The Adventure

“You’ll miss the adventure.”  

Haley rubbed the sandman out of her eyes. She faked sleep because it was always too hard to wake up at 5:30 in the morning. Mom’s adventures meant getting up before the sun, but they were always exciting. On one of her wake up calls, Mom had taken her to the docks at New York Harbor. She didn’t know the big ferry boat with its paddle wheel in the water was her destination. The Alexander Hamilton, as the boat was called, took her on a grand adventure up the Hudson River to West Point and back. One of the sights as she looked out across the water was Bear Mountain, a green round hill between others that lined the Palisades along the great river.

“Now I raise me up from sleep” Mom began the usual Morning Prayer.
Haley found herself praying along, “I thank the Lord who did me keep.” She pulled back the covers in mid prayer and asked, “Where are we going?” She knew Mom wouldn’t give away the secret. She never would. So Haley continued the prayer.

“It’s a surprise,” Mom said at the Amen. “Hurry, don’t want to miss our bus.”

Haley wondered what bus would be running this early. She put on her warm sweater and the stretchy pants Mom bought her for Christmas. It was cold out, though the snow had already melted on the street. When Haley left the apartment with her Mom it was still dark. Ten minutes later, they reached the Grand Concourse subway station. During the ride, Haley tried to guess where they were going on such an icy morning. She pulled her shawl tighter around her neck as she followed Mom up the stairs in downtown Manhattan.  Above her hung a big sign that said Greyhound. A loping dog was its logo, and the building it was on was a bus station.

“What’s our bus number,” Haley asked full of anticipation, knowing this wasn’t an ordinary city bus.

“Ten,” said Mom. “Over there,” she pointed down the line of buses filling with pre dawn riders.

Haley read the sign on the bus destination bar, “Bear Mountain.” She didn’t know that the ferry she once rode wasn’t the only way to get to the big hill up the Hudson River. “Are we going mountain climbing?”  Haley asked not sure what was so special about the green mound the ferry had once passed.

Mom didn’t hear her question because she was studying the schedule. “We’ll get there by eight thirty,” she said.

The familiar smell of diesel fuel filled the seven year old’s nose and she sneezed as she boarded the bus in front of her Mom. She helped Mom stow the oversized bag full of good things to eat. Mom always packed lunch on her adventures. Sometimes there would be fried chicken, rolls, potato salad, and even cookies. Haley stomach growled because she hadn’t had any breakfast yet. Her mother opened her other large black purse to pull out a boiled egg and crackers. “We’ll eat better when we get there,” she said, handing her pig-tailed girl the thermos full of hot chocolate.

With her hunger gone, the rumble and swaying of the bus put Haley to sleep again. When the bus lurched to a stop, Haley woke up and rubbed the ice off the window to see. The green hill she had once seen from the Ferry was much bigger than it had looked from the water. It was a mountain covered in snow. “Mom, is this Bear Mountain?”

“Yes,” said Mom. “Quickly now, or you’ll miss your lesson.”

What lesson? Haley didn’t have to wonder for long. As she trudged through the deep snow behind her Mom, she saw the huge Chalet filled with visitors. The morning mists clearing, she could see tiny dark figures weaving down the side of the hill on skis.

“We’re going skiing? We’re going skiing!” she started to jump up and down with excitement.

Mom, grinned big, “You’re going skiing,” she said. “I’ll sit and watch.” And she brought Haley to the ski rental booth where other ski classmates waited for the instructor.