He ushers us down the hall and disappears when we get into the bathroom, only to return with pillows and blankets. I just stare at him, dumbfounded as the wind outside whirls around us, the bones of this place screeching, putting nausea in the pit of my stomach. Collins lines the bathtub with the bedding and takes Nan’s arms, guiding her to sit down inside. Once she’s seated in the bathtub, he places the helmet on her head and pats the top gently, like he’s trying to ease her mind. He repeats the gestures with me and I just do as he instructs, wordlessly.
Minutes ago, I was walking by the lake under clear skies, and now we’re here in the middle of a storm I’m afraid we won’t make it out of.
“Where are Campbell and Crandall?” I ask as Collins kneels down on the floor beside the tub, placing one hand on Nan’s knee, the other on mine.
“The house we were working at when the weather started rolling in has a basement. The owners insisted we hunker down there.”
“Why didn’t you stay with them? Collins, a basement? You left the basement to come here?”
“I had to get to my girls.” He smiles and winks at me, like there was no other option.
“Why exactly are we wearing helmets? Seems like an odd time to be thinking about going four-wheeling.”
He knows I’m being a smart-ass but tips one side of his lips up anyway. “Anything collapses, at least your heads are safe.”
“And what about your head?”
“I only have two helmets, and besides, my head is a lot harder than yours.”
I don’t find it funny, but give him a tight-lipped smile regardless.
Just when I start to think things may be settling down, the rain beats down even harder. I nearly jump out of my skin when something smacks the side of the trailer directly behind me, I swear I can feel the wall vibrate at the impact. Nan has her eyes closed, mumbling something that sounds like a prayer. It feels like time is moving in slow motion. I don’t think this is ever going to come to an end. The pounding in my heart competes with the roaring sounds around us, and I feel like I want to throw up.
Collins must sense my unease because he places both hands on my shoulders, and even though I can barely hear him through the helmet and noise, I know he says, “We’re okay. It’s almost over.”
Swallowing down the thickness in my throat, I nod, hoping he’s right.
The whining of tornado sirens in the distance are somehow audible now, making my panic escalate. Great, now I feel like I’m going to cry. This is so damn scary, even for someone who previously claimed to like storms.
“We’re okay, it’s almost over.” I have no idea if he’s speaking the truth or just trying to comfort us, but either way it works. His voice, his presence, eases all my anxiety.
Nan is still chanting prayers with her eyes closed and maybe it’s my mind playing tricks on me, but I swear I hear her talking to Willie Nelson instead of God. All the loud noise, the scratching, squeaking, whining sirens, debris to the side of our home, raindrops on the roof…it all stops. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, it’s eerily quiet.
My eyes go wide, looking around. Nan takes her helmet off and I remove my own.
“See, they leave as fast as they come. We’re good.”
Nan clutches a hand to her chest, resting her elbow on the side of the tub, forehead in hand. She takes deep breaths and finally opens her eyes. I stand up and throw myself at Collins, who’s waiting with comforting arms.
“That was scary as shit.” He runs his hands up and down my back and chuckles slightly into my neck.
I run to the windows, wanting to see how much damage was done. Rain trickles down slowly and there isn’t even so much as a light breeze moving the trees anymore. Inspecting the situation, there’s limbs and leaves everywhere.
Collins gets Nan settled in her recliner, the sight of it melting my heart like always. She lights a cigarette, smoke spilling from her mouth as she runs a hand through her white curls.
“Well, shit, that was rough. I thought for sure the good lord decided it was my turn. Can one of you grab me a beer before the next cloud changes its mind?”
Collins hands the beer to her, and she pops the can and takes a swig. She leans back, mouth open, half panting, eyes wide.
“I think that storm just knocked ten years off my life, and added three more drinks to the evening.”
We shake our heads and laugh at her.
“I’m going to take a walk around to see if any damage was done.”
“I’ll stay here with Nan. Just make sure you don’t step on anything out there, watch where you’re walking.” Collins spouts instructions at me as he kneels down in front of Nan, hand in the arm of her chair.
“You go with her, sugar. I’m fine.” She swats at him, and he grins.
