AS THE WIND BLOWS
©Copyright 3/2006
By: Kathy Priebe
Chapter Two
Mira looked over her shoulder, good they were almost to the main land. She glanced over at her mom to see if she was doing okay. They shouldn't have waited as long as they did, another swell rose the ferry and dropped it back down leaving her stomach to catch up with the motion. "You going to be all right Ma?"
Daffodil exhaled sharply. "This one's a rough one." She clutched tighter at the urn in her arms. "We should have left earlier." Her mother sat as still as she could and stared out the window of the car at the island they left behind. "Docking is going to be tricky. I'm glad were at this end, I don't want to watch!"
"Me either!"
Mira wasn't sure how they did it, but they managed to pull the ferry in and dock her. She didn't think she would ever look at the ship's personal the same again. These people deserve every ounce of respect given to a doctor or lawyer. They ended up pulling the ferry into a dry dock well and sealing her in. They unloaded the passenger’s from there. The ferry would ride the hurricane out in the well.
They waited on the dock for the rest of the traffic. A gust of wind pushed at the side of the car as the waves started cresting the dock. Mira hoped they didn't wait too long and would be trapped here. Navigating the Causeway to the main land was going to prove challenging. She watched as a man flagging a taxi started to get in as the wind hit him and four elderly people standing huddled behind him.
The man started to grab the car door for support and stopped. One of the elderly women dropped to her knees from the wind. He turned and helped her too her feet and motioned for the four of them to take that taxi.
"Nice man, but I don't see anymore taxi's." Daffodil pointed out the obvious.
"There's got to be a bus or something he could catch." She knew what her mother was thinking. Always one to take in a stray.
"This is not like any other time Mira."
A gust of wind blew a rather larger wave across the dock. Mira had to turn on the windshield wipers and caught a glimpse of the man turning up the collar of his jacket against the wind and salty spray of the ocean.
"Just think. It hasn't even started to rain yet." Daffodil needlessly pointed out.
"I got it Mom!" Mira sighed heavily. "But if he's a murder, it's your fault."
"Have faith, child."
"Hmp!" Mira rolled down her window as she inched through the intersection. "My mom and I saw what you did." She called out to the man, not knowing what else to say.
He turned at the sound of her voice. The salt water from the crashing waves stung his eyes and he squinted to see through his blurry vision. The woman framed in the car window appeared to have a halo. An angel driving a car, sent to rescue him from his own foolishness. He wiped at his eyes with his free hand. Ya. Right!
"We wanted to know if you needed a ride out of here, you can go with us as far as we're going."
The man smiled. Yeah, saved from his own foolishness.
Mira's heart did a little flip-flop. It didn't matter that his hair was a wet mess, the man was gorgeous!
"I'd appreciate it." Seeing the older woman in the front seat, he reached for the back door handle. "You know ladies, you can't be too careful these days." He spoke up from the back seat after he settled in next to his suitcase.
Mira nervously laughed. "If you turn out to be an axe murder," she pointed to her mother, "it's her fault."
She watched in the rearview mirror as the guy humorously smirked. "What was that?"
The vehicle behind them honked. "Never mind," and traffic started moving. "How far are you going?"
He unzipped the front of his suitcase and pulled out a red bandana. "I thought I would be able to ride it out," he wiped his face before any more water could drip off his chin. "Changed my mind. I thought I go to a shelter I know that the Red Cross set up outside of Homestead."
"We're heading to Homestead." She looked at her mother, "this is my mom, Daffodil and I'm Mira."
"Nice to meet you ladies. My name is Brad."
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
As The Wind Blows -2
As The Wind Blows
Chapter one (con’t)
* * *
"Come on Mom! We have to leave now to catch the last ferry out." Mira Monteque took one last look around and thought of all the times last year when she had to do this. They were lucky last year, would they be lucky now? She sighed heavily. Maybe it was time to look for a place on the mainland. Away from the ocean. "Mom!"
