of black-gray clouds down to the top of the bluff, the highest point on my land. Their white and purple flashes danced on a large outcrop of rock, electrifying the surrounding trees.
The clouds moved swiftly forward, as what sounded like a long, slow ripping of the very sky tore at my ears and sent a chill of fear through me. The ripping ended suddenly in a crash, a low bass boom like a ship’s cannon fire. It echoed down into the valley and rolled outward in a wave that made my bones shiver.
I brought myself up quick. I had forgotten the man. He had not come to get in the car. I looked out all the windows but didn’t see him. Rain pouring down the glass made it difficult to be sure. I braced myself and opened the door, ready to be soaked.
He was not in the field where I’d last seen him. I ran toward the back of the car, looked down the road behind me, then around the other side, scanning fields there and back to the driver’s door. I was completely alone. The man had disappeared.
Eight
Phoebe and Rowdy Tough it Out
I had to fight the screen door a little bit to get it closed against the gusts of wind that were coming harder now. This was going to be a big one. Rowdy sat on the floor, watching my every move, like I was his entertainment for the evening.
“For my next number, I believe I’ll go get some candles and matches so we won’t be sitting in the dark.”
Rowdy yapped and wiggled his tail. Sarcasm didn’t seem to work on him. He came over and followed right at my heels. There was a flashlight in the same drawer as the candles so I grabbed that, too. I don’t have a basement or we’d have gone down in it.
I unplugged all the appliances and lamps all over the house. When I came through the living room again, I grabbed up my craft basket and carried it to the dining room where I’d set the candlesticks. That was the middle of the house. I figured if a tornado came, the two of us could run to the bathroom and jump in the tub. I snapped my fingers.
“That tub is still wet from your bath. Let me go wipe it out good.” He trotted along with me again, watched me grab towels off the rack and rub down the tub. I took some clean towels out of the linen closet and spread them out inside. “We might as well be comfortable, huh?” He looked at me like he approved.
A big clap of thunder boomed right over the house. Rowdy yelped and lunged for me. He nearly knocked me over, even though he couldn’t weigh more than five pounds.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He shook like a leaf in my arms and started whining. “Look here, shhhh, we’re okay.” He whimpered as more rumbles followed the big one. His little wet nose snuggled up under my chin and he started kissing me.
“Honey, darling,” I said trying to calm him down. I couldn’t believe I said that. My mouth moved and I heard the words, but it was like somebody else took over my body. “Okay, now, here’s the thing, just so you understand. You’re gonna have to stop that licking stuff. I can’t stand it. But you’re not too bad for a little fur ball, and if you can stop kissing me, I can put up with you, okay?” I sat him down on the floor. “For a little while. Just until Corene comes back off her whirlwind romance trip. So don’t push it.” I went into the kitchen and looked around to see if I’d forgotten anything. Through the window over the sink, I saw a mimosa branch bobbing up and down, up and down.
I hated to see Jane drive off in that storm. She would have been perfectly safe here in my house. I’ve ridden out many a tornado in my lifetime. You get used to it. Like I told her, the actual tornado funnels never touch down up here on the mountain. They like to skip over and jump down into the valley to follow the river. I felt sorry for anybody down there. They’re the ones who get most of the damage.
I heard the patter of little toenails coming toward me and looked down.
“You still here?”
He sat, polite as he could be, like a
The clouds moved swiftly forward, as what sounded like a long, slow ripping of the very sky tore at my ears and sent a chill of fear through me. The ripping ended suddenly in a crash, a low bass boom like a ship’s cannon fire. It echoed down into the valley and rolled outward in a wave that made my bones shiver.
I brought myself up quick. I had forgotten the man. He had not come to get in the car. I looked out all the windows but didn’t see him. Rain pouring down the glass made it difficult to be sure. I braced myself and opened the door, ready to be soaked.
He was not in the field where I’d last seen him. I ran toward the back of the car, looked down the road behind me, then around the other side, scanning fields there and back to the driver’s door. I was completely alone. The man had disappeared.
Eight
Phoebe and Rowdy Tough it Out
I had to fight the screen door a little bit to get it closed against the gusts of wind that were coming harder now. This was going to be a big one. Rowdy sat on the floor, watching my every move, like I was his entertainment for the evening.
“For my next number, I believe I’ll go get some candles and matches so we won’t be sitting in the dark.”
Rowdy yapped and wiggled his tail. Sarcasm didn’t seem to work on him. He came over and followed right at my heels. There was a flashlight in the same drawer as the candles so I grabbed that, too. I don’t have a basement or we’d have gone down in it.
I unplugged all the appliances and lamps all over the house. When I came through the living room again, I grabbed up my craft basket and carried it to the dining room where I’d set the candlesticks. That was the middle of the house. I figured if a tornado came, the two of us could run to the bathroom and jump in the tub. I snapped my fingers.
“That tub is still wet from your bath. Let me go wipe it out good.” He trotted along with me again, watched me grab towels off the rack and rub down the tub. I took some clean towels out of the linen closet and spread them out inside. “We might as well be comfortable, huh?” He looked at me like he approved.
A big clap of thunder boomed right over the house. Rowdy yelped and lunged for me. He nearly knocked me over, even though he couldn’t weigh more than five pounds.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He shook like a leaf in my arms and started whining. “Look here, shhhh, we’re okay.” He whimpered as more rumbles followed the big one. His little wet nose snuggled up under my chin and he started kissing me.
“Honey, darling,” I said trying to calm him down. I couldn’t believe I said that. My mouth moved and I heard the words, but it was like somebody else took over my body. “Okay, now, here’s the thing, just so you understand. You’re gonna have to stop that licking stuff. I can’t stand it. But you’re not too bad for a little fur ball, and if you can stop kissing me, I can put up with you, okay?” I sat him down on the floor. “For a little while. Just until Corene comes back off her whirlwind romance trip. So don’t push it.” I went into the kitchen and looked around to see if I’d forgotten anything. Through the window over the sink, I saw a mimosa branch bobbing up and down, up and down.
I hated to see Jane drive off in that storm. She would have been perfectly safe here in my house. I’ve ridden out many a tornado in my lifetime. You get used to it. Like I told her, the actual tornado funnels never touch down up here on the mountain. They like to skip over and jump down into the valley to follow the river. I felt sorry for anybody down there. They’re the ones who get most of the damage.
I heard the patter of little toenails coming toward me and looked down.
“You still here?”
He sat, polite as he could be, like a
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