Stormy Weather

School's been out for The Boy since last Wednesday. He's been in non-stop party mode for over a week. Every time I see him, I ask, Do you still live with us?

Last night, he went to Curly's for another sleepover. So this morning, The Man and I borrowed the girl next door to play parents for a bit. No, it's because Girl's mom had appointments and asked if she could stay with us for the morning.

While we tended to our phone calls, e-mails and scheduling, Girl sat in a corner of the living room with her headset on, listening to her music and reading her book. She was quiet as a mouse.

Then we took Girl with us to meet my mother for lunch. After that, we went back to mom's to look through her paint supplies to see what else is needed before I take on the job of painting her basement. The Man and I decided to walk to a furniture store near her house to look around. So all four of us trooped out.

The sky became just a little cloudy and the wind picked up. For that reason, The Man handed Girl the car umbrella to hold. While inside the furniture store, the sky darkened and began a steady hosing of the ground. Not thinking much of it, we stepped out of the store to come home. No more than five steps later, thunder boomed, lightning clapped and the sky split open, pouring sheets of rain straight down.

Our umbrella went up immediately and the four of us - a middle-aged couple, a short senior citizen, and skinny 11-year-old Girl - huddled under it, exclaiming about the sudden and torrential nature of the rain, and noted it was not exactly rain that was coming down. It was hail - little pellets of ice that smattered to the ground and stayed ice.

Eight feet shuffled in uneven strides under the umbrella built for one, trying to head in the same direction, trying to not get wet and not trip each other. It was a futile effort. We hardly seemed able to move at all.

As we rounded a corner, we deeked into an alcove. Where did this opening in the wall come from? I've walked by this wall hundreds of times and have never noticed the alcove, a perfect piece of invisible shelter for a homeless person. Standing there with the umbrella as our awning, we expressed more admiration for the hail and rain that poured and poured, and how we could not see far in front of us.

The Man decided he would go get the car to pick us up. Girl wanted to go with him. This is an intersection in the city that is often home to the crazed, the homeless, prostitutes and drug addicts. So there mom and I stood, tucked in the wall, part of their streetscape as the rain beat around us. Mom said hello to two neighbours who went by.

The Man finally came around with the car. Girl came out with the umbrella to escort each of us into the car. We all got soaked anyway and Girl said she was cold. So I turned on the heat and told her she was a rescue ranger.

When Girl got home, she gave her mom the lunch we saved and related excitedly about her adventure and how pivotal she was in getting everyone into the car. Yeah, I think she'll remember us when she's a mom and tell her children of the day it hailed and what she did with Sylph and The Man that day.