"I’m coming!" Daffodil shuffled toward her daughter. "I couldn't leave without your father, you know." The older woman clutched an urn to her chest.
Mira gently helped her mother out the door and then locked up. She did what she could. She bought waterproof chests to pack up what they couldn't take with them. No one said anything on how to find them if everything washed out to sea. She screwed the cupboards and closets shut and boarded up the windows. Now all she could do is pray. She helped her mother into the car and headed to the ferry. She glanced at her mother's profile and smiled a sad, little smile. She could guess what was going through her mind: No sense looking back, when all you can do is go forward. The wind coming in off the water pushed at the little car as it made its way down Ocean Blvd. At least they had insurance.
Mira risked a quick look out over the ocean. The waves had to be three to four feet already! It was going to be a rough ride to the mainland. She cast a worried look at her mother.
"Now child, don't you be worrying about me none. I'll be fine." Daffodil reached an unsteady hand out and patted her daughter's thigh.
The medical company came and took away the oxygen compressor early today so all her mom had with her was her small portable tank. They assured her that it would be enough to see her to the hotel where they were registered. The compressor would be there waiting for them. Mira sighed again. It's been an uphill battle since her mother's lungs started failing. Her lungs went, then her heart.
She slowed down as she approached the ferry. There was no one else in line to be loaded. She stopped as she came up to the loading line and rolled down her window to hear what the fireman was saying.
He looked down at a clipboard, "Ms. Monteque?"
"Yes."
"Is this your mother?"
"Yes."
"It's going to be a rough ride, is she going to be alright?"
Daffodil Monteque leaned over her daughter to shout at the young man, "quit talking about me as if I weren't all here. I'll be fine!"
The fireman tried to hide his smile, "yes madam!" He looked back at Mira, "you're the last ones. Please proceed slowly. They're going to want to anchor your vehicle down before taking off." He watched as she did as directed.
It wasn't long before they pulled away from the dock. Mira and Daffodil, being the last on, got a front row seat to the retreating island. Mira reached out and took her mothers hand in her own, both women were wondering the same thing; would they ever see their home again?
Chapter one (con’t)
* * *
"Come on Mom! We have to leave now to catch the last ferry out." Mira Monteque took one last look around and thought of all the times last year when she had to do this. They were lucky last year, would they be lucky now? She sighed heavily. Maybe it was time to look for a place on the mainland. Away from the ocean. "Mom!"
"I’m coming!" Daffodil shuffled toward her daughter. "I couldn't leave without your father, you know." The older woman clutched an urn to her chest.
Mira gently helped her mother out the door and then locked up. She did what she could. She bought waterproof chests to pack up what they couldn't take with them. No one said anything on how to find them if everything washed out to sea. She screwed the cupboards and closets shut and boarded up the windows. Now all she could do is pray. She helped her mother into the car and headed to the ferry. She glanced at her mother's profile and smiled a sad, little smile. She could guess what was going through her mind: No sense looking back, when all you can do is go forward. The wind coming in off the water pushed at the little car as it made its way down Ocean Blvd. At least they had insurance.
Mira risked a quick look out over the ocean. The waves had to be three to four feet already! It was going to be a rough ride to the mainland. She cast a worried look at her mother.
"Now child, don't you be worrying about me none. I'll be fine." Daffodil reached an unsteady hand out and patted her daughter's thigh.
The medical company came and took away the oxygen compressor early today so all her mom had with her was her small portable tank. They assured her that it would be enough to see her to the hotel where they were registered. The compressor would be there waiting for them. Mira sighed again. It's been an uphill battle since her mother's lungs started failing. Her lungs went, then her heart.
She slowed down as she approached the ferry. There was no one else in line to be loaded. She stopped as she came up to the loading line and rolled down her window to hear what the fireman was saying.
He looked down at a clipboard, "Ms. Monteque?"
"Yes."
"Is this your mother?"
"Yes."
