As the Wind Blows

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A TROPICAL STORM WARNING is in effect for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

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“Remind me to buy an umbrella.” Jack held the front door of the bakery for Emmie as they stepped out into a heavy drizzle. It locked behind them.

Emmie pushed auburn waves into her hoodie and stuffed a bag of warm beignets in the front pouch. “We have all kinds of umbrellas somewhere.”

“Not helping, unless you can conjure one up.” Jack rubbed his damp hair with the hood of his sweatshirt and draped his arm over her shoulder before they turned right to check on the other shops in the plaza.

Next to the bakery, Riff, the music store owner was hammering nails into the last sheet of plywood over his front window. His son, Gabe, was inspecting the integrity of the boards at Dino’s jewelry store. The rest of the shops were buttoned up tight.

Jack kept his eyes to the ground. The hurricane-battered sidewalks of New Orleans were a treacherous mosaic of bricks, concrete, gravel, and wood patches. The approaching tropical storm promised another assault.

Jack stopped Emmie from tripping over a brick that was out of the hole it was supposed to be patching. “It’s about to pour, Babe, we should cut through the alley.” Before Emmie could reply, her foot slipped on a half sheet of wet plywood that was more of a hazard than the small crater it was covering. Jack snapped her up and swung her over the hole with one hand and snapped the beignets out of the air with the other. “I got you, little witch.”

“Because you weren’t encumbered by an awkward umbrella.” She wound her arm around Jack’s waist and put her hand in his back pocket and burrowed against him until he tucked her under his arm. “It isn’t bad under the eaves.” Thunder cracked, and she squealed.

Jack felt the storm coming. “The wind is picking up. We need to hunker down before it hits us.” He put her behind him and tugged her along the walk between the buildings, into the alley behind the shops on Affinity Court. The alley had always been a back door community for the shopkeepers. They saw each other through, street violence, recessions, and family crisis. They shared coffee on chilly mornings and beer on sticky afternoons. Looking out for each other gave them a sense of safety in a dangerous city. Today the danger was in the sky.

The generator on the loading dock of a family restaurant was louder than the pounding rain. The restaurant was closed, but the owner kept the back door open for neighboring shopkeepers. He could fit ten adults in the reinforced storage area in the center of the restaurant.

Emmie shouted over rain beating on the metal dumpsters. “Let’s check on the antique store. Marian is working alone.

“Just call her, Em. I barely have time to board up and I want to check on Melanie and the kids. We’ll never get it all done before it hits.”

“I’ll check on her while you board up.” Emmie persisted. Just as she turned to open the door, scratchy alarms screamed through their phones.

----------------------------------------------------------------The National Weather Service has issued a HURRICANE WATCH for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

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Jack relented and followed Emmie through the back door of the antique store. Emmie wiped her face with the sleeve of her hoodie and called out to Marian. “It’s me and Jack. We come bearing beignets.”

Marian was glowing with sweat as she stepped out of the window display. “You look like you need to be bearing umbrellas.” She held an ornate porcelain teapot in one hand and a quilt in the other. “I’ll put on some coffee while we still have power.”

Jack studied his phone. “It’s forming a strong eye and heading for us. Even if it isn’t a direct hit here, the bands will circle us for several hours. Marian, you should ride it out with us.”

Marian looked around. “I can’t leave. I still have breakables to pack.” She turned her back to them to hide her tears. “I just made coffee.”

Emmie put her hand on Jack’s chest. “How are you feeling, weather guy?

He waited until Marian was out of sight. “She’s really struggling, Em. It’s making my stomach hurt.”

“Rough day to be an empath, huh?”

He sighed. “The worst.”

“We could stay with her.”

Jack shook his head. “No way. We have an interior room reinforced for a storm.”

Marian cleared her throat. “Coffee’s ready.” She pointed to the coffee maker in the countertop. “I have to stay here. I don’t have magic protective shield like you guys.”

Jack looked at Emmie. She shrugged and took Marian’s hand. “Honey, I’m a psychic who sells crystals and candles. All I can do if a hurricane hits is read its mind.”

Jack snickered, grabbed a mug of coffee, and took a gulp. “Marian, what do you think you can do here? If the wind gets strong enough to do damage, it can damage you, too. Come with us.”

Marian took a mug and shook in a packet of sugar. “OK. I’ll be over when I have everything tightened up.”

Jack’s eyes darted around the shop. “We’re cutting it too close. I’ll go board up our windows and run over to Affinity House. They usually take the foster kids to a shelter for storms, but this one came up fast. Emmie, you can stay and help Marian, and we can meet back at the Magique.” He chugged the rest of his coffee.

“Good plan. How much time do we have?”

“Twenty-five minutes if the map is right. If you aren’t there when I get back, I’ll come for you. Stick close to the building so the wind doesn’t carry you away. Watch out for flying objects.” He pulled Emmie close. “I love you.” Two quick kisses later, he pulled up his hood. Emmie’s phone screeched, then his, then Marian’s

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The National Weather Service has issued a HURRICANE WARNING for New Orleans and the surrounding areas.

