Vivid by Beverly Jenkins Page B

this would be anything near those mild affairs. The lightning
dancing ominously ahead didn't seem to dampen Magic's mood one bit.
"Count, Dr. Lancaster!"
    Count? Vivid had no idea what the girl
meant, but she could see Magic's lips moving as she counted silently. Then she
heard a boom of thunder.
    "Nine, Pa," Magic reported as
she sharp crackling died.
    "Thanks, keep me posted."
    Magic turned to Vivid. "It's how to
tell where the storm's going. You have to watch for the lightning. When you see
it flash, count until you hear the thunder. Then you watch again and count. If
the number is smaller than the first time, the storm is closer. If the number
gets bigger, it's moving away."
    Vivid had never heard of such a thing.
    "The SeePees taught it to Pa Grayson
when he first settled the Grove, and he taught it to Grandpa. Grandpa taught it
to my pa, and Pa taught it to me," Magic explained proudly.
    "You counting or talking,
Majestic?" her father asked.
    "Sorry, pa."
    Vivid was about to ask who or what
SeePees were when the rain began: fat, wet pellets the size of dollars.
Vivid's hat, a fashionable confection on the streets of San Francisco, offered
no protection against the deluge of Michigan wind and water.
    "Six, Pa!"
    He nodded, then bent and kept one eye on
the reins as he reached beneath the seat to bring out two weather-beaten hats.
He wordlessly passed one to Magic and tossed the other onto Vivid's lap. She
hastily removed her hatpin and hat. The wind tried to take her lovely green
hat, but she fought off the gust and pinned the soggy felt between her knees
while she pulled on the other hat, grateful for its large size and wide brim.
    The sky above had gone from slate-gray to
a tumultuous black in a matter of minutes. Rain blew across Vivid's face with a
strength that made it hard to see and breathe. She could only pray Grayson knew
where he and the horses were headed. The smaller trees were now prostrate in
obeisance and the older ones were bowing at the waist. The angry, deep bass
sound of thunder rumbled louder and louder.
    "Four and a piece, Pa!"
    "We'll hole up at the old Reynolds
place!" he shouted over another crack of thunder, loud as cannon fire.
    How he found the small rut that led from
the main road to the burned-out hulk of the old Reynolds place, Vivid did not
know. She'd never been so grateful to see shelter. She and Magic scrambled down
quickly while Grayson unhitched the horses. Humans and animal sought refuge
within.
    "Over here, Dr. Lancaster,"
Magic said, grabbing Vivid's hand. "Southeast corner, always."
    Vivid went quietly, all the while
marveling. Did all Michigan people know about counting lightning and the safest
corner inside a house? When Magic sat down on the dirt floor, so did Vivid. She
had no idea if sitting was part of the drill, but sitting on something that
didn't bounce against her tender backside felt wonderful.
    The storm did not qualify as wonderful.
Outside, the rain and wind screamed. Inside, the partially standing walls and
what remained of the roof cut some of the fury but not enough to keep them from
experiencing the wrath of the wind, the ground-shaking cracks of lightning
strikes, and the malevolent echoes of the accompanying thunder.
    "Are storms always this way,
Magic?" Vivid yelled above the noise.
    "Oh, this is a big one, but wait till
it gets hot in the summer. Then you'll see some big storms."
    Vivid shook her head, still unable to
comprehend the child's fascination. Vivid liked storms also, but she'd never
experienced such violent weather. But if she planned on being the doctor here,
she'd have to accustom herself to such episodes. Not all medical emergencies
happened on bright, sunny days.
    She looked up to see Grayson watching her.
Their eyes held. Vivid felt something touch her from within the distant gaze,
then he turned away.
    A few moments later, the storm passed as
swiftly as it had appeared, leaving behind a soft rain and a cool breeze.
    The wagon was stuck in the