Based On A True Story
Laura froze in mid-sentence, her attention irresistibly drawn to the weather report being given on the radio. “Did he just say that with the wind chill factor, it is ninety below zero?” Laura asked her husband, Joe. “How is that even possible?” Josiah chuckled at his wife’s naivety, the low kind of laugh that still made Laura smile, even after six years of marriage.
Laura and Joe had met during college, he from Bismarck, and she from Missouri. Laura had been instantly drawn to Joe’s quick smile, big brown eyes, and Scandinavian good looks. It hadn’t taken long for love to blossom and they were married before they graduated in 1983.
Six years later, they were still madly in love, but their love had matured, as love does with time and commitment. Their first baby, Matthew, had been born two-and-a-half years ago, and baby Coty was just 9 months old. Josiah was crazy about his boys and had taken to fatherhood as naturally as breathing. Laura had fallen in love with motherhood the moment she knew she was pregnant. She loved feeling her babies growing inside of her, loved rubbing her belly every time she sat down, and loved the look of adoration in Joe’s eyes when he thought she wasn’t watching. Even now her hand instinctively rested lightly on her belly.
After college, Joe accepted a job in New England, and he and Laura had grown to love the beauty that is unique to the northeast. They had settled in a small village in Vermont, called Johnson, established 1697 A.D., and spent their weekends happily skiing, hiking, and getting lost in dusty antique shops. The arrival of their baby boys had only added to their happiness, and Joe and Laura planned to stay on the East Coast the rest of their lives. Yes, it was difficult to live so far away from family, but even with the great distance separating them, they managed to see both sides of the family at least once a year, sometimes more.
And now they were headed to Joe’s parents’ house to spend Christmas with Joe’s side of the family. It would be a noisy, busy, raucous holiday, just as Joe preferred it. Joe longed to fill his own home with more children and he and Laura had spent many hours discussing when they might add another child to their happy home. Christmas with Joe’s side would include games, spirited discussions touching on every topic under the sun, and food, food, and then more food. Joe and Laura both knew that they would leave exhausted and stuffed to the gills, and ready to get back to their snug Cape Cod style house nestled in the Green Mountains.
Laura tried to absorb the information she had just been hit with, and pressed Joe, “Have you EVER experienced weather this cold before?” Joe thought about that for a moment. “I remember the temperature hitting 40 below, actual air temperature. I guess I don’t know what it was with the wind chill factor. I do remember that it was COLD!” But even in the dark of the car, she could see the twinkle in his eyes and hear it in his voice as he added, “but that’s no big deal for a North Dakotan. We’re tough!” “Yes, I know,” Laura laughed. “You tell me that every day.”
Josiah glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that little Mattie was still sleeping in his car seat, but Coty caught his eye and giggled. Joe turned around in his seat and looked his youngest full in the face. “Hey, Little Guy, you’re still awake? Daddy loves you!” Coty reached chubby hands to his father and babbled happily. Joe looked at Laura and winked. “He’s almost as handsome as his father.” Laura rolled her eyes, but secretly agreed. Coty was a mirror image of his father and drew a crowd of admirers every time they went out in public. It was going to be a challenge to keep this child grounded and humble. As if reading his mother’s mind, Coty exclaimed with a slobbery “glaaableeth.” Laura and Joe laughed out loud and Coty joined in.
“… The national weather service is warning motorists to stay home tonight. If you must travel, carry an emergency travel kit with you.” The radio announcer was continuing his weather report and had just talked about how dangerous the temperatures were. Laura stopped laughing and became sober. “Joe, this kind of cold is a little scary. I have never, ever experienced anything like this in my life. People could die from this kind of cold. Do you think we should find a hotel and finish the trip in the morning? At least we would have daylight on our side, even if it’s not any warmer tomorrow.”
