Family Stronger Than Mother Nature

         FAMILY STRONGER THAN MOTHER NATURE


Billy and Amy Scott are best friends. They have been inseparable since birth. It is odd to have a sister and brother as such good friends, but they have no other choice; they were orphaned many years ago and now live with their maternal grandparents, the Hansens, on their farm in Kansas.

Billy and Amy were very young when their parents died in an accident suddenly one Saturday night on their way home from a party. Their parents never suffered but the loss has caused enough suffering for Billy and Amy to make up for it.

Farm life is hard work and it took a while for the two siblings to adjust from a city life full of noise and cars to living with solitude and chores. They never once complained, though, this life was the only way the courts would let them stay together.

Hank was a farm hand that had worked for the Hansens for the past five years. He immediately took a liking to the Scott children when he moved in. He related to their plight as he was also orphaned at an early age but with a difference – no family to look after him. He was raised by nuns. He decided right from the start that he would take both theses kids under his wing. He taught them how to enjoy animal husbandry, got them enrolled in the local 4-H Club, and generally tried to be a father figure when they needed it without being too pushy. Hank had never been married, not that he hadn’t wanted to; just hadn’t found the right lady to share his path in life with yet.

Billy and Amy had grown used to Hank shouting for them. They knew that behind those loving but stern barks were orders to be followed and jobs to be fulfilled. But on this particular day, at this particular moment, the shouting was different; more stressed and impatient - frantic. They immediately ran full speed towards the source of the hollering.

As they were running towards Hank, Amy heard more yelling and screaming coming from the opposite direction - the farm house. It was her grandma standing on the porch and she was very upset. Her grandma was frantically pointing and jumping up and down. There was an irritation in her eyes at Amy not looking in the direction of her grandma’s finger. Finally when Amy stopped and turned around she could see what all the fuss from both Hank and her grandma was about.

Off in the distance was a huge inverted cone shaped wind whirl. Mesmerized by the power, she watched it slowly came closer into view and moved like a drunk trying to walk a straight line. Suddenly it was upon them without much notice and dust, rocks and dirt were flying like meteorites through the air. The sound of Mother Nature’s wrath was deafening and Amy had to cover her ears.

“Hank, Hank, look a cyclone,” screamed hysterically Amy over the noise of the wind.

‘I know, Amy that’s why I want you and Billy here inside the barn. See the trap door over there in stall # 10. Quick open it and climb in. You will be safe there. I am going to get your grandparents and bring them to the shelter.”

Billy was already in the barn but Amy was finding it difficult to maneuver against the strength of the wind current. She kept pushing against the wall it created and the wall kept pushing her back. Finally after struggling with the force of nature, Amy won and made it into the barn

Looking at Hank pass her, she yelled back, “Be careful Hank, it’s scary out there.”

She couldn’t tell if he heard her or not, but her mind quickly concentrated on the task at hand.

Once down inside the shelter she clung to Billy. Close to tears she whispered,

“I don’t think I’ve been this scared since mamma and daddy died. How about you, Billy?”

“No this is my first cyclone too, Amy and I’m glad we are in this shelter. I just hope Hank and grandma and granddad will make it safely.”

“What about the animals, Billy” Amy asked in terror of the thought that they will get hurt in this storm.

“I don’t know, Amy. I guess we will find out when it’s all over. I just hope they can fend for themselves.” This thought brought tears to Billy’s eyes also but he didn’t want Amy to know that. He loved the animals as much as his sister did.

As quickly as the storm started, it abated somewhat. Time seem to fly inside the shelter when in reality it was several hours. When the silence became too much, Billy tried to open the hatch. He peaked under it and saw nothing but daylight all around him. The walls of the barn were no longer standing up or actually no longer in the vicinity. As Billy opened the hatch he felt resistance and knew that part of the old barn was pushing the trap door down as if it knew that Billy and Amy may not be out of danger yet. With much muscle, Billy succeeded in opening up the roof of their hide out enough so he and his sister could emerge.

All around them was space. Lots and lots of debris in piles here and there, and lots and lots of space. Once the shock wore off enough for their senses to function again, Billy and Amy suddenly realized the Hank and their grandparents never made it to the shelter. Then in unison they turned towards the direction of where the farm house once stood. There now was nothing but rubble.

“Now what do we do Billy?” sniffled Amy.

“I don’t know, let’s go over there and call out their names.”

Before Billy had finished his suggestion, Amy was several steps ahead calling Hank’s and her grandparent’s names. Coming out of his dazed shock, Billy started to follow her. Nothing could be heard but the sounds of emptiness. Creaks from broken beams and the call of the wind could be heard in the distance but no sounds of life echoed amongst the ruins.  It was Billy and Amy’s nightmare all over again. They huddled together on a broken door leaning against an old stump. Each lost in memories, worries and what now’s? Who would look after them? Was there any more family? They didn’t want to be separated since they had been attached at the hip for as long as they could remember. They truly loved and relied on each other

Time had decided to travel in a snail’s pace. Lost in their thoughts they both failed to hear a rustle from behind the pile of debris that would have been the hen house. Soon a shuffling noise cracked the silence like a rock hitting a windshield.

“What’s that Billy - an animal?” Amy whispered in her brother’s ear.

The hair on the back of Billy’s neck rose to full attention, and he whispered back,

“I’m sure it’s nothing that will hurt us – I hope?”

“You’ll protect me, right Billy?”

“Protect you? What about me?” then realizing what a silly reply that was, he continued, “Let’s stick together and stay put.”

Amy nodded in agreement. Eventually both Amy and Billy’s curiosity got the best of them, and together hand in hand they walked slowly towards the bizarre sounds.  Just then three shadowy forms emerged from behind the wreckage surrounded by a curtain of dust. Both Amy and Billy stopped in their tracks praying for a miracle, hoping their eyes were not playing tricks on them.

Amy continued with her previous roll call. It was softer now as she started to believe in miracles.

“Hank? Grandma? Gramps?” The names were barely a murmur escaping Amy’s mouth. She started running when the dazed figures hit the light and recognition was undeniable.

“Hank! Grandma! Gramps! You are OK? Are you hurt? Come, come sit down on this log.” Amy screamed as she grabbed them in a group hug. By this time Billy had reached the group, and joined into the joyous chants. He was so relieved at  finding all he had left in the world OK. Pure exhaustion caused the dirt on his skin feel like a hundred ton boulders.

“Where were you all?” Billy interrupted the merriment of the reunion.

Hank was the first to break away from the huddle to answer,

“I remember when I first came here to work for your grand parents; they had an old potato cellar that had been abandoned decades earlier. It is dilapidated but had a space big enough for the three of us that ran under the chicken coup. It was easier to get down into there than join you both in the barn. The winds were just too strong for use to maneuver through. The shelter quickly fell to pieces because of age but just enough of it remained to protect us from the cyclone.”

The sighs of relief could be heard in the next state until; everyone started to look around and take in the damage. Dorothy thought she had it bad when she returned from OZ. There was virtually nothing left except each other, and in the end isn’t that what is most important? No matter who you call family, they are the most important people in your world. It didn’t matter that no one from the group spoke those exact words, each could tell they thought them by just looking into each others’ tear streaked eyes.

Family was there before, family was there again, and family will always be there in the future.