(copyright 2002 Camille LaGuire, all rights reserved)
When Lysette woke up, she just knew the storm had changed direction. She knew it before she turned the TV on, and watched the satellite photos tracking it as it curled around the tip of Florida. It was like a huge, unstoppable freight train, headed straight for King.
"I could ride him there, if I started now," said Lysette.
"Honey, it's forty miles," said Momma.
They watched TV while they had breakfast. There wasn't much news coming out of Florida yet. The map showed the storm starting to move west again, toward Texas and Mexico, and the weather man said there were wind gusts well over 150 miles and hour. He also said that the warm water of the Gulf would give it more strength.
"While I'm at work, you need to get ready, just in case," said Momma. She stood up and put her dishes in the sink. "Pack a suitcase, and fill all those milk jugs in the shed with water, and put all the canned and boxed food you can find into a box."
"Okay," said Lysette quietly.
"And this afternoon, if you've done all that, watch TV and see if it's coming this way, and if it is, start moving bales of straw into the house. Put them in the living room, up against the outside wall...."
"Why?" Lysette stared at her mother. What difference would straw make?
"Because if we have to leave here, King is coming in the house. It's more solid than that shed, and...."
Lysette nearly knocked her mother over with a flying hug.
"Thank you, Momma!"
Momma waited a minute before going on. "It may not save him," she said. "If it hits here, this house may go too."
"I know, but it's better than nothing."
"Yeah. Better than nothing."
Momma left for work and Lysette ran out to feed King. He went after his grain like there was nothing else in the world as important. She picked up his curry comb and groomed him while he ate. She did not have much time, but maybe she would never have another chance. She brushed his neck, and knocked flies away from his ears. Then she finally forced herself away, and went to work.
She left both the TV and the radio on all day, hoping to hear good news. There wasn't much yet at all. The storm was still blowing over Florida. Even so, the local news people were saying that anybody should evacuate if they could, just in case.
By noon she had her suitcase packed, two full boxes of food, and a kitchen full of jugs of water. She sat down to watch the noon news.
The first thing they showed was a smashed house. At least, Lysette thought it was a house. It looked like a pile of litter. Then the camera swung around, and all she saw was litter. No houses. Just litter. People were crying and hugging each other. The reporter said that the place was once a subdivision, where there were hundreds of houses. Then they showed a helicopter shot. The camera skimmed over what seemed like miles and miles of flat trash. You could see some roads, but hardly anything at all left. Trees, telephone poles, even a steel lamppost was twisted right off at the bottom.
No horse could live through that.
"It will probably gain strength over the Gulf...," said the weather announcer.
Lysette's heart seemed to stop in her chest. How many horses were dead? How many people? She could hardly hear what the announcer was saying. She shook her head.
"....probably headed for Louisiana."
The phone rang. Lysette grabbed the receiver, her attention still on the TV. As she put the phone to her ear, she heard her mother's voice, speaking quietly, almost as though she were mad.
"Get ready," she said. "You are riding him to Uncle Jeb's."
Momma had been watching the same pictures on the TV at work. Her boss had decided to let everyone go home early.
"Make sure the gear is all ready, but don't saddle him until I get there," she ordered. "You find yourself some clothes to protect you from the sun, because it won't get cloudy until at least tonight...."
Momma rattled off a few more orders, and then hung up. Lysette hardly heard. They were going to save King. That's all that mattered.
* * *
Momma had it all worked out by the time she got home. She had a map and everything. They'd stick to the back roads as far as they could, Lysette riding, and Momma following along in the car with feed, water, and anything else she could fit in the tiny blue car.
"We shouldn't have a problem until that stretch of highway just before we get there," said Momma, pointing things out on the map. "We'll get as far as we can today, so we can take it slow and easy there tomorrow."
"Where are we going to sleep?"
"There are farms along in here. We should be able to find a place to camp."
Lysette was nervous about that. King had never been tied all night before, except in a stall.
"Do you think it'll get stormy tonight?"
"It's not supposed to." Momma looked like she was starting to have doubts. She shook herself and started checking over the tack. "Now don't ride him too fast in this heat. We've got plenty of time, and you watch for traffic. You'd better ride on the left side of the road, so you can see it coming...."
"I know, Momma. This isn't the first time I've ridden him on the road."
"Well, I know, but I'm nervous, and a mother has got to nag her children when she's nervous."
They grinned at each other for a minute, then they looked at the map one more time.
"If you get to this crossroad here before I catch up with you, wait for me there. In the shade."
"What if there isn't any shade?"
"Wait in the nearest shade where I can see you. Go back a little, I guess. I'll be watching for you the whole way. Just don't go ahead any further, because one of us could get lost."
"Both of us, maybe."
"Don't even think that."
That would be awful, both of them lost on the back roads, with no shelter in a hurricane.
"I won't," said Lysette, with a shudder. Momma gave her a hug, and she swung up in the saddle. "I'll meet you at the crossroads!"
She urged King on. He caught her excitement and broke into a lope.
"Not so fast!" called Momma.
Lysette reined him back to a fast jog. She would let him trot a bit, just to warm up and calm down.
The road was familiar. Lysette rode down it nearly every day. There were some great trails on state land a little further on, and the road itself did not get much traffic. Great for riding. Lysette looked up and scanned the sky. It was blue and only a few high clouds seemed to ride along the wind. There was not much wind. Would the storm miss them? Weather forecasts were always wrong. Lysette began to feel less worried. This might just turn out to be a fun overnight trail ride.