Joe caught the edge of fear in his wife’s voice and covered her small hand with his large one. “We’re only two hours away now. We’ll make it just fine. The thought of sleeping in a comfortable bed is just too irresistible. We’ll be fine. I promise!” Laura visibly relaxed and allowed her hand to stay wrapped in her husbands’. He always knew what to say and was so irresistibly strong and protective. She laid her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. “OK, I believe you. I’ll try to not be a Nervous Nellie!” Joe squeezed her hand reassuringly. “That’s my girl! You know, I think you might actually be North Dakota material. Maybe we should think about moving here someday.” Laura groaned audibly. “Don’t tell me we’re going THERE tonight. This would not be a good time to try to sell me on North Dakota”.
Joe and Laura had had many discussions along the lines of moving closer to family. Laura loved her New England home and friends and hated the thought of ever leaving. But once in a while, Joe would bring up the topic of moving back home. He seemed happy where they were, but Laura knew that he hated his children to miss out on the fun of being surrounded year round by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. “Maybe we should think about it,” he would press. And as always, Laura would just smile and promise that she would think about it. “But never too seriously,” she added to herself. “The last place I want to live is in a god-forsaken deep freeze!”
Laura looked apprehensively out at the dark beyond the comfort and heat of the car and felt an uneasy premonition tugging at the corners of her mind. It was so very dark and so bitterly cold. But what really made her uneasy was the desolation of the highway right at that moment. She couldn’t recall seeing another car for the last thirty miles. She felt like they were the only humans beings on the open road tonight. What if they needed help?
Just then, as if to fulfill a morbid prophesy, the car began to lurch and shudder violently, and then it simply died. Laura looked in fear at her husband, who was busily trying to steer the Dead Beast to the shoulder of the road and out of harm’s way. Laura was frantically trying to mentally process what had just happened and what to do now, but her brain seemed to have shut down with the engine, so she said nothing, her face a reflection of the fear she felt.
Joe was silent for a moment as he too searched for possible answers. They were now off the road and the silence of the night was enveloping them like a heavy fog. “Our fuel must have gelled up. It’s the only thing I can think of,” Joe finally offered. Laura wanted to cry. She had begged Joe to not buy the diesel Oldsmobile, but he had won out with his arguments for exceptional fuel mileage. And up to now, Laura conceded to herself, it had been a nice car for them. It was luxurious, comfortable, and they did get great mileage. “But how does one go about fixing a gelled fuel problem?” Laura thought anxiously.
Joe was searching the backseat for his coat and gloves. “What are you doing?” Laura asked with alarm. “I’m going to have to get help,” he replied with a calm he did not feel. Laura tried to absorb this information. “You’re not leaving us, are you?” Her voice and mind fought panic. “Honey, we can’t just sit here. We need to be towed to a garage and have the fuel lines thawed out. It’s not something I can do by myself. Laura shifted from fear to anger. “You can’t just leave us here!” Josiah continued as though he hadn’t heard her. “Tower City is twenty-five miles ahead. I’ll try to hitch a ride and get dropped off at the garage there, and come back with a tow truck. I will come back just as soon as humanly possible.” Joe had located his down-filled jacket, his wool stocking cap, and gloves. After he had dressed as warmly as possible, he turned and looked at Laura full in the face. “I promise that I will be back before you know it. But you must promise me that you will not leave the car, no matter what. People get into trouble when they try to walk to help. Promise me you’ll stay put.” Laura fought tears, but was determined to be brave for Joe’s sake. “I promise,” she said slowly. Joe leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you, Laura.” He found her coat in the backseat and covered her up with it, tucking it under her chin and around her shoulders. “Cover the children up as best you can. You’ll all be warmer if you sit together under coats.” Laura nodded numbly and looked at her husband’s face, trying to read his thoughts. He looked confident, and it suddenly infused her with confidence. He WOULD be back and they would be fine.
With one last gentle smile, he stepped from the car and the cold, seeing its chance at last, rushed into the car and took Laura’s breath away. In an instant the door was shut again, and Laura watched in astonishment as almost immediately a pickup magically appeared beside their car and stopped. Laura watched, transfixed, as Joe stepped into the truck and before she could think, he was whisked away, the red taillights disappearing into the inky darkness.
