twister.
texas, summer of 1965.
The neighbors told us to open up all the windows -- that is what you do when there is a tornado warning. I watched from just inside the sill, my mother just behind me. The wind swept up and the rain came in and I imagined toto in my arms though we never had a dog. There it was... a skinny long dark grey column like a dreadlock, sweeping back and forth up the road in front of our house. Hardly threatening, but trying its very best to look ominous. Poor thing was just a cute little wind funnel picking up weeds along the way.
The next morning was Saturday. The wind and rain were gone - the sun was bright and high and I was playing at my friend Michael's house up the block. He had a pretty mom with shining golden hair and a brand new Creepy Crawlers set to play with. But that day he wanted to play catch out in front of the house -- this was his name for playing dodge ball with the passing cars. One pulled up to the house. It was a dark car -- dark grey like a twister. A man got out in a uniform with a bag in his hand which he immediately dropped on the sidewalk as my friend Michael ran up into his arms for a huge hug. His mother flew out the front door and joined him. The three walked back up to the house holding each other. Nobody looked back to me -- they knew I had only a few houses to go and I'd be home.
Michael's dad was home from Vietnam.
It didn't always work out that way.
The neighbors told us to open up all the windows -- that is what you do when there is a tornado warning. I watched from just inside the sill, my mother just behind me. The wind swept up and the rain came in and I imagined toto in my arms though we never had a dog. There it was... a skinny long dark grey column like a dreadlock, sweeping back and forth up the road in front of our house. Hardly threatening, but trying its very best to look ominous. Poor thing was just a cute little wind funnel picking up weeds along the way.
The next morning was Saturday. The wind and rain were gone - the sun was bright and high and I was playing at my friend Michael's house up the block. He had a pretty mom with shining golden hair and a brand new Creepy Crawlers set to play with. But that day he wanted to play catch out in front of the house -- this was his name for playing dodge ball with the passing cars. One pulled up to the house. It was a dark car -- dark grey like a twister. A man got out in a uniform with a bag in his hand which he immediately dropped on the sidewalk as my friend Michael ran up into his arms for a huge hug. His mother flew out the front door and joined him. The three walked back up to the house holding each other. Nobody looked back to me -- they knew I had only a few houses to go and I'd be home.
Michael's dad was home from Vietnam.
It didn't always work out that way.
posted by yoyobunny at 7:19 PM
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