The Warm Back Seat

When I was young I lived within walking distance of a lake. In the winter, we couldn't wait until the red flag at the water’s edge was exchanged for a green one, which meant the ice was thick enough for skating.

Once the lake froze over, everyone in my small town would be there on the weekends. I would see my cousins and kids from school. My parents would see friends of theirs, too.

Every year for Christmas, Santa would leave a new pair of skates under the tree for me, so I would be ready when the green flag went up. When I was very young, I got the “double-blade” skates. It was a proud day when I moved up to single-blade skates.

I was always happy to have nice new white skates when it was time to head down to the lake. Of course, some of the other girls would have big, colorful, fluffy pom poms with bells on their skates. That made me jealous! But my skates were always new, and nice and sharp because my uncle sharpened them for me.

It was always a special treat if we could be there at night. The lake was lit up by the streetlights. And when you’re young, it just seems so cool to be out at night.

Sometimes there would be a big bonfire on the edge of the lake. We would go there to warm up our fingers and toes if we didn’t feel too intimidated by the teenagers that were hanging around over there.

One Saturday when I was about 6 years old, my mother, father, big brother and I were all down at the lake after dinner. We were skating for quite a while, when my parents announced that it was almost time to go.

“You can have one last skate.”

“Can’t we stay down here a little longer?” we begged.

“No, we’re tired and it’s getting cold.”

“How ‘bout if we stay down here and you guys go back?”

This, of course, was a different time. A time when you didn’t have to worry about leaving your kids down at the lake. Or maybe you did, but my parents were just too young and naïve to realize that. Either way…

“You’re going to get cold…” they warned.

“No we won’t!” we said together.

Well, yes we did. It was only about a half hour later, and we were freezing. It was time to take off the skates and walk home.

I always had trouble lacing up my skates, so my father would do it for me. He would make them really tight, and even double-knot them. Which was great.

Except now that we were trying to leave, I couldn’t get the knots out. He usually helped me take them off, too. And if I couldn’t get the skates off, I couldn’t walk home, because that would ruin my blades.

My brother, who was 8 at the time, was already done with his skates and had his boots on. I was still struggling with the knots. It was really frustrating because to pick at the knots, I had to have my gloves off. My fingers were red and numb.

“C’mon, hurry up!”

“I can’t do it!”

Then I started crying.

“Whatsa matter?”

“I gotta go pee!”

He tried to get the skates off for me too, but after skating for so long, the knots were tight and even frozen from the snow.

Someone saw me crying and came over to help. “Aren’t you Tammie? I’m a friend of your mom’s.”

She got my skates off, helped me put my boots on, and even offered to drive us home. Her husband was warming up the car.

This was a time when you could accept a ride from a stranger. Well, not a complete stranger, someone who knew your name and seemed to know your parents. Or maybe you couldn’t, but we were just too young and naïve to realize that. Either way…

My brother climbed into the car first, and I got in behind him. It was a really nice car! Much nicer than anything my parents owned. It was a big, brown luxury type of car.

And the seats! Oh, they were covered in this amazingly soft, plush, velvety brown material. And the car was soooo warm. When I climbed in that back seat, I just smiled.

And then I peed.

Right there on the nice plush seat. And it felt so good to pee, I couldn’t even stop. I just wet myself, and I was so relieved.

We were at our apartment in under two minutes, riding in that nice warm car.

“Here we are!” said the nice lady.

“Thank you!” we said as we got out of the car.

Yeah, I just smiled and said "thank you" and left. Never said a word about soiling their nice warm back seat. I’m sure they figured it out.