The wind came on April 3rd, 2023, and hasn’t stopped since. I live in an apartment, surrounded by a bunch of stir-crazy people, like myself, trying to figure out how to continue to live their life by not going outside.
On the first day, all I could hear was the howling of the wind outside my window. It was the beginning of Spring, so I didn’t think much into it. Rainstorms and excess wind are all a part of it, I just didn’t expect this devastatingly harsh wind to still be here nearly a year later.
The meteorologists and newscasters didn’t know what to make of it or how to explain it. Hell, no one did really. All we did know was that it was dangerous to go outside, even if it was for a few minutes. In the last couple of months, I’ve heard more car crashes and screams from people trying to leave their homes than I ever have heard in my entire life. And those are just the people who venture out on the roads. Most of us have stayed inside, fearing going outside and the wind getting the best of us. Several people in my apartment have tried to go out simply for groceries, but most return with something broken or bleeding, and rarely do they actually come back with what they were going out for.
One day, not too long after it started and after a lengthy FaceTime call with my mother, I decided that I wanted to take the trip over to her house. It was only about eight miles, and I thought that if I drove slow enough, I’d be able to make it there. She was leery of me going out, but considering she was sick and I was bringing my world-famous chicken noodle soup. My first mistake was putting the soup in a little bowl with a flimsy lid and my second was that I should try to run to my car instead of walk. Based on the first gust of wind alone, I should’ve crawled. But it was too late for that realization because the wind blew open the lid and spewed the soup everywhere, but mainly onto my wrists. I dropped the bowl on the ground, my hand investigating my already red skin, though with my hair clinging around to my neck and face, it was difficult to see how bad it was. I sighed and reached down to grab the now-broken bowl when another strong gust swept me off my feet. I didn’t have a good footing anyway, and the wind sure took advantage of that. I rolled my ankle and ended up crashing into a wood beam that stabilized the carport. Instead of hitting my leg with the rolled ankle on the pole, I hit the other one, making the walk back in more miserable.
I came back in with welts and bruises as well as juice and noodles all over my new sweater. After that, I didn’t really attempt to go outside. Months passed by in a blur, and as each day came and went, the lonelier I got. I hadn’t seen anyone in person in what felt like years. I missed my family and friends more than anything. Our idea for a fun night turned from staying in bars until the last call to drinking a glass of wine while we fished for something to talk about over lousy FaceTime. Not that I didn’t enjoy talking to them, but it was hard to keep good connections over a screen.
My neighbor, Penny, felt the same way now that she had a newborn baby. Her parents and her in-laws haven’t been able to meet their son, and he’s almost a month old now.
Nearly eight months ago, when she told me she was pregnant she wasn’t ecstatic, despite trying for a while. I was walking down the hallway and saw her taking out the trash. She waved as she saw me, though it was hard not to notice her glimmering wet eyes.
“What’s wrong, Penny?”
She sniffed. “Nothing is wrong, just these damn hormones.” She gave a small smile and realization dawned on me.
“Oh my god, you’re pregnant.”
Her smile grew wider until she remembered about the wind. “I’m terrified of giving birth now with all of this going on.”
My eyes widened, temporarily forgetting about the raging wind outside. “What are you going to do?”
Penny shrugged her shoulders. “A home birth, I guess? I don’t want to get in a car accident on the way to the hospital or get knocked over.” She paused for a second. “Maybe this will be a good thing, I’ve always been afraid of hospitals.”
Luckily, when the wind still roared on seven months later, a new midwife moved into the apartment next to her. Relief rushed through me because I would’ve been no help, despite her asking me to be there if she couldn’t find anyone else. I was happy to sit this one out, especially because I wouldn’t know how to comfort her either. She labored for hours, and her screams were easily heard through the walls, but the wind drowned some of it out.
Hearing the new baby cry through the walls, somehow made me miss my mom even more. I had never gone this long without seeing her in person, and we had gotten to the point where we’d grown used to these FaceTimes. My mom certainly couldn’t brave the wind and there were travel advisories based on the sheer amount of deadly accidents on the roads. I wanted to see my mom and I was tired of waiting around for this incessant wind to stop.
“I’m going outside, mom.” We were on yet another FaceTime call, and as soon as I said that she froze. Moments later, her face popped on my screen again and she was not enthused about that statement.
“That’s nonsense dear, don’t even joke about that.” My mom was settled on the couch, drinking her afternoon tea. I stood in my closet, trying to find my heaviest clothes.
“I’m not joking, mom. I can’t take it anymore. I can’t stare at these four walls any longer, alright? I need to come visit
“You can’t drive honey, it’s too dangerous. I don’t want you risking your life just to see me.”
“What if I put on heavy clothes and bundled up?” I half-heartedly teased.
My mom shot me a look. “I don’t think it matters how heavy the clothes are, that wind is too powerful. I couldn’t imagine losing you out in this.”
“I agree, but we can’t just wait for this wind to stop. It’s been nearly a year of this, Mom. I don’t know how much longer I can take of this loneliness.” A tear ran down my face while my mom sported a pouted but quivering lip, her eyes starting to water.
“I don’t know what to say, honey. I want to see you, but I don’t want you to risk hurting yourself…” She paused, watching me rip clothes off hangers. “But I see you’ve already made up your mind.”
“I’ve already checked and it’s about a three-hour walk.”
“3 hours?” Her jaw dropped.
“I’m overestimating a little based on the wind, but I really think I could do it, Mom.”
My mom blew out a shaky breath. “You better wear your heaviest clothes and some ankle weights.”
An interesting premise. Reminds me of a time a couple of years ago, when a certain virus left us locked up in our own homes, and visiting relatives was almost a crime. I also had to give birth to my first daughter. I was lucky our local hospital allowed my husband in. Masks everywhere… I’m happy they let me take the mask off when I was in pain. Oh, the memories…
Thank you, I enjoyed it! Waiting for the next part!🩶