I sat watching the candles flickering from the oft stiff breezes coming in through the partially open windows on the rear wall of my great room.
The massive generators, housed up near the entrance to the compound in their own building were keeping primary power on up to about a maximum of 70%-80%, and were working steadily. But this whole part of the State of Missouri had actually been without electricity for 2 1/2 to 3 days and some places even longer to the west of us...because of the seemingly relentless summer storms recently. I know I was getting damn sick of the Mother Nature dog and lightning show she had been treating us to most of the summer.
As I sat, I could hear the winds picking up again as I sat near but not right next to the giant 2 & 3-story tall window-wall which traverses a fair amount of the rear of this huge house. Normally it gives us a nearly perfect breathtaking view of the mighty Mississippi River traveling north and south...and across to the east on the other side of the river. I could still not see any lights there either and there hadn't been, as I said, for a couple of days.
Boat traffic seemed to have been suspended for the most part and I couldn't blame anyone who didn't want to be caught out there in the midst of one of the worst thunderstorms 'roun' these parts in more than six decades, or so I had read.
Tonight however, no panorama and not even close. It was more like a view of a small portion of my rear deck and nothing more. Fog and rain and early dead of night had sealed me off from the rest of the world. Land lines and cell phone services were hit and miss and mostly miss.
******
I sat looking out at the stormy scene and wished this whole weather system would MOVE ON...and so I am sure did most of the southern half of the State of Missouri, but there is NO telling Mother Nature what to do...
GOD KNOWS I'VE TRIED.
"Bit jumpy tonight, Bear?" Rose asked as I
jumped.
I was blushing crimson I am sure.
"Something like that."
Suddenly a sharp crack of thunder and then lightning disturbed the night even worse than it had been doing...and I jumped about a foot in my chair, just as Rose and Feelie walked into the room.
"It's ok, Bear. We're all on edge. Damn storms," Rose offered...
grinning a bit but not wholeheartedly
I noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hawney? Rico home yet?" Feelie asked.
"NO!" I said a bit more forcefully and louder than I had meant to...but in my current state of mind, it's a wonder I didn't scream and run from the room foaming at the mouth.
"Oh," Rose replied...and from the look on both their faces, I suspected they were now convinced I needed to be 'LOOKED AFTAH' for the remainder of the evening. Not that they weren't going to do that anyway, mind you. When it comes to mothering, these two wrote the book. Book being for Rose a cookbook of course, and for Feelie something Arts & Craftsie...and I was not inclined to be ready for either at the moment.
Just then my cell went off and upon looking I saw it was Rico. I took the call.
"Bearski? You ok baby?"
"Yeh, where are you? You coming home?"
I said while trying desperately to sound normal.
YEH RIGHT!
"Yeh, just closing down. Be there in a bit."
"Ok, Kewl." Trying to appear for all the world as if I was at this moment normal, casual. I suspected I wasn't fooling him one little bit. I never do. Damn Boo. He has had MY number from day one.
"Bearski?"
"Yeh?"
"Be ok, baby...Be ok. I be home in a few minutes" and with that he was gone.
I was right. He did know I was uneasy, and I sensed he knew why too...and the storms had little to do with it.
Dustybear's Place, our mega-bookstore, had had gangbuster business of late and I suspected along with a dramatic increase in sexual activity, it was due to the lack of electricity. No electric, no TV. No TV, baby boom. I have no doubt the baby book department will be going strong in about nine months. Course if you are gay, old, or just a pervert...
Fortunately due to the massive generating equipment which serves the entire RiverFront Commons complex, we were doing just fine power-wise and that also meant air conditioning. So we were all the rage these days. LOL. Storms of summer bring thunder and lightning and HUMIDITY and HEAT. Rain too which never seems to really alleviate any of that.
I sat for a minute looking at my cell, as if I could conjure up Rico just by staring at it, but alas no such luck.
"I be home in a few minutes," he had told me and with that he was gone.
I hoped so. I really needed him, and I think he knew it too..with the instincts that boy has. Must be an Italian/Sicilian thing.
At any rate he was homeward bound and I was already here...and I didn't envy him the trip home even if it is only a couple miles down our private road from RiverFront Commons. He I knew was parked in the attached garage to our store, and of course here at home our garages are enclosed and attached to the houses so he wouldn't have to actually be OUT IN IT at all. But, I worry. It's my job.
The chimes from the big Grandfather clock in the main hall started in on their hourly rant and I jumped in my seat again. Bad. I looked over at Feelie & Rose and they just grinned back. Varmits. But, I sensed they might have jumped in their seats a bit too.
For now, there was nothing to do but wait for Rico, Kip & Doug, and Johnny & J.R., and God knows who else wouldn't want to spend this night alone in their own houses. We are funny like that this group.
I sat thinking, always my downfall, about my neck hairs and while that might indicate either a warped sense of boredom or humor...for me it is always a harbinger. Not usually a big deal and not always neck hairs. For Tess it is her toes. Go figure. But often for me it is a harbinger of death or extreme danger...and it always roils me. Makes me jumpy and very very uneasy. It had started this time for me yesterday, and as usual it just keeps getting worse until...whatever it is I have been sensing appears full bore. Homicide victim, cake fallen, lost child in the nursery section...
I never know WHAT is coming, just that SOMETHING is and my life-partner and hero Rico has gotten really good at sensing when I am starting into one of these harbinger periods. He gets really attuned and sometimes (quite often actually) he sees the culprit before I do. He always tries to protect me of course, with sometimes amusing and sometimes disastrous consequences...but it IS fun
to see him try. Love of my life.
I wind up saying what it is that is coming and he tries to prevent it. AND, that as they say is not always a good thingy. LOL.
