UNLIKELY HERO
It was a rainy, gloomy day, around hurricane season. Everyone was inside because they knew that a storm was on its way. Some people were still shopping for their canned foods, water, snacks etc. My family though was all prepared for what was coming. We were watching the weather news. We knew the storm was almost here. Then the electricity went out. We knew that it was here.
The wind blew as if a tornado was coming. The wind, blew and blew and blew. And then the rain started to pour like a waterfall hitting the roof-top of the house like stones. The trees were swaying left to right as if they would break in half any minute. Then we heard “Bang!” Thunder, clapping like million people in an audience. Five seconds later, lightning struck. A crooked, jagged knife, ripping the sky in two. We all screamed.
“Stay calm,” Mom ordered.
While we were calming down, I heard a loud scream as if someone had gotten hurt. We looked outside and a vagrant was out on the road. The man was in a very difficult position. His foot was under a fallen tree.
Mother asked Dad, “Do you think we should help him?”
Dad said, “Sure. Why not? But how am I going to do it without putting us in danger?” Father was a very short, petite man with little muscles. For just a brief moment, Dad hesitated, but then he went outside in his rain-coat, a helmet and his rain boots.
We looked at each other in concern. We let the man know that help was coming. No one thought that Dad could do it, but he did! He put his arms under the heavy tree trunk and, with strength he didn’t know he had, threw the tree off of the man’s leg. We were all so surprised! He easily lifted the man and brought him inside. We gave him some warm, dry clothing and, something to eat. The man was very grateful for our help. When the storm was over, we took him to hospital to make sure that his leg was okay.
Father was the big hero of the day!
Bajan hotsauce story: By Makala Barnett (Aged 15) in Barbados