May 4th

It was kindergarten

specifically May 4th, 2018, to be exact

we had just moved into our new house

I had been at the after-school program that day

when my dad drove me home, he wanted to put more air in our bikes that had just arrived with the moving truck

I looked up

I heard thunder

I recall whimpering and pleading to my dad that we go inside

he said

It's probably just a small thunderstorm, it's fine

which was wrong

because later that evening

honestly about an hour after

the rain came.

My parents and I

cooped up inside in our new house -

ignoring my dad, who was constantly walking out onto the porch, drenching himself in the process and scaring me as he watched the storm from where I couldn't reach him -

watching from the front window of the wind and rain terrorizing the neighborhood

small tornadoes appearing here and there

about as big as I was at the time

and then

like all summer storms

there is destruction.

A pine tree next to our neighbor's house fell down

broke a window

maybe some of the roof too?

Across the street

our other neighbor's willow tree lost a large cluster of branches

temporarily blocking the road.

In our yard

giant puddles

the cruddy gutter system "maintained" by the previous owners giving up

overflowing

puddles everywhere.

At some point our power went out

and we were glad that we had the excuse of Shabbat for having candles on hand and at the ready

and there was a brief half hour or so of basement bonding time

called for by my dad

a few folding chairs and flashlights

as we waited out the maybe-tornado-or-other-not-good-thing

I can't remember the specifics

but I remember that I spent that Friday night upstairs in my parent's bedroom

huddled together

me in the middle.

There was

and still is

a huge window facing the west

the shine of lightning flashing across it

the prodding light of 4:25 am when the sun comes up

basically, not a good room to sleep in.

The next morning

May 5th

Saturday

2018

my mom told me that if I wanted to go in the yard

I had to wear my bright pink rubber galoshes and not go in the yard

because there was a wire from the telephone poles draped across our front lawn

and puddles

everywhere

and it wasn't a problem for me

I loved my bright pink galoshes

I was scared of everything

(still am).

I don't remember much else that happened that day

but I remember it

I remember May 4th.