by B Truly
My eyes grow wide. “Meaning what?”
“The storm is moving slowly and is supposed to sit over us for a while. There will be more rain before it’s over.” Jackson opens the front door, blowing out his breath. “Man, the water is high. I can’t see the street.”
My eyes dart over to Justin. His expression is grim. We inch to the door to see for ourselves. There is no street—it’s a lake. Not only that, the water is halfway up the driveway with no end in sight. Harvey has us in his clutches.
12
Harvey Relief
That evening, I help Justin grill the meat on the large, covered patio. This is the nicest patio I’ve ever seen. It has a large wooden table with six chairs. A bar area is adjacent to it, and the grill is built in. Justin cooks hamburgers, hotdogs, and sausage.
The rain has been a slow drizzle for a couple of hours, giving the flooding time to recede a tad. As we’re finishing up, the rain starts up full force again. It’s concerning that they forecasted the storm is supposed to sit over us for another night. We may wake up to a totally flooded house. I try to keep my dreary thoughts at bay. Justin does a great job on the meat. The burgers are the bomb. We eat as soon as the meat is done while it’s warm. There is a variety of chips to go along with them.
It dawns on me that we can charge our phones in their cars in the garage. Justin knocks himself over the head for not thinking of that sooner. Taking advantage, we all charge our phones. For whatever reason, the phone lines have a bad connection. Justin can only communicate with his dad through text. Regan is supposed to be flying in tomorrow. Me and Justin settle in early upstairs in the game room. My tablet refused to charge in Justin’s truck and the internet is tripping, so we decide on playing cards. The kerosene lamps are burning, creating scant lighting. Justin pulls out a stack of UNO cards. We’ll see who ends up being the UNO champ. He’s already claimed victory, and I’ve accepted his challenge.
“Do you think your dad will make it in tomorrow?” I ask him.
Justin shuffles the stack of cards. “I think it will depend on the weather.”
“The storm has taken a turn for the worse.”
“Yeah, it’s nuts.”
“One minute, I’m at a new school on a sunny day—the next, I’m stuck in the dark with my possible future stepbrother in the middle of a hurricane.”
“Sounds like your average day.”
I laugh at his joke. Justin is a hoot. “I guess it’s not so terrible.”
“At least not the part about being stuck with you,” Justin throws in.
Heat flushes through my body. “Yeah, I don’t mind, either.” If I’m being honest, I love spending time with him.
* * *
Checking the weather app on my phone, the rain has shifted. It didn’t sit over us again like it was predicted. Lucky for us—not for Beaumont and Orange. When the storm shifted, it turned in their direction and now they are getting hammered. The entire city of Houston is flooded. We couldn’t have taken another hit of pelting rain or we would have been under water according to the news post. There were spells when the rain was only a drizzle before it picked up again. During those times, it allowed for the water to recede, having gotten really close to the front door. I lost count of how many times I looked out the window—praying the water wouldn’t get any higher.
Not long before sunset, Regan and Mama finally make it home. The water has receded to curb level, low enough for SUVs to drive on the street. With days on end of rain, we’ve been stuck in the house. Thanks to the sun being obscured with storm clouds and buckets of rain, it hasn’t been as hot as it would be this time of year.
“Are you guys okay?” Regan’s brow furrows.
“We’re alive,” Jackson jokes.
Regan smirks at him. Mama rubs his shoulder. “I should have insisted we postpone our trip. I had no idea the storm would be this bad. The weather people always get it wrong.” Mama bats her lashes. “I didn’t mean to put the kids at risk.”
My eyes reach the heavens. Mama puts on a good performance. We didn’t think it was a good idea for them to go. She went on and on that we’d be fine. Since things went south, she’s apologizing to Regan, when she should be telling us sorry.
“No one can truly predict the weather. The storm did a complete one-eighty from what they predicted. The important thing is the kids are safe.” Regan gives her a warm smile.
