Summary:\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Prequel.\u00a0 Written for March 2019 Chaps & Spurs.<\/p>\n
Rated:\u00a0 K+\u00a0\u00a0 WC\u00a0\u00a0 1700<\/p>\n
\u00a0Mother Nature’s Blessing<\/strong><\/p>\n It was an early spring day in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Despite being at such a high elevation, the temperature was unseasonably warm.<\/p>\n It was the Cartwright\u2019s first spring in their new home. So much had changed in their lives over the course of the past year. A new home, new surroundings, and a new wife and mother to Ben and the boys. It had been a challenging time and tensions had been high. They were positively certain there was no way they could handle any more changes. Unfortunately, their strength and perseverance were going to be tested one more time.<\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Marie sat sewing on the porch of their small house enjoying the warm spring air. Ben, Adam, and Hoss were outside as well taking advantage the nice weather to catch up on various chores that had been neglected over the winter. Finishing up in the barn and needing a break, Ben walked over to the porch. He took a seat next to his wife while silently looking over the land what he now called home. The wind was whistling through the tall Ponderosa pine trees and the sun was gently shining down on the ground. Everything was so peaceful. Who couldn\u2019t love this land?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a fine day to be outside. If the nights weren\u2019t so chilly, I\u2019d be half tempted to sleep out here. I wonder if spring is always like this?\u201d It was more of a thought he spoke out loud, so he didn\u2019t expect an answer.<\/p>\n His wife, still focusing on her sewing, answered anyway. \u201cHmm. I am not sure. This wind is driving me crazy though. I cannot sew a straight line when the cloth keeps moving!\u201d In her temper, she quickly and adamantly set her sewing down in her lap, clearly frustrated.<\/p>\n Ben leaned over and softly stroked her cheek, replying in a calm tone, \u201cIt\u2019ll be alright. Perhaps you should finish up inside. The boys and I are almost done out here anyway.\u201d While they were talking, the sky had quickly changed. It went from fluffy cumulus clouds to clouds that looked like cauliflower to dark angry clouds in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n Ben frowned at the sky. \u201cActually, moving inside is probably for the best. I don\u2019t like the look of those clouds. They look just like some of the ones I\u2019ve seen in the past when I was a sailor out on the sea. From what I remember, they never brought good weather.\u201d<\/p>\n No sooner had he said that, then the weather had rapidly turned for the worst. There was a chilling silence in the wind that had been whipping all day and the sky had changed to an unnatural color. Then he heard the faint roar in the distance. Looking up through the trees he could see it: a thick wedge tornado coming down from the sky. It was still off in the distance, but from what he could observe it was headed straight for their homestead.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, it\u2019s a tornado! We need to head to the tiny root cellar! I\u2019ll grab the boys and meet you there! Quickly now!\u201d<\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Just barely reaching the root cellar in time, the four of them huddled together. It was very cramped in the little space and Ben was a little thankful his family wasn\u2019t any bigger as there might not have been room for all of them. No one could move in that tiny space. Not that they wanted to. They were all petrified with fear. Besides the soft sobs heard coming from six-year-old Hoss, the rest of the family just sat there in silence hoping and praying it would be over soon. The wind could be heard howling outside and the flimsy cellar doors were rattling. Ben was certain they would give out any moment. Sounds of things breaking and snapping could be heard outside. Then as quickly as it began, all was quiet.<\/p>\n Unsure if the storm was actually over or if it was just a lull in the storm, Ben offered to take a look outside. Slowly opening up the cellar door, he stuck his head out. It looked like a massacre. Where a tall pine forest once stood, was a clearing with logs laying in every direction. A pile of wood and other unrecognizable items lay where their house once stood. The barn was gone as well. Thankfully, the horses had been out grazing in the far pasture and the few chickens they owned somehow miraculously survived. Still, all their hard work that took them months to build was destroyed in an instant.<\/p>\n Marie and the boys slowly had made their way out of the cellar, joining Ben who was just staring at the damage. Marie gently put her hand on her husband\u2019s shoulder. \u201cWe will rebuild, mon cher<\/em>. It will take time, but it is all replaceable. We have each other and that is what is important now.\u201d<\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Before Ben could appropriately assess the damage, strangers started arriving at their homestead. It was citizens from the nearby settlement who had already heard about the devastating tornado. Ben was caught off guard. He was used to doing things on his own, without help. But he now lived in the west. That wasn\u2019t how it was out here. Neighbors helped neighbors, regardless of who you were, where you were from, or if they even knew you.