Chapter 6: Scary Moments

We decided to turn in earlier. Not only were we tired from our long busy weekend, but the next day was the beginning of my very first civilian job and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Moreover, Susie insisted on leaving the house with me despite having to wait around for nearly thirty minutes before her friends arrived. She said she would use the time to study and review the lessons for the day. I agreed when she told me she could sit outside the door to the principal’s office.

I left the door to my room open to be able to hear my brother arriving, although it didn’t look like he was returning that night. I dozed off thinking about the possible things I had to do as a custodian of a school full of loud kids and a red head chasing after me down the hallways.

Around midnight, I was jolted awake by a loud clash of thunder. I sprang out of bed thinking it was a cannon that had gone off nearby. There was a flash of lightning that lit up the room, followed immediately by a louder boom than before. It vibrated throughout the whole house, making it shake. I went to the window to see the rain come down, pummeling the ground below. It sounded like a thousand drumbeats. I was glad and confident the grass seed we had sown on the lawn and in the back yard would germinate nicely. Another flash of lightning lit up the night with the fury of nature gone insane; a loud thunder rumbled, rattling the window. I pulled the shade and, as I turned to go back to bed, I saw Susie standing by the door holding her stuffed dog.

“Can I stay with you awhile?” she sounded frightened.

“Sure, come on over,” I said holding open the covers for her to lie down.

Lightning struck again followed by thunder and, although it was farther away, Susie curled up next to me seeking the protection of my arms with her stuffed doggy tucked in between us.

“Shhh...” I tried to calm her. “Everything is OK. You can sleep now.”

I gave her a kiss on her forehead and in an instant she was sound asleep her breathing slow and even. Listening to the sound of the rain with a warm body next to me was an extraordinary sensation and I too drifted off like a ship into the night on a calm sea.

The alarm went off with an annoying beep, beep, beep sound. I hit the button and turned to see if Susie was awake. Her eyes were closed and I lingered studying the contours of her delicate face. She looked like a porcelain doll. Suddenly she smiled. She was awake and knew the whole time that I was looking at her.

“You can’t fool me,” I said tickling her side.

She wiggled and squealed and threw herself into me. “Good morning, Uncle Charlie. Thanks for letting me sleep with you.”

“Good morning, sunshine. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day just like you.”

Mr. Garcia, the retiring janitor, was already at the main entrance of the school with keys in his hand. It looked like he wanted to show me that he was still in charge. I left Susie outside the principal’s office and twiddled my fingers waving goodbye to her. I followed the old gentleman to his “office,” a corner off the side of the boiler room. He gave me my uniform. Then he told me to watch and observe everything that he did, but not interfere or ask any questions until the second week. He had been doing this for the past twenty years and I figured he must have perfected it down to a science. I respected that.