Poedunk’s Challenge
Write a story about a scene from your living room window.
Your story can be fact or fiction. No Poems.
Describe this scene from your window.
It can be sad, funny, odd or scary. It can be a past, present or future event.
Involve yourself in the story as you watch out the window.
The snow had been falling all night, spreading its icy claws over the roads and sidewalks. Admittedly the town had done its best with their clearing machines, but the cars were dragging along, the gas pedal being treated like a raw egg by most of the drivers. I was watching from the living room window which had a clear view of the cross roads. Now and again the traffic light switched to a stop and slowly the cars came to a halt, although most slithered a few centimetres further on the icy surface.
“I’m off” said my husband as he prepared to go to work.
“Take care” was all that I could answer, with a feeling of uncertainty at the back of my mind. “Trust his driving” was a thought at the front of my mind, but what was laying at the back of my mind I just had to ignore. It was a half hour drive and he had done it many times, even on the winter roads.
He left and the children began to pack their school bags. Again the words “take care” were said to accompany them on their way, although walking was an easier task than driving on that morning. They left and I was on my own at home; time for the daily cleaning programme and then a shopping trip. I looked out of the window from time to time and noticed that the icy surface had begun to melt just a little bit, water swimming on the ice.
I was just about to switch on the vacuum cleaner, when I heard the sound of a collision of metal followed by breaking glass. There I was again at my look out post and saw that a car below had crashed into the water hydrant in our road. It seemed the driver actually wanted to turn right into our road so he put his foot on the break, but horror of horrors, the car did not stop and just continued on its way at a slight angle where it met with the water hydrant outside our apartment block.
The driver climbed out of his half demolished vehicle, and began to examine the damage. I decided to continue with the housework. There was no peace on that morning. There was another sound of a crash, the crunch of metal and behold a second car had tried to make the corner, but according to the laws of gravity, combustion, or whatever, the car had crashed into the car that had already crashed into the hydrant. Now it was time to stop housework and study the situation. This was becoming ridiculous. After a few minutes the first garage pick up truck arrived to remove the two cars.
As a true citizen I decided to do something about this before someone was killed. I found the telephone number for the local authorities and was eventually connected to the department responsible.
“I am calling to ask if you intend to throw some salt on my street corner. Up to now two cars have collided with the water hydrant because of the condition of the road. “
“Sorry madam, but our crew is on its way. One street, after the other will be cared for. Where did you say you lived. Oh, well we should be there in half an hour.”
“But someone is going to get killed eventually.+
“Don’t worry madam, we will take care, just be patient.+
That was the solution of the town authorities, your friend and helpers in times of need.
At that time I had four children to look after during the day, a household, coupled with shopping and cooking, but this was probably why I just did not accept things as they are. I decided to go into action and the only action I had was a packet of cooking salt. Armed with this I walked out to the road and started scattering hoping that every little would help. At the same time my neighbour was getting ready to depart for work in her car. The car was waiting at the side of the street, preparing to drive to the traffic lights at the crossing. We said good morning and I told her not to wait at the traffic light, but a few meters before as it was dangerous to be near the water hydrant.
“What do you mean” she said looking at me as if all good spirits had left me.
This was quite funny actually, reflecting on what happened next. Yes, a car came spinning round the corner wanting to turn into our road, the driver braking at the corner and sending the car off at a forty-five degree angle where it crashed into the water hydrant, just before my neighbour’s car. Had she driven further and waited at the traffic light, her car was no longer a car but a heap of scrap iron ready for the place where all dead cars go. The neighbour was speechless and looked at me with a mixed look of shock and thankfulness in her eyes.
“Hello dear, that was a bad day on the roads” said my husband when he arrived home in the evening. “Thank goodness I was driving on the highway, the side roads were terrible.”
“Thank goodness you are home safe” was my answer. I decided to keep the details to myself. I was still recovering. All together there were five cars that morning that I watched being demolished.
“I’m off” said my husband as he prepared to go to work.
“Take care” was all that I could answer, with a feeling of uncertainty at the back of my mind. “Trust his driving” was a thought at the front of my mind, but what was laying at the back of my mind I just had to ignore. It was a half hour drive and he had done it many times, even on the winter roads.
He left and the children began to pack their school bags. Again the words “take care” were said to accompany them on their way, although walking was an easier task than driving on that morning. They left and I was on my own at home; time for the daily cleaning programme and then a shopping trip. I looked out of the window from time to time and noticed that the icy surface had begun to melt just a little bit, water swimming on the ice.
I was just about to switch on the vacuum cleaner, when I heard the sound of a collision of metal followed by breaking glass. There I was again at my look out post and saw that a car below had crashed into the water hydrant in our road. It seemed the driver actually wanted to turn right into our road so he put his foot on the break, but horror of horrors, the car did not stop and just continued on its way at a slight angle where it met with the water hydrant outside our apartment block.
The driver climbed out of his half demolished vehicle, and began to examine the damage. I decided to continue with the housework. There was no peace on that morning. There was another sound of a crash, the crunch of metal and behold a second car had tried to make the corner, but according to the laws of gravity, combustion, or whatever, the car had crashed into the car that had already crashed into the hydrant. Now it was time to stop housework and study the situation. This was becoming ridiculous. After a few minutes the first garage pick up truck arrived to remove the two cars.
As a true citizen I decided to do something about this before someone was killed. I found the telephone number for the local authorities and was eventually connected to the department responsible.
“I am calling to ask if you intend to throw some salt on my street corner. Up to now two cars have collided with the water hydrant because of the condition of the road. “
“Sorry madam, but our crew is on its way. One street, after the other will be cared for. Where did you say you lived. Oh, well we should be there in half an hour.”
“But someone is going to get killed eventually.+
“Don’t worry madam, we will take care, just be patient.+
That was the solution of the town authorities, your friend and helpers in times of need.
At that time I had four children to look after during the day, a household, coupled with shopping and cooking, but this was probably why I just did not accept things as they are. I decided to go into action and the only action I had was a packet of cooking salt. Armed with this I walked out to the road and started scattering hoping that every little would help. At the same time my neighbour was getting ready to depart for work in her car. The car was waiting at the side of the street, preparing to drive to the traffic lights at the crossing. We said good morning and I told her not to wait at the traffic light, but a few meters before as it was dangerous to be near the water hydrant.
“What do you mean” she said looking at me as if all good spirits had left me.
This was quite funny actually, reflecting on what happened next. Yes, a car came spinning round the corner wanting to turn into our road, the driver braking at the corner and sending the car off at a forty-five degree angle where it crashed into the water hydrant, just before my neighbour’s car. Had she driven further and waited at the traffic light, her car was no longer a car but a heap of scrap iron ready for the place where all dead cars go. The neighbour was speechless and looked at me with a mixed look of shock and thankfulness in her eyes.
“Hello dear, that was a bad day on the roads” said my husband when he arrived home in the evening. “Thank goodness I was driving on the highway, the side roads were terrible.”
“Thank goodness you are home safe” was my answer. I decided to keep the details to myself. I was still recovering. All together there were five cars that morning that I watched being demolished.
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