T-Storm Turbulence
by Alan R. Wolcott
(Setting is school doorway. Thunderstorm has been raging—lightning, thunder crashing. Kids have been waiting for a ride. Travis has disappeared.)
- Amanda:
- (By herself, head cocked listing for thunder) 4..5..6..7..8. Did you hear that one, Travis? It couldn’t have been more than ¾ mile away! You could even hear the lightning sizzle. I wonder if it hit anything?...Travis? (Looking around and realizing he isn’t there.) Now, where did that “dilhauser” go? He’d better not have gone far, the bus should be here anytime now...(Goes back to counting)...2..3..4..
(Suddenly there’s a noise of loud music coming from behind a door. Amanda investigates, opens the door and looks in...)
- Amanda:
- (Shouts over din) Travis! What are you doing in there? Travis! Traaavis!
- Travis:
- (Comes out with fingers in ears...music stops). What? What do you want? (Keeps fingers in ears.)
- Amanda:
- (Pulls one finger out) What are you doing in there?
- Travis:
- You don’t have to yell at me, you know! I was jammin’, man. Don’t you recognize good Phishing when you hear it?
- Amanda:
- Right. But why were you in the broom closet?
- Travis:
- Unnh...(looks around a bit furtively)...it’s the acoustics. Tight space, those bristles resonate just like bass guitar...Want to hear it?...(sticks finger back in ear and heads for closet).
- Amanda:
- (Grabs Travis’ arm) Not so fast, Laser Brain. Do you want to miss the bus? Besides, I think you’re just scared of the storm.
- Travis:
- (Stops and turns around but keeps fingers in ears) Nah, but the lightning flashes give me migraines, kind of like staring at the sun...
- Amanda:
- (Rolling eyes and talking loudly) Right again! Maybe you could start something, “T-Storm Shades. Retinal protection wet or dry. Get yours today.” So why do you have your fingers in your ears, Bucko? It’s the thunder, isn’t it!
- Travis:
- What’d you say?
- Amanda:
- I used to be afraid of storms, too. The worst was one time when we were flying to see our grandparents and went right through a thundercloud. It was dark, the plane bumped all over, lightning flashed. I thought we’d land in little pieces.
- Travis:
- Sounds like only your brain did.
- Amanda:
- Funny! Eventually we climbed through it. On top, the sun was shining. I looked back out the window and saw something weird...the plane’s shadow.
- Travis:
- What’s so weird about that?
- Amanda:
- Well it was angled back against the clouds, but a rainbow completely encircled it. It was like our shadow, the plane was flying in a rainbow!
- Travis:
- That must have been cool. (Slowly drops hands).
- Amanda:
- Yeah, then I remembered something. In the Bible, God showed Noah a rainbow after the flood. He told Noah it would remind him of his promise never again to drown the whole world. But you know what that means?
- Travis:
- That there’s an ark instead of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
- Amanda:
- Travis! I think it means that when God sees a rainbow from up above where he is, he sees it whole—a complete circle, a kept promise.
- Travis:
- I get it. You like storms because after storms there’s a rainbow that reminds you God keeps his promises. Right? (She nods.) Well, there’s only one thing I like about them.
- Amanda:
- O yeah, what’s that?
- Travis:
- Worms. Afterward, there’s always enough on the sidewalk to make spaghetti, or go fishing.
- Amanda:
- (Makes face) Only you could turn this into Worm Theology, Travis.
- Together:
- “There’s the bus. Let’s go!” (exit).
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