Storm Tossed: A troubled woman finds peace with herself and God in the midst of life's storms. (17 page)

Good golly Molly, what a mess,
she thought
.
It looked like a bomb had gone off. She’d never seen anything like it in her life and she feared the worst for her neighbors. She went to Jim and Paula’s house first, yelling loudly for anyone, with no answer. She peeked through the broken kitchen window and shouted, “Hello?”

No one responded. She heard water gently lapping the cabinet shelves. Adelle wrinkled her nose, coughing. She could smell the mold and the mildew, just like at Rylie’s house. Adelle pulled her head back out, looking around, and noticed their canoe that had been tied near the house was now gone.

They apparently made it and left to get somewhere safer!
She thought, greatly relieved. She hadn’t noticed Paula’s and Janine’s bodies in the house, floating in the far corner of the kitchen, because they were partly submerged and hidden in the shadows.

Adelle stuck her head back in and shouted loudly again, just for good measure. Nobody answered. She walked around to the back of the house, staring at the pyramid of random household objects in what used to be the privacy fence’s right corner.

Everything was ruined and misplaced. It was eerily silent, as if she was in a ghost town. The hair on her neck stood up. She shivered, and started walking again, the dirty water soaking into her pink and black, ostrich skin boots.

I’m going to hate to have to throw away these here boots
, she thought. She’d bought them for $400 in Dallas, Texas, last year when she traveled there for a work conference. But they were plum ruined now.

But thank God all that rain had finally stopped and the sun was even beginning to peek out. She was counting her blessings.

Feeling hopeful they had taken their next door neighbor Rachel with them, but wanting to make sure, Adelle gingerly made her way to the Topsider home through the brackish, polluted water.

Good gravy, climbing all those stairs just to reach the front or back door,
she thought
.
But it was one of the only houses still standing. Jim’s and Paula’s house was mostly destroyed, with parts of it standing. It would have to be demolished, though.

What a shame, too,
Adelle thought.
They’ve lived here all their lives and went through those other hurricanes, practically unscathed. But this storm was a doozy.

She and Rylie should have evacuated. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her dead friend, and she stopped, sobbing loudly several minutes, grieving for her precious friend. She felt the nearness and comfort of the Holy Spirit, then kept walking to check on others. She knew that time was of the essence if Rachel had been hurt.

I have got to lose weight
, she thought, huffing as she climbed the stairs cautiously. She was worried the steps would give out and she’d go crashing to her death to the ground below.
A lot of good that would do my neighbors
, she thought.

She tested each step before putting her full weight on it. Miraculously, most of them weren’t broken and held her weight as she climbed Mount Never Rest.

Surely God and His angels were guarding this place
, she thought.
And Rylie’s house, protecting me.
Thank you, God
.

It was the only explanation for the miracle of why she was still alive, and other survivors in Destin. She knocked loudly on the door but didn’t wait, and pushed it as hard as she could. It wouldn’t budge.

She walked around to the den, took off her left cowboy boot and hit the window as hard as she could, closing her eyes. Nothing doing. It didn’t break as she planned. She put her boot back on, giving the window the evil eye.

What on earth am I thinking? These are hurricane proof windows, especially made to withstand storms!
Adelle chastened herself
.
How was she going to get into the house to check on Rachel?

She walked around to the side of the house and saw a large, broken window, big enough for her to get her big butt through.
Well, that one isn’t hurricane proof
.
Guess nothing is 100% guaranteed,
she thought, gleefully.

Thank God!
By God’s grace, it wasn’t a high window, and there was a picnic bench turned upside down nearby that she could use to get inside the beach house.
Now how did that picnic bench stay there?
She wondered.
Miracles of miracles.

Adelle turned the bench over, knowing it was God’s supernatural strength and grace helping her, because the thing was soaking wet and heavy as an elephant. She dragged it near the window, stood on it, and hoisted her leg over the window sill, as if mounting her beautiful brown Quarter Horse, Miss Spice.

