Stealing Rides : (A True Story) [short story]

Media

Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: Stealing Rides : (A True Story) [short story]
Creator: Cruz, Quirico A.
Language: English
Source: The Young Citizen : magazine for the young people 3 (8) September 1937; 253
Year: 1937
Subject: Anecdote
Rights
Fulltext: September, 1917 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 253 SAFETY SECTION Stealing Rides (A True Storv) By QUIRICO A. CRUZ Ricardo .md Jose are brothers. Both are in the fifth grade and are in the same section. One Monday morning they ate their breakfast a little later than usual and so they had to hurry to school. "Walk a little bit faster," said Ricardo to his younger brother, Jose. "We might be late." Without safing anything, Jose walked faster and kept pace with his brother. Just then. a Halili truck slowly passed by. "Come, let us steal a ride. This truck will pass by our school," Ricardo said to his brother a5 he began chasing the truck. "No, I'm afraid." protested Jose. "All right, if you wan~ to be late, you may go on. I must have this ride," and with a jump and a swing, he was there on the step-board at the end of the truck, holding on a small iron bar. Jose was left behind. He walked on and on and after several minutes he reached the school in time. "Where is your brother, Jose t' asked Mr. Nils when he saw Ricardo's seat vacant. "Is he sick?" "No, sir," replied Jose. "Where is he then?" Jose could not answer at once. He told Mr. Nils what Ricardo did in his effort to come to school on time. "Something might have hclppened to him." Jose said to himself. He was very much alarmed. Horrible thoughts clouded his mind. bid h'e meet an accident? Was he carried to a distant place unfamiliar to him? Where could he be then? The whole morning passed. Ricardo did not <:ppear in school. Jose hurried home to sec if he was there. To his amazement he did not find Ricardo in any of the places where he used to play when out of school. He was not in the s~ving: he was not in the see-saw: he was not in their neighbor's yard. Jose's heart seemed to have jumped to his tluoat. The thought of Ricardo's meeting an Mcident made him run frantically up their house to report the case to his parents. "Father," he said as soon as he was up. "Haven't you seen ?" Jose. did not finish what he was about to ask. In bed, he saw Ricardo lying very straight. His left leg was carefully bandaged. His left cheek was slightly bruised. "There he is. Jose. He told me everything. I am glad you did not follow him. His thighbone is fractured and he has to undergo a painful and dangerous operation. He will be taken to the hospital at once," said tlie father. Jose stood motionless by the bedside. What, if he, too, stole that ride? He shuddered at the thought of it.