Holiday hurricane

Chapter 8

The family proceeded up the steps and Linda's father jiggled the handle to the door that let them back into the house. It creaked open and they were all utterly shocked at what lay in front of them. The roof had collapsed and was now sprawled out on the lawn. All of the items that were in the house before the hurricane were swept away by the wind or buried under a heap of rubbish.

The walls had caved in and now laid at their feet. They were smashed and nothing had any resemblance of s house besides the pieces of the frame dangling from the cement on the ground. Linda and her relatives scurried over to the piles of dirt and dust attempting to salvage any kind of trinket or gadget that would lift their spirits. Nothing was found except an old watch and a shattered picture frame. Inside it was a family portrait.

Her mother had gone to a professional photography place to have a portrait taken and they all had to look their best. Linda's father was wearing a blue button up shirt and tan pants. Her mother sported a long, flowy skirt that was cream colored paired with a blue blouse that matched her husband's shirt. Linda and Kayla both grudgingly wore matching blue dresses that reached the floor and had enough lace on it to weigh them down drastically.

Looking at the picture, Linda remembered how itchy her dress was and how much her mom struggled to get the perfect picture.

The salvaged goods are put in a box in the basement and everyone started packing up their belongings and putting them in their cars which they had now moved to the front of the ruins. The basement was clean but the house was still holding an issue. Where were her parents going to stay until they find a house?

"Mom, where will you guys live now that the house is ruined?" Linda asked. "I'm not sure honey. There aren't many hotels out here in the country but I'm sure we will find some place to go." Her mother said, sighing. They called for a family meeting because none of them wanted anyone to go without a house. Ideas were spread such as pitching in for a house, letting them sleep in the basement, and renting them a room at an old farm house.

Then an idea popped up. Kayla excitedly spoke,"what if they come home with one of us? They could eventually go back to California but until then they will be safe and under our protection". Everyone seemed to agree so the next question was simple:who are they going to stay with? The grandparents were too old and the aunt and uncle lived in a small apartment. It was between Linda and Kayla. Finally, a decision was made.

Linda lived by herself in the city and would be at work most of the time. However, Kayla had two boys running around that she had to take care of and it would be too much for the parents to handle. This was how the family decided that Linda would be taking her parents home.

Quickly, she called Chase and explained to him her estimated time of arrival. She also explained to her parents how when she got home, she would be going out on a date. The family members were all going to leave at 9 o'clock sharp and it was 8:30 now. They scrambled to pack up the rest of their belongings and said their goodbyes to each other through long hugs.

At around 8:50 everyone was in their cars and ready to split apart again until they saw each other next year. As Linda drove back down the road with her parents in the back seat, all she could think about was " wow, what a crazy holiday I have had this year!"