April 3rd, 2023 - ?

The wind came on April 3^rd, 2023, and hasn’t stopped since. I live in an apartment, surrounded by a bunch of stir-crazy people, like myself, trying to figure out how to continue to live their life by not going outside.

On the first day, all I could hear was the howling of the wind outside my window. It was the beginning of Spring, so I didn’t think much into it. Rainstorms and excess wind are all a part of it, I just didn’t expect this devastatingly harsh wind to still be here nearly a year later. 

The meteorologists and newscasters didn’t know what to make of it or how to explain it. Hell, no one did really. All we did know was that it was dangerous to go outside, even if it was for a few minutes. In the last couple of months, I’ve heard more car crashes and screams from people trying to leave their homes than I ever have heard in my entire life. And those are just the people who venture out on the roads. Most of us have stayed inside, fearing of going outside and the wind getting the best of us. Several people in my apartment have tried to go out simply for groceries, but most return with something broken or bleeding and rarely do they actually come back with what they were going out for.  

One day, not too long after it started and after a lengthy FaceTime call with my mother, I decided that I wanted to take the trip over to her house. It was only about eight miles, and I thought that if I drove slow enough, I’d be able to make it there. She was leery on me going out, but considering she was sick and I was bringing my world famous chicken noodle soup. My first mistake was putting the soup in a little bowl with a flimsy lid and my second was that I should try to run to my car instead of walk. Based on the first gust of wind alone, I should’ve crawled. But it was too late for that realization because the wind blew open the lid and spewed the soup everywhere, but mainly onto my wrists. I dropped the bowl on the ground, my hand investigating my already red skin, though with my hair clinging around to my neck and face, it was difficult to see how bad it was. I sighed and reached down to grab the now broken bowl when another strong gust swept me off my feet. I didn’t have a good footing anyway, and the wind sure took advantage of that. I rolled my ankle and ended up crashing into a wood beam that stabilized the car port. Instead of hitting my leg with the rolled ankle on the pole, I hit the other one, making the walk back in more miserable. 

I came back in with welts and bruises as well as juice and noodles all over my new sweater. After that, I didn’t really attempt going outside. Months passed by in a blur, and as each day came and went, the lonelier I got. I hadn’t seen anyone in person in what felt like years. I missed my family and friends more than anything. Our idea for a fun night turned from staying in bars until last call to drinking a glass of wine while we fished for something to talk about over lousy FaceTime. Not that I didn’t enjoy talking to them, but it was hard to keep good connections over a screen. 

My neighbor, Penny, felt the same way now that she had a newborn baby. Her parents and her in-laws haven’t been able to meet their son, and he’s almost a month old now. 

Nearly eight months ago, when she told me she was pregnant she wasn’t ecstatic, despite trying for a while. I was walking down the hallway and saw her taking out the trash. She waved as she saw me, though it was hard not to notice her glimmering wet eyes.

“What’s wrong, Penny?”

She sniffed. “Nothing is wrong, just these damn hormones.” She gave a small smile and realization dawned on me. 

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant.”

Her smile grew wider until she remembered about the wind. “I’m terrified of giving birth now with all of this going on.”

My eyes widened, temporarily forgetting about the raging wind outside. “What are you going to do?”

Penny shrugged her shoulders. “A home birth, I guess? I don’t want to get in a car accident on the way to the hospital or get knocked over.” She paused for a second. “Maybe this will be a good thing, I’ve always been afraid of hospitals.”

Luckily, when the wind still roared on seven months later, a new midwife moved into the apartment next to her. Relief rushed through me because I would’ve been no help, despite her asking me to be there if she couldn’t find anyone else. I was happy to sit this one out, especially because I wouldn’t know how to comfort her either. She labored for hours, and her screams were easily heard through the walls, but the wind drowned some of it out.

Hearing the new baby cry through the walls, somehow made me miss my mom even more. I had never gone this long without seeing her in person, and we had gotten to the point where we’ve grown used to these FaceTimes. My mom certainly couldn’t brave the wind and there were travel advisories based on the sheet amount of deadly accidents on the roads. I wanted to see my mom and I was tired of waiting around for this incessant wind to stop.

“I’m going outside, mom.” We were on yet another FaceTime call, and as soon as I said that she froze. Moments later, her face popped on my screen again and she was not enthused about that statement.

“That’s nonsense dear, don’t even joke about that.” My mom was settled on the couch, drinking her afternoon tea. I stood in my closet, trying to find my heaviest clothes.

“I’m not joking, mom. I can’t take it anymore. I can’t stare at these four walls any longer, alright? I need to come visit 

“You can’t drive honey, it’s too dangerous. I don’t want you risking your life just to see me.”

“What if I put on heavy clothes and bundled up?” I half-heartedly teased. 

My mom shot me a look. “I don’t think it matters how heavy the clothes are, that wind is too powerful. I couldn’t imagine losing you out in this.”

“I agree, but we can’t just wait for this wind to stop. It’s been nearly a year of this, mom. I don’t know how much longer I can take of this loneliness.” A tear ran down my face while my mom sported a pouted but quivering lip, her eyes starting to water.

“I don’t know what to say, honey. I want to see you, but I don’t want you to risk hurting yourself…” She paused, watching me rip clothes off hangers. “But I see you’ve already made up your mind.”

“I’ve already checked and it’s about a three-hour walk.” 

“3 hours?” Her jaw dropped.

“I’m overestimating a little based on the wind, but I really think I could do it, mom.”

My mom blew out a shaky breath. “You better wear your heaviest clothes and some ankle weights.” 

