We sat in the dark, out on the porch for a time. Jason was worried. He had been at his friend Adrian's home, when the storm started, but Adrian sent him home, telling him to be careful and to go straight home in a hurry, as he didn't want him to be hit by lightning. When Jason first got home, he was very happy about that statement, telling us that Adrian cares about him and doesn't want him to get hurt. That was when the storm was more like a rainy, greying day with a little lightning off in the distance, however. Now, the lightning was a few blocks away, striking the earth and right overhead, dancing in the sky in it's twisted sheets of brightness. Jason was worried, and the closer it got the more worried he was, having had time to think the statement over.
"I don't want lightning to strike the house." he said. "Then Coal, and K would be dead,dried out and burnt." Remind me to thank Mom for mentioning that lightning sometimes strikes houses!
I told him that it probably wouldn't strike the house; that, sometimes, yes, these things happen, but, not usually. We had a little discussion about that, the various things that could happen, but, hardly ever do. Jason's brow cleared for a time, but, then the lightning lit up the front yard and the thunder was a terrible pounding roar which shook the house mightily.
"God is going to get me." announced Jason.
"No, God is not going to get you." I replied. "God has nothing against you, and the storm is just .."
"He'll get Jordan!", Jason interrupted me to exclaim. He leaned forward, towards me, and pointed his finger, lest I failed to realize whom he was talking to. He did not look pleased at the gales of laughter coming from the women on the porch. "He's after Jordan!" he insisted.
"Now, why would .. " started Mom.
"Jordan says God is after him.", replied Jason.
After the second bout of laughter had somewhat subsided, I told Jason that Jordan is really quite insignifcant to the plans of God. He could do it all, quite well, without smiting Jordan with lightning, or going after him at all. Or, I started to tell Jason this, but, there was more lightning even closer, and he decided to go to bed.
The electricity came on, for a time, and me and Erica set out to watch her nasty little movie. This involved her demanding M & M's, everyone getting drinks, and, of course, the fun game of switching to Video 1, Video 2 with both machines on, then with only one, then only the other one, then... Later, after Erica and I had realized that Grandma (Mom to me) had devised a diabolical mechanical system capable of twisting a persons brain out and forcing them to eat it, before they died, which was made out of spare remote controls, 2 vcr/dvd players, and a second-hand television set; and, that we were never going to get it to work for good, or even for Harry Potter, the electricity went out again.
Which is how me, Erica, and Jordan, who thoughtfully showed up with his contraband lighter and a candle that had mysteriously disappeared from my room some months before this to save us from the dark, wound up sitting in chairs in a dark living room (Erica had put the candle out), side by side.
"Hey, this is fun!" Erica announced. "You guys should try it."
Jordan lit his lighter. There was Erica's butt, relatively where her face should be. She was laying on her back on the seat of the chair with her legs up and over, her knees on the back of the seat. Jordan told her she looked like a butthead, so she proceeded to lean her butt towards us, and act as if it was conversing.
"Ill have no Jim Carrey children." I told her.
I should have told Jordan, as well; for, on top of Erica failing to listen, it was only a short time later when Jordan exclaimed "This is fun!"
A flick of the lighter, revealed his plaid covered rear end waggling gently up above the chair.
"Jordan, you just look like you're trying to light farts!" opined Erica.
A little later, we were in Jordan's room, laying on his big bed, having unimportant conversation, considering possibilities of what to do, such as stepping outside and getting thoroughly soaked by the rain, now that the lightning was further away.
"I don't even know where my shoes are." I announced, standing up and beginning to leave the room. "I'm going back out to the porch. Do you care to go with me?"
No one answered, precisely, but, Erica did start to move in the same general direction and even ended up ahead of me. I saw her standing in the hallway, turned sideways for some reason, by the light of a flash of lightning.
My eyesight was a little dazzled by that same flash, so I was having trouble seeing, but it looked as if she was moving, maybe coming toward me, maybe moving off to the side. It was so hard to tell, but, something was definitely going on.
"What are you doing?" I asked her. She didn't answer. "Stop moving so I can see you." I complained. I rubbed my eyes and moved closer, bobbing my head over to this side and that, trying to get a clearer view by starlight.
She looked weird, because I thought she had been wearing a black shirt, and now she looked like maybe she was wearing a white one. Also, she seemed sort of wide, and I was really getting worried for my vision, because I was obviously seeing things all wrong, unless ..
"Boom", said the lightning, striking down to illuminate the hallway, where stood a half naked man, ghost white and unmoving. How he got there, I had no idea. Where Erica got to was an equal mystery.
Moving closer and getting ready to defend myself, I demanded to know who he was. He said nothing. So, I moved closer, and he lunged forward ...
It was Jason. "I'm afraid of the lightning!" he announced.
"Jesus, Jason! You scared the pieces out of me!" I told him.
"Why? Who did you think I was?"
I didn't want to tell him all about home invasions or demons, as I was tired, he is a questioner on all subjects, and, quite frankly, I thought he had enough worry for one night. I asked him where his sister was, after telling him not to worry about it.
"But, who did you think I was?" he asked.
"I didn't know, Jason. You didn't make any noise and I thought you were in bed."
Erica came out of my room, where she had been searching for my shoes. "Jason! Don't just stand there, not saying things! I was in your room, looking for your shoes." she said.
"I'm scared of the lightning. I need prayer!" Jason announced.
"You are scared and need prayer?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm scared of the lightning and need prayer. Adrian said .."
"Okay, " I interrupted him "then let's go out here where we can sit down and see each other better, and we'll have some prayer."
So, out we went, back to the porch, and down we sat, while my ears picked up on the sounds of Erica and Jordan slipping on shoes and going out to brave the storm. Then, we prayed together.
"Thank you Jehovah, for this storm which brought wonderful coolness, and rain for the plants, and lightning that puts extra nitrogen into the ground so they can grow real good.." was the start, so that Jason would learn that storms are not all about scary things that are going to get you, whether by accident or by divine will.
"I don't want lightning to strike the house." said Jason, starting over.
"Either do I, Jason." I said.
The lightning put in its own two cents, crashing so nearby that it lit up the front yard and made the house shudder just to be near such power, as if to say "It is hardly for you to decide, though, is it?"
"Come on, Jason. I'd rather not be too near that. " I said, placing my hand on his shoulder and guiding him back inside.
"I'm going back to bed." said Jason.
You may not believe this, but, these were some of the best conversations I had, ever, with anyone. No grand schemes were hatched, no resolutions were made or met, no vows were taken; nothing that would affect, truly, the cornerstone of civilization.
Like pebbles and sand, they are insignificant in their little separate parts; but, accumulated over the years, they become a strong barrier. Together, they can hold back the tides that would otherwise rush in and wreak havoc; and, hold together the more fertile soils where life goes and there is air to breathe.
A little story of July 8th, 2009, as close to true as I could get it, my memory being what it is.
This will probably be part of a larger story, that will be a novel some day, if I can help it and God is willing.
And, for the Feminine Intent people: This is how I’m feeling, at the end of it.
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Featured in Feminine Intent (the group) about 9 hours ago, as of 9:48 pm, Arizona time, on 7-10-2009; as witnessed by the comment with notice of same.
also the end is so killer with that metaphor …
DAMN GREAT PIECE!