28. Violet
CHAPTER 28
VIOLET
M y mother stirs on the couch. The room is so dark without any lamps turned on that I didn’t even see her there, huddled up under a blanket. I switch on the lights so she can see me better.
Her leg is propped up on pillows, like a good little patient. She looks up at me with a worried expression. “Are you okay, Violet? I started to get worried about you. Did you see I called you?”
I had multiple calls from multiple people, but I’d only had time to talk to Hannah before I started driving home as quickly as I could.
I manage a weak smile. “I’m okay, Mom. But we need to get ready. It’s a tornado, and it’s supposed to be bad. We need to find a safe spot in the house.”
She nods, her face serious. She works to sit up, and I hurry over to the couch to give her a hand. She reaches for her crutches. I want to help her move, but I know that she has to keep some independence. So, I look around, trying to figure out what needs to be done.
“I’m going to… close the curtains. That way if a window gets blown out, at least the glass won’t go everywhere. Can you get some food and take it to the hall? I think that’s the safest place for us to be?”
“Alright. Any specific requests?” My mother hobbles over to the kitchen like it’s a normal day and she’s about to make my favorite meal.
“Just whatever you can get. I need to change clothes. I’m soaked. And I’ll get some blankets, just in case.”
Both of our phones start vibrating, and I check the alert. Apparently, the tornado could touch down as soon as seven minutes from now. Everyone should remain in their shelters until we’ve been told it’s safe to come out.
“Seven minutes!” I shout out since my mom is in the kitchen and can’t check her phone.
With a burst of speed, I gallop to my room, grab blankets and extra clothes and move them to the hall. Then, I start shutting the doors to the hallways so that we have a fairly closed-in, safe space. I yank the curtains in the living room closed, then speed by my mother, grabbing the packages of food she’s found.
I throw them in the hallway and go back to help my mother. I’m trying to move as quickly and efficiently as I can. The wind is howling outside, and I can hear branches snapping and debris hitting the house. My heart is pounding, but I focus on the task at hand.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten something important, but it’s not like I’ve ever done this before. I remember tornados as a kid, but they were different. They mainly meant no electronics for a while and entertaining myself with other toys as I waited for the lights to come back on.
Just as I’m thinking about that, the lights flicker, then go out.
My mother stops moving.
“Violet, I can’t move without lights. I’m going to fall and break my other leg.”
“Let me turn on my phone flashlight,” I mutter, taking out my phone and shaking it so that the light comes on.
My mother starts hopping forward again until she’s in the hallway. I lay out a blanket and a couple of pillows to make a pallet for her. She sinks onto it, and her crutches slide from the wall to the floor, clattering loudly.
My heart is pounding hard as I sit with my back against the opposite side of the hall. I need to… I should text Hannah. That’s something I can do.
The storm is getting worse, and the house creaks and groans with the force of the wind. I can’t hide the fact that I’m freaked out, but I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Hannah.
Me:
We’re safe at home. Thanks for the warning.
Hannah
Glad to hear it. Stay safe, Violet!!
Thankfully the cell towers haven’t been affected yet, but it’s only a matter of time. I put my phone away and turn to my mom. “How are you holding up?”
She smiles, though it’s a bit strained. “I’m okay, sweetheart. Just glad you’re here. I think I fell asleep after your boss stopped by.”
My heart absolutely stops when she says those words.
“After… my… boss stopped by?” I ask, desperately trying to understand what she means. “You don’t mean…”
“Jay,” my mother says, smiling.
My heart sinks at the image of Jay showing up. Had he come to fire me? That would be so embarrassing. “What did you talk about?” I ask, turning my phone so that I can see the screen.
Even though Jay has called me a couple of times, he hasn’t texted me. I don’t know what he’s thinking. And I don’t want to call him back right now, not with my mother able to listen to every word.
“He was worried about you. He wanted to know where you were. Actually, where were you?” My mother peers at me with that look she has, the look that says she’ll figure out what I’m hiding.
I bite my bottom lip. I can’t tell her everything. I’m embarrassed that I agreed to what I agreed to with Jay in the first place. There’s no way I can explain it to my mom .
“I went to the lake. I just needed some time by myself. I needed to think.”
“In the middle of a storm?”
“I missed the news flash about the tornado. I don’t know how, but anyway, we’re here. And we’re safe now.”
Something thumps against the side of the house, and we both jump.
My mother reaches across the hall and pats my knee. “We’re here together, and we’re safe. That’s all that matters. But I do have to say that Jay is a handsome young man. I’m sure you’ve noticed that, though.”
I’m grateful for the darkness, so my mom can’t see me blushing. “He’s not bad looking.”
I search for something else to talk about, so we can pass the time and not think about how strong the storm is hitting outside.
“You know how Dad was during these things,” I say, and my mother instantly gets a foggy smile on her face.
“He would have been prepared two days early. Sometimes he prepared, and the tornado changed course. We barely got a little rain. But he was always prepared. And look at me, sleeping on the couch right next to the picture window. If it weren’t for you…”
But I don’t want to think about what could have happened. “Well, I’m here now. We’re both as safe as we can be, and the storm is going?—”
Another loud thump interrupts my words, and my stomach sinks. This house is taking a battering, and I’m worried it won’t hold up. It’s old, and I don’t know how well it’s been kept up.
After talking for a while, we sit in silence, listening to the storm rage outside. The wind howls, and the rain lashes against the house, but we’re safe inside. I try to push away the thoughts of Jay, but I can’t.
Mom talks to me about other storms, and I tell her a little bit about working at The Rusty Oak—avoiding the topic of Jay as much as possible.
After a while I start to feel sleepy and complacent, and I nod off as we sit in the hallway.
A startling sound wakes me up, and I leap to my feet before I’m fully awake.
“Mom? What was that?” I ask, blinking the sleep out of my eyes.
Before my mom can answer, I hear the steady sound of rain pouring down. The pinging of it sounds different than before. Closer.
I unsteadily step forward and open the door to my bedroom. My mouth gapes open as I see what’s before me. Part of the roof has been torn away, and there’s a gaping hole. Rain is pouring through it, flooding my childhood bedroom.
“Vi! What’s going on?”
I tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me to look over my shoulder where my mom is struggling to her feet. It’s difficult to do from her position on the ground with her cast, no less.
“Stay there,” I tell her. I look back at the ruined room. Part of me wants to run inside and start salvaging as much as I can. But the other part of me knows that the storm isn’t over yet.
We need to stay put and hope that the rest of the house will hold up better than that part did.