The sun was just breaching the horizon, to begin its routine watch over the earth’s northern hemisphere. The early morning air was cold and a bit damp. Billowy white clouds of moisture spouted from my mouth as I opened the car door. Once securely buckled, I turned on the engine, adjusted the temperature, tuned the radio to my local NPR station and backed from my driveway out into traffic. As I approached the stop sign I could see the long procession of headlights inching their way past my position. Graciously, one kind commuter slowed to let me take my rightful place in the almost daily ritual.
The motorized parade continued the creep along at a turtle’s pace until I reached the first traffic light, at which point each successive vehicle increased its speed to the legally mandated 35 miles per hour. Only one long, sinous, two lane road permitted access into and out of my quiet little subdivision. The air from my automatic temperature controlled heater had not yet began to fill the car with warmth. My teeth chattered slightly as I began to reconsider my choice of medium weight black leather jacket to insulate me against the winter chill.
As I approached one of the many familiar curves that adorn my commute, I was struck by something quite unfamiliar. On the opposite side of the road, looking in my direction was a small creature. This critter was slight and about three feet in height. I was captivated by the strange look in its eyes. Its breath was heavy and rhythmic, manifesting in stringy white clouds that dissapated as they rose slowly into the twilight sky. In one fleeting moment, the breaths halted and the creature bolted out into the procession of automobiles. My heart stopped and my stomach seemed to drop out of my abdomen, falling headlong into a deep dark pit. From that point on, everything seemed to move in slow motion. A large red backpack, topped by the lifeless hood of a black sweat jacket bounced and danced as the tiny animal raced across the street. Time seemed to resume normal speed as the child disappeared in front of the large champagne colored suburban that was now frantically braking in front of me. As I stamped my brake pedal into the floor, I saw the little bastard emerge unscathed on the grass flanking the passenger side of my vehicle.
Furious, I rolled my passenger window down and proceeded to chastise (without the use of profanity) the tiny scoundrel. After realizing that he could not hear me, I drove on dumfounded. I thanked God for watching over the little heathen, greatful that I did not begin my week as witness to another roadkill incident.