Double Dog Dare

Double Dog Dare

"I double dog dare you," Huey hurled the ultimate challenge at Bobby, "I double dog dare you to cross the frozen ice on Turner's pond. You're a chicken if you won't do it."

Frozen ponds were a rarity in North Louisiana and the four elementary school kids were spending their Saturday wandering around and marveling at the ice-crusted bushes, swing sets, lawn ornaments, and automobiles resulting from Friday night's ice storm which had followed two weeks of atypical freezing weather. They glistened like ice sculptures in the peek-a-boo sunlight darting out from between the clouds.

Until today they had never seen a frozen pond except in pictures and movies. They had been wondering if the ice on Turner's pond was thick enough to skate on, although in reality there probably wasn't a pair of ice skates anywhere within three hundred miles from where they stood.

The ice at the edge of the pond was thick enough to walk on, but they knew the thinnest ice was in the middle or close to the middle. From the bank of the pond, the ice appeared solid all the way across to the other side. Bobby had been suggesting that given how cold it had been, that the ice might be safe to walk on. Huey argued just the opposite. A dare tested how much you believed in what you were saying.

Bobby weighed the least of the foursome and Huey weighed the most, so it was possible that both could be right about whether the ice could sustain their weights.

"Naaah,". I ventured. "Don't take the dare. If you fell through the ice, it's shallow enough that I don't think you would drown, but you might catch pneumonia and we would catch hell from your mama for letting you do it."

But it is hard, almost impossible, to walk away from a dare. Especially when you have convinced yourself that you are right.

Bobby stood up a little straighter, thrust his chin out in determination, and said with the conviction of a stubborn child, "I'm doing it. Meet me on the other side."And off he went.

"Bobby,” I called after him. "If you fall through the ice, there's nothing we can do for you but get somebody to call the rescue squad and have them bring out a boat. So don't fall in, or if you do, figure on getting yourself out."

He paused reflectively, and to himself said, "Right." And off on the ice he went. Brave little bugger.

"Huey, you and Max go on around to the other side. I'll stay here in case he decides to turn back. Okay?"

"Okay. We'll see you on the other side." And off they went, tracking alongside Elm Street for about thirty yards before angling left to follow the curvature of the old sawmill pond. Nothing had melted or been cleared, so they too had to walk carefully on the icy ground.

I watched Bobby. He was about a third of the way across when he slowed down, almost to a stop.

Bobby was getting less and less comfortable on the ice the further he got from the bank. Instinctively he started taking sliding steps that kept both feet on the ice all the time and shared his weight between two feet, never putting all the weight on just one foot. Looking forward, he saw an area that looked a little different, so he veered to the left to keep a distance from that area. Suddenly, he was near the center of the ice. He thought he heard a cracking sound but he could see no evidence of cracking. He stood very still. He heard nothing but the wind and a distant "Way to go, Bobby, You can do it.". He paid no attention.

Instead, he carefully lay down prone on the ice to further distribute his weight and slowly inched his way forward, making no sudden moves. After what seemed like hours but were actually only minutes, Bobby felt secure enough to stand back up and return to the sliding steps that had served him so well. Shortly he was walking normally, but carefully again.

By this time, I too was on the other side of the frozen pond.

Bobby stepped off the ice onto frozen land.

"Way to go Bobby." Yeah, way to go. "Awesome."

"Where to now, guys?" I said.

"Let's go back to my house and get Mom to make us some hot chocolate," Bobby said. "And maybe we could play some Monopoly afterwards?"

We looked to each other seeking agreement, got it, and Huey said, "Sounds like a plan. Let's do it."

And off we went. Another adventure under our belts.