Alone with Ian

Being a competent woman in a high-powered corporation where men dismissed her expertise had drained Elizabeth. She had been consumed with snide remarks and sarcasm to the point that self-doubt was creeping inside her. In need of a getaway to clear her mind, Elizabeth rented a beautiful four-bedroom home on an inlet of the Atlanta Ocean in Virginia Beach. Calling friends and family to join her for a 4-day retreat proved fruitless. Everyone was busy with their lives and had no time to help Elizabeth escape hers. The impending hurricane named Ian seemed to be on everyone’s mind. Deciding to make the most of her holiday of solitude, Elizabeth ignored the weather forecasts, taking long morning walks along the tranquil beach while sipping coffee, taking naps while reading Nora Roberts romance novels, wishing she were the protagonist, and preparing gourmet dishes such as roasted salmon with fennel or stuffed shells with portobello mushroom and spinach.  With a quaint seafood restaurant, Oceanside, only minutes from the house, Elizabeth decided to dine there for dinner one evening.

As she approached the door to Oceanside, Elizabeth's eyes were drawn to a stunning Persian cat napping. Its coat was a mesmerizing shade of orange, reminiscent of the sunset glowing over the calm Atlantic. Later, she discovered its name was Scallops.  The hostess, in an Oceanside T-shirt, led Elizabeth to the patio, where she could enjoy the beauty of the sunset. Her server, Justin, handed her a menu and a small chalkboard with the day's special. 

“ I’ll have the broiled seafood platter with a baked potato and salad.

“ Anything else to drink besides water?”

“ Yes,  a glass of your house chardonnay.”

“ Anything else? Maybe an appetizer?”

“That’s all for now, thank you.”

The soft music of the waves coming in and going out lulled Elizabeth into a dreamlike state. As Justin placed her wine on the table, she knew it would only relax her more. Her broiled platter with flounder, shrimp, oysters, and clams was sheer perfection. For dessert, she decided on a slice of key lime pie, which was delicious. Just as Justin placed the check in front of her, she noticed that the wind had picked up quite a bit and was glad she had brought her sweater. After paying the check, she heard the weather forecast on the television in the bar area.

“Hurricane Ian is gaining strength in the panhandle of Florida with winds of 80 mph. It is a Category 1 storm barreling its way to Georgia. Those Georiga folks should prepare for heavy rains and strong winds in 24 hours. You should also be prepared if you live in the Carolinas and Virginia coastal areas.  Ian is coming your way, too, and tracking maps say it could be a Category 2 by then. ”

Hearing the forecast, Elizabeth thought of her childhood in the Caribbean. She remembered writing in her journal about the experience. Elizabeth found happiness by creating stories centered around her feelings. When Hurricane Gilbert hit the Caribbean Islands, Elizabeth was 10 years old.

 Mother told us to huddle together in our small yellow house, which was now boarded up. Living in Jamaica, you had to always be in fear of the hurricane season, for the winds could tear down our house. Hurricane Gilbert was on top of us, and my brother, little sister, and I were afraid. Our father boarded all the windows and the front and back doors. He had a large box of flashlights and batteries for us, knowing we would be without power for a while.   Plastic jugs of water were in the closet where we were hiding from Gilbert. My five-year-old sister was in my mother’s arms, crying. Inside, I was crying too, but my brother Jermey was putting on a brave face. The wind was hollowing like a pack of hungry wolves, and loud thumping was heard against the windows. As the house began to shake, I thought it would break apart.  All of a sudden, there was a loud cracking sound. Mom and Dad looked worried. We all sat in silence as Mom prayed. Then, there was complete silence. Dad opened the closet door to find our house still standing. A couple of boards were off, widows cracked, and thankful for Mother's prayers.

That childhood experience left Elizabeth terrified of storms of any magnitude, preferring not to be alone in one if she could help it. But now, here she was alone with an approaching hurricane. As Elizabeth left the restaurant, she needed to ensure she was prepared as her Dad would want her to be. The house she was renting was huge, with floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere. With only one flashlight in the car, she hadn’t taken inventory at the house, so she decided to stop at a Home Depot 15 minutes away. Busy shoppers buzzing around like bees were found in every aisle. Elizabeth got the last few packs of triple-A batteries, D batteries, and a battery-powered lantern. At the check-out area were large jugs of water. Thinking of her dad during Hurricane Gilbert, she grabbed a couple. Two shoppers said Ian had intensified and should be hitting the Virginia coast by the next morning. Anxiety was lurking. After making her purchases, she quickly went to her car as her phone rang.

“ Liz, it’s your Mom. Where are you?