Silence descended like a blanket onto Laura and she fought to think clearly. Coty began to fuss in his car seat, and Laura was relieved to be pulled out of inaction. Laura realized with a start that it had been quite some time since he had nursed, and now began to unfasten his seat belt in order to bring him up front with her. She hesitated when Mattie began to stir from his slumber. She desperately hoped he would sleep until Joe returned. She carefully took Matthew out of his car seat and laid him gently on the seat between the two car seats. She fished his favorite blanket from a tote on the floor and carefully covered him so that only his nose and mouth were exposed. Then she found another jacket and placed it on top of the blanket, completely covering his tiny body. She hoped his body heat would be trapped in this impromptu cocoon. If he awoke, she would bring him up front with her. Until then, let him sleep the sleep of the innocent.
Coty began to complain in earnest now, and she returned to the task at hand. She carefully unbuckled him and then lifted him over the seat and snuggled him against her. He stopped fussing immediately and nuzzled against her. Laura kissed the top of his downy head and he began his baby babble, happy to be in his mother’s arms.
Laura was becoming uncomfortably aware of how quickly the car was cooling off inside and reached for her parka. She let Coty latch on and then covered them both with her warm jacket. She was so grateful they had brought their warmest winter wear. With sudden clarity, she realized it might literally mean the difference between life and death.
Coty suckled contentedly and Laura began to relax and enjoy the closeness of this little body. She thought back to the night he was born. In the weeks before his birth, she and Josiah had quarreled about what to name this baby. Joe has insisted he be named after his favorite high school football coach, Wesley, but Laura would not entertain the idea, and wanted to call him Christopher, after her brother. They had gone round and round, sometimes reaching tense moments of impasse, but nothing was resolved when Laura went into labor five days early.
As her newborn lay in her arms in the hospital and Joe was grinning from ear to ear, she had quietly whispered the perfect name. “He should be named Dakota, as in North Dakota. We’ll call him Coty for short.” The look on her husband’s face was priceless and Laura knew she would never forget the love that shone in his eyes at that moment. And Dakota it was.
Now as she finished nursing him, she wondered that they had ever considered calling him anything else. His name fit him so perfectly. There was something wild and untamed about this child, and at the same time, a beauty that made a heart skip a beat.
“Oh, Josiah. Hurry!” Laura began mentally calculating how long Joe might be gone. “It shouldn’t take more than twenty-five minutes to get to Tower City. Maybe twenty minutes to get things arranged, and another twenty-five minutes back to the car. Best-case scenario, he might be back in a little over an hour. He’s already been gone...,” Laura held her watch to her face and tried to see it in the dark. She could just barely see the hands in the dim interior. “…He’s been gone about twenty minutes, I’m guessing. So he should be back here in about 50 minutes.” She paused her calculations. “That’s if everything goes well,” she added with chagrin.
Laura laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. “Dear God, please go with my husband and help him to get back to us quickly. We need him here!” Laura heard a stirring in the back seat and she opened her eyes and turned around. “Mommy, I cold.” Mattie’s muffled voice came from somewhere under his blankets. “OK, Honey. You can come up front with Mommy and Coty. We’ll snuggle together and keep each other warm.” Mattie struggled to sit up amidst all his coverings and Laura laid Coty on the seat and reached for Mattie, who eagerly leaned into his mother’s grasp. “We’ll pretend we are bears and hibernate together in our cave,” Laura said to Mattie. Mattie giggled, “OK.” Laura positioned Matthew beside her on the seat and picked Coty back up, holding him against her chest. She pulled all the coats and loose clothing she could find on top of them, but even still, she could feel the chill of the car oppressively weighing upon them. Her face was going numb, and it had only been a half hour since Joe left. What if he had trouble getting back to them and they had to sit here for hours? Would they survive? Would they suffer frostbite? Laura shuddered involuntarily. “I can’t think this way!” Laura shook her head as if to dispel her demons and forced her attention on her children. “Let’s sing!” she said suddenly. “Mattie, what shall we sing?” “Jingle Bells!” he said exuberantly. Laura and Matthew sang lustily and Laura could feel the extra warmth the exercise brought. “Let’s sing another one,” Laura suggested when they were done. They sang as many songs as they could think of, and finally Mattie yawned and said heavily, ”no more songs, Mommy. I tired. “
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