the storm

by anish shekar

I constantly envisioned some stormy nebula would come take me and my family away, and it was the thought of a storm that constantly plagued me.  

“Mary”, I asked apprehensively, “We have to prepare, we have to get rations. “

“Oh John” she replied,  “Please don’t be silly and go to bed. I have a long day ahead of me.”

So I just lay in bed, in a constant state of despair. ‘Maybe this is just a fictitious daydream’, I thought, or it is just some midlife crisis. Maybe, the storm is coming after me. I didn’t know what it wanted, but all I knew was that it was haunting me. 

I didn’t sleep well that night; I didn’t sleep at all for that matter. I heard a ruffle outside, something that signalled impending danger. It slowly grew into a roar in great proportions, and it got so loud that I begged my wife to wake up. That sound was deafening. It was more than rain, it was as if the storm was shouting at me.

“Mary!” I retorted, “Don’t you hear that?” But she didn’t nudge, and I was forced to confront my thoughts. I wrapped my pillow around my head for a last degree of solace and comfort, and tried to go to sleep. 

I soon woke up the next morning, and went downstairs for breakfast. 

“Did you sleep well honey?”questioned Mary. “Yes dear, I did,'' I  lied. I looked outside, and to my utter shock there was not the slightest indication of a storm. The sun shone brilliantly, and I was reassured. I ate my breakfast quietly, without a hint of emotion in me. I soon kissed my wife, and traversed to work. 

As I was driving, something hit my windshield, and I was so startled I nearly jumped out through my roof. It was a dead crow, I felt bad for it. But before I could pick it up and move it to the side of the road, another object nearly knocked me out. It was another crow, but this one more damaged and beaten up. A huge flock of crows poured from the sky, and suddenly the rain started. The raindrops were abnormally larger than usual, and soon it became impossible to distinguish between the rain and the crows. I rushed back home to my wife. 

She then screamed “John, you were right!” I replied back, “Mary, its fine. Don’t worry.” But it wasn’t fine, the storm was nearing our small house. Soon our house would be wiped off the map, but it didn’t bother me. Eventually, the rain match the monotonous beat of my heart. And with this, I embraced the gallant storm.