Pizza drama unfolds on icy, winter streets

I moved into a new neighborhood. It’s truly God’s Country – all hills and woods nestling houses. I sit on my porch to watch and listen to the wildlife. I love it.

The first winter, I realized how wildlife could get here. It snowed big. It was beautiful – truly a winter wonderland with tall white branches on trees and snow a couple of feet deep.

One evening I sat by the window admiring the glassy sheen on the road by moonlight when a small hatchback with a pizza sign lit on its roof labored up the hill. I cheered as he turned the corner across from my house, then laughed as the car promptly slid head first into the berm. To stay. Poor driver. I didn’t know what to do to free his car.

As I struggled with this decision, a burly 4-wheel truck chugged up the other hill from across my street. I watched as the man from Burly Truck got out and skidded to the front of his truck. He attached a chain between his truck and the back of Small Hatchback.

He carefully climbed back into Burly Truck and pulled Small Hatchback from the berm. Both vehicles crept slowly down the big hill to the main road where they stopped to remove the chain.

I breathed a sigh of relief. No one was hurt, and the Good Samaritan rescued the young Hatchback driver. All’s well that ends well. I turned from the window, then looked again as the real drama unfolded.

Oh my. Young Hatchback man nearly fell as he struggled out of his car. The road gleamed in the streetlight. The young man, now on his feet and hanging onto his car door, reached inside for – yes – a pizza box! Bravely leaning on his car, he clutched the box as he elbowed his way back to Burly Truck to deliver dinner.

Burly Truck man detached his chain, took his pizza and both men leaned on their cars – going hand over hand or elbow over elbow to reach the safety of car doors. Burly Truck man nearly lost his footing and his dinner as his door swung open. Oops, he was on the outside. Juggling chain, pizza and hanging on for dear life – somehow he made it around the door and deposited his stuff inside.

Phew! I thought they were done. But no … Poor Young Hatchback man now slid a tray of soft drinks along his car. Now that would make an untidy mess for some time to come if it all went down. It would freeze in a hurry.

Burly Truck man inched his way down to collect his soft drinks. This would be fun. Would the drinks make it between cars? Would the men stay on their feet or would they have sore, sticky and frozen derrieres for their efforts after all?

I perched on the edge of my seat.

Yes, it looked like dollars passed hands. Young Hatchback man was on his way to his car door. He was outta here.

Burly Truck man had a little more difficulty going uphill with his liquid burden. Would he make it? It looked pretty iffy … yes … unbelievable … he made it!

He drove downhill, turned around and chugged back up the hill, turned the corner and disappeared down the other hill.

I wondered why he didn’t just go out and get the pizza in the first place?