Fig looked at the clock on the wall in the hallway which read 3:30 p.m. The power was still off, the water outside still not gone, and Uncle Georgio still had not made a sound or come out of his room. Fig knew she had to do something at this point. She went to her closet and got her bathing suit and water shoes to wear so that she could attempt to go through the flood water. After she changed into her swim gear, she went to talk to her children.

"Listen to me carefully," she said to them as they looked up at her with cautious and curious eyes.  "Mom's got to go out there and see if I can find some help. I need you two to stay here and wait until I get back."

"What about Uncle Georgio?" Mario asked wondering.

"I don't know what's going on with our Uncle," Fig told them, "He hasn't spoken a word or made a sound since the storm started and his door is locked. I think we should just keep it locked for now. Okay?"

Terror filled both sets of the children's eyes. Fig took a deep breath and continued to talk to them.

"When I open the front door, I suspect some more water is going to fill the living room. Keep your bedroom door shut and put these big towels at the bottom of the door. Don't open the door until I come back and tell you to. Okay?" she said handing Mario the two big towels. 

"Mom, I'm scared," Anya said to her hugging her mother, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't worry kiddo," Fig said hugging her daughter back, "I'm a good swimmer and I will find some help. Okay?"

They nodded again and when Fig walked out of their room, Mario closed the door and put the two big towels at the bottom as his mother had instructed. 

Then Fig walked through the puddles in the living room to the front door. She glanced at the flooding in the front yard through the window, and braced herself as she tried to open the door. It was jammed and she had to throw her whole body into it a few times until it finally began to open. Water rushed in through the opening quickly and she held unto the door so that she didn't fall over from the strong current coming in. She knew she would not be able to close the door again until the water current was gone. The living room filled up with about a foot of water and when the current ceased to be as strong, she moved through the front door and into the front yard.

There were tree branches all over the place, some floating in the water. As she slushed her way through a little more than a foot of water in the front yard, she neared the street and felt the water get a bit deeper reaching right over her knees. The currents were going in all different directions. She proceded carefully pushing twigs and sticks and branches out of her way as she continued to head towards the main street where she could seek help.

She saw the flashing lights of a police car and she started hollaring and waving her hands at the car hoping that an officer would see or hear her. She kept heading toward the flashing lights through the murky flood water.

Through the Water to the Lights

page 10 of The Fig Tree Series

Fig looked at the clock on the wall in the hallway which read 3:30 p.m. The power was still off, the water outside still not gone, and Uncle Georgio still had not made a sound or come out of his room. Fig knew she had to do something at this point. She went to her closet and got her bathing suit and water shoes to wear so that she could attempt to go through the flood water. After she changed into her swim gear, she went to talk to her children.



Through the Water to the Lights

page 10 of The Fig Tree Series

About the Creator

Shanon Angermeyer Norman

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