<\/p>\n Being new in the community, Ben recognized very few of the people who showed up. One man, who appeared to be the leader of the group, came up to Ben. Shaking each other\u2019s hands, he introduced himself as the sheriff of the town. \u201cI\u2019m deeply sorry for the tremendous loss you have experienced. Is your family all safe and uninjured?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes. We\u2019re all alright. It\u2019s just a bit of shock seeing everything we worked for wiped clean away. It\u2019s as if it never even happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can only imagine your shock and confusion. Please know that you have future friends here in this community. We will help you rebuild.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben was grateful for the offer. \u201cI\u2019ve seen tornadoes before out on the prairie when we were traveling west. I just never thought tornadoes were possible in mountains. It just doesn\u2019t seem like the right environment for them to develop so I figured it could never happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, they are more common than people think. Although, normally they aren\u2019t nearly as devastating as this one. Many new residents think the same way as you. It\u2019s an oversight that people often have to find out the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there no way to predict them?\u201d Ben was determined not to have this happen again to his family. If there was a way to prevent it from happening or at the very least prepare for the future, he was going to find it.<\/p>\n Shaking his head sadly, the sheriff responded, \u201cNot yet. Maybe sometime in the future, though. There have been some great strides recently in the prediction of weather. There is a man by the name of Elias Loomis who is currently studying the theory of how tornadoes form. He has already made some noteworthy contributions to the subject by observing changes in wind, temperature, and air pressure. I firmly believe one day scientists will not only be able to predict the future weather, but also predict tornadoes by noticing patterns in the atmosphere. For now, all we can do is prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben thought about what the sheriff told him. So much was changing so quickly in the field of science. He couldn\u2019t imagine one day being able to predict that which seemed unpredictable. Though, he had seen even more absurd things happen in his life. He couldn\u2019t think of any words in response to what the sheriff just told him. As far as he was concerned there wasn\u2019t any words to convey both his doubt and optimism at the same time. Instead, he just gave a quick and respectable nod of approval before moving off to go join his family.<\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n As the process of reconstruction began, Ben sat at his temporary desk, sketching a new design to their future house. Marie wandered over to where Ben was sitting. Standing behind him, she just stared at the plans, trying to comprehend them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks so much bigger than the house we had before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly slightly. One big change is that I want to make sure we include a proper cellar in the new house. We need to be prepared if another tornado decides to visit us. Plus, we could use the extra storage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLooks good, my love. Plus, with the extra space we will be able to store enough items to make it through these long winters. We almost ran out of food during that last blizzard.\u201d Continuing to look at the plans, Marie is silently counting something before stating, \u201cMay I ask one question about the plans and possibly make a suggestion?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly. It\u2019s still early enough in the building stage that we can still make a change if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere looks like there is four bedrooms here. That is more than we had before.\u201d She looked questionably up at Ben.<\/p>\n Ben nodded. \u201cYes, one for us, one for Adam, and one for Hoss. I thought we may need an extra bedroom for visitors as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Returning her gaze to the plans, Marie responded, \u201cWise choice on the guest room.\u201d She briefly hesitated before continuing, \u201cYou may want to include another extra bedroom in the plans, though. We will need it in about eight months.\u201d She let the statement sink in before looking up from the plans at Ben.<\/p>\n Ben, confused at first by the odd suggestion, suddenly had a giant smile on his face as he realized what the statement meant. Standing up, he pulled Marie into a hug. \u201cA baby? Really? I\u2019m so happy for you, for us! That tornado was a bit of a blessing in disguise. We can now design our home to better fit our growing family.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie leaned into Ben\u2019s hug and rested her head on his shoulder. \u201cSometimes Mother Nature has a funny way of providing what we truly need.\u201d Ben couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n