Dude’s got it bad.
Regan inspects the damage on the entryway floor and living area as best he can in the dim light.
“You all did a fine job patching up the windows. The damage shouldn’t take too long to repair,” Regan says. “For now, I’ve rented two hotel rooms with an adjoining door. We’ll at least stay there until the lights come back on. There’s no school for the rest of this week, so just pack what you need.”
“Your heaven sent, Regan,” Tanya oozes, clasping her hands together.
“Hurry and pack your things. It will be dark soon,” Mama chimes in.
The gang packs quickly and meets inside the three-car garage where Mama’s car and the twins’ SUVs are parked. We find out we have a problem. The garage door won’t open—the power’s out.
“Can you manually open it?” I ask.
“It may not lock if I force it open. I don’t want to risk it breaking, since we won’t be here,” Regan replies.
“We can all pile into your SUV, Dad,” Justin suggests.
“That’s our best option. Let’s go.”
As we head to the driveway, I suck in a deep breath, getting a good look at the house across the street. It looks like half the roof is missing. The same side of the house appears caved in. God was watching over us for the tornado to pass us by without major damage.
“Man, the neighbor’s house looks bad,” Justin says.
“We got lucky,” Regan replies.
Justin and I take the very back of the truck. Tanya and Jackson sit in front of us. She immediately plugs in her cell to charge it. Justin and I use the rear port to plug in our phones. The street is flooded below curb level now.
As we pull off, I get a closer look at the large tree that’s broken in half and leaning against the roof. It was pure luck the roof held. There is litter and debris in everyone’s yard. Our house is not the only one with a broken tree. Multiple trees have fallen and branches are scattered everywhere. From the looks of it, other homes have damage from the tornado also. The sun is setting. With the power surge everywhere, an eerie sensation lingers through the air. There is no street pole lighting. I don’t see anyone outside. Thankfully, someone was smart enough to leave the large wrought-iron gate into the subdivision open. If it had been closed, then no one would be able to get in or out. As we leave the subdivision, it’s the same vibe—no lights, empty streets, and debris everywhere. The signal light we pass is hanging halfway to the ground.
Jackson whistles. “The storm has messed stuff up.”
“This looks like a scene straight out of the show The 100,” Justin adds.
We make it slowly through the dark streets toward the Katy area. This part of town has power. There are a couple of cars on the street here and there. Regan pulls into the hotel and we head inside. The place is packed.
“Half of Houston must have booked reservations here,” Justin observes.
“Guess we’re all in the same boat—no power,” I say. Justin’s lips curve up sideways. “Have you ever stayed here before?”
“Nah. I’m kind of looking forward to it. This hotel is lavish. It will be like a mini vacation. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
The hotel is nice. It must be at least a 4 star—maybe a 5. Regan checks in, then we take the elevator up to our assigned floor. The two luxurious suites are next door to each other. Each suite has two bedrooms with a spacious living and dining area and a fully equipped kitchen. One bedroom has a king-size bed, the other room has a set of queens. There is a shared bathroom in between the bedrooms, and they both have a flat screen in t
hem. The living area has an adjoining door to the other two-bedroom suite. Tanya and I are supposed to share the suite with Mama and Regan. The boys are to decide who gets what bedroom on their end. There is plenty of room between both suites.
“We have to share a room?” Tanya wrinkles her nose, questioning our mom.
Sharing a room is not a big deal under the circumstances. “The sofa is a pull out. I can sleep in there,” I tell her. She shrugs, then starts to unpack.
“You guys look over the menu. We can order room service tonight,” Regan says. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to the grocery store so we can make use of the kitchen.”
Justin and I both opt for the burgers and fries. I unpack my stuff while we’re waiting on the food. After it arrives, we chow down, then our parents retire. Tanya goes to the other bedroom. I settle on the sofa in the living area, turning on the TV.
