The Calm Before The Storm

The angrier Missy became, the colder her heart grew toward her husband, Tim. There was a heavy stillness, much like there is outside during storm season That period of time that exists prior to when cold arctic air from the North and warm moist air from the South collide with each other uninvited.. Meteorologists call this phenomena 

“The calm before the storm”

Severe weather and tornados was nothing new to Missy. She grew up in Kansas. Missy studied meteorology and while at school she met and married Tim a meteorologist and storm chaser.

Missy knew warning signs and what to do to keep as safe as possible, but Missy was totally unaware of the signs of the impending storm that was about to erupt in her.

At the beginning of their marriage Tim and Missy chased together. Sometimes driving for thousands of miles, being away from home for weeks. Missy no longer went on chases. Tim had set up some limitations for himself such as how many days he would chase a storm. Both he and Missy knew that there was the possibility of going further or staying longer if a good storm was developing but he would contact Missy to let her know what was happening.

He always called but on his last chase, he did not. He was only to be gone for three days, three days was the limit. Five days came and went, no call, she had no idea specifically where he was. He could be anywhere in a thousand mile radius. Was he caught in a storm? She tried calling couple times. No answer? She texted, “Are you ok?” She saw he did read it but had not replied , not even a simple word like Yes. On the sixth day he came home. 

Missy had let her imagination run with her. When Tim walked in the door Missy demanded to know what happened, why he did not call or text, when Tim tried to explain himself, she would not listen.

Tim chalked it up to increased emotions due to the pregnancy.Tim apologize for not calling or returning text, he had got caught up in a potential storm, and then when he was on his way home he just didn’t think of calling. He should have but he didn’t. He knew she was upset, He wanted to make it up to her, so he suggested they go out for supper . 

Over supper, Tim explained to Missy that they did not have cell service.Missy knew that was a good possibility, She asked about the text message, “I was going to respond but we spotted a twister and I was focused on getting ahead of it.” “What about on the way home?” Missy asked. “ I have no excuses. I just wanted to get home that I didn’t even think of texting you. I am sorry. Forgive me ?” “Ok” Missy replied, but inside she was still questioning why or how he would forget to text her. Was he hiding something? 

Over the next few days Missy kept busy, trying not to think of worse case scenarios as to what happened on last chase. Weather channel was forecasting potential storms in the southern part of central plains. Great, she thought to herself. Bet he goes on another chase. Tim calls from the other room “Sweetie looks lie a good system is moving and it…” “I know.” Missy interrupted. “You’re going out.” Tim could sense tension in Mussy’s voice. “ I don't need to leave now, the storm is moving slow, hopefully building up power. We don't need to leave till five am. Tell you what, I am going to be sure my go bag and equipment are ready, get ahold of everyone on the team and tell them game plan. Then I am going to jump in shower then how about you and I have a date night?” Missy did like that idea.

When they got home, Tim placed his phone and keys on the counter, I am just going to do a last check on some equipment then I will be in. Tim went out the door, a couple minutes later his phone was vibrating Missy thought it could be important so she went to take a look at it and saw a text that read “Enjoyed chasing in OK. Glad we met. Thanks for invite for tomorrow,” JK

Just kidding? Nah, had to be initials but who’s JK and why did Tim invite them? Oklahoma was that where he hd no contact? The more questions and scenarios she thought of, the more Missy could feel herself getting upset.Tim came back in and Missy said, “You got a text.” “Ok thanks”  “Who is JK?” Missy asked. “Who?” “JK” she repeats “ Oklahoma? Glad we met? Thanks for invite for tomorrow? Who is Jk?” Missy’s voice was louder and sharper with each question.

Tim was getting irritated over the implications but took a deep breath, Two more trimesters. “JK is Jeri Knapp, their team was chasing the same storm in Oklahoma. Our teams were both at a gas station and we chatted, Jk is a photographer meteorologist and was taking pictures of the storm. I simply invited Jk to go with us on next chase to grab some pictures.” 

“I see, JK is a professional photographer going with you to take pictures.” Missy replied without emotion and with a cold matter-of-fact tone. “Ok, got it. I am going to bed, good night” she turned and went into their bedroom.

 Missy’s hurt and angry feelings were now becoming complacent and cold. She was starting to experience the phenomena: Calm before the storm. But neither she or Tim recognized it.

The next morning Tim was up trying not to wake Missy, “You don't need to tip toe, I am awake” “ I just didn’t want to disturb you. I am going to make some coffee, would you like som tea or something?” Tea sounded good even this early in the morning “Sure thanks. Can you get a couple graham crackers” “No problem.” Crackers may help settle my stomach, she thought. Tim’s phone was ringing, “Can you get that sweetie?” Tim yelled from the kitchen.

Missy answered and a woman’s voice asked to speak to Tim “Wo is tis?” “Jeri,” Missy could feel anger rising Jeri is clearly a woman and Tim conveniently left that out. “I will tell him you called” and quickly hung up.

Then the dark clouds of confusion and doubt began rolling in. the extra days on last chase, Tim not returning her text or not even calling her on the way home. Tim said nothing of meeting or inviting a photographer on the next chase, and he may not have, she had not seen a text from JK. Even when he explains Jk Jeri was a photographer meteorologist he all but conveniently left out Jeri was a female. There must be something going on between them.

 Just then Tim cam in from the kitchen carrying his thermos of coffee and set her cup of tea and plate of crackers on the counter. “Who was it hon?” “ WHO is Jeri?” Missy demanded, “I told you Jeri is a photographer meteorologist, who is riding along to get photos for us.” "Yes, but, you left out that she was a woman”

“I didn’t think it was important.” Missy fired back, “You didn’t think? That’s it! You just don't think about how I am feeling about things. Is there something you are trying to hide. Is there something between you and Jeri? Is she why you did not call last time?” 

