“I told the pastor that I didn’t expect anyone to come to the boonies for me.”“Nonsense.”I grinned,positioning snacks and drinks by his bed.Beneath his gruff exterior,Bill was sweet as candy.His heart medication had to be taken every day,and living on a modest income without any surviving family members,he needed as much help as possible.“Well,look what your stubbornness brought you.”he said,pointing to the snow-covered road outside the window.His fingers clasped my hand.“Stay here,Karen.I want you safe.”I kissed the top of his head but decided to brave the road conditions.It would be worse later,I reasoned.“I’ll be okay.”I told him,remembering my sweet daughter’s words before I left.Thoughts of Abigail made me more determined to get home.I missed her already.I got into my Volkswagen and gradually tried making it down the steep hill.Remembering old instructions about driving in the snow,I kept the compact car in second gear.The wind increased,creating waves of blinding white.
As I squinted through the windshield,holding my breath,I screamed and jerked the wheel,narrowly missing the deer that stood frozen by my headlights. The Volkswagen hit the embankment,plummeted off the side of the road,and skidded to the bottom of a ravine below.When the rolling motion finally stopped,I opened my eyes and realized that I had been unconscious for some time.Night had arrived—and with it the forecasted accumulation of snow.Panicking,I tried opening the door,but it wouldn’t budge against the resisting snow.Sliding over to the passenger’s door,I realized that the door had been jammed shut by a tree.I turned the key to start the engine,but the battery was dead.
My hopes of rolling down the power windows to crawl out vanished.Without heat and adequate clothing,I curled up on the back seat and waited for help.The frigid air enveloped me.Shivering,I chastised myself for not preparing for a circumstance like this.My toes and fingers were already numb.An eternity seemed to pass,and as I listened to the wind and snow hitting against the car,I prayed for my family,who would be sick with worry by now.Abigail would probably be drawing pictures for me when I arrived home.Since she’d been old enough to hold a crayon,she’d drawn pictures to brighten the days of her loved ones.To calm my growing concern about my safety,I closed my eyes and concentrated on pleasant thoughts.