By Steven Luo

It was a sunny summer day in 2016. I had just arrived at the Voice of America Park’s parking lot. I was there with my mom and my three year old brother, Ethan.

We started to head towards the lake, Ethan relaxing in a stroller while I pushed him forward. Ethan is a very contradictory person. Most people expect him to be very calm and obedient. Instead, he is very wild and crazy at home. There was a lot to see at the lake: children running up and down the playground, and runners and bikers speeding along the paths.

When we got to the lake, a strong odor hit me. A rotten egg stench was streaming into my nostrils. I wrinkled my nose and looked around, realizing the stench was actually coming from the lake itself.

There was a lot of noise too. Geese and ducks were squawking and quacking. Children were laughing and shouting.

We walked for a while, and were about to finish our first loop when my mom tripped and dropped her things.

I slowed the stroller to a halt, and helped my mom pick up her things. Then I remembered to lock the stroller’s wheels, but I was lazy and didn’t lock them fully. When I was almost finished helping my mom clean up, she yelled out, “WATCH OUT!”

But it was too late.

When I turned around, the stroller was already rolling down the slope, directly towards the lake.

I watched in awe as the stroller tumbled through the grass and into the lake. I stood there not knowing what to do, when suddenly, my mom jumped into the lake, waded in, and pulled the stroller out. I jumped right in to help her. I gripped a drenched and slimy metal bar, and I pulled. After a couple of tugs, we managed to take out the stroller.

I looked at the inside of the stroller to check if Ethan was alright, but it was empty. I looked behind me, and I saw Ethan sitting on the sidewalk, safe and sound. I was so relieved when I saw him there and I could tell my mom was too.

After that incident, I learned my lesson. It was to always look over my work and to check if I did something wrong. Every time I go to the Voice Of America Park, I will always remember that day.