The Gale I Love

jhymi (72)in The Ink Well • last year

I watched from the room of my window as the formerly bright blue clouds began to turn an angry shade of dark and I jumped excitedly. My favourite weather was coming. I hurriedly picked up my phone and ran outside to sit on the porch and enjoy the beautiful view of the sky and the heavy winds that preceded every storm.

I saw the birds in their numbers hurrying home after what must have been a diligent day spent working. They were also trying to avoid the impending storm. I tried to take pictures of them but my hands were unsteady for some reason. So I dropped my phone and opted to watch instead.

There was a sudden gust of wind complete with sounds that made the trees sway violently and I gasped uncertainly.

“This is not going to be a light storm,” I muttered to myself. But I refused to leave. I only left when the rains started and became heavy. I usually lost the novelty of the experience at that time, knowing that the beginning of the rain meant the end of the dark skies. So I’d go back inside and enjoy the sound and the chill that came with the rain.

I stayed back this time however, and picked up my phone to take a picture of the skies. I caught a decent view but I wasn’t sure since I was far from being a good photographer. I took many pictures and waited. Thunders cackled angrily and the lightning was blinding, to say the least. My sister called from inside that it was getting too heavy and that I had enjoyed the storm enough.

I told her that I hadn’t taken decent pictures yet and that I wanted to catch a picture of the lightning since it slashed through the sky at frequent intervals. She kept saying that it was too dangerous to just be out like that and I could take it another time. My scathing answer to her was not to ruin my creative genius with her incessant and quite unnecessary complaints. I could take care of myself. She gave me a smile that promised retribution and left me to my antics.

I consoled myself that this was how all artists and famous people started. Taking risks, daring the storms, both figurative and literal and taking the plunge. I felt that, even with my not-so-splendid phone camera, I would feel incredibly satisfied if I took a picture of lightning the second it came.

The storm got heavier and the rains furiously hit the ground. I had my phone camera ready. But to my dismay, I was either a second too early in my clicks or a microsecond too late. I kept catching the ends of the lightning and it frustrated me to no end. But I was determined. I was already here and there was no stopping. I hesitated at some point and said that maybe I could just go inside with what I had. But my sister’s smug grin wafted into my mind’s eye. So I shook my head rapidly and planted my feet firmly on the ground. That stellar picture must be taken.

But the thing is, thunders are the response to every lightning. So for every lightning, there’s a clap of thunder that follows moments after. A sudden flash of lightning came and I clicked on my phone immediately. I was still trying to recover when the loudest thunder I’d ever heard in my life clapped. The phone fell from my hand.

I was disoriented. Trying to process what had just happened. There was this loud ringing in my ear and for a second I thought I’d been struck or something. I picked up my phone in a daze and went inside. My sisters gathered around and asked me what happened. But I didn’t understand. Their voices kept echoing. I whispered that they should reduce their voice because they were too loud. I think one of them said that they were actually whispering. But that’s not how it felt. Their voices were loud and soft at the same time. And it was like every sound was amplified.

It was a scary and confusing time for me. My big sister came and with a face that showed that she was trying to mask her ~~laughter~~ worry, said.

“So, have you finally satisfied your creative genius?”

I raised a weak thumb in the affirmative and they all burst into laughter.

My ears kept ringing for several hours, but luckily when I slept for about nine hours and woke up, it had reduced to a dull buzz and after a day, the weird sounds left.

I learnt my lesson that day. The things you love could also be what kills you.

P.S: The last picture still didn't capture the lightning.

Jhymi🖤