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Emmie and Marian filled totes to take to Magique and had just started stashing breakables under tables when the lights went out. They grabbed the totes and ran. Jack opened Magique’s door just as they reached it and pulled both of them inside. “I was just coming to get you. Emmie, send a group text to our neighbors. We all need to be able to find each other.”

Marian shook her head. “That’s a sobering thought.”

EMMIE: With Jack and Marian at Magique reading room. You?

Emmie handed Marian the phone, “Keep us posted. I’m going to help Jack.”

Marian called out the messages as they came in.

RIFF: With Gabe in my back room. Dino isn’t in his store

MARTY: Dino is in my kitchen. Can shelter better in storage area.

MELANIE: Shelters full. Kids and I are in hallway under the steps.

MARTY: Next chance, come here. Plenty of room.

MELANIE: I’ll let you know when we’re on our way.

MELANIE: Glass breaking in attic. Door shut. Should be OK.

Emmie and Jack took their storm supplies to the reading room in the center of the shop. It was insulated for privacy, so the sound of the storm was down to a rumble. Jack settled in the corner of the leather couch.

Emmie lit three large white pillar candles, settled on the other end of the couch, and stretched her legs out. “Did we win? I feel like I just did a marathon.”

Jack laughed. “Don’t get too comfy. We are between events.”

Marian sat across from them in the overstuffed chair. She had never seen this part of the shop.

“How did you get boarded up so fast, Jack.”

“I cut the plywood to size and numbered the boards three storms ago. I put slide latches on the window frames, so I don’t have to worry about hammer and nails.”

She looked at Emmie. “He’s like a well-oiled machine.”

Emmie wiggled her toes against his leg. “That he is.”

“Not really. I didn’t have enough time to get that one high window.” Jack rubbed Emmie’s foot, then tugged on the leg of her jeans and reached for her. She moved to his side, curled beside him, and dozed off.

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A HURRICANE WARNING is still in effect for New Orleans and the surrounding areas. Evacuate if your area is under an evacuation order; otherwise, remain in your home and ensure you can go to a safe room with no windows. Prepare for power and communications outages.

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The lights went on for a few seconds, then off again.

Emmie stirred. “What time is it? I feel like I’ve been here all day.”

 “You snoozed for about an hour.” Jack pulled her to her feet and kissed her temple. “I’m going to see if everyone is OK.”

Emmie protested. “It’s still raining hard.” The lights flashed on and off and on again and she held up her phone. “Let’s see if we can save you some stops.”

EMMIE: Everyone ok?

GABE: Some flooding, no damage. Pumping out.

DINO: Back in my store. It’s OK. I’m soaked.

JACK: Melanie? Marty?

RIFF: Jack, call me.

Jack called from the reading room with Emmie and Marian straining to hear what Riff was saying. He ended the call with only, “OK.”

“Riff is going to check on Marty. I’m going to Melanie’s.” He kissed Emmie before he opened the door. “Everything looks OK, but stay in here until I get back. There’s another band almost on us.”

Emmie and Marian walked out to the shop as soon as the door closed behind Jack. Emmie pulled a ladder from the stockroom and climbed to a high uncovered window. The rain was pounding again.

Marian stood at the bottom of the ladder. “What is your man thinking, Emmie? Can he even see where he is going?”

“He’s not thinking. He’s feeling. He grew up in Affinity House. Melanie was his foster mom for 13 years. He’s more worried about her and the kids than himself.” She used her sleeve to wipe moisture from the window. “I can’t see a thing.” She stayed at the window until the rain slowed.

Jack spotted Emmie in the window as he ran across the street. He pointed toward Marty’s.

A minute later, Emmie’s phone vibrated.

RIFF: Jack heading your way. Back door. Says get in reading room!

EMMIE: Got it.

It was still raining sideways when Jack burst through the door and struggled against the wind to close it. He peeled off his soaked hoodie, toed off one shoe, and struggled with the other before he bent to untie it. When he stood. Emmie was in front of him with a towel. His eyes were glistening.

“Looks like you’re raining, too.” She put her arms around him. A sob escaped when she touched him. When the wave passed, Emmie pulled back and gave him the towel.

 “Is everyone ok?”                              

Unable to find his voice, Jack nodded. He wiped his face and took a deep breath. “Except for the kids being terrified. A bedroom window shattered. Melanie had her hands full trying to seal it up and keep them calm. Riff and Gabe carried the little ones to Marty’s for her, and I stayed back to patch up the window. He sighed. “Yep, rough day to be an empath.”

Emmie kissed him. “But a good day to be a hero.” She started toward the shop.

“Or a witch,” he added.

Emmie froze in her footsteps. Jack turned her around and put his hands on her shoulders. “Babe, the cell towers are out. This the only block in the city that has service. What did you do?”

Emmie tilted her head. “Are there any beignets left?”