Southern Heat Wave

Southern Heat Wave

This is the hottest summer in years according to the National Weather Service. Pomona, Alabama has seen record high of 112 degrees. Forecasters warned that the high temperatures could continue through the weekend across much of the south. Cherry Bullock and her son Ryan sit in heir living room watching the weather channel.

“Another hot day son,” said Cherry.

“Can I go outside mommy?” asks Ryan. “Buster wants to go for a walk.”

“No, Ryan it's too hot,” said Cherry. “I'll let him run in the back yard for awhile.”

Ryan throws his self back on to the couch and began putting. Cherry takes Buster and slide the back door open to let him go out in to the backyard. The high temperature had sparked several wild fires to break free across the county. Cherry's mother Patsy had to leave her home in the middle of the night with her three tabby cats. Her mother was always a free spirit that love to roam around. After Cherry offered her to come stay at her home, but she refused. The streets that were usually filled with children playing in their years were now all bare secluded. The high temperature kept most of the community inside their homes under their air conditioners. Ryan played most of the day in his room on his iPad. He suffered from asthma and his mother knew the best thing for him was to be indoors. The humidity outside was brutal. Cherry went outside to get the mail and the back of her blouse was drenched with sweat from walking to the mailbox.

“My God !” exclaimed Cherry. “It's too hot out there.”

The music playing from Mr. Freezes ice cream truck could be heard turning into the cul de sac. By the time he got the end of the street he was out of ice cream treats. Cherry bought her and Ryan a vanilla ice shiver. Ryan had fell sleep lying across his bed when she peeped inside his room with his vanilla shiver. Cherry closed the door to his room and place the treat into the refrigerator. Buster was back inside the house now. He went over to his water bowl and slurped the water vigorously.

“Hot out there huh?” asked Cherry.

Buster never looked up from his bowl. Cherry opened up the refrigerator to take out the past salad that she had made earlier in the day. The fresh smell of herbs and fresh cucumbers made her mouth salivate. There was fresh Italian bread warmed from the toaster oven with green beans slathered with butter sauce. The desert was requested by Ryan, homemade blueberry ice cream.

“Ryan!” exclaimed Cherry. “Time for supper!”

“Okay,” said Ryan.

Ryan hurried down stairs almost tripping over Buster's tail.

“Careful,” said Cherry.

Ryan sat down at the kitchen table and began fixing his meal. Buster sat at his feet at the kitchen table. He knew that Ryan would fed him food under the table when his mother wasn't looking. Cherry got up from the table to get the ice tea from the refrigerator. She looked out the kitchen window and saw drizzles of rain coming from the clear blue sky.

“It's raining,” said Cherry. “It's only going to make things more hotter when it stops.”

She catches Ryan giving Buster a piece of chicken from his plate.

“Don't do that,” said Cherry.

“He's hungry mama,” said Ryan.

“He has dog in his bowl,” said Cherry.

There was a knock at the front door.

“Who could this be?” asked Cherry.

Cherry went over to the door and peaked out through her living room curtains. It was Mrs. Ruby Klein, her neighbor from next door. Mrs. Klein son Charlie was in the same grade as Ryan. Cherry opened her door.

“Hello,” said Mrs. Klein.

“Hello,” said Cherry.

“Are you going to the park?” asked Mrs. Klein. “There's free ice cream and snow cones for all the kids.”

“Okay,” said Cherry. “Maybe when we're though eating supper.”

“Alright,” said Mrs. Klein. “We're leaving now.”

“Thanks for letting us know,” said Cherry.

“Your welcome,” said Mrs. Klein.

Cherry fastens her door and goes back to the kitchen. Ryan is turned around in his chair.

“Can we go mama?” asks Ryan.

“Yes,” says Cherry. “Are you finished eating your dinner?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Ryan.

Ryan takes off upstairs to put on his shoes. Buster runs upstairs after him. Cherry puts the left over dinner inside the refrigerator and washes the dirty dishes. Ryan sits in the chair next to the front door waiting impatiently. Cherry finishes washing the dishes and hangs the dish towel over the kitchen faucet. She takes off her apron throwing it across the kitchen chair.

“Are you ready?” asks Cherry.

“Ready mama,” says Ryan.

Ryan and Busters runs out of the front door. Cherry follows close behind locking the front door. They all get into the car and head out to the park for free ice cream and snow cones.

When they arrive at the park, they can barely find a place to park in the parking lot. There were so many people at the park. There were ice cream vendors and snow cone trucks everywhere. The best thing about the rain showers, it did cool temperatures off a lot more than it was earlier that day. Cherry, Ryan and Buster met up with the Klein family. After getting their ice cream cones, everyone sat down on a park bench near the river walk. Cherry was surprised to see mostly everyone in their neighborhood at the park. There was a live band playing music and several food restaurant trucks pulled up serving hot dogs and hamburgers. As the sun started to go down, everyone packed up their belongings and left. Cherry, Ryan and Buster all got into heir car to go home. She turned on the radio to the news channel station. The weatherman Art Mitchell was saying that tomorrow will be another scorcher with a thirty percent chance of afternoon showers.

“What are we doing tomorrow?” asked Ryan.

“Try to stay cool honey,” said Cherry.

Buster sits in Ryan lap and sticks his head out of the car window. They continue on their way home as the sunsets on another hot summer day in Pomona, Alabama.