“ Hi, Mom, I’m in Virginia Beach.”

“ I knew you mentioned getting away for a few days. Hurricane Ian is headed your way. Don’t mind me asking, but are you alone?”

“Yes, Mom, I am alone.”

“ Well, get supplies and snacks in case you lose power.”

“ I’m leaving the store with everything I need, Mom. Let me get to the house. It’s getting late. Will call you in the morning.”

“ Alright, dear, and be safe…I love you.”

“ I love you too, Mom.”

It was 9 PM when Elizabeth got to the house, and the wind was beginning to pick up. Several people on the inlet who owned boats had put them on lifts to avoid wave damage. Seeing the boats hoisted out of the water was strange to Elizabeth. She gathered her flashlight, water, snacks, pillows, and a quilt, moving to the lower level of the house. Trees began swaying along with the boats, and the house shook slightly. As the wind began to get stronger, rattling the windows, Elizabeth decided to hunker down in a closet. Scenes from her childhood during Hurricane Gilbert entered her mind.  Heavy rains were pounding the house along with winds as Elizabeth wrapped herself in the heavy quilt. The storm knocked on the exterior doors as if coming for a visit. Thankful that her cell phone was still charged,  Ian was on the Virginia coast, a Category 2 with 105 mph winds. Petrified, Elizabeth did what her mother did what her mother would do: she prayed.

Exhausted, Elizabeth couldn’t keep her eyes open. Drifting in and out of sleep she realized a stillness on the other side of the closet door. Her phone was only 10% charged at 6:15. It was morning. Cautiously opening the door, she knew the power was out. With the quilt cloaked around her, she gingerly went to the sunroom door, which overlooked the inlet. Amazed by what she didn’t see startled her. All the water from the inlet was gone! Where there had been water was now sand. Ian had sucked the water out of the inlet and taken it to the ocean. Elizabeth couldn’t help comparing this to the Biblical story in the Book of Exodus when Moses parted the Red Sea to lead the Israelites to safety from the Egyptians. She was in a state of wonderment by it all.

Gradually, people in the neighborhood cautiously left their homes to examine the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. With no power, being outside was the only relief from the stuffy, humid indoor environments. Elizabeth saw a few roof shingles, tree limbs, and uprooted bushes in the yard. A row of Rose of Sharon bushes had been transformed into curved bowels. But to see people standing and walking in the inlet where there should be water was truly amazing. Elizabeth decided to join them. An elderly couple was taking pictures with a Polaroid camera; this event was a piece of history. 

“ Young lady, would you please take a picture of us? We have lived here for thirty years

and we have never seen the inlet completely drained like a bathtub.”

“ Sure, I would be happy to.”

Elizabeth took their picture, and then the woman took a picture of Elizabeth to share with her family.

“ Our children are out of the country and worried about us. Is your family here?”

“ No, I am renting the gray house on the corner for a few days.” The management company checked in with me yesterday afternoon to see if I needed anything.”

“ Well, if you do, just come by to see us. We’re the bungalow with the red shutters. Never seen anything like this in all my days.”

Just then, a little girl from the house in front of us screamed, "The lights are back on!" Elizabeth thanked the couple for the picture and the invite as they said goodbye. Once back inside the house, the microwave and stove displays were blinking. She charged her phone, and she could set the clocks. It was 1:00 PM and time to eat something, but not before texting her Mom.

Elizabeth said to herself,” I think I’ll have the leftover Thai food I brought with me. I hope it's still good.” 

So, she had a bite to eat before packing for her morning drive home to New York. Reflecting on her experience, Elizabeth realized preparing, praying, and having faith

assuaged her fears. Dusk was now settling in while she threw things into her old backpack. With her luggage already at the door, she threw her backpack over her shoulder and quickly ran down the stairs. All of a sudden, she heard something drop. As she looked down, Elizabeth saw a heart key chain.  Picking it up, she stared in disbelief. The keychain was a high school graduation gift from her parents. It fell out of a hidden pocket in her backpack. The backpack was the one she used some twenty years ago when she was in college. Elizabeth had forgotten about the gift. On the back of the key chain was an inscription: Be Prepared, Have Faith, Pray. Reading it, she began to cry. What a coincidence that it’s appearing now. She fell asleep clutching the keychain.

Morning brought sunshine and an astonishing sight. In the stillness of the night, the ocean had refilled the inlet with water. Picking up the photo of herself taken by the couple the day before, standing in the barren inlet and now looking at the inlet full of water, Elizbeth felt she had been part of a spiritual event. Heading home with her fear of storms lessened, she truly felt blessed for the strength she had found in herself because of Hurricane Ian.