That sinking feeling...
My courage floundered and I applied the brakes briefly,
while I considered my next line of action.
I had gained some distance from the nearest car behind me.
In my rear view mirror, I noted from the pattern of headlights that the other
cars were following my exemplary maneuver. A surge of confidence jump-started
my despondent spirit. I edged forward cautiously.
On one side and towards the extreme end of this pool of
water, I saw a muddy embankment that seemed well trodden, perhaps by cars that
had passed previously. It was my intent to approach that embankment from an
angle as a last resort, in the event that I had misjudged the depth of water I
was about to enter. Muttering a prayer, I inched forward cautiously, looking
for hints of solid ground along which I could ford the 'river'.
My right wheel kissed the water, and the fording began. My
pulse quickened as the nose of the car descended. As in the movies, I saw the
water level rise faster than I had thought. My panicking mind estimated that it
had already risen twice as high as before, and was rising still.
Abort! Abort!! my head screamed. Have faith, my heart urged. I obeyed my heart.
Finally, the bumper seemed to be leveling off. Hope rose
within me. As suddenly as it had started, the car came to a halt.
I had been glancing at the advancing flood and gauging its
advance, through the imaginary cross-hairs formed by the outline of the
hood-mounted ornament on the edge of the bumper. Now, I glanced at my
instrument panel and at the gear lever.
I applied some more throttle and watched as the triangular
ESP warning indication illuminated. Then the sound of a spinning tyre broke
into my subconsciousness. I could tell
it was mine. But all else was
motionless.
.
.
.
.
.
I was stuck!
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