“AS THE WIND BLOWS”
© Copyright January 2007 by Kathy Priebe
Part 6
(Continued)
"All right guys," Brad's boss spoke up from behind his desk. "Here are your assignments." He handed each of them a piece of paper of the areas that were hit worse from the hurricane. "We'll work our way through each site. Don't forget to document your pictures with notes and dates. It's starting to get confusing with as many hurricanes that we've had in the past two years." Dave sighed heavily, "we'll start at the worse hit and work our way to those with the least damage."
"Brad?" Dave called out as the three men started to file out of his office.
"Yes?"
"You have the furthest most Key Islands. They aren't letting the residents back yet, so you are going to have to hitch a ride with the disaster teams. They're using boats. I guess Rt. 1 was damaged in spots." Dave handed a pass on a neck chain to Brad. "From what I understand, some of the areas on the islands were hit bad. Field any inquiries from the residents to either the Disaster Hotline or our Central Field Office
* * *
"Now Mom, you have everything you need right here. The television, your meds, your oxygen and here's the phone in case you want something to eat or help with something." She was glad she was able to get into a room at the hotel. Everyone cleared out once the bad weather was over.
Mira sighed, clean up time, except for those on the Keys. Route 1 was closed for repairs and clean up. There was no going home till the causeway was open, of course she supposed, one could always rent a boat , if you had the money to do so.
Mira picked up her laptop and sat down at the small desk in the room. She had every intention to continue her work on an ad campaign she started right before the hurricane was announced, but her attention was elsewhere. She smiled to herself as she wondered what Brad was doing.
"Mira girl, you got that dreamy-eyed expression. You ain't going to get any work done today."
Her mother had an uncanny way of figuring her out.
"Why don't you go and see how our place feared?"
She closed her laptop, her mom was right. She was friends with the emergency help and was sure she could hitch a ride with any number of them. "Okay Mom, your right. I'll head over and see if I can't get a ride to the island."
* * *
Mira got out of her car in the parking lot for the ferry. She hurried over to a group of firemen that just broke apart from their meeting. She waved, spotting one she knew. "Hey Jeremy?"
"Mira! It's good to see you didn't blow away in the hurricane."
"Oh Jeremy, you're such a kidder!" She watched as a warm smile spread across his face.
"How'd your mom fare?"
"You know Mom. I don't think nothing bothers that woman!"
"I hear you. Now, I don't suppose you want a ride over to the island?"
"How'd you guess?" Mira smiled, because of her mother's health and unplanned emergency trips to the mainland, the whole department knew her and her mom fairly well.
"It'll cost you at least a platter of your cookies. That's the only way I'm going to get out of deep water with the chief."
Well that was easier than she thought. "As soon as I can, you know I will."
"Hop on in then."
Mira loved the ocean. She took a deep breath. She loved the smell, the sound and the mysteriousness of it. She looked out at the water. The sun was dancing like jeweled diamonds along the surface. So calm and blue now.
"Here we are." He gave her a hand out of the motorboat. "Just look me up when you need to get back."
"Thanks again Jeremy." With a final wave, Mira took off towards her place.
She started out at a good clip, but her pace slowed as she saw all the devastation around her. “Oh my!” She turned in a circle as she walked, gaping. This one was bad. She cringed, thinking about her own place as a knot began to form in the pit of her stomach.
“Hey! What are you doing here?”
Mira looked up from what was left of old man Steller’s place. It couldn’t be. “Brad?” She watched as he jogged over to her. He was in a pair of jeans that molded to his hips and a dress shirt that he rolled the sleeves up on. As he got closer, Mira noticed that he carried a thick notepad clipped to a clipboard. He also had a camera hanging around neck. "I live around the corner from here. What are you doing here?" She knew just about everyone that lived on the island. He wasn't one of them. She would have noticed him!
"I'm one of insurance adjusters for The Right Way Insurance. This is the area I was assigned to cover."
"Hey, I think that's my insurance company."
Brad fell in beside her as she continued walking towards her place. "Is your property far from here?" The was concerned in his voice.
She looked around. If she didn't know the island as well as she did, she would be lost. Nothing looked the same.
"A lot of damage."
The man seemed to read her mind. "About ten minutes from here."
"If you want, I'll go with you."
Mira sighed. "I'd like that." It would be nice to have someone there with her when she surveyed what was left.
"Okay, right around this..." Mira stopped as her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no. No!" She ran the rest of the way, not even noticing if Brad was following or not.
