Bumpy Ride Ahead! Read Online Free Page B

noises.
    Grandpa gave Grandma’s back a couple of thumps, but it didn’t seem to help. “Can someone please help us?”
    Grandpa shouted. “My wife seems to be choking!”
    It was like someone sounded an alarm, and several people came running over. They must have heard the urgency in Grandpa’s voice.
    “Grandma’s turning blue,” Mark whimpered, reaching out to hold Mattie’s hand.
    Mattie was really scared. She’d never seen anyone choke like this before, except little Ada, but she had only sputtered on milk while she was drinking it. This was different, though. Grandma couldn’t talk, and it looked like she was having trouble breathing.
    Mattie quickly said a silent prayer,
Lord, please help my grandma.
    “She needs to stand up!” the teenage boy who’d given them the hot dogs yelled as he raced over and got behind Grandma.
    Mattie’s fear increased as Grandpa helped Grandma stand. What was this boy going to do to their grandma?
    Mattie watched helplessly as the boy wrapped his arms around Grandma’s waist from behind, made a fist with both hands together, and made quick upward thrusts into the upper part of her stomach. He did this only a few times, and all of a sudden a big piece of hot dog flew out of Grandma’s mouth. Almost immediately Grandma coughed and was able to breathe again.
    Mattie breathed a sigh of relief as Grandma, her face turning red, whispered, “Guess I should learn to take smaller bites.”
    It seemed like everyone, strangers included, went
“whew”
at the same time as Mark and Mattie.
    Grandpa smiled and shook the boy’s hand, thanking him for saving Grandma’s life. “What is your name, son?”
    “Well, my real name is Anthony, but most folks just call me Tony,” he answered, looking a little embarrassed at all the attention he was getting. “Guess it’s a good thing I was listening in class the day they taught us first aid.”
    “What was it that you did to my grandma?” Mattie asked.
    “That’s called the Heimlich maneuver,” Tony answered. “When someone is choking and can’t breathe, that’s what you do to dislodge the food or obstruction in their windpipe. There’s even a way to do the procedure on yourself, if you happen to be alone and start choking.”
    “Well, I’m glad you were here to help. Thank you so much.” Grandma patted Tony’s arm. “Now I want everyone to quit worrying about me. I’m fine now, and you know what? I’m still hungry, not to mention eager to see some of the other yard sales that await us today.”
    After the frightening experience was over, it felt good to relax, knowing Grandma was going to be all right.
    “I know one thing,” Mark said to Mattie after they’d finished their lunch. “I’m gonna read up on this Heimlich maneuver. I think everyone should know how to do that.”

    At the next yard sale they went to, Mattie spotted a table full of toys and games. She was on her way to look at them when she noticed a pretty snow globe on one of the tables. Inside the globe was a garden scene with flowers, a butterfly, and even a frog. Mark must have seen the globe, too, because he reached for it at the same time as Mattie.
    “You’d better not touch it,” Mattie said. “It looks breakable. Besides, I saw it first.”
    “Don’t be so selfish, Mattie. I have just as much right to look at the snow globe as you do.” Mark snatched up the globe and gave it a shake. Colored pieces of fake snow swirled all around inside the miniature world. It was beautiful!
    “It’s my turn now,” Mattie said, taking the globe out of Mark’s hands. It was the prettiest snow globe she’d ever seen. It was not only a globe but also a music box, so that made it even more special.
    Mattie had only been holding the globe a few seconds and was getting ready to wind it up so she could listen to the song it played, when Mark snatched it right back. “I wanna see that!”
    “Hey! I wasn’t done looking at it yet. I wanna hear what song it