I watch the news with wide eyes. Hurricane Harvey left devastation in his path. A category 4–he is Katrina’s sister. My suspicions about the flooding are right—the entire city got hit hard. Thousands of homes are flooded. What the water didn’t destroy—the many tornados that touched down finished the job—decimating homes and buildings. FEMA is stepping in to aid. The city has pulled together to help the flood victims. The news is showing people in boats rescuing others that are stranded in their homes.
The adjoining door cracks open. Justin peeks his head in. “Whatcha doing?”
“Checking out the news. It’s crazy. Katrina all over again.”
Justin comes into my suite, sitting on the sofa beside me. “It’s like watching a movie—hard to believe it really happened.”
“They say hundreds of thousands of people don’t have power. With so many out, it may take weeks before it comes back on.” I shake my head. “There’s a lot of people whose homes got flooded. It’s horrible.”
“Yeah, it’s bad. My poor homeboy’s house got flooded, too. The water was up to his chest. I was looking at some photos he posted on Facebook. They left the house in a boat. Someone came to get them. His subdivision doesn’t even look like a neighborhood—more like a lake.”
I lean over to view the pictures on his phone. Water surrounds the boat his friend is in. “That’s awful, Justin. Are he and his family okay?”
“Yeah, they went to stay with some of his kin-folk.”
“Were any of your other friends affected?”
“Another person I know lives in the same subdivision as he did. I’m sure his home was flooded, also. The entire subdivision was.”
I continue to look through Justin’s Facebook at different postings. The flood and hurricane in general wreaked havoc.
“What’s on your posts?” asks Justin.
“Oh, I don’t have a Facebook account.”
Justin raises his eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Don’t look at me like I’m from another planet. I do have a Goodreads account.”
Justin tries to fight his smile. “We should set you up one.”
“Social media isn’t really my thing. I’m not going to be posting selfies and telling folks how many times I go to the bathroom.”
Justin’s laugh sounds musical. “Some people do take it to the extreme with posts.”
“Meaning one person in particular, my sister.”
“It’s good to keep in touch with people you know. Reminder birthdays, and especially with something like Harvey.”
“I can see how it can also be a useful tool. Will you show me the ropes? Electronic stuff intimidates me. It took me forever to learn the basics on my phone.”
“Yeah, I’ll show you. I’ll be your first friend request.”
* * *
Justin and I stay up late talking and watching the news about the devastation Harvey caused.
The following day, we go to the grocery store and stock up on groceries for the suites. We end up staying at the hotel until Monday—five days later.
The Alief schools didn’t flood inside, so school resumes that Monday. All the students are talking about Harvey. Cara’s house got flooded—Lina’s was spared. Both of their eyes grow large during lunch when I share with them how the tornado tore through my subdivision.
During the day, I overheard several students saying their homes were flooded and a couple of them had gotten hit by a tornado. It’s not a good situation.
After school, Regan tells us the power has returned in our subdivision. We gather our things from the hotel and head home. I’ve enjoyed the hotel’s amenities. Us kids went swimming in the inside pool multiple times. The Jacuzzi was an added treat. I even joined Justin and Jackson in the gym once. It was a nice break from reality.
Since the damage is minor, we’re going to stay in the house while the repairs are done. We’re truly blessed, we dodged the bullet.
13
Patching Up
Over the next month, the atmosphere has a chaotic vibe. There are so many people who lost their homes to Harvey. Some homes are beyond repair—other people have to live in hotels or somewhere else while extensive repairs are being done. It only takes a couple of weeks for the roof, windows, and floors to be fixed in Regan’s home.
Slowly, but surely, the city resurfaces back to normal, thanks to the aid of FEMA and other kind-hearted people.
The gang and I fall into a routine, riding to school with either Justin or Jackson. They generally rotate. When Jackson starts track in January and Justin begins basketball, we’ll have to find other means of transportation.
