Storms Started Early

 The afternoon fog sits heavy in the sky as Laura, a woman in her mid-forties wearing blue sweatpants, a burgundy shirt, and a light blue windbreaker, and her salt and pepper hair is tied up in a ponytail. She pulls up to the pickup spot in front of the Orwell Elementary, home of the Boars. It is a fairly small campus that connects to the neighboring Atwood Middle School, home of the Maidens. Her dark brown eyes search the front of the school with its cement pathways and patches of lawn until she spots what she is looking for. She rolls down the passenger window of her green 2001 Ford Windstar minivan.

“Jenny,” she yells.

Jenny, a 10-year-old girl wearing blue pants, a white shirt, and a green raincoat picks up her orange backpack from one of the patches of grass that break up the cement walkways and walks to the minivan. Her strawberry blonde hair is also tied back in a ponytail, and her bright brown eyes light up when she sees Laura.

“Hi grandma,” says Jenny as she opens the minivan door and enters.

Jenny closes the car door and buckles her seat belt before Laura pulls away from the pickup area.

“So, how was school today?” asks Laura.

“It was okay,” says Jenny. “Are we going to go see mommy today?”

“Yes, Jenny. Where heading there right now,” says Laura hesitantly. “Just remember we can’t stay long. Grandpa and your sisters will be home tonight, and I promised I’d make them a special dinner.”

“Okay,” says Jenny.

“Anyways, did you ask Anna’s mom if you could stay over this weekend?” asked Laura.

“Yeah, she says I can come over if Anna doesn’t misbehave,” says Jenny.

“Well, I’m sure Anna is just as excited as you are for your first sleepover,” says Laura.

“Yeah, she has lots of games for us to play on her PlayStation,” says Jenny. “Me and her plan on taking turns with some of the one-player games since the two-player games get boring after a while.”

“Just don’t forget to do your homework before you start playing any games,” says Laura.

“I promise,” says Jenny.

The two continue to drive on in silence. Laura drives for an hour and a half while Jenny entertains herself by looking out the window at the many shops in town and then at the forest that surrounds the outskirts of town. Soon enough, Laura pulls into a parking lot in front of a one-story building with tan walls and a black tiled roof with no other buildings in sight. A large square cement tunnel separates the parking lot from the main building.

“Alright, we’re here,” says Laura as she and Jenny get out of the car.

Just then a woman in her mid-twenties comes out of the main building. Her long brown hair flowed around her gaunt and pale face and her brown eyes sunken in making her look like death. Her gray sweater and sweatpants match the gray clouds that have blocked the sun all afternoon.

“Hi Mom,” the woman says to Laura. “I just came out to tell you I relapsed last night, and I got my visitation privilege revoked.”

“Christie, what the hell’s the matter with you? You knew we were coming today, you couldn’t have called earlier to let me know so that I didn’t have to waste my time driving all the way out here,” screamed Laura.

“I’m sorry Mom,” says Christie. “But you don’t know what it’s like for me. How hard it is in here.”

“No Christie. I’m tired of your excuses. Your daughter has been waiting days to see her mother and you just throw it all away for what?” shouts Laura.

“Come on Mom, you know I didn’t mean to. It was one lousy mistake. I’m sure I can earn my visitation rights back by next week,” says Christie.

“Whatever, that doesn’t help us now, now does it. Come on Jenny get in the car we’re leaving,” says Laura.

“Wait, can I at least walk mommy to the door?” asks Jenny.

Laura looks at Jenny and then back at Christie.

“How about you walk me part way through the tunnel,” Christie suggests.

“Can I Grandma?” pleads Jenny.

Laura sighs.

“Fine, but make it quick,” says Laura.

Jenny and Christie start walking towards the square cement tunnel. Once they reach the halfway point Christie stops and turns towards Jenny.

“Okay, this is as far as you can go,” she says.

“Okay, love you, Mommy,” says Jenny.

Christie smiles and nods her head. Jenny turns around and heads back towards the tunnel entrance. Once she reaches the entrance she turns around towards Christie, but Christie is nowhere in sight. Jenny turns back towards the parking lot and gets into the car.

Laura puts a Maroon 5 CD, one of Jenny’s favorite bands, into the CD player. They listen to it on the entire drive home.

Just as Laura pulls into the driveway it begins to drizzle.

“Looks like it’s going to rain tonight, better get inside before it really starts to come down,” she says.

Laura and Jenny get out of the car and enter their one-story house.

“I’ll be in my room doing homework if you need me,” shouts Jenny as she bolts down the hall and into her room.

She closes her bedroom door, flings her backpack onto the floor, flops on her bed, and begins to cry. After a while, Jenny wipes the tears from her eyes, retrieves her backpack from the floor, sits at her desk, and begins to do her homework.

Laura heads into the kitchen with silent tears streaming down her face. Her husband and two youngest granddaughters are going to be home soon and she has to start making dinner. Laura wipes away her tears and gets out the ingredients for dinner.

Outside the wind begins to blow and the rain comes down even harder.

“Looks like the storm started earlier than expected,” says Laura.