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When Mama Wouldn't Say "No!"
by Sarah Taylor (Sarah's bio)
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"Mom, may I go to the park after school with Chad and Marcus? We want to build a snow fort."
Eight-year-old Cody knew she would say 'no.' He was never allowed to go to the park without an adult, and even though he asked her at least twice a week if he could go along with his friends, she never let him go. Mama had been seemed to be in a good mood at breakfast, though, so he thought he might as well try again. To his surprise, Mama didn't say 'no.' She simply looked at him sadly.
"Well, bye, Mom," Cody called out as he left. "Hope you have a good day."
At recess, Cody was dangling from the monkey bars when Marcus walked over to him. "Hey, Cody. Want to come to the park with Chad and me after school? Or are you going to be a mama's boy again?"
Cody had known the question was coming; they'd been asking him to join them for months. Mama didn't exactly say 'no' this time, he thought. But I know she doesn't want me to do it. Is it disobeying if they don't actually say you CAN'T do something?
"Well? Are you coming with us, or not?" Marcus probed. Chad, who was Cody's best friend, had come up behind Marcus, and he looked at Cody expectantly. I'll go, and only stay for a few minutes, then Mama will think I just took my time coming home, he decided.
"Yeah, I'll be there, but only for a few minutes. I have chores to do at home."
"Great!" Chad yelled. "See you after school!"
At 3:15, all three boys stood in the snow-covered baseball court at the city park. "What did you tell Ally?" Chad questioned.
He knew that the Cody always walked home with his ten-year-old sister. "I just told her I was walking home with you guys, and that she shouldn't wait for me," Cody answered. "I can't stay long, remember."
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Marcus said impatiently. "Let's not waste time, then. Why don't we build a snow tunnel!" Soon three sets of mittened hands were digging feverishly into one of the large piles of snow created by the snowplows.
It took them longer than they thought to dig a tunnel large enough for one of them to get into, and still they hadn't gone completely through the pile of snow. "You're the smallest, Cody, you climb in and dig from that side, and we'll go around to the other side and dig to where you are," Marcus suggested. Cody wiggled into the small opening and began to dig away at the remaining wall of snow.
Suddenly, Chad and Marcus heard a soft whoosh, and their faces were covered with tumbling snow. They jumped back in surprise, dusted themselves off, and then looked at their tunnel. To their horror, they realized that the pile of snow had collapsed around the tunnel--and Cody was trapped inside!
"Cody! Cody!" Marcus yelled, "can you hear me?" There was no response. They both began to dig as quickly as they could, but it seemed the more they dug, the more snow fell around them, stinging their faces and making fun of their efforts.
"We've got to get help!" Chad cried desperately. "You keep digging and I'll run and get his parents!"
Marcus didn't answer; he just continued to fight his way through the pile of snow. Chad began to run, crying as he did. Would he make it in time? Cody lived ten blocks from the school, and sixteen blocks from the park. He thought his lungs would burst, but he kept running. He was only a block away from Cody's home when a car stopped at the side of the street and called his name. It was Cody's father.
"Chad, where are you going in such a hurry?" The man called from his parked car.
"Oh, Mr. Bradford, come quick! We were playing in the park, and Cody is trapped in a snow pile!"
"Trapped in a snow pile? Get in quickly, Chad....no, wait. I'll go on to the park. You go on to our house and tell his mother to come. Now run!" Mr. Bradford was already starting the engine, and Chad didn't need to be told to run. He was already halfway to the Bradford home.
In no time at all, Mr. Bradford arrived at the city park, where Marcus, tears streaming down his face, was still trying to dig through the pile of snow. Mr. Bradford gently pushed him aside, saying as he did so, "Go get help, Marcus. Go to the neighbors and have them bring shovels. And have someone call 9-1-1!" Marcus went immediately.
Mr. Bradford then attacked the pile with his bare hands. "Cody, can you hear me?" He paused, listening for an answer. He thought he heard muffled crying, so he continued to dig frantically, praying as he did so. "Oh, God, please help me to get Cody out. Send help soon, and help him to be unhurt by this! Thank you, Lord....."
Neighbors began to arrive with shovels, and Mrs. Bradford was among them. She was so frightened she could hardly speak. "Oh, Tim," she sobbed when she reached her husband. "I should have told him 'no!' He knows he's not allowed to come to the park without one of us, but I didn't tell him he couldn't, because I was trying to teach him a lesson. What if he is hurt?"
Tim Bradford reached out and gave her a quick hug. "Everything will be all right," he assured her. "God knows that Cody needs help."
"Mr. Bradford! Mrs. Bradford! We've found him," one of the rescuers cried. All hands and shovels moved to the area where a blue mitten was reaching toward them through the snow pile. In minutes, Cody was free.
Someone had brought a blanket, and his mother wrapped it tightly around him. Cody was shaking from head to toe, and he couldn't make his teeth stop chattering. His parents didn't care that he didn't talk, however. They just held him close, thanking God that he was alive.
Sirens sounded in the distance, and soon an ambulance arrived. In no time, Cody was placed on a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. Mr. Bradford felt that Cody was fine, because they had gotten him out so quickly, but the paramedics said that he needed to be checked by a doctor. Mrs. Bradford rode with him in the ambulance
Halfway to the hospital, Cody's eyes suddenly filled up with tears. "What is it, honey?" His mother asked. "Are you hurting somewhere?"
"Only in my heart, Mom," he answered. "I'm so sorry I disobeyed. I know you didn't say 'no' to me this morning, but I knew you didn't want me to go to the park. While I was in the snow pile, I thought 'I might die here. It's getting hard to breathe.' And I knew that if I died, I would not be able to go to Heaven, because of my disobedience. I told God I was sorry I had been so naughty, and He forgave me. Will you forgive me, too?"
"Oh, Cody, of course I forgive you," she answered. "I"m so glad you've learned from this, even if we did have such a terrible scare."
At the hospital, the doctor checked Cody over and found nothing wrong, although he advised him to stay indoors the rest of the day and keep warm. "I would suggest that in the future you take your mother's advice, young man," the doctor added. "She really does know what is best for you."
"I know she does, Doctor. I'll be obedient from now on. Even when she doesn't say 'no'!"
Copyright 2000, Sarah Taylor. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
| About Sarah Taylor: In a white house with a wide front porch, sitting at the edge of a tiny town in Indiana, lives a Papa, a Mama, and five little (and not-so-little) people. The Mama is Sarah Taylor, and she likes to write. She’s enjoyed writing, in fact, ever since eighth grade. Her stories are not always about her own kids’ adventures, but sometimes they are! |
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