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February, the month of snow and valentines and snow, snow and more snow! School was boring, but something to keep me busy. I seemed to be getting into more trouble than ever! Grammy was always hollering for me to get out of the kitchen with that dog! Fritz didn’t come up from the cellar. He was the smart one. Well I couldn’t blame Grammy since the cook stove was hot. I could smell the bread baking in the oven and the soup simmering on the top. Dinner was a few hours away. I was really bored!
The nights seemed so long…the days even longer. The snow seemed deeper and the walk home from school longer. I went down to the cellar and looked for pop. He wasn’t there. I looked out the windows in the back cellar and found him. He was spreading ashes and cinders on the path to the back gate. No sidewalk, a dirt path! Of course I went running out and immediately upon seeing me, “He” hollered. “Get inside you has no coat of boots. Do you want to get sick?” I went back into the cellar crying.
I went back upstairs and got dressed to go outside. Grammy asked me where I was going and I just said to “slide” in my box. She said all right and out I went. Grabbed my cardboard box from the side porch and went out to Selfridge St. Of course only a few kids were out on their sleds and skis. I walked to the very top of the street and got into my box and down I went. 1 block, 2 blocks, 3 blocks and halfway up the 4th block. I got out turned around and saw how far I had slid. Mad me happy! I was closer to my aunts than I was to home. So I picked up my box and started for her house. When I got there I went to the back door and knocked. My “Nina” came right away. “What are you doing here and what is that boxes? “It’s my sliding box” She just shook her head. “Come in here and have some hot milk” I went in and she helped me off with my things and hollered to my cousin to heat some milk for me. My cousin who is my senior by, 20 yrs just smiled. I knew Helen would make me cocoa. We went into the kitchen and my “Nina”put blanket around me right away and some warm socks. No kid gets sick on her watch! The cocoa tasted good and I even got some cookies. (Leftovers from Christmas but good!)
Then the questions started. “Does your grammy know you are here” “No” “What were you doing?” Told them about my slide. Answer accepted and they both looked at each other. My Nina asked,” And you don’t have a sled, like the other children?”
“No, I have my paper box. The store man saves a good one for me when I ask and gives it to me. It’s fun.” My aunt and cousin just exchanged looks. Well cocoa, cookies and questioning done, I said I had to leave. Well the cousin said she would dress me and walk me home. Too late here came pop! “So here you are! Do you know that Grammy and I have been worried and looking for you and so have the neighbors.”? “No Pop, I’m sorry!” Sorry didn’t do.I got a good wack on my sitdown, and right in front of my Nina and cousin. They both started to holler at pop. My cousin scooped me up in her arms and just held me and Nina was dabbing at my eyes with her hanky. “Why did you hit the child?” “ Because she was not suppose to go off the street and she knows it, your sister is home worrying and she is here having cocoa and cookies!” “Well she is just a child and she knows to come here where it is safe. Helen was taking her home, and why does she only have a paper box and not a sled like the other children?” “She doesn’t need a sled!”
With that, pop grabbed my hand and out we went into the snow and cold and no box. it was left behind. “Pop, my sliding box!” “Never mind you won’t need it for a long time. No more sliding for you! Wait until we get home to your Grammy!” Well that was it. The dreaded tone of terror.
Well getting home was a longer walk this day. As we walked pop would holler to the neighbors who were looking for me “I have her, thank you” Well we rounded the corner onto Hillside Ave. and who is on the corner but Grammy waiting, in the cold. “See that, how she worries about you. Do you know what happens to children who may get hurt in this cold and snow?” “No Pop, and I will never do it again promise” Well I was ready for my sitdown whack from Grammy! But it never came. She just hugged me and she was crying! Grammy didn’t cry. I was rushed into the house, stripped and dropped into a warm tub! “Now you will get warm and we will eat some soup and then in the feather quilt you go! No school for you tomorrow. Pop was laughing. “Mary, tomorrow is Saturday, there is no school!” She said something to him in Slovak. I won’t repeat it.
Saturday came and it was snowing again!! I ran down to the kitchen and breakfast was waiting for me. “ I knew it was time for you to come down, and bring a empty belly”
I couldn’t believe my eyes, Fritz was sitting on the stove shelf and Pal was lying in back of the stove. No I didn’t question. I was still on thin ice! I ate, thanked my gammy for breakfast, ran upstairs to play with my dolls .I wanted to go outside but I wasn’t pressing my luck I heard grammy hollering from the kitchen. She told me to go on the side porch. There stood pop and my uncle.with a sled!!! “A sled, who’s is that?” “It’s for you, Nina and Helen and I got it for you!” I couldn’t believe my luck! “You soon have a birthday don’t you?” “Yes, but not for awhile” “Close enough” “Now no more paper boxes, no more going out without telling!” “I promise!” “: Good, then go have fun and be careful.”
I don’t know how long I played outside, but by the time I went in Selfridge St., was deserted. After taking off my snow clothes and wiping off my sled, I went into the kitchen. Pop and Mom were having coffee and there was a cup waiting for me. I climbed onto my chair and said “Thank You, I was cold,” They both laughed. “Pop” I asked, “Now that I have a sled does that mean I can’t slide down to school in my box?” Pop just looked at me. “Well, no you can still slide on the box, after all, what will all the grandfathers have to do in the morning then?” We all laughed !
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