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Two short essays: First Thunder Storm and For a Moment
by Elisa Tyson
First Thunder Storm
At 0100 my shift has finished and I walk home through the dimly lit streets. Every once in a while I notice a single light on in a house as I pass by. This is a quiet town at night. Far off at times you can hear the train whistle. That seems to depend on which way the wind is blowing. Tonight there is no wind and I don’t need my gloves. It is a cool but comfortable walk. There is only one car out on the street. It is the single police cruiser. It appears that he is driving the streets one by one. He passes me and I wave. Everyone waves here. I am getting into the habit of it myself.
Six blocks and I am home. Not even a dog bark on the trip. Quite town. As I unlock the front door I am greeted by the droopy, sleepy face of my dog Sheriff. He yawns, stretches and tilts his head as if to say “Oh It’s just you”. It doesn’t take me long to get into my PJ’s and ready for sleep. I hop into bed (I have to hop because the bed it quiet high off the ground) and snuggle under the down comforter. Sheriff settles at my feet.
I see a quick flash of light out my bedroom window. I dismiss it as being the Airport beacon. Strange that I haven’t seen it before. Just as I start to drift off to sleep there is a brighter “Flash”. I sit up, Sheriff sits up. Woman and dog both look at each other searching for an answer. The night is still quiet so I give Sheriff a pat and settle back under the covers. “Flash!” There is that light again. This time with a faint rumble. I count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Ok, I know now it is a thunder storm but it is a long ways away. I realize now that the light travels further on the flat plain. FLASH… Sheriff crawls to the head of the bed shaking and attempts to hide under my body. I nudge him to the floor where he crawls under the bed. (Smart dog). I count 1, 2, 3 louder rumble. Another “Flash” this time I don’t have to count. The whole house shakes and the windows rattle! I have never felt a house shake from thunder. Another Flash and Bang. The house jumps and all the clocks blink off and reset to 1200 flashing. I get out of bed and reset the clocks. I look out my kitchen door and see a soft but steady rain falling. The thunder has passed and the town is once again quite.
As I drift off to sleep. I smile….. “Mother nature has given me a show” what a wonderful country.
For a Moment
At 0100 my shift has finished and I walk home through the dimly lit streets. Every once in a while I notice a single light on in a house as I pass by. This is a quiet town at night. Far off at times you can hear the train whistle. That seems to depend on which way the wind is blowing. Tonight there is no wind and I don’t need my gloves. It is a cool but comfortable walk. There is only one car out on the street. It is the single police cruiser. It appears that he is driving the streets one by one. He passes me and I wave. Everyone waves here. I am getting into the habit of it myself.
Six blocks and I am home. Not even a dog bark on the trip. Quite town. As I unlock the front door I am greeted by the droopy, sleepy face of my dog Sheriff. He yawns, stretches and tilts his head as if to say “Oh It’s just you”. It doesn’t take me long to get into my PJ’s and ready for sleep. I hop into bed (I have to hop because the bed it quiet high off the ground) and snuggle under the down comforter. Sheriff settles at my feet.
I see a quick flash of light out my bedroom window. I dismiss it as being the Airport beacon. Strange that I haven’t seen it before. Just as I start to drift off to sleep there is a brighter “Flash”. I sit up, Sheriff sits up. Woman and dog both look at each other searching for an answer. The night is still quiet so I give Sheriff a pat and settle back under the covers. “Flash!” There is that light again. This time with a faint rumble. I count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Ok, I know now it is a thunder storm but it is a long ways away. I realize now that the light travels further on the flat plain. FLASH… Sheriff crawls to the head of the bed shaking and attempts to hide under my body. I nudge him to the floor where he crawls under the bed. (Smart dog). I count 1, 2, 3 louder rumble. Another “Flash” this time I don’t have to count. The whole house shakes and the windows rattle! I have never felt a house shake from thunder. Another Flash and Bang. The house jumps and all the clocks blink off and reset to 1200 flashing. I get out of bed and reset the clocks. I look out my kitchen door and see a soft but steady rain falling. The thunder has passed and the town is once again quite.
As I drift off to sleep. I smile….. “Mother nature has given me a show” what a wonderful country.
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