The Storm and the Wind

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Patches of white glowed behind shadowy tree silhouettes in an eerie rose-gray sky. Storms were coming, as predicted.

“March is coming like a lion,” the Classical radio host had been saying, “…and a very dangerous one. We have a very very strong line of thunderstorms coming…”

“What a day to go to Cahokia Mounds,” Collette thought aloud.

Dad had decided to take Mom, Francis, and Linnea on a field trip to Cahokia Mounds and the Science Center that day. The Science Center was always the best during foul weather, in Collette’s opinion anyway.

“Batten down the hatches,” the radio announcer continued in his same worried tone. “Please keep your eyes on the sky.”

A monster of a snowstorm was also said to be brewing over the Midwest.

And then the clouded skies turned slate blue – no wind – then sea gray with a light behind it. The sky had become a slowly-revolving lighthouse.

Collette had dreamt of fields of clover flowers and honeysuckle, clams buried in the mud (which glowed upon opening)…

On the way to work, storm clouds were piled high in the heavens, only their tips dipped in molten sun. It was rather fantastic. Later in the morning, strong winds tore through the trees, under sailing puffy whites.

Meanwhile, Collette sat at her desk and ate Danish butter cookies, which had been left in a round tin in the copy room – up for grabs.

And Ivy worked on coaxing a spider off the wall and out the front door.

“Now come on, little guy,” she said, paper in hand. “I’m going to give you an opportunity to leave here. But only one.”

A blast of wind greeted her as she opened the front door. The spider was not willing to cooperate, however, and landed in a crack between the floorboards and the door frame.

“Well, then, I’m closing the door,” Ivy informed him.

And there he stayed; there was no more word that day from Mr. Spider.

Iowa was being hit by blizzards. Rosemary and Susie, who were visiting Dordt College up north, were snowed in. The Interstate had been closed.

Come evening, the winds had turned cold.

Magnus came over later for food and a movie with OLeif. And Collette fell asleep to dreams of behind-the-scenes cafés, sleeping outside under townhouse windows, graduation recitals, and other odd sorts of haphazard things.