"Annie!" Carter screamed.
"Daddy!" came the frightened reply.
Something made me snap into action. "Carter," I said. "There's a manhole." I pointed about 100 yards down the street.
Carter ran to it and began trying to pry it up. I knelt by the drain. "Annie," I said. "Can you grab onto something? A bar or a pipe?"
There was a silence and for one terrifying second I thought she'd already been swept into the sewer. But then her tiny voice floated up. "Yes," she said. "It's a bar."
"OK. Wrap your arms around the bar and hold your hands together, OK?"
"Yes," she said again.
I glanced down the street as Carter disappeared down the manhole. "Daddy's coming, OK Annie? He's coming to get you."
Carter spoke. His voice was muffled and distant. "I can't see," he hollered. "Keep talking so I can follow your voices."
How do you engage a frightened child in a conversation and keep them calm at the same time? "Annie, what's your favorite song?"
"'Merican Pie," she said without hesitation.
I wanted to laugh. 'American Pie' was not the response I'd expected. "Do you know the words?" I asked.
"Some of 'um."
"OK, we're gonna sing." I started singing the first verse and Annie joined it. As we sang I kept having visions of life without Annie. If she were swept away by the current before Carter could get to her. I strained my eyes, trying to see her but it was too dark. I just knew we couldn't lose her. I'd do anything not to lose her.
We sang for about two minutes until I heard Annie's delighted cry of "Daddy!"
I ran down the street to the manhole, slipping in the water on the way. "John!" I yelled into the hole. "John, over here!"
Finally Annie's head appeared and she reached up to me. I took her in my arms and held her tight. "Thank God," I said. "Oh, thank God."
Carter climbed out of the manhole and sat down with us. He took both of us in his arms and held us. We sat there together in the pouring rain until it occurred to me that Annie could catch pneumonia. As I stood up, Annie still in my arms, she kissed my cheek. "I love you," she said. Then she sighed. "We lost Binker."
Response to reviews (chapters 18 & 19) -
Carbybubbles - Thanks! I do my best!
Hyperpiper91 - Yay! The more carby the better . . . that's my motto!
Canard - Well, things are still slightly rocky but no worries!
Jackie - hehehe, I'm not a patient person either.
CamilaC - You will be missed while you're away but I hope you have fun wherever you're going!
IDontWriteIJustRead - Annie has changed her mind about Abby. She was just a little jealous but she really does like her.
Carbybubbles - You said that for chapter 18 too. Hehe
Jackie- Binker's gone. : ( But Annie's OK. I guess that's the important one, lol.
Canard - All's well, for the moment.
"Daddy!" came the frightened reply.
Something made me snap into action. "Carter," I said. "There's a manhole." I pointed about 100 yards down the street.
Carter ran to it and began trying to pry it up. I knelt by the drain. "Annie," I said. "Can you grab onto something? A bar or a pipe?"
There was a silence and for one terrifying second I thought she'd already been swept into the sewer. But then her tiny voice floated up. "Yes," she said. "It's a bar."
"OK. Wrap your arms around the bar and hold your hands together, OK?"
"Yes," she said again.
I glanced down the street as Carter disappeared down the manhole. "Daddy's coming, OK Annie? He's coming to get you."
Carter spoke. His voice was muffled and distant. "I can't see," he hollered. "Keep talking so I can follow your voices."
How do you engage a frightened child in a conversation and keep them calm at the same time? "Annie, what's your favorite song?"
"'Merican Pie," she said without hesitation.
I wanted to laugh. 'American Pie' was not the response I'd expected. "Do you know the words?" I asked.
"Some of 'um."
"OK, we're gonna sing." I started singing the first verse and Annie joined it. As we sang I kept having visions of life without Annie. If she were swept away by the current before Carter could get to her. I strained my eyes, trying to see her but it was too dark. I just knew we couldn't lose her. I'd do anything not to lose her.
We sang for about two minutes until I heard Annie's delighted cry of "Daddy!"
I ran down the street to the manhole, slipping in the water on the way. "John!" I yelled into the hole. "John, over here!"
Finally Annie's head appeared and she reached up to me. I took her in my arms and held her tight. "Thank God," I said. "Oh, thank God."
Carter climbed out of the manhole and sat down with us. He took both of us in his arms and held us. We sat there together in the pouring rain until it occurred to me that Annie could catch pneumonia. As I stood up, Annie still in my arms, she kissed my cheek. "I love you," she said. Then she sighed. "We lost Binker."
Response to reviews (chapters 18 & 19) -
Carbybubbles - Thanks! I do my best!
Hyperpiper91 - Yay! The more carby the better . . . that's my motto!
Canard - Well, things are still slightly rocky but no worries!
Jackie - hehehe, I'm not a patient person either.
CamilaC - You will be missed while you're away but I hope you have fun wherever you're going!
IDontWriteIJustRead - Annie has changed her mind about Abby. She was just a little jealous but she really does like her.
Carbybubbles - You said that for chapter 18 too. Hehe
Jackie- Binker's gone. : ( But Annie's OK. I guess that's the important one, lol.
Canard - All's well, for the moment.