T o Be Continued...
© Copyright January 2007 by Kathy Priebe
Part 6
(Continued)
"All right guys," Brad's boss spoke up from behind his desk. "Here are your assignments." He handed each of them a piece of paper of the areas that were hit worse from the hurricane. "We'll work our way through each site. Don't forget to document your pictures with notes and dates. It's starting to get confusing with as many hurricanes that we've had in the past two years." Dave sighed heavily, "we'll start at the worse hit and work our way to those with the least damage."
"Brad?" Dave called out as the three men started to file out of his office.
"Yes?"
"You have the furthest most Key Islands. They aren't letting the residents back yet, so you are going to have to hitch a ride with the disaster teams. They're using boats. I guess Rt. 1 was damaged in spots." Dave handed a pass on a neck chain to Brad. "From what I understand, some of the areas on the islands were hit bad. Field any inquiries from the residents to either the Disaster Hotline or our Central Field Office
* * *
"Now Mom, you have everything you need right here. The television, your meds, your oxygen and here's the phone in case you want something to eat or help with something." She was glad she was able to get into a room at the hotel. Everyone cleared out once the bad weather was over.
Mira sighed, clean up time, except for those on the Keys. Route 1 was closed for repairs and clean up. There was no going home till the causeway was open, of course she supposed, one could always rent a boat , if you had the money to do so.
Mira picked up her laptop and sat down at the small desk in the room. She had every intention to continue her work on an ad campaign she started right before the hurricane was announced, but her attention was elsewhere. She smiled to herself as she wondered what Brad was doing.
"Mira girl, you got that dreamy-eyed expression. You ain't going to get any work done today."
Her mother had an uncanny way of figuring her out.
"Why don't you go and see how our place feared?"
She closed her laptop, her mom was right. She was friends with the emergency help and was sure she could hitch a ride with any number of them. "Okay Mom, your right. I'll head over and see if I can't get a ride to the island."
* * *
Mira got out of her car in the parking lot for the ferry. She hurried over to a group of firemen that just broke apart from their meeting. She waved, spotting one she knew. "Hey Jeremy?"
"Mira! It's good to see you didn't blow away in the hurricane."
"Oh Jeremy, you're such a kidder!" She watched as a warm smile spread across his face.
"How'd your mom fare?"
"You know Mom. I don't think nothing bothers that woman!"
"I hear you. Now, I don't suppose you want a ride over to the island?"
"How'd you guess?" Mira smiled, because of her mother's health and unplanned emergency trips to the mainland, the whole department knew her and her mom fairly well.
"It'll cost you at least a platter of your cookies. That's the only way I'm going to get out of deep water with the chief."
Well that was easier than she thought. "As soon as I can, you know I will."
"Hop on in then."
Mira loved the ocean. She took a deep breath. She loved the smell, the sound and the mysteriousness of it. She looked out at the water. The sun was dancing like jeweled diamonds along the surface. So calm and blue now.
"Here we are." He gave her a hand out of the motorboat. "Just look me up when you need to get back."
"Thanks again Jeremy." With a final wave, Mira took off towards her place.
She started out at a good clip, but her pace slowed as she saw all the devastation around her. “Oh my!” She turned in a circle as she walked, gaping. This one was bad. She cringed, thinking about her own place as a knot began to form in the pit of her stomach.
“Hey! What are you doing here?”
Mira looked up from what was left of old man Steller’s place. It couldn’t be. “Brad?” She watched as he jogged over to her. He was in a pair of jeans that molded to his hips and a dress shirt that he rolled the sleeves up on. As he got closer, Mira noticed that he carried a thick notepad clipped to a clipboard. He also had a camera hanging around neck. "I live around the corner from here. What are you doing here?" She knew just about everyone that lived on the island. He wasn't one of them. She would have noticed him!
"I'm one of insurance adjusters for The Right Way Insurance. This is the area I was assigned to cover."
"Hey, I think that's my insurance company."
Brad fell in beside her as she continued walking towards her place. "Is your property far from here?" The was concerned in his voice.
She looked around. If she didn't know the island as well as she did, she would be lost. Nothing looked the same.
"A lot of damage."
The man seemed to read her mind. "About ten minutes from here."
"If you want, I'll go with you."
Mira sighed. "I'd like that." It would be nice to have someone there with her when she surveyed what was left.
"Okay, right around this..." Mira stopped as her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no. No!" She ran the rest of the way, not even noticing if Brad was following or not.
T o Be Continued...