"It's going to be a rough ride, is she going to be alright?"
Daffodil Monteque leaned over her daughter to shout at the young man, "quit talking about me as if I weren't all here. I'll be fine!"
The fireman tried to hide his smile, "yes madam!" He looked back at Mira, "you're the last ones. Please proceed slowly. They're going to want to anchor your vehicle down before taking off." He watched as she did as directed.
It wasn't long before they pulled away from the dock. Mira and Daffodil, being the last on, got a front row seat to the retreating island. Mira reached out and took her mothers hand in her own, both women were wondering the same thing; would they ever see their home again?
Saturday, November 04, 2006
As The Wind Blows-1
* *All Events, places, and people are fictional and a product of this authors imagination.* *
AS THE WIND BLOWS
Copyright © Feb. 2006 by Kathy Priebe
"Hey Fred! Come take a look at this." Steven Bilow, one of the two full time meteorologist began punching in numbers on the keypad of his computer.
Fred Blackwell spun out of his desk chair, walked over to his partner's desk and stared down at the radar screen. "Damn!" He muttered while pushing his fingers through his hair. "Did you chart its course?"
"If it stays on it's present course it'll come straight across the Key Islands and it looks like a category four."
"Call the governor and let him know."
"We have four days, it could veer and head out back out into open waters."
"With all the hurricanes last year, I rather not wait."
Steven nodded; he had to agree, and picked up the phone.
* * *
"Oh God this is going to be a mess!" Dave Culver leaned back in his chair after turning on the small television in his office. He just hung up the phone with headquarters in central Florida.
"You got one coming your way Culver. Better pull the files now so you and your people are ready when the mop up begins."
They've just finished with last years claims! Dave picked up the phone and dialed home. He liked living on the Florida coastline but it was times like these that he wondered why he stayed, and these times were happening more and more. His wife answered on the third ring.
"Hi Honey. Pack us up and be ready to go. We got one coming." He hung up and walked over to his office door. He may as well have his guys start pulling files for the region and have them download it onto their laptops. They could leave afterward to do whatever it was they had to do before heading out of the area. "Todd, Justin and Brad? Get in here." He was glad the main office okayed the building in of full length window shutters. Pull them out and bolt them down. Of course, if they got a head on hit...Dave sighed as he looked out over the ocean through the front office windows, it wouldn't make a difference.
AS THE WIND BLOWS
Copyright © Feb. 2006 by Kathy Priebe
"Hey Fred! Come take a look at this." Steven Bilow, one of the two full time meteorologist began punching in numbers on the keypad of his computer.
Fred Blackwell spun out of his desk chair, walked over to his partner's desk and stared down at the radar screen. "Damn!" He muttered while pushing his fingers through his hair. "Did you chart its course?"
"If it stays on it's present course it'll come straight across the Key Islands and it looks like a category four."
"Call the governor and let him know."
"We have four days, it could veer and head out back out into open waters."
"With all the hurricanes last year, I rather not wait."
Steven nodded; he had to agree, and picked up the phone.
* * *
"Oh God this is going to be a mess!" Dave Culver leaned back in his chair after turning on the small television in his office. He just hung up the phone with headquarters in central Florida.
"You got one coming your way Culver. Better pull the files now so you and your people are ready when the mop up begins."
They've just finished with last years claims! Dave picked up the phone and dialed home. He liked living on the Florida coastline but it was times like these that he wondered why he stayed, and these times were happening more and more. His wife answered on the third ring.
"Hi Honey. Pack us up and be ready to go. We got one coming." He hung up and walked over to his office door. He may as well have his guys start pulling files for the region and have them download it onto their laptops. They could leave afterward to do whatever it was they had to do before heading out of the area. "Todd, Justin and Brad? Get in here." He was glad the main office okayed the building in of full length window shutters. Pull them out and bolt them down. Of course, if they got a head on hit...Dave sighed as he looked out over the ocean through the front office windows, it wouldn't make a difference.
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