Angels in the Storm

I have lived in New Orleans for nearly 60 years and have never seen the sky look like that. I had one of those feeling that morning, as though life as I knew it was going to change. It was a hot September day and the weather man call for rain. The sky was a strange orange and purple with gray clouds. I noticed the wind picking up as I walked along Chataue Street to my store.

The wind was blowing hard enough that I had trouble opeing the door to my shop. As I went inside and let go of the door, it shut with a bang. Darn near knock me over. My husband, Basil and I started this business around 30 years ago. We thought the folks around here needed some guidance. The Lord gave me a gift and I used it to help people. he gave me the gift of insight. People would come into the shop looking sad and forlorn. They would sit and tell me what was on their mind. Then they would leave with hope because I would tell them things like "don't worry about that man, another one will come along and love you." People were willing to pay to hear things like that. We were cheaper than one of those psychiatrists.

Mostly tourists came into the shop; now and then a local would come in. I didn't know how much business to expect that day with the weather the way it was.

I went to the back room for a clean table cloth and candles. There was glass all over the floor. The back window was broken. Rain and wind was coming in the window really hard. "Those darn kids. Always doing something. I'll have to call someone to fix that window and clean up in here for me."

There was a loud knocking at the front door. I opend the door and in came a wet young man. It was Haddie's grandson.

"Rodney, my back window is broken. Can you fix it?"

"Sure Ms. Mabry, but not right now. There's a huricane coming. I got to get you over to our house."

Rodney pulled rain slicker out of his pocket and put it on me. Then he wrapped an arm tight around me and we walked out into the wind and rain. By the time we got just a few steps from the store i was dripping wet. The wind was giving me a chill deep into my bones. It took a long time to walk to Haddie's house even thought it was just around the corner.

I tried to look about. Monsieur Nom de Plume was trying to get his poodle in the front door. The dog kept trying to go under the porch. Sometimes animals are smarter than people. I knew then, if I didn't know it before, that it was time to pray.

The wind and rain were so loud Rodney couldn't hear me praying. Finally we made it to Haddie's front door. Rodney let go of me and tried to get the screen door open. I held onto Rodney's arm tightly because I thought I was going to be blown away by that wind. I kept praying. The screen door suddenly came off and knocked Rodney to the ground. I let go of his arm fell against the house. My head hurt but I was okay. Rodney just lay there on the porch with the rain soaking him. My feet were soaked like the rest of me. I looked down and was standing in some water. I looked through the driving rain at the horror. The water was half way up Haddie's garden wall. I kept saying Rodney's name and praying to the Lord Jesus he could hear me. He couldn't get up. I pushed open the front door and stepped in. The carpet was damp. I call for Haddie, but the noise was too loud. I couldn't push the door shut. I found Haddie sitting on the kitchen table.

Haddie was very dark skinned and petite. She was a good 20 years younger than me and didn't have arthritis in her knees.