Eye Of The Storm
by
Paul G. Jutras
(MIXTURE OF TG FICTION WITH TRUE STORM EVENTS)
It was Saturday night and the road outside his parent's house was deserted. For three days Paul and his folks had watched as I-4 and 95 went bumper to bumper traffic that one could travel faster by foot to evacuate for Hurricane Frances. Paul's dad believed his house better than any shelter and had the three of them hunker down there. It was 5pm when the power went out.
"I'm starting to thing that his wasn't such a good idea." Paul's mother said as she thought of the power surges that were happening all day. In the morning power was knocked off for a half a hour and through out the day the power would be lost for a minute or two. What they didn't know at that time was that it was off for good.
The windows and rain bands pounded against the two story double roof of the house as the news man of the associated press relied on the batter of his lap top to cover what was happening. He had been interviewing those who decided to stay and face the storm and got stuck on the Florida barrier islands . He sent the articles to Google web site NEWS COCOA BEACH JUTRAS.
"You know I wouldn't go." Paul said in a stubborn way. "I've listened to mom tell me she'd rather have me kill myself than embarrassed her in public. Now you got your wish."
"I'm not talk about my son wanting to be a woman now." Dad said in an anger tone. If not for the situation he'd of kicked his kid out of the house right there.
Paul retreated to his room and the radio listing to reports on wear the hurricane was and how strong the winds where in different areas. As Paul's mom found the phones were still working, she tried to call her father up. To her surprise, he nephew from Florida answered as he was on vacation from school.
"Mom there something wrong with toilet," said Paul as his mom followed in with the flash light. She saw the wind was sucking the water out through the pipe and used bottle water to fill it up to be able to go.
As one of the rain bands ended and reports of another coming, they saw one of the fences start to go. The three of them threw on their rain coat and ran outside with some bunji cords to brace them. That was when they saw the screen porch of the house next door raise up over the house roof and literally explode in mid air.
"Get back in the house!" Paul's dad said as he and his mom started gather the illuminum piece and moving them. They didn't want the building wind to shoot the pieces through their own screen porch or into the house itself.
As Paul return to his room and the radio, he heard a banging against his window. When his parents came it mentioned it and was told a suffet had broken loose from the arch of the roof and was flapping in the wind. As Paul stared out the window, he saw for the third time the neighbor across the street run out of his house to try to re-brace his fence.
With reports of 124 MPH wind They road out storm. It wasn't until after the 2nd high tide that Paul was able to relax enough about the tidal surge to sleep. He thought he would have trouble with no air on and all, but he was wrong. Feeling ill that night what normally would cause him to feel the chills actually made him feel just right.
He cold hear the cat's collar bell as she kept a move from one bed room to the other checking on everyone.
Sunday was worst that Saturday as they were stuck without power in a closed up house with the sound of the rain pouring against the roof. Paul had hope the roof would cave in and ruin his TG video collection more than he cared for his own life. While he didn't really want to die part of him just didn't care what happened to him.
Listening to the radio he heard how a local church stepal broke off the roof; flew in the air and plunged back into the roof .There were also reports a television station that was build to withstand a hurricane category 5 loosing its roof and a woman in a shelter giving birth to a baby.
Feeling better Sunday night, Paul found it harder to sleep than the night before. Because Paul's mom kept her radio on all night listening to the storm, its batteries were almost dead and they had to switch to Paul's who used his sparingly when he wasn't reading his Trixie Belden books.
Sunday night CNN called the house to interview dad while NBC and WFTV David Bry called up and interviewed mom. All having read the articles mailed out by the associated press newsman's articles.
Monday Paul and the others were able to get outside for the first time between rain showers. They're neighbor had gotten a hole in his bedroom roof and had a sick dog that he wished he could get to the vet.
Paul continued to listen to the radio. More stories such as shelters without generators and a man being pin under his bed were being broadcast as well as reports of a man setting fire to his place with his portable generator.
He was taking a warm soda out to the front porch and tell the story when a car pulled up in the drive way. A young, skinny woman got out. "I'm trying to get to New York and is low on gas. Do you know where I can get some?"
"All the stations are closed." Paul's dad said as he looked puzzled. He then realized as the rest did that she was looking for someone to offer her free food and gas. "Nobody is currently allowed in and out of town. I suggest you turn around and go back where you came from."
Tuesday Paul thought he'd have to go to work when he heard the store's rival was working on generator. Paul's attempt to call in and failed so he joined in with a Florida Today interview and aided in cleaning up. His dad got a friend to help repair the four singles lost on the roof and the soffet as the whole family had a problem with heights.
Walking down the street among the fallen trees, missing condo roofs and six foot sand dunes, they saw the area the restraint façade boat was indeed missing as we had gotten a call about the day before. It was while looking at the fallen mail boxes on the way back and that Paul and notice one television antentior was still up on a roof, not even bent.
Wednesday power when back on and allowed Paul back on the internet. While his dad was complaining about no cable Paul missed the internet and his pen pal and TG stories more than anything. Paul grew up spending his summers at his grandpa fishing cable. While grandpa had electricity for lights and a single fan, he had little out. His bathroom only consisted of a toilet under the garage stairs. If Paul and his mom wanted a bath the choice was either used the lake like grandpa or beg the their relatives across the street in their normal house. Paul didn't mind the lost of television as much and knew how to entertain himself.
When Paul return to work the balloons at the register was replace with scare crows. By the door was a singing and dance Frankenstein monster and cackling skeleton. Between the registers and Produce department were fake tomb stones that read TRICK OR TREAT and HAPPY HALLOWEEN. There were jack o lantern buckets for holding candy in both orange and purple colors as well as different trick or treat bags.
"Guess I used the helium tank to blow up the fish balloons for nothing." Paul sighed as he flipped through a rack of costumes. Next to the costumes was a rack of wings, wands, crowns and other accessories. Mostly marked 3+ were fairies, princess and fireman outfits. Those marked 8+ were witch, ghoul and doctor outfits. Though the witch still seemed small for Paul. "Wish there were more trick or treats in the neighborhood so I could answer the door in costume."
As we went to work at a register he heard many stories of those who survived the storm. One guy had three rooms out of four flooded during the storm and the fourth flooded during the thunderstorm the day after the storm passed. He was now living in a hotel 6 who had the ceiling above the shower cave in. Others left the shelters to live in there car while getting state aid to get back on their feet and make repair.
"Did you see the beard on that guy," a female cashier said to her female friend. "I could never kiss a man with a beard. Look at Paul all clean shaven."
"I'm thinking of getting electroysis and getting rid of this stubble for good." Paul said without second though."
"Good one," she said. "Electroysis is only for women who want to get rid of the little facial hair they have."
As Paul shifted he felt his nylons rubbing again his legs and the fabric of his pants. The dress code at work included black socks. Nothing in the rules said what the material of the socks had to be made of.
He went home for lunch and found his mothers had gotten him some breast forms. After getting them on, his mom helped him into a bra before returning back to work. Paul went to the office and after much discussing a switch from the job's male grooming standards to the store's female standards was ready to start his new life as Paula. A new life with such choices of either black pants or a black skirt with his Hawaiian shirt as part of the work uniform. Who says life doesn't begin at 30.
THE END
*********************************************
© 2004 by Paul G Jutras. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all
articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No
portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or
otherwise made available without the express written consent of StorySite and the copyright holder.