The smell of mold and mildew was strong in this room. She quickly walked through the receding water to the stairs, noticing how a lot of the furniture was still amazingly intact, floating around aimlessly. A long, black dead snake lay near the staircase and she saw another one slithering into the downstairs bathroom. She wondered if there were others, but her philosophy was that if you didn’t bother snakes, they wouldn’t bother you.

“Hello?” she called up the steps. “Anyone home? Rachel, are you up there?”

Silence. She felt spooked being here for some reason, as if sensing evil presences. But there was a strong pull to go upstairs, as if God were directing her.

She began climbing the stairs, very carefully, hopping over the partially broken ones, not knowing if she’d fall through at any minute from rotten wood. She saw that several of the stairs were partly broken and she prayed fervently over each step she took. But she had to think of Rachel, not herself.

The stench of excrement from somewhere nearby was horrendous and the mosquitoes were eating her alive, but she kept on climbing until she reached the top of the stairs. The flies were awful, congregating under the ledge of the door to the right, where the smell of feces came so strongly.

She hesitated a moment at the other closed bedroom door. She was afraid of what she’d find after opening it. It had been three weeks since the hurricane. She didn’t want to look at another decomposed body. She knew she’d have nightmares the rest of her life from seeing Rylie’s. She shook the thought away like a spider’s cobweb, and prayed.

Dear God, please let Rachel be alive. Please help me to help her. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Suddenly Adelle felt the strong presence of the Lord all around her. She knew that this was a Divine appointment, that God had specifically sent her on this rescue mission. She wasn’t in Destin during the hurricane by accident. God Himself had sent her here, for such a time as this.

Adelle pushed the bedroom door open and it felt as if Heaven itself were in that room. A Holy Presence. It was almost frightening in its intensity, and yet absolutely glorious. Light was pouring into the room from the sun radiating forth through the dirty glass windows. Spiritual light, too. No darkness could hold back God’s light and Shekinah glory. The angel watched Adelle with great interest. The demons shrieked in defeat.

Adelle saw Rachel laying on the floor, near her vomit, pale and limp.

“Rachel!” Adelle cried, running to her and touching her tenderly, checking her swiftly for severe wounds and injuries. “Can you hear me? Do you hurt anywhere?”

Rachel looked into Adelle’s concerned hazel eyes. “Yes, I can hear you, Adelle. I want to go home,” she groaned softly.

Rachel looked out the window and saw in the now clear, blue sky a double rainbow. She gasped and turned to Adelle and Adelle smiled, nodding, saying, “Well, would you just look at that? A double rainbow! Ain’t that just the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”

Thank you, God,
Rachel prayed.
Thank you, Lord.
And then Rachel passed out.

Dr. Goddard and Autumn were working together at the outpatient clinic. Autumn was happy their next session were their hospital patients, Morgan and Kelly. They
had been staying at the women’s shelter, but were now getting ready to move into their own small house. They were leaving the shelter today. Kelly
was talking a mile a minute, excited to leave and be in their own, new pretty place.

Morgan was happy, too, and profusely thanked Autumn for her help in arranging their temporary stay at the women’s shelter, assisting her with applying for Medicaid and food stamps, and arranging a new job interview for her at a temp agency for receptionist work that paid $13 an hour.

“I’m really hoping I get it!” she said. “This would help us so much! I can’t wait to talk to my cousin Adelle again and tell her everything, after we get settled tonight at our new home!”

“Oh, she’s okay? She made it through the hurricane?” Autumn asked, looking up from her notes with interest. Any news about the area always immediately grabbed her attention. Dad was packing at home right now to get ready to drive to the airport for his flight there. He was determined to find his wife.

“Yes, it’s a miracle! The house where she was visiting was destroyed almost, and the woman who owned it died, which is so sad since she was one of Adelle’s closest childhood friends. Almost every home in that neighborhood was demolished! Just awful. Can you imagine how much it’s going to cost to rebuild? And so many people died! But after she got out of the house, Adelle, being her usual take-charge self, went and checked on everyone in the neighborhood. She had become friends with some of them this summer, doing bbq’s and stuff. When she went to check on one neighbor, Rachel, she found her alive in a room upstairs! She was a little worse for wear, but she survived three weeks and hadn’t had food for over a week or water for days! She got her to the hospital somehow with two police officers named Lance and Nick helping her. Together they carried her several blocks on a broken door to a clinic until a helicopter transported Rachel to the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center to treat her! Adelle called the hospital later to check on her and she’s doing good now! Isn’t that just an amazing story?”

