Background
Eleven-year-old Heddy can communicate with her deceased grandmother, Nonni.
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So far, Heddy has met the German man who is hiding in the abandoned house down the beach. A new boy, Lester has come to stay with the Collettes. Lester and Heddy have become friends and eventually shared a kiss. Heddy's brother, Willis, has returned from the war only to have nightmares about what he saw. Now, a hurricane is pummeling the island and Lester has run to Heddy and her family when he discovers his own father has been killed in the Pacific.
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The storm rages for several more hours and then it is calm. If you haven't been in a hurricane before, you can be fooled into thinking that it is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. The hour or two of calmness is the eye of the hurricane passing over. Then, just as quick as it comes, the west winds come swirling around with more force than the front part of the storm.
But, it's during the calm that there is a knock on our door. Mr. Collette stands there, out of breath and glancing at the sky to see how much time he has before all heck breaks loose.
"Wayne," my daddy says, opening the door enough for him to step inside the house. "I guess I know why you're here." He steps back letting Mr. Collette see Lester huddled up still wrapped in the afghan.
"Nancy said you'd be here. Come on boy, lets go."
Momma stands, stepping strategically in front of Lester. "It's not my place, but could he stay here, just until after the storm?"
Mr. Collette, rakes his fingers through the wilted mop of hair on his head. "Your Aunt Nancy is really mad you just run off without a word to her. What would make you do something that foolish?"
Momma's eyes flash like they did that day at the post office. "Perhaps finding out that his father has passed and he wasn't told."
Mr. Collette's face turns pink. He looks at the floor shaking his head slightly. "I told her not to keep it from him. At some point you have to grieve. But she likes things her way."
"Well, having things her way has caused all of this." Momma doesn't look at him, rather she turns and looks at Lester. "So, if it's all the same to you, he can stay here with us until the storm passes."
Mr. Collette, looks over at Lester. "I'm sorry about your father, Les. I really and truly am."
Lester nods.
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After the storm ends sometime in the early morning hours, I hear my momma and daddy, down in the kitchen. The pump to the well must have stopped and Momma is talking about not having clean water to wash the dishes. I can hear my daddy talking about getting Willis to help cut the tree limbs that have fallen because of the storm.
I pull off my night gown and toss it under my pillow, then pull on my shorts and shirt from the day before. Lester slept on a pallet on the floor of Willis's room. I could hear their voices late into the night. I couldn't really tell what they were talking about, but I can guess it was about Lester's daddy and the war and maybe Willis told him some of the things he saw during the war.
I think I might hate Mrs. Collette. I know I shouldn't, but I feel a coldness gripping my heart whenever I think about her. She is a liar and probably a thief as well. There ain't no reason for her to act like that either. What good would come from Lester not knowing about his own daddy?
After brushing the rats' nests out of my hair, I join my parents downstairs. Momma is spreading peanut butter on plain white bread and then swirling a drizzle of honey on it. "Eat up, we've got a lot of work to do."
"Hope you're feeling strong, Ladybug," Daddy says and reaches out to squeeze my arm. "Lot's of sticks down. Might need both you and Lester to help."
"Can we take them down to the beach and maybe have a bonfire tonight? Lester hasn't ever been to a bonfire, I'll bet."
"Well, now, we did promise to bring him back to his aunt and uncles after the storm. Maybe we should hold our end of the bargain up."
"I don't like Mrs. Collette. Matter of fact, I kind of wish she was dead." Even though I mumble, they hear me. Neither one looks happy.
"Heddy, I don't ever want to hear you say that about another living soul. You hear me?" Momma says. "Whatever her reasons were for not telling Lester, or for holding onto the mail for people long after she should have delivered it, those things are not enough for you to wish something terrible on her. People are all different. God put good people here and he put some bad people here. It is His decision whether or not their sins are punishable by death. Now, you need to say a prayer and ask for forgiveness."
I shake my head and close my eyes. But, despite what she has told me, I don't pray for forgiveness. I pray for the island and the people on it. I pray that Lester won't be so sad today. But I don't pray for my own forgiveness. Because, I don't feel bad for saying it. Maybe I will one day, but I don't today.
"Amen," I say as I look up to see both Momma and Daddy watching me.
"Feel better?" she asks.
I smile. "Yes, ma'am," I say. The truth is I do feel better. God can see it in my heart if I ask for forgiveness and I don't really mean it. And, I think it's better to pray with an honest heart.
