Stormy Weather
My uncle Matt and I had always been close. I think it was the fact that he was only a few years my senior that spawned such a closeness between us. My mother’s younger brother and his new wife had moved to her families Wyoming home only weeks after her dad had died and left her mother alone with the sprawling farm. It had been so sudden for us all and now the tragedy had worsened. Matthew was taken from us suddenly as well, a tractor accident, the family was devastated and this time Jenni, Matthew’s widow and her mother had been left alone with the farm.
My parents had named me Cal, because of the dream they shared to someday live in California(old hippie dreams I always thought). I was 25 the night they sat me down and made their proposal for me to put my school on hold and temporarily move to the farm and help out Jenni and her mother until things could be arranged for more a permanent solution. I think it was my dedication to the memory of Matt that finally made me say yes. That was 2 years ago.
Now a disagreement with Jenni over a planned camping trip with my friends had chased me from the house. I was so pissed when I had left the house that the idea of returning had not even crossed my mind. Of course, I’m sure Jenni was not too concerned, considering that I was afoot, after all, how far could I go.
That was hours ago and now a sky the color of lead was pelting me with the first cold rain of the early fall season. My wide brimmed hat and denim jacket offered little shelter and it had become obvious that shelter was indeed what I needed. The large tree that had seemed so inviting just moments ago was split from roof to root as a steely blue streak of lightning had claimed it’s prey just before I had gotten close enough to use it as shelter. Guess my luck wasn’t all bad! But once again, the problem at hand was shelter.
As the cold rain dripped off the brim of my hat I pressed on into the twilight, feeling pretty down on myself for having stormed out and even worse, now allowing my current situation to disorient me, it was all uncharacteristic of me. As the light faded and the impending storm gathered around me a panic that I had never known came over me, drenched and cold I could see no way out of this. I needed to get out of the weather and soon or I would put myself at risk.
In the distance, I could make out what appeared to be lights, a welcome sight. My pace quickened as the thought of shelter relieved me. I was so lost, it embarrassed me, I had been here for two years and been all over this country side, but had never seen the cabin that I had stumbled onto and I could not get to it fast enough. Finally reaching the cabin, my instinct was to pound on the door, and pound is what I did. Was any one home? The cabin not having any type of porch was not much shelter, through the windows I could see a fire in the fire place, surely someone was here. Pound, pound, pound ..... oh please, someone open this door.
She was as tall as me, damp auburn hair that fell onto her shoulders, striking blue eyes and exposed shoulders that drew my eyes away from her questioning stare. The look on her face and her dress(an oversized bath towel), made it clear, the woman who came to the door was not expecting guest on this miserable night, but it made no difference to me, as long as someone was home to save me from the elements.
My uncle Matt and I had always been close. I think it was the fact that he was only a few years my senior that spawned such a closeness between us. My mother’s younger brother and his new wife had moved to her families Wyoming home only weeks after her dad had died and left her mother alone with the sprawling farm. It had been so sudden for us all and now the tragedy had worsened. Matthew was taken from us suddenly as well, a tractor accident, the family was devastated and this time Jenni, Matthew’s widow and her mother had been left alone with the farm.
My parents had named me Cal, because of the dream they shared to someday live in California(old hippie dreams I always thought). I was 25 the night they sat me down and made their proposal for me to put my school on hold and temporarily move to the farm and help out Jenni and her mother until things could be arranged for more a permanent solution. I think it was my dedication to the memory of Matt that finally made me say yes. That was 2 years ago.
Now a disagreement with Jenni over a planned camping trip with my friends had chased me from the house. I was so pissed when I had left the house that the idea of returning had not even crossed my mind. Of course, I’m sure Jenni was not too concerned, considering that I was afoot, after all, how far could I go.
That was hours ago and now a sky the color of lead was pelting me with the first cold rain of the early fall season. My wide brimmed hat and denim jacket offered little shelter and it had become obvious that shelter was indeed what I needed. The large tree that had seemed so inviting just moments ago was split from roof to root as a steely blue streak of lightning had claimed it’s prey just before I had gotten close enough to use it as shelter. Guess my luck wasn’t all bad! But once again, the problem at hand was shelter.
As the cold rain dripped off the brim of my hat I pressed on into the twilight, feeling pretty down on myself for having stormed out and even worse, now allowing my current situation to disorient me, it was all uncharacteristic of me. As the light faded and the impending storm gathered around me a panic that I had never known came over me, drenched and cold I could see no way out of this. I needed to get out of the weather and soon or I would put myself at risk.
In the distance, I could make out what appeared to be lights, a welcome sight. My pace quickened as the thought of shelter relieved me. I was so lost, it embarrassed me, I had been here for two years and been all over this country side, but had never seen the cabin that I had stumbled onto and I could not get to it fast enough. Finally reaching the cabin, my instinct was to pound on the door, and pound is what I did. Was any one home? The cabin not having any type of porch was not much shelter, through the windows I could see a fire in the fire place, surely someone was here. Pound, pound, pound ..... oh please, someone open this door.
She was as tall as me, damp auburn hair that fell onto her shoulders, striking blue eyes and exposed shoulders that drew my eyes away from her questioning stare. The look on her face and her dress(an oversized bath towel), made it clear, the woman who came to the door was not expecting guest on this miserable night, but it made no difference to me, as long as someone was home to save me from the elements.