Women

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Solitude

It was a dark and stormy night.

No forget that, too cliché. It was a dark night, but not stormy.

CRASH! BOOM!

Correction, here comes a storm. 12:34am, Maria sat on her living room sofa. A steamy cup of hot tea cradled in her hands, a small candle flickered on top of the T.V. She was alone. Her three boys tucked away nicely in their beds for the night, she sat to rest. She sipped her tea. Solitude. Silence. Only the walls retained the events of the day, and they rested too. The fighting, the whining, the constant cries for "MOMMYYYYYY!" The spilled juice that splattered everywhere, the mud that had been tracked through the front door, the broken truck that had elicited cries of absolute despair upon its demise. All these events, and many more faded into the darkness of the evening.

CRASH! BOOM!

Another bolt of lightning, another loud rumble of thunder. The blinding intensity from the lightning dwarfed the light of the candle and illuminated the room for only a moment and then, silence.

A sleeve from a freshly laundered sweater hung over the edge of a laundry basket. The diaper bag lay in the middle of the kitchen floor where it had been dropped when the horde came crashing through the door after play group. A little toy man lay forlorn on the floor by the chair, his comrades and his vehicle were no where to be found. Pieces of interlocking building bricks lay scattered on the floor. A tiny pair of worn underpants had been abandoned on the floor where her son had chosen to leave them. A lone sock had been tossed only inches away and its mate was no where in sight. The clutter was silent chaos, evidence of life and joy and energy. It could wait.

Maria arose from the sofa and went to her front door. Cautiously looking outside she stepped outside. No rain yet. The night sky was dark and calm. The amber light shone from the street lamp, and seemed inferior to the ominous night sky. There were no stars tonight. Even the moon had gone to hide. Darkness was a covering tonight, a warm safe blanket of solemnity. Tea in hand, Maria looked far off into the distance.

CRASH! BOOM!

The wind swept gently across her face, it was warm and thick. It carried with it the sweet smell of autumn. The last summer blooms, the wet leaves, the fresh scent of wood and dew.

CRASH! BOOM!

The storm was approaching quick. Not a sound in the night air. No dog barking in the distant, no crickets singing their song. The silence only broken by the faint sound of the leaves as they danced in the wind.

CRASH! BOOM!

Small droplets started to make their way to earth. The first few that had escaped the glooming expanse overhead. They fell to earth and made their mark. Maria stared off into the distance, soaking in the peacefulness of the night air. For months now her husband had been away, and it would be months before he would return. She was left to take charge of his little men, the very little men who slept so soundly now. It was lonely at night. Books, television and the furniture left to keep her company. Her heart cried, longing for something.

God was listening.

God was in the darkness. The darkness that covered the night sky. The darkness that protected the earth, and prepared to send the rain. Rain that would replenish. Rain that would nourish. Rain that would refresh.

Maria sipped her tea. She stood up and took one last longing glance at the night sky. No expression. Just peace. Solitude. Inside the house, she blew out the candle. Her empty tea cup sat in the sink waiting to be washed. The house was completely dark now. Maria was asleep in bed. Cradled in the darkness. Gentle rest for a weary soul.

CRASH! BOOM!

And then the rain came.

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