I still squirm with all the envious stares when I’m around Justin. Maybe I’ll never get used to it. Tanya is the opposite of me. Hateful looks don’t faze her. She seems to relish in the envy. Sometimes, I wish I could be more like her.
* * *
One afternoon, Justin and I walk to the parking lot and are unable to find Jackson’s truck. “Didn’t he park right here, or did you guys park somewhere else after lunch?” I ask. Juniors and seniors are allowed to leave campus for lunch. The twins have the same lunch—a different time slot than me, and they often leave campus for lunch together.
Justin scratches his temple. “Nah, we didn’t leave for lunch today.”
Tanya shimmies over to us with two of her girlfriends. “Where’s Jackson?”
“Oh, Jackson was with Suri at her locker after the last period bell rang. My locker is next to hers. I overheard them talking about going somewhere,” one of Tanya’s friends tells us the scoop.
All the while, she’s checking Justin out with no shame. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. For some reason, it irks me more than it should. Justin doesn’t seem to notice, which pacifies my irritation.
Tanya places her hand on her hip. “Well, when is he coming back? Jackson knows he’s our ride.”
Justin snorts. “Knowing my brother, he’s not.”
Tanya’s brow knits. “What do you mean?”
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read between the lines. To me, it’s simple—Jackson ditched us for a girl.
“Let me text this clown to see where he’s at.” Justin smacks his lips.
A couple other students gather around, chatting with Justin. Tanya is talking to another girl who comes over. Justin tries to include me in the conversation, but it’s hard to follow what they’re talking about.
About five minutes later, Justin glances at his cell. “This guy here.”
“What did he say?” I raise my eyebrow.
“He’s running after some tail.” Justin shakes his head. “He says he can swing by to get us in like an hour.”
“Is he kidding?” Tanya zones in on the conversation.
“I’m afraid not.” Justin rolls his eyes.
Glancing up in the sky, I notice how dark it’s gotten. It could rain any minute. “Does he really expect us to wait in the parking lot an hour for him?” I’m flabbergasted.
“Hell, I’m not,” Justin replies. “It looks like it’s about to pour.”
“I can take you home,” Tanya’s friend wh
o was ogling him jumps at the opportunity.
My nose turns up. I don’t want her to take him home. She’s pretty with long legs and quite busty. I feel like a sack of potatoes compared to her. Why am I comparing myself to her, anyway? Our parents are dating—to add injury to insult, they live together. We live together. I shouldn’t be envious of this girl. If Justin wants to accept her advances, why should I care?
But you do, my subconscious taunts me.
I shove her to the rear of my mind. I can’t afford to entertain such thoughts.
Justin shifts his weight. “Um.…”
His homeboy jumps in. “I can take you, bro.”
“Can you take all three of us? They stay in the same subdivision.” Justin asks his friend.
“Yeah, it’s all good.”
Justin turns to me. “Are you okay riding with him?”
“Sure, as long as you’re coming with us.”
The busty girl pokes out her lips, clearly unhappy Justin’s friend intervened. I attempt to ignore the fact it pleases me that he rained on her parade.
“I’m going to catch a ride with Amber, you two go on ahead,” Tanya tells us.
I follow Justin and his homie to his car. I hop in the backseat, and then we’re on our way. Justin directs his friend to drop us off at the gate, relaying that it’s not a far walk. Justin dodges the bullet of his friend knowing we live in the same house. Although, I could pretend I stay in another house, why go through all the trouble? Justin’s strategy is much simpler.
“Does your brother pull stunts often?” I wonder as we walk down the street.
“Jackson isn’t very reliable, so it doesn’t surprise me,” Justin sighs. “You won’t have to worry about him leaving us stranded again. I’ll just drive from now on and you can ride with me.”
“You’re volunteering me to be a hitchhiker?” I tease.
“Don’t fret. I’ll only kidnap and kill you, but I won’t chop you up and eat you afterward.”
Justin is kidding, but I can’t help my eyes growing wide.
