Even at his age, a bad storm still bothered him and this one had bolted him up in bed. Inevitably though, his older sister would come to the rescue, even though they now lived in different states. 'It's only a noisy old storm and it'll pass soon,' he'd hear her whisper and almost feel her thin strong arms around him again. She had been brave, fearless in the face of danger. She had been his mother when their real mom was gone for awhile.
They had grown up modestly but had never really wanted for anything, except a father of course. His sister Kate had been 6 years older than him and she actually remembered their father before he had deserted them. His mother had never been the same afterward. Her job at the factory and her job at home took it's toll, took everything she had, all the energy and life there was to offer. Kate helped as much as she could even at a young age and half raised him as they both grew up. Mom had finally broke, broken both in spirit and in hope. She had started drinking heavily and suffering terrible headaches that would twist her face into somebody they didn't know. Somebody who would scream and throw things around the modest home. Somebody who would occasionally chase him and Kate into a corner or a hallway with Kate eventually acting as a human shield - sometimes paying for her bravery and sometimes dodging the storm.
The storms, that's what Kate had called the terrifying episodes. It was her way to deal with it and her way to explain it to me. The thunder would roll and the lightening would crash, but through it all Kate always shielded her baby brother, always protected and soothed him. It was something that he had never forgot and had always credited Kate with. Something he had always loved her even more for.
The lightening had been over for a bit, but when the last one crashed into his thoughts it made him jump, wide eyed and seeing something - somebody - terrible from 20 years ago. Then, as she always had, Kate whispered into his ear, 'It's alright......there......see?, It's over now. It's o.k......Just a noisy old storm'. His wife suddenly rolled restlessly away from him, saying something in her sleep. His eyes were still wide, but his heart and mind were much calmer. He also swore he could feel the comforting hug from those slender strong arms so long ago. As he got a phantom kiss on the forehead, and he promised himself to call Kate tomorrow, sleep came back to him. The last thing he heard before dropping off was a soft young voice, with a shaky little quiver to it, whispering 'It's alright........'
