Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: WEATHER (07/19/18)
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TITLE: Getting To Know You | Previous Challenge Entry
By JC Hummel
07/26/18 -
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In the middle of the night I was awoken by the high-pitched sound of our smoke detectors screaming for a moment before dying in the darkness. I turned to my nightstand, no bright red digits from my clock radio staring back at me and the house was eerily silent without the familiar hum of the furnace.
My husband threw back the blankets. “We’ve lost power. I’ll head outside and get the generator running.”
“Be careful!” I called after him and then heard the back door shut. I couldn’t relax while he was alone outside and grabbed a flashlight and sat in the kitchen waiting anxiously. The lights came on. “Thank you, Lord,” I whispered, but the sense of unease persisted until Ron was back in the house.
Neither of us wanted to go back to bed and we snoozed together on the sofa wrapped in a blanket while feeling we were the only people in the world. Thankfully the winds died down as dawn broke and we headed outside. Ron got the snow blower going and I shoveled the path to our house thinking my back would break at any moment.
The neighbors on either side were also out shoveling their driveways. To our right was Carol and to our left was …Jesse, but I wasn't sure if that was his first name. I knew his last name was Nelson because it was printed on his mailbox. We gave each neighbor the obligatory wave like we always did. Ours was a quiet street and everyone kept to themselves and I suppose that had suited us all.
Then I saw the wife of the new couple who moved in last year trudging across the street through the snow to our drive. “Hello, Mr and Mrs. Peterson. I’m Lisa Collins,” she said with a nervous smile. “It looks like you have power and… well… I was wondering if you had a way to heat a bottle for my little one,” and she held the bottle out for me to see.
“Of course, come on inside,” I said and brought her into the house.
Lisa placed the bottle in the microwave. “Your home is so warm. I hope we get the power back on soon.”
“Why don’t you and your family come over here for a bit?”
“I wouldn't want to impose. My three have been stuck inside for days now.”
“It’s no imposition. We would love to have you over.”
As Lisa left. Ron came in. “I invited Carol and Jesse in for a cup of coffee. Is it okay?”
“I just told Lisa to bring her husband and kids over. Is that okay?” I said smiling.
Ron ran over to the sink. “I’ll put some coffee on.”
Within the hour our family room was filled with laughter and chatter as seven of our neighbors, people whose names we had barely known two hours before, were quickly becoming our friends. Jesse had also brought his little dog, Harvey, who enjoyed being hugged and loved by Lisa’s children.
We sipped hot drinks, ate muffins that Lisa had brought over, and talked about our lives. We found out Jesse had traveled all over the world and had spent time teaching in Australia and China, and learned that Paul and Lisa were both bakers who hoped to open their own bakery shop one day.
By midday our power was back on and our new friends left saying we should get together more often. “Next time my house, but without the snow,” Carol said laughing as she walked out our front door.
We were alone again and looked out at the gray sky and the whipping wind that was willfully tossing snow about our drive. Ron put his arm around me. “What a wonderful day,” he said, and I put my head on his shoulder and sighed in agreement.
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