“What? Her neighbor’s name was Rachel?” Autumn asked, her eyes growing enormous and goose bumps dotted her skin. “What was the woman’s last name, do you know? Her neighbor?”

“Um, let me see. Rachel, um, Rachel Long, yeah, that’s it. She’s a writer. From this area, actually, Adelle said. I don’t know what on earth the woman was doing in Florida. But I told Adelle that she’s a true-blue, living hero. Or heroine, actually. I’m so proud of her. But that’s just the kind of great person she is. Caring about others before herself. I just love her to pieces,” Morgan said, beaming, and Kelly, who was doodling on an art pad, agreed.

“Yeah, Auntie Delle is cool!” she said, smiling, her eyes shining at the story. Even Dr. Goddard’s eyebrow had raised and he seemed impressed. He turned to say something to Autumn, but she had excused herself and run out of the room to call her dad to tell him the miraculous news.

*******

Jackson was throwing a few things into his forest-green, roller board, trying to pack as light and quickly as possible, when his phone rang. Autumn had tried to call a little earlier, but he was showering and Faith was practicing on her piano the theme from Schindler’s List. He figured it was Autumn again and picked up, “This is Jackson Long.”

But no, it was Lance. “I’ve got some news, bud,” Lance said.

Jackson’s face drained of color and he felt sick, punched in the gut. It had been three weeks now. He knew the likelihood of Rachel being found, much less alive, was almost nil. He braced himself for the news he had been most dreading to hear since the hurricane hit.

“I found her. Or I mean, a neighbor found her and I found the neighbor and her, searching that area with my partner Nick. Rachel is okay, man. She’s alive. The neighbor, Adelle, Nick, and I carried her on a broken door almost three blocks to a clinic and a helicopter transported her to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. Dude, she’s okay. She’s doing good. She’s coming home to you and your family. Can you believe it?” Lance laughed in sheer joy at God’s goodness.

Jackson blinked, in shock. What?

Faith walked into the room then. “Who called, daddy? Was it Autumn?” She asked. She stared at him intently, noticing his pale face, and she gripped the door frame. “Is it about mom?” she asked, her voice breaking.

“Yes, honey, it’s Lance. Mom-your mother has been found. She’s alive. She’s okay. Your mom is coming home!”

He got up quickly, knowing that she would be in shock, too, and hugged her. They cried tears of joy together, praising God unashamedly for this miracle. He got the details from Lance, thanked him profusely, and then called the airlines to cancel his flight.

Tears flowed down his face.
Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus. God, thank you so much. Your mercy endures forever,
he prayed.

*******

The night nurse had turned down the lights for the patients to sleep. Ben waited until she left the room, then crawled into the hospital bed with Mandy. Her leg was going to be okay. She had a minor concussion.

“I know you don’t feel so hot,” he whispered in her ear, “but you look hot. Have you ever done it in a hospital bed before?”
Mandy giggled. “I can’t say that I have,” she said, kissing him. “I’m just so thankful we are both okay. Ben, do you know that God protected our very lives?”

“Yes,” he answered. “I just wish Andy—“and his voice broke. Andy had survived the hurricane, but his leg’s deep cut developed an infection and he had died shortly after being admitted to the hospital.

“I know, honey,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I know. Did your mom say when the memorial service is?”

“Not yet,” he said. A couple days from now. You should be discharged by then. Jim flew today to stay with his brother Phil for a while in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I got to say bye to him before lunch. He’s still broken up over Paula, but he’s a military man and he’s going to finish strong. They’re doing a memorial service later for her. He said to tell you he’ll see you around. He invited us to come there if we need a temporary place to stay. But I told him I got a new job and that we planned to just pack up and move to Daytona after you get out of here.”