CHAPTER II - CLICK HERE
The massive generators, housed up near the entrance to the compound in their own building were keeping primary power on up to about a maximum of 70%-80%, and were working steadily. But this whole part of the State of Missouri had actually been without electricity for 2 1/2 to 3 days and some places even longer to the west of us...because of the seemingly relentless summer storms recently. I know I was getting damn sick of the Mother Nature dog and lightning show she had been treating us to most of the summer.
As I sat, I could hear the winds picking up again as I sat near but not right next to the giant 2 & 3-story tall window-wall which traverses a fair amount of the rear of this huge house. Normally it gives us a nearly perfect breathtaking view of the mighty Mississippi River traveling north and south...and across to the east on the other side of the river. I could still not see any lights there either and there hadn't been, as I said, for a couple of days.
Boat traffic seemed to have been suspended for the most part and I couldn't blame anyone who didn't want to be caught out there in the midst of one of the worst thunderstorms 'roun' these parts in more than six decades, or so I had read.
Tonight however, no panorama and not even close. It was more like a view of a small portion of my rear deck and nothing more. Fog and rain and early dead of night had sealed me off from the rest of the world. Land lines and cell phone services were hit and miss and mostly miss.
******
I sat looking out at the stormy scene and wished this whole weather system would MOVE ON...and so I am sure did most of the southern half of the State of Missouri, but there is NO telling Mother Nature what to do...
GOD KNOWS I'VE TRIED.
"Bit jumpy tonight, Bear?" Rose asked as I
jumped.
I was blushing crimson I am sure.
"Something like that."
Suddenly a sharp crack of thunder and then lightning disturbed the night even worse than it had been doing...and I jumped about a foot in my chair, just as Rose and Feelie walked into the room.
"It's ok, Bear. We're all on edge. Damn storms," Rose offered...
grinning a bit but not wholeheartedly
I noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hawney? Rico home yet?" Feelie asked.
"NO!" I said a bit more forcefully and louder than I had meant to...but in my current state of mind, it's a wonder I didn't scream and run from the room foaming at the mouth.
"Oh," Rose replied...and from the look on both their faces, I suspected they were now convinced I needed to be 'LOOKED AFTAH' for the remainder of the evening. Not that they weren't going to do that anyway, mind you. When it comes to mothering, these two wrote the book. Book being for Rose a cookbook of course, and for Feelie something Arts & Craftsie...and I was not inclined to be ready for either at the moment.
Just then my cell went off and upon looking I saw it was Rico. I took the call.
"Bearski? You ok baby?"
"Yeh, where are you? You coming home?"
I said while trying desperately to sound normal.
YEH RIGHT!
"Yeh, just closing down. Be there in a bit."
"Ok, Kewl." Trying to appear for all the world as if I was at this moment normal, casual. I suspected I wasn't fooling him one little bit. I never do. Damn Boo. He has had MY number from day one.
"Bearski?"
"Yeh?"
"Be ok, baby...Be ok. I be home in a few minutes" and with that he was gone.
I was right. He did know I was uneasy, and I sensed he knew why too...and the storms had little to do with it.
Dustybear's Place, our mega-bookstore, had had gangbuster business of late and I suspected along with a dramatic increase in sexual activity, it was due to the lack of electricity. No electric, no TV. No TV, baby boom. I have no doubt the baby book department will be going strong in about nine months. Course if you are gay, old, or just a pervert...
Fortunately due to the massive generating equipment which serves the entire RiverFront Commons complex, we were doing just fine power-wise and that also meant air conditioning. So we were all the rage these days. LOL. Storms of summer bring thunder and lightning and HUMIDITY and HEAT. Rain too which never seems to really alleviate any of that.
I sat for a minute looking at my cell, as if I could conjure up Rico just by staring at it, but alas no such luck.
"I be home in a few minutes," he had told me and with that he was gone.
I hoped so. I really needed him, and I think he knew it too..with the instincts that boy has. Must be an Italian/Sicilian thing.
At any rate he was homeward bound and I was already here...and I didn't envy him the trip home even if it is only a couple miles down our private road from RiverFront Commons. He I knew was parked in the attached garage to our store, and of course here at home our garages are enclosed and attached to the houses so he wouldn't have to actually be OUT IN IT at all. But, I worry. It's my job.
The chimes from the big Grandfather clock in the main hall started in on their hourly rant and I jumped in my seat again. Bad. I looked over at Feelie & Rose and they just grinned back. Varmits. But, I sensed they might have jumped in their seats a bit too.
For now, there was nothing to do but wait for Rico, Kip & Doug, and Johnny & J.R., and God knows who else wouldn't want to spend this night alone in their own houses. We are funny like that this group.
I sat thinking, always my downfall, about my neck hairs and while that might indicate either a warped sense of boredom or humor...for me it is always a harbinger. Not usually a big deal and not always neck hairs. For Tess it is her toes. Go figure. But often for me it is a harbinger of death or extreme danger...and it always roils me. Makes me jumpy and very very uneasy. It had started this time for me yesterday, and as usual it just keeps getting worse until...whatever it is I have been sensing appears full bore. Homicide victim, cake fallen, lost child in the nursery section...
I never know WHAT is coming, just that SOMETHING is and my life-partner and hero Rico has gotten really good at sensing when I am starting into one of these harbinger periods. He gets really attuned and sometimes (quite often actually) he sees the culprit before I do. He always tries to protect me of course, with sometimes amusing and sometimes disastrous consequences...but it IS fun
to see him try. Love of my life.
I wind up saying what it is that is coming and he tries to prevent it. AND, that as they say is not always a good thingy. LOL.
CHAPTER II - CLICK HERE
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