A Brighter Day

Robin woke up on Friday morning and sat at the end of his bed thinking about the last couple of months. “Been a hell of a season” he thought out loud. “Just loss the woman I loved after she left me high and dry, I’m still recovering from a stab wound to the hip after trying to break up a fight and now my uncle Ron is in his last days after a 15 year bout with cancer. Guess it’s time to do like my therapist suggested and take a long thought provoking walk down Lakemill Road. Me and Tessa used to walk there a lot for our Saturday night dates.”

“I probably shouldn’t walk there anymore. It’s triggering, but some old habits die hard. There’s a bright side to it all though.” Maybe that cute girl named Cristina who I see walking every other time I go for my walk might be there. We’ve been starting to chat more and more.” After getting dressed and putting his shoes on Robin headed out the door and to his car, making his way to the vast open space of Lakemill Road. When he pulled into the parking lot of the Millside convenience store he saw a white Ford Explorer parked next to his favorite space.

Robin was low-key familiar with the car knowing that it belonged to the girl Cristina who he often saw walking. A tiny bit of excitement rose up in his gut as he got out of the car and began his walk down Lakemill Road. During the first ten minutes of his walk Robin thought alot about what was going on in his life; his breakup, his injury, his ailing uncle and all he could do was ask himself what was the purpose behind it all. “Why is this happening to me?” He asked himself in a low tone. “And when does it get better? Will it get better?”

Robin’s train of thought was suddenly interrupted when he saw a familiar face approaching him in the distance if this long empty road. It was Cristina. She had her EarPods in walking towards Robin hardly noticing him. When she finally realized who he was she took out her EarPods and acknowledge him. “Hey stranger” she began. “Late start for you today. I’m just finishing up my walk”. “Yeah, I had a bit of a painful time gettin up this morning.” Robin replied.

“That’s understandable. It sure is cloudy out here.” Cristina continued while walking with Robin. “Aren’t you done with your walk?” Robin asked. “Yes I am doctor nosy, but I didn’t get to see you so we could do our BS talk for a minute.” Cristina then looked up and noticed the cloudy sky above them. “Wow” she exclaimed. “Gettin pretty dark over here, ain’t it?” “Well there is a tornado warning the area” Robin replied. “Tornado warning?” Cristina rebutted alarmingly. “Yeah, but don’t trip. This area has been gettin tornado warnings for decades and I have yet to see one, we’re cool” Robin reassured.

“Good” Cristina exhaled in relief. “Now let’s go take that walk so you can give me the low down about what’s been happening in your life.” The pair began walking as Robin struggled to put his words together. “Well here it is. I’ve broken up with the love of my life because our relationship turned toxic, my hip still hurts after being stabbed while tryna break up a fight, and I’m struggling to accept that my uncle is at the end of his life.”

After a brief pause, Cristina responded. “Sounds like you got more on your plate than soul food Sunday” Cristina responded lightheartedly. “Yeah” Robin chuckled. “It’s quite a bit.” “Let me ask you this, Robin” Cristina started. “What was your relationship like with your girl leading to the breakup?” “It was very one-sided” Robin exhaled. “It got to a point where I was putting forth all the effort and doing what she wanted, but she wasn’t giving it in return”

“So she wanted you to show up for her, but she wasn’t showing up for you? As much as you may have loved the girl, that type of lack of reciprocity isn’t healthy for a relationship” Cristina summarized. “It’s better for you two to be apart.” “Well I do have to admit that it is less draining to not be putting out all the effort with nothing in return” Robin admitted. As the two conversed neither noticed the dark funnel clouds circling overhead. “Is it me or did the wind pick” Cristina asked while being hit by a big gust of wind. “Eh it’s nothing” Robin shrugged off.

“As for your stabbing, that should be a warning to not get involved in conflict anymore than you truly have to because it can lead to lethal consequences.” Cristina started. “And as for your uncle, I know it’s killing you that he’s dying, but it’s out of your control. All you can do is treasure the time you still have with him and be happy in the moment like you know he would want you to be. He’s probably in good spirit, am I right?” “He actually is. How’d you know that?” Robin asked. “My father was the same way when he passed away from his cancer when I was just a kid”. Cristina replied. “Oh…I’m sorry” Robin added softly.

“Oh I’m fine” Cristina brushed off. “Guess I got a lot of self reflecting to do” Robin admitted. “Yeah I guess you-” before Cristina could finish she noticed the wind had gotten heavier and the skies above them had gotten darker. “Um…I think we might need to get out of here Rob.” “Yeah it does look like a storm is co-” Robin was abruptly cut off by the incredible sight that met both his and Cristina’s eyes half a mile down the road. From the skies to the ground a tornado had made landfall right in front of them.

“Goodness gracious” Robin exclaimed in shock. “It’s actually here. We finally got that twister”. “I though you said tornadoes never actually touched down here?” Cristina asked in horror. “They never did, but I guess this season they decided to make a cameo, COME ON, LETS GO.” Robin took Cristina by the hand as they ran in the opposite direction of the twister behind them. “Where are we going?” Cristina asked as they ran through the heavy wind.

“Storm shelter” Robin replied. “There’s one just a little further down the street here. The city built in just in case a tornado ever did touch down over this way. It should be flat on the ground with a door handle sticking up.” As Robin and Cristina sprinted down the road with the tornado wall of debris in tow, Robin finally spotted the storm Shelton door handle sticking out of the ground. “THERE IT IS!” He screamed as he and Cristina made their way towards the door. With the twister closing in on them Robin pulled the door open and made sure Cristina went down first. He followed immediately after and shut the door overhead.

“I think we lost it” Cristina exhausted. The wide space of shelter then began to shake. “I think not…” Robin uttered. The twister was now on top of them. As the shelter door quaked overhead Robin quickly grabbed it to keep it from flying open. His strength was just barely enough to keep it from ripping off its hinges. Cristina quickly joined him in holding the door shut. “GET BACK!” Robin asserted. “IF THIS DOOR RIPS OFF WE’RE BOTH GOING WITH IT!!!” “THEN WE’RE BOTH GOING WITH IT BECAUSE I’M NOT LEAVING YOU” Cristina replied. As the shaking around the duo peaked in intensity it then began to subside and eventually came to a complete stop as a whole.

“I think it’s gone” Robin exhaled as he and Cristina slowly let go of the door. As everything came to a standstill Robin carefully opened the shelter down and found that the tornado had dissipated. Cristina quickly joined him in looking at the sky that had a little glimmer of sunlight shining through. “We made it” Cristina said with relief. Robin helped Cristina up as they made their way out of the shelter and into the growing sunlight. “Would you look at!” Robin said while looking at the sun. “Looks like it’s gonna be a brighter day” Cristina added as they walked toward the sunlight.

“That’s a good sign, Robin. That light means everything is gonna be alright. I know because I’ve just come out of a hard time myself.” Robin glanced over at Cristina with a smile and then looked back at the sun. “I think you might be right” Robin responded. “Well if you think I’m right maybe you could take me to dinner later in the week and we can talk about setting up some walking dates.” Cristina suggested. Robin paused in his tracks with a smile of surprise. “I….guess it’s a date” Robin chuckled. He took the smiling Cristina by the hand and they walked off in the sunlight together, knowing their future would be brighter.