The Storm

Wee ooh, wee ooh wee ooh. That was the sound of the sirens as the ambulance pulled up. The police men and firemen where already there.

Today was supposed to be a happy day, filled with joy, and laughter and excitement, but instead, it’s a day filled with sorrow, fear and pain.

It all started out with a football game. The score was chieftains 28 and Red Hawks 8. Every one was counting down the half time “ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, two, one!” when every one was getting drinks and cheering some more, the winds picked up. There where gray clouds in the sky and the news said there was going to be a thunder storm at night, not now so no one paid attention except for Jenna who was stuck home babysitting the Michael’s younger twins who where both 7. Jenna was forced to listen to the radio broadcasting of how the game was doing while her parents went out for dinner and a movie.

“At half time the crowd is going wild cheering on the Masco chieftains! With a score of 28 to 8, the Chieftains are bound to win!” Said the broadcaster when all of a sodden “We interrupt this broadcast with an emergency news bulletin. The are severe weather warnings in the eastern part of Massachusetts and south eastern part of New Hampshire. The storm is predicted to be a thunder storm and will last a projected time if 3-5 hours. Please be sure to tape all windows, and get inside immediately! This has been a weather and news bulletin brought to you by the Emergency Safety Organization. Thank you for your time and please let anyone you see who might be in danger know. That is all”

As if to prove what she heard, the twins started to cry

“What’s the mater now?” Jenna said to the way-to-picky twins. Again.

“The TV is broken!” And sure enough the same broadcasting that was one the radio was know being said in sign, subtitles and English.

I need to call mom and Dad and the Michael’s! Jenna now franticly looked for the phone. “Got it!” She said to herself. “19785004000” It was Mrs. Michael’s cell.

“Hello?”

Yes! “Hi its me Jenna.”

“Are Hannah and Ann okay? What’s the mater? They aren’t heart are they? What-“ she could tell she was worried

“There fine, but you aren’t. I heard and saw on the news that there is a severe thunder storm warning for us! You need to get home. I’ll make sure everyone is okay and get the house all ready and everything Hannah and Ann need for the time. Is there a place where I should take them?”

“Thank you so much Jenna. You can get the plenty of food for you, Hannah, Ann me and my husband. I would like it if you left the door unlocked until You go downstairs and the weather is really bad. I will pay you extra for this, so do a good job. There are blankets in the hope chest, on the beds and plenty of pillows around the house. Do not be afraid to look around if you need to know where something is.”

“Thank you and you don’t need to pay me any extra. It would heart me greatly if Hannah and Ann where heart. I just have one question. Can my parents come here during the storm? I will get all the extra stuff and if where short-“ she was hoping it would cut it.

“ Of course they can. We will have plenty of blankets to go around. Where will Evan go?”

“ Evan is at a friends house and is most likely either listening to music or watching TV.”

“Give him a call to if you haven’t already”

“Again thank-you.”

“Thank you good bye.”

“Bye!”

Okay! Time to get in the house ready Jenna thought as she looked for the tape to cover the windows. She hadn’t gotten the blankets yet so she had to work quickly.

Here it is! Now all that was left for her to do was the everything else.

First she started with the blankets. Everything was downstairs while Hannah and Ann watched TV. Whose that was done, she was free to do the pillows. That one was easy. The only hard part was finding decant food that didn’t require heating or freezing to keep it good or to make it good. Now she had to bring everything to the cellar and try to call her parent’s cells again.

“Mom? Dad? PICK-UP!! It’s me Jenna calling you to let you know to come home now! Hello? Where are you? Can’t you hear me calling you? Please pick-up! There is a big storm coming and you need to come to the Michael’s house immediate! Hello!? I already called them and they said it was okay! Hello?! Please pick up! Come home! I need you! Now!” and so it went on for five more tries, not getting a call back once.

