skates and reveled in their short time of freedom. Rita was moving further ahead when she heard a heart stopping crack. She turned to find Nora motionless in her tracks with a look of shear terror. In a blink of an eye, the ice dropped out from underneath her. Nora plunged into the ice cold water while Rita scrambled to get to her, yelling for Nannny. Rita grabbed at the gloved hand that was bobbing up from the water and then it disappeared and an eerie silence settled over the canal. Rita slid on her belly over the ice to see if she could follow where her sister was floating to. She saw Nora’s red jacket a few feet from the hole and stuck her body in as Nanny quickly grabbed her waist. She hauled the young girls up with all her might. They lay on the ice trying to catch their breath but didn’t wait too long to get out of sight.
Nanny put their jackets near the furnace in the basement to dry off in hopes that their mother and father wouldn’t find out that they disobeyed them and went outside. Both sisters had a hard time sleeping that night, realizing that they came so close to dying. They thanked God many times in their prayers that night. The scene played over in their heads like a nightmare that wouldn’t go away.
“Nora, Margaretha it is time to go to school.” Mother demanded up the stairs in the early morning. Nanny fetched their jackets from the basement. She had a look of dread as she handed the girls their coats. Nora tried putting hers on but quickly came to the conclusion that they were in big trouble. Margaretha took her coat and tried to cover the fact that her new coat was now a few sizes to small. “Blast that furnace,” she muttered under her breath.
Father cleared his throat behind the girls and they both turned slowly to face him. They had been caught red handed.