Tim was trying not to over act or even react, he knew when in the field and he would encounter a storm that turned or was unpredictable the first thing was to stay calm. Stay calm he told himself.

“Missy you are overreacting” Claps of thunderer could be heard and flashes of lighting danced in the sky. Tim looked out the patio doors. “I’m sorry Missy but I need to go.” “Then go, just get out!” Missy cried angrily “Don’t bother calling if this chase takes longer. I am sure you and Jeri will be very busy good bye!” Missy went back into the bedroom and slammed the door so hard, that Tim thought it was going to break.

Tim hated to leave Missy like this but he needed to get going. Storms were not going to wait for his wife to calm down. He wasn’t for sure she would, How dare she ask if something was going on with him and Jeri, Didn’t she trust me. Obviously not, I have not given her any cause, ok yeah, he told himself, I forgot to call on last chase and that is the chase I met Jeri on. We met Jeri and their team on day two. That was the only day I saw or spoke to her. I got the text from Missy on day five. 

Yeah, I invited Jeri as a professional photographer. If I wanted to run around on my wife I certainly would not pick running with a woman and a tornado . Tim shook his head and prayed “Lord help me to keep my thoughts pure, to think on good things. Protect us on this chase, and be with Missy. Amen.” 

Missy ha fallen asleep to be woken up with a loud clap of thunder and immediate flashes lightening. Going to be some  crazy weather around here. She got upland look outside, she could see large wall cloud in the distance.

Tim and his team had ben on the road for about four hours, the system they were after was stalling out, losing steam, they knew another system was pulling power from it. They looked at the radar. There was a large hook, a tornado forming and headed for his town, most likely his neighborhood. “Missy!” Tim yelled. He tried to call her, but he had no service. “We need get back!”

“Ok, Tim but we are over 200 miles away. Give Missy some credit she knows what to do in a tornado.” “I know she knows, but she hasn’t been thinking rationally lately, probably hormones.” “Ok,” James, one of the members said, “But don’t you start thinking irrationally. She’ll be ok, man.”

Missy fixed a new cup of tea turned on the weather alert channel and looked at the sky again. The weather had always fascinated her. She thought about the storms she and Tim had chased. The close calls they got out of , only by he grace of God and wisdom. Tim? She wonders a moment, Whee was he?

Then she recalled the anger she had, Jeri the female photographer, telling him to get out and don’t call. Her anger was starting to rise when CRASH!Missy dropped her tea cup almost the same time as a large bolt of lightening struck the transformer across the street. Tornado alerts were screaming from the weather alert station, Sirens were blaring. Missy could hear a train. Train? There are no trains near here. Missy looked through patio doors and could see debris and dark twisting vortex, “Twister, twister” she yelled, running for the tub in their bathroom grabbing the comforter and pillows off bed, jumped into the tub and pulled wadded up bedding over top of her when she heard another crash. 

Missy started to cry, she wished Tim was there, he would reassure her , but where was he, was he in this storm? Missy thought of all things that had happened, the words she had said. Things she thought. Everything was spinning in her head, while a twister was tearing through her house. She heard glass breaking, wood splintering, she felt everything shaking. Missy tried to make herself smaller in the tub keeping her head under a pillow, she could feel the coolness of the porcelain tub against her cheek. Am I going to die? Is the baby going to be ok?  When is this going to end? Missy prayed, “Jesus help me” Then all went dark.

Tim drove as quickly as he could making the two hundred mile trek in less than three hours.Tim and the team did not recognize where they were. It looked like a war zone. Tim was shocked, he looked around for something familiar, a team member, Bob asked if anything looked familiar, it didn’t. Tim started to walk and stopped, turning to Bob and James.“Oh guys I’m sorry. What about your homes?” Bob said, “Don’t worry about us, from what we saw on radar the storm was not headed toward our part of town. It looks like this neighborhood sustained direct hit.” 

 The men walked through rubble , first responders, fire trucks, ambulances, police were scattered around. A news helicopter over head. Then Tim saw what was left of his house, it looked like it imploded in on itself. “ Missy!” 

An arm grabbed him, Tim turned and it was a fireman saying. “You can’t go in there, it is too unstable.” “I have to, my wife is in there. That’s my home,” “I understand” said the fireman. “But you cannot go in there, let us do our job.’ “Hurry! Find her she is pregnant.” “How far along?” “First trimester, find her please.’

Tim waited impatiently watching as the rescue workers were pulling splintered wood and cement pieces from the rubble. “ Wait, hush!” the fire chief said. “Listen.” A faint moan was herd to the left of the rubble they were digging through, the men started feverishly removing chunks of debris away from the area, another non was heard, Tim heard it too. He ran toward he sound and started to help pull twisted metal, broken beams and dry wall off of what was his tub, He could hear Missy moaning. “ Missy hang on hon. It’s Tim, hang on!” Missy’s head hurt she thought she herd Tim but wasn’t sure. Was she alive? Missy couldn’t move there was so much debris on her and in the tub. Tim and the firemen pulled off last large chunks of concrete and wood. “Missy!” Missy felt a hand on shoulder and then the hand brushing the hair out of her face. She looked up and saw it was Tim, Tim? “Tim is that you? You came back.” “Of course I did.” 

Rescue workers carefully moved Missy from her porcelain cocoon and placed he on a stretcher. Tim held Missy's hand, reassuring her, she'd be ok. Missy through tears said, “Oh Tim, I am so sorry for all that I said” Tim put his finger to her lips, “ Hush, it's all over, the storm has passed,” Missy looked up at the sky, Tim was right, the storm had passed. The sun was peaking through the clouds and through her heart.