I awoke to the pounding of rain falling on the ten roof of the front porch..it had been months since we had rain..the gardens were nothing other than a bunch of dried vegetables..the ground as if the dry earth had never seen any rain before..walking in the dry gardens there was nothing but dust on your heels..boy we needed this..and it was a welcomed relief to hear and actually see rain..we had not had a drop all summer there were eventually fines to those who did over use..but most all the town people tried to use the rationed water for only the necessities..
We were on our fourth day of rain and although it never did seem to let up we could see that with the ground as dry as a bone it was becoming a little saturated..but still we did not think to much about all this..we were almost sure dry as the grounds were the rain would eventually go deeper..and too.. forecasts were stateing by tonight or early morning..the rain would be subsideing..
Day seven..the rain has never let up at all..and now the overflows down town are full..and while driving there is a back splash still those out of the low areas seems to have not that much concern since on occasion the forecasts are still about the same.. some rain but no one has said there is any danger..weather to be clearing up although this had not happened yet..I feel a concern that inner feeling that things are to become worse..but who am I..not a weather person by any means..
Now it has become standard the rain daily..this has been going on over a week and the first floor of the house is just about full..there is no place for the water to go but up..My hubby "Steve" has taken some of the existential thing and brought them to the second floor before this ever became this bad foresight is sure better than no sight ..and although we thought it would never come to this we both are so worried now..he had brought the rubber raft in case and before the water became so high and dangerous we would laugh about having to use the little raft..now it is not a laughing matter at all..and this is an alarming situation to think about..the microwave and canned goods are here..and our lovable cat Lewis is here..and only ventures to the window to seek the change by looking out..the house looks as though it is surrounded by a private lake and we are the only ones around..being on a high nole it has been a little safer..but there again how long will this continue..I worry more now hour by hour..you can hear the torrents of water down below..will the house stand all this..
The next morning when I looked out the window it seemed higher..and Steve was standing by the window with a forlorn look on his face..I had finally drifted off and did not rest well at all going in and out of sleep hearing the sound of water rushing no where and every where..the stress and strain of the becoming problem was all that was on my mind..and with crying and praying I felt that God would do what was best on our behalf..but we had to do something for ourselves as well..we did have a cell phone and tried to keep in touch with family members and they in turn always boosting our spirits high..Now my main concern was for us.. my parents who had left days ago with the foreseen problems and tried to get us to go were encourageing but there was the worry you could hear in their voices..
Today was the do or die question..would we try to get out before the water filled the second floor..or shall we wait for help..not knowing what to do we choose the first decision..crawling onto the window ledge..Steve said he would throw the raft in the water it was high enough now to where you did not have to jump far.. and with the rope connected to the raft..I tied the end to the bed leg..he would jump into the raft and wait until I did the same..he would be right there..when I was in the raft he would cut the thin twine rope with his pocket knife and we would be on our way.. we had it all figured out..with water coming now into the second floor level we could not put our decision off any longer..it would not take long for the water to rise..and we had to do something NOW...
I gathered up Lewis..and Steve jumped out the window..landing into the raft..I threw him the water bottles..there were only two left now..and a sack of assorted canned goods..there were two heavy blankets which were at the foot of the bed and running to get them pitched them out the window..who knew when we would be rescued...Lewis my cat was not to inclined to be thrown to the bowels of the drifting raft..and after much ado..I did finally get him into a pillow case off the bed..and knotting it at the top throw Lewis to Steve..he catching the pillow case with the first catch..and was now waiting for me..as I was ready to jump I heard something was it water..no it was a creaking sound..it was the house..it could not stand the strain and pressure of water..I had to jump and now..no waiting..I headed for the window..and as I balanced to go through the window I turned to take a last glance as I saw the water rushing in..we sure would have to get out of here with the rageing water..the house was caving in..as I jumped towards the raft I slipped right beside the bobbing raft..Steve grabbed me as I fell by..just before going under..the water was cold and deep..all I could think of was get into the raft..helping me in the little boat..he was saying in a nervous voice.. everything is alright..everything will be fine...!! Would it??
By Kyusha©™1999