Читать книгу Over the Rainbow Into the Light - Mary Ann Olson - Страница 8

It was during the year of the ice storm…

Outside the house the wind whistled angrily throughout the night. Ice pellets pounded against the windows threatening to break the fragile glass.

Because of all the noise from the angry weather I barely slept a wink all night.

When morning finally arrived the worst was over and a frigid stillness settled in. I reluctantly dragged my tired form out of bed and got dressed for work.

“This was silly!” I said to myself. “Why hadn’t my boss called to tell me to stay home? Did he really think he was going to get any customers on a day such as this?”

Since there was no phone call telling me otherwise, I forced myself to get dressed and then, after donning my outer winter garments, I opened the door and stepped outside.

For a few minutes I stood on the covered porch and looked at the world around me surveying the results of the night’s winter storm. How could something so picturesque be so dangerous?

The limbs on the trees groaned from the weight of the ice. The ground was a sheet of frozen water.

I put my cell phone in my pocket. Work was only three blocks away and it would be absurd to call a cab for such a short distance.

Slowly I started down the sidewalk gingerly taking one small step after another. It took me a long time to progress a short distance.

When I finally reached the curb at the street crossing, I stopped to catch my breath.

Not a car or a person was anywhere in sight. The world seemed to be deserted.

A gnawing feeling deep in the pit of my stomach made me feel nauseous and a sense of paranoia washed over me followed by the distinct flavor of intuition that warned me to turn back. Experience from the past told me to heed this still voice from within so I retraced my steps.

I had only taken a few steps back when I heard a huge crack and loud explosion. Looking over my shoulder I saw that a huge part of a tree had separated from the weight of the ice and was now lying in the path that I would have taken. The ice from its limbs shattered like shards of glass.

I shuddered to think I had been only moments away from being seriously hurt or to put it bluntly, it could have been the end of my existence. Shaken, I returned to the safety of the covered porch.

This time the view from my temporary shelter took on a whole new meaning. The sun’s rays reflected mini rainbows from the ice particles as crystal lights glittered like diamonds everywhere you looked. It was breathtaking!

I decided to stay home that day and celebrate the extension of my life as it once again had been given to me. Besides, I had some things to do. Prayers of gratitude were on the top priority list of this glorious day.