Storm

 

The cat sat in the window fascinated by the lightning flashes. He watched as the world became brighter for a brief second. The thunder was rumbling a soft accompaniment to the light show. All at once a giant clap of thunder followed by a huge fork of lightning disturbed the peace. He bolted and hid under the lounge chair, eyes wide with fear. This was not what he ordered he seemed to say.

I smiled and tried to coax him out from under the chair but he just stared at me with pupils distended.

Vaguely my grandmother’s words came to me.

“When a storm comes you must close all windows and curtains. If you don’t a bolt of lightning will enter the home and fly around inside and you had better not be in its path.”

Keeping these words in mind I went around the house closing windows and curtains. My mind grappled with a memory, trying to remember what this phenomena was called. St Elmo’s Fire seemed to come to mind.

She also warned of using water during a thunder storm. No bathing or showering or even turning a tap on for a glass of water.

She was very threatened by storms and would sit still in one place clutching her hands together close to her body until the storm passed.

I often wondered why. What experience did she have when she was young to make her this scared? I asked her once and she just shook her head as tears sprang into her eyes. I learned to just sit close to her while talking in a soft low voice to try to distract her from the heavenly sounds. She would talk when she was ready.

As soon as the storm passed she became my strong Granny again, scared of nothing and no one and giving sass when needed. It was strange to think that a few moments previously she had been a quivering mess.

© Vera Alexander