Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: STORM (10/05/17)
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TITLE: The Calm after the Storm | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jodi Green
10/12/17 -
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But soon there were gathering clouds. One night I was settled down reading when my phone rang. I saw that my son was calling me. I was not at all worried that he had gotten himself into some teenage mischief, or worse. He’s a great kid, but I am worried about his recklessness in the Storm. A police officer was on the other end of the line. My heart stopped beating.
“I know that no parent wants to hear a police officer’s voice on their child’s phone.”
I realized I was holding my breath as I barely squeaked out, “No sir, they don’t.”
“Your son is fine.”
By then tears were already streaming down my face. It took too many seconds for him to say my son was alive after all.
“I stopped him for reckless driving. He’s a very polite and fine young man. But he needs to drive more safely.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Although it didn’t feel right at all that he had scared me out of my wits.
“I’m giving the phone back to him now. I’ll have to site him for reckless operation.”
“Yes sir.”
“Hey Mom,” my son murmured into the phone. “I’ll be home soon.”
“Are you okay, honey?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Bye, Mom.”
I was already wondering which attorney would handle my family’s lawsuit against our local police department for my death by cardiac arrest. I was hoping they would get a lot of money, and that that police officer would be fired. But I actually lived through that close call. No money for that one, although I am still considering the pain and suffering aspect.
My son is friends with the judge’s daughter, so he got off with a little mild community service. Nothing on his record this time.
Another Storm came on me just a few weeks after that. Again, I was settled in bed reading. By this time I should have been more sensitive to the gathering clouds. When the phone rang, it really was my son on the other end. He sounded a little rattled as he explained he was in a ditch not far from our house. I pictured the Storm mangled and broken, but at least my son seemed unharmed.
After being assured of his well-being, I began to imagine the insurance repercussions. I wondered who would ever be able to afford his insurance after that. Or maybe he could just drive it broken.
I asked if he needed his dad to come help him (why doesn’t he call his dad on these occasions?), but he was able to get out of the ditch on his own, and the Storm came home quietly. Again, no record or insurance rate hikes.
Another night (why does the Storm always happen at night?) my son decided to race the Storm. Well, really, he just revved his engine too close to the police officer’s vehicle. By now I’m pretty sure they have the Storm on their radar 24/7 in case of emergency. I don’t think it was a coincidence that the police officer was right there at the first sound of the revving Storm. Once again, because he is such a polite young man, he got off with a warning.
So the Storm hasn’t yet caused any permanent damage, or at least that we know of. There’s still a possibility that the stress of the Storm has damaged my heart. And doctors always say that underlying stress is the root cause of many dangerous health issues. So there could still be some money in it somewhere for my family if the Storm does eventually wipe me out.
I’m pretty sure the Storm won’t last much longer. How long could my son’s luck hold out on that anyway? When the Storm finally passes, I’m planning to preemptively name his next vehicle “The Breeze”. I think I’m already feeling calmer.
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