The Way We Are by Shelly Desjarlais

Author:Shelly Desjarlais [Desjarlais, Shelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-12T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-five

Whistling a happy tune, Hazel drove to Elmer’s store the following morning. The leak in her roof made her living room a disaster area, and she was not equipped to handle the mess. Elmer would surely have mops and cleaning supplies. She wasn’t sure if it’d help, but she had to visit Elmer anyway. She’d left her items at the register the day before.

Elmer was expecting to see Hazel again, but he could barely believe his eyes. Hazel was happy. No, Hazel was elated. He’d never seen her that way. It was refreshing.

“Good morning, Ms. Mayer,” Elmer greeted.

“Why, good morning, Elmer. Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Hazel cheerfully hummed.

“Sure is. You wouldn’t know that Debarr was under water last night. I’m guessing that’s why you’re here. That, and all the things you left up here. How bad was the flooding?”

“Bad, to put it mildly. I’ll have to see about getting that roof fixed. In the meantime, I’ll deal with the aftermath.”

Hazel radiantly grinned. Elmer heard her singing a jolly tune while she wandered the aisles. He couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. “Say, Hazel, you seem real happy today.”

“Do I? Well, I am,” Hazel readily confirmed.

“What’s got you happier than a hog in mud?”

“I just had a wonderful night is all,” Hazel said.

“In the storm?” Elmer suspiciously replied.

Hazel was quick on her feet. “Most certainly, Elmer. Boston gets more thunderstorms than you do here. I’ve always liked listening to them. The rain and all that. It lulled me right to sleep. There’s nothing better than sleeping well.”

If she had a chance to stay with Carolyn, she knew that she would have had the best sleep of her life. Instead, she had to bolt in case Thompson decided to come home. Regardless, she had a marvelous night in her flooded home. It was filled with dreams of Carolyn’s barn, and she woke up knowing that they were real.

“Funny Northerners. We hate thunderstorms out here. They lead to tornadoes, and we really hate them. Half the town was wiped out once. That was years ago when I was just a young man, but it was devastating. The only thing even close to being that bad was…well. Let’s just say a fire hit the town and leave it at that.”

“I can’t imagine tornadoes. I’ve always been uncomfortable with that idea. That, and tidal waves.”

“Tidial what?”

“Tidal waves. Giant waves that hit land,” Hazel explained.

Elmer briefly shuddered. “I’d be real scared of that too. Thank goodness we don’t have water like that here. You been on the coast before?”

“Of course. I lived practically on the Atlantic Ocean. Hasn’t anybody else been there?”

“I have,” Mrs. Deanwood said, having just entered the store.

“Good morning, Mrs. Deanwood. You’ve been to the ocean?” Elmer asked.

Mrs. Deanwood nodded. “My darling Joseph took me out there for a night or so after we wed. It’s gorgeous. I’d love to go back someday.”

“The waves do call people home,” Hazel agreed.

“Something so big like that…makes you feel lost. Like nobody could ever find you,” Mrs.

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