About a half hour later, I was overheating in my several layers of clothes. I felt like Randy in A Christmas Storywith how many clothes I had on. I grabbed the keys off the hook and adjusted the straps of my backpack. I packed a few things inside such as a water bottle, wallet, and some snacks in case I needed them. I glanced at myself in the mirror, taking one last look at myself. I gasped, forgetting that I put googles on to protect my eyes. I backed away and opened the door, getting some side eyes from my neighbors as I waddled down the hallway. When I took the elevator down and found myself in the lobby, a took a big breath in and felt a chill run down my spine as I said how fast the branches were swaying on the tree outside. I pushed the fear down and struggled to open the door, but after I managed to slip through, I pressed myself against the wall. 

I figured it would be easier to stay upright if I wasn’t aimlessly walking around in the middle of the street. By being practically glued to every wall I’d come across, I’d hopefully make it there in one piece.

There was one problem though, the last stretch to her house is all corn fields, nothing to grab onto or lean against if I needed to take a second to breathe. That was a part of this journey that I was most terrified for, but not something that I was going to worry about now since I just started. I don’t think I’ve ever walked so slowly in my life, but I didn’t want to get overly confident and make a misstep. One of those and it’s all over, you’ll be thrown faster than you can blink. It was now March and something that I really should’ve accounted for was rain. This rain shower was a little more than a drizzle, and my hair and clothes were instantly soaked. While I almost died from heatstroke when I had all of these clothes on in the apartment, I was thankful for all of these layers now. The wind amplified the rain, making it probably seem worse than it was, but after checking my watch to see that I had only walked a mile and a half, I knew I’d need a nice cup of hot chocolate or tea when I’d get there. 

The roads were deserted, not that it would’ve made much of a difference anyway, but I didn’t have to wait at crosswalks or for cars to pass on by. I kept my head down, feeling windburn light up my cheeks, and trudged along. I stopped every once in a while, either grabbing a swig of water or eating a snack. But most of the time the wind would knock the snack out of my hands so I gave up on it once I was halfway. I was more than exhausted to say in the least, my muscles on fire as I fought the wind gusts. 

More than once, my mom called me. She wanted updates on my progress, and I’d give out of breath answers of telling her how much longer I had. Though over the gusts I don’t think she could hear me well. At mile six, I sat down on the sidewalk. I pressed my back onto the building and wrapped my arms around my legs as I gave myself a few minutes to catch my breath. 

I surveyed the empty streets, there were more than a dozen abandoned cars on the streets, all with significant damage to the windows and bodies of the car. Trash littered the streets, and it was eerie to see all of the storefronts lights on with no one inside. The town truly looked deserted, but I knew that people were just hanging around in their houses and apartments. After taking a much-needed break, I slowly rose and got to my feet. My heart hammered against my chest as the strip of corn fields was now in my line of sight. It was two miles of straight corn fields, and I hoped I had enough strength to make it. I took a deep breath and began walking again, an even slower pace now that I had nothing to hold onto than bent corn stalks. 

I hated being out in the open with no protection. The wind was brutal enough with having a safety cushion of a building to block most of it, but now that I had nothing, I feared I’d have another soup situation where I’d get blown over. My last resort was to crawl but that would significantly add time and not to mention hurt from the loose pieces of gravel on the road. 

It wasn’t until I had less than a mile left when I heard a car come barreling down the road. I glanced up and cursed, knowing I looked ridiculous in this outfit. I just hoped they wouldn’t stop and talk to me and would be in as much of a hurry as I was to get to their destination. Evidently, they weren’t as they stopped along beside me, shit-eating grins on their faces as they took in my outfit. “Got enough clothes on?” The driver laughed, elbowing the passenger beside him.

I didn’t even have a reply. “Want a ride? Where are you heading?” 

“I’m fine, I’m almost there.” The driver gave me side-eye, not expecting my refusal.

“This wind is no joke, darling. Why don’t you just get on in and we can help you get where you need to go.”

I gave him a smile, not wanting to piss him off. The idea was tempting but I also didn’t want to risk my life in a truck when I had more control walking. “Look, I appreciate it, but I think I’ll keep walking. But I hope you have a safe trip to wherever you’re going.” He narrowed his eyes and nodded. As he was about to roll his window up, his hat was nearly taken off by a gust of wind and he slapped his head hard to keep it on.

“Alright, well you be safe now.” He took off and as the car was a while aways off, I glanced back and saw their car swerve several times, almost running off the road with each new gust of wind. 

I treaded on, my calves and thighs nearly giving out as I saw my mother’s house in view. I used to think that I lived too close to her, but now after making this trek, I wished she lived in my apartment building. Instead of walking on the gravel driveway, I opted to the grass. It would be less painful if I fell in the grass because at this point even the tiniest gust could knock me over. I was surprised to only have fallen twice on the walk over, but I knew there would be angry bruises that awaited me. 

I saw her in the window, she was pacing back and forth before stopping once she spotted me. She ran to the door, tears streaming down her face as I walked up the porch and into her arms. She slammed the door shut, helping me take off the thousand articles of clothes I had on.

I sat down on the couch, melting into it as I tried to muster a smile at her but even that was too exhausting. She understood my exhaustion and made me a hot chocolate. She originally placed it on the coffee table but ended up handing it to me after watching my arms shake while trying to grab it. I closed my eyes after I took a sip and relished in the fact that I made it. I could finally see my mom and talk to her without a screen, but that joy faded when I remembered I’d have to make the same journey back.