Rainy Day in the City

It's 3:15 on Friday afternoon. Maya Turner has just got off her seven to three-shift at the Missionary Hospital. She looks out the long windows before she goes outside to her car in the driving deck. It's raining so hard that Maya could barely see across the street. She puts on her raincoat and exits the glass door of the hospital. When she finally reaches her car at the far end of the driving deck, she's drench with rain. The three o'clock traffic in the afternoon is awful. Traffic on the street near the hospital is always bumper to bumper. There was an elementary school nearby. Parents and school buses line up to pick up the children to carry them home. She gets into her car and tosses the raincoat onto the backseat. Maya changes her mind about stopping at the grocery store. She decided to order takeout for her husband and the kids instead. The rain continues to beat down from the sky like a drummer beating a tune. Eighteen-wheeler trucks pass alongside her, splashing water upon the curb of sidewalks. Maya sits in her car in traffic, watching the rain as it falls on her windshield. It reminded her of being a little girl going for a car ride with her family in the summertime. Maya's dad would take them to the countryside to visit their grandparents when school let out for the summer. There was always a rainstorm on their way to visit their grandparents. The winds began to blow strongly against the palm trees. One of the traffic lights had blown down because of the storm. Traffic had halted to a standstill. Police were directing traffic to keep people from getting into an accident. Maya turned on the radio to hear the news about the storm. The weatherman predicted that a couple of tornadoes had touched down in a few cities nearby. There were also reports of flooding on some local streets near Bear Creek Road. Maya began to wonder about her family's safety. She immediately called her husband troy on her cell phone.

"Hello," said Troy.

"Hello," said Maya. " I was just checking to see if you and the kids were okay."

"We're fine," said Troy. "Where are you?".

"Stuck in traffic," said Maya. "Order pizza for the kids."

"Already done that," said Troy.

"Thanks," said Maya. "See you whenever I get home."

"Okay," said Troy.

Maya hangs up with her husband and looks up at the clouds out of her window. The clouds went from a lighter-colored gray to an angry darker colored gray. A clasp of thunder roars loud that it shakes her car. Lightning began to flash a bright color of pink in the dark-colored sky.

"Oh, Lord," said Maya. "Please bless me to make it home safely to my family."

There was a wreck up ahead near the Walgreens pharmacy. A truck carrying a large load of lumber had lost its load. The lumber was all over the street. The drivers had to turn around and take a detour onto the next block. Maya was so frustrated all she could think about was trying to get home to her family. The fuel light to her car started to blink on and off. She knew she would never make it home if she didn't get gas for her car. There was a Chevron gas station a few blocks up the street. Maya puts her blinker light to turn into the driveway of the station. She reaches into her back seat to get her raincoat. A nice tall man that works at the station came out to help her.

"Hello," said the Man

"Hi," said Maya. "I need regular unleaded."

"Sure thing," said the Man

Maya was grateful that he helped her with her gas. She gave him twenty dollars for the gas and headed for home. It was now five o'clock in the evening. Maya was happy that she was off work the next few days. She could spend the weekend with her kids and husband. There was a large old oak tree lying in the street. Maya had to take the back road around to get to her house. The clouds were starting to go back to the clear blue. It only drizzled a little into the evening hours. She could see her little house upon the hill now. There were a few tree limbs that had blown down from the hazelnut trees in her yard. Troy was outside sitting on the porch as the kids ran around in the yard. Maya's stomach begins to rumble loudly. The last thing she ate at her job was a Caesar salad around eleven-thirty that morning. Maya gets out of her car with her purse and drenched raincoat in hand.

"Mommy, Mommy!" screamed the kids.

"Hello there, said Maya. "How was your day?".

"Hello dear," said Troy. "Are you ready for some cold pizza?".

"I could eat a horse," said Maya.

The family went into the house. The aroma of pepperoni pizza filled the air. The kids went into their room and watched television. Troy changed out of his work clothes to go and pick up the fallen limbs from the front yard. Maya went to the sink to wash her hands. She took out a plate from the cabinet and got a slice of pizza from the takeout box. Maya didn't even bother putting it inside the microwave. She sat down at the kitchen table to eat her pizza. There was a loud clasp of thunder that shook the walls of the house. It had started to rain again. Troy was soaked with rain when he came back from outside.

"Whew!" said Troy. "It's going to be a rainy night tonight."

"I know," said Maya. "I was out in it earlier."

Maya put her plate into the kitchen sink. Troy locks the front door and turns out the light. Flashes of lighting glow throughout the house. Maya and her husband settled into bed, listening to the soothing sounds of the rain dancing on their rooftop.