I don’t know why my brother Freddie never gave his sheep a name, but before long, it became the village pet. At Sunday School, Freddie had heard about little David tending his sheep, and from then on, he was sure he could care for his sheep with that same loving touch.

“Children, let’s go get the sheep before it starts to rain,” my mother called to Freddie and me.

We lived on a busy street, so Mum would not let us cross by ourselves, especially so soon after Henry’s death. “It is too dangerous, and these people drive crazy. They’re always in a hurry,” she would mumble as we crossed.

We got safely to the other side, unhooked the sheep, and were ready to cross back when…

“Girl, you come early today for the sheep,” Ms. Clarice called out. Of course, Mum turned back to talk.

Freddie and I only wanted to walk our sheep across the street and run back to play before the rain came down. I could never understand why adults had so much to talk about. As the old saying goes, “Children are to be seen and not heard.” So Freddie waited patiently, holding tight to his sheep while Mum and Ms. Clarice carried on.

Cars and buses zoomed by while Freddie, the sheep, and I watched the traffic. Mum, however, was focused on her conversation.

What happened next was a complete shock. A Rocklin passenger bus came speeding by. We were watching the people on the bus when suddenly the driver slammed on the brakes, and the engine let out a loud explosive sound. 

A simple trip to bring home a sheep turns into a moment Freddie and his family will never forget. Read this heartfelt story in Blink once, Blink twice, Silence and discover the lessons that came before the rain.