The Michael’s where back surprisingly soon. They where relieved at how much food I was ably to collect. They asked about Evan and my parents. When they where told about them not picking up, they exchanges glances which made Jenna wonder what are they thinking about?.

She hoped it wasn’t bad.

“They’re both paralyzed from the hip down. They also are severly hurt. Be careful and be prepared for a shock miss. Jennifer.” That was all he said to me.

Jenna was at the hospital after the four and a half hour storm that caused a big black out for most of the area. Her parents where in the intensive care unit of the Emergency Room. Jenna was opening the door, mentally preparing herself for the big shocker of them after the accident.

Both where sound asleep. They where covered in bandages and some looked like they need to be changed. Their heads where cut in some places and there heart rate was being measured. There was a toob of clear fluids being put in their blood. All of a sudden she started sobbing, she was sobbing so hard, she coundn,t even stop to breath. After a half hour or so she noticed she a nurse sat her in a chair and was rubbing her back. Her parents where horrible. They looked like they where going to die any minute. They will die! The last words I ever said to them face to face was please can’t I go to the foot ball game! Please!? And the last words they said to her where No honey, your going to go the Michael’s in one hour. Don’t be late! We love you! All of a sudden she began sobbing again. Why me!? Why not someone else!? What did I do to deserve this lord almighty!?

“I know this is hard for you, but you need to stay together! I know exactly what you’re going through right know. I know its hard to move on and ‘get’ over it so you can get through a few days at a time without crying for them! They need you! They aren’t dead yet, are they? No. so right know they need you to be strong until- if it ever should but let us pray it doesn’t- they die. Then they want you to remember them as who they are, not who they where. So you need to stay together and get even closer with friends and family. I know I’m a stranger, but we don’t need to be Jen! I’m Emma, and I’m here to help you and your parents.” The nurse, Emma said as a way to try to comfort her. It helped. A lot.

At that very moment, Evan walked in. He tried to stay strong, to impress Jenna, but everyone could tell he needed to cry. “Why? Why me? What did I do?” Evan was talking to himself.

“You need to cry. If it doesn’t come out here, it will come out soon.” Emma was trying to force him to let his tears fall down his cheeks and onto his shirt. It was working very well in that plain hospital room with one bed for each parent and one picture and a privet bathroom. There where windows, but they where covered up so no one could see in.

“Thank you Em-em-emma. I-I-I-I needed th-th-th-that.”Jenna tried to speak with little accomplishment.

“You’re welcome”

Her mother was aloud to go home with Emma staying with them to help out and comfort Jenna if necessary. Her father was still in the hospital, but was moved to a regular room. Every day the family visited his room.

One day, A doctor pulled mom aside and told her The news. It happened in 2 monthes. It was and always will be a terrible day.

Epilogue

My Fathers funeral was in one month. Everyone was balding there eyes out. Me especially, who was holding his hand and listening to him in a conversation about school and how much both hated it. Everyone was out of school for more than a week, Me nearly 2. Everyone knew it was supposed to be a happy day and sad day, but no one was happy or acting it. Was so hard to let him go, to let the man bury him that I, Jenna Anna Malinski, nearly stopped the funeral. The reception was just as miserable, if not worse. No one was talking and all you could here was a nose being blown and the occasional cries of Why!? I can’t believe he had to go. No, thinking back to it, I think it could have been worse. Both could have died or I could have not even known what happened to him when that tree came down after they got my many messages about coming home. I don’t think its my fault at all. I kind of think it was there fault for telling me to call them if every needed when it wasn’t even going to be on. I miss my dad, but I’m glad my last feeling with him was happiness and his last feeling and thought was of me and not of how much pain he was in or how his hand hurt, but instead of how my soft warm hand was in his and his was in mine. I can’t wait till I meet the next body my father’s soul will inhabit. I hope I will meet him because I know He will be just like him and will do lots of good for the world. Even though the tree fell, I’m glad it wasn’t an immediately fatal accident.