Forty-two years had passed
since our country had been ravaged by a fierce hurricane. It had spent some two hours with us and when
it had gone, one could not believe that it had left so much carnage in its
wake. Whole roofs had been deposited
hundreds of metres from their sites and sheets of galvanize were seen
everywhere. Many were the homeless and
the destitute. Power lines were down and
there was no running water. There was
even loss of life. Flood waters had
accounted for some while several others had been fatally injured by collapsing
buildings. Hence those of us who knew, just prayed and hoped that this one would do like all of the other hurricanes
since then.
Each one had miraculously
passed us by. It was as if some unseen
hand had simply steered them away from us.
The result was a complacent, cocky pride that stated we would never be struck
again. Some even argued that Barbados
was now outside the hurricane path. The
knowledgeable and sensible knew differently.
Like the ‘wise man’ who built his house upon the rock, they, while not
being pessimistic, were still prepared for any eventuality.
The afternoon grew darker
with each passing hour. The frolic and
the lawlessness began to decrease.
Gradually everyone began to be more observant. After all, it was four o’clock and outside
appeared more like six o’clock.
Suddenly we began to feel the first winds of hurricane Huron. The coconut trees started their dance. They bent and swayed with the wind in a
perfect simulation of limbo dancers as the galvanize paling tuned in with an
incessant staccato. The electric wires also added their whistling sounds to the
disharmonic orchestration continuously activated by these gale force winds. The
worst was yet to come.
The winds increased. It was as though some huge monster was
outside puffing away at his greatest.
The children began to cry. Hilda
screamed at her loudest. “The roof is
going! The roof is going!” There was a ripping sound. Suddenly a part of the roof went sailing
through the air. To make matters worst,
it started to rain. Since there was now
no covering over the front section of the house, you could well imagine the
state that the contents were in.
Everything was just simply soaked.
We had added a stone section
to the house. It comprised a dining room
and kitchen as well as two bedrooms. We
determined that this wall area was the safest place in the house. As a result we confined our activity to this
part of the house. At this time the wind
was howling at its worst and there were streaks of lightning that seemed so close
that we could hear the click of it. The
claps of thunder which followed were so loud that the very walls of the house
shook. We cuddled together and prayed
that at the end of this nightmare we would be safe and unharmed. Four year old Tony inquired with tears in his
eyes, “Are we all going to die?” I assured
him with as much conviction as I could that I did not think so.
The wind died down and the
rain abated. Relief spread over their faces but it was short lived as I announced that this calm was only the eye of
the hurricane and the winds would soon commence blowing from the other
direction. This hurricane was only half
done. The howling winds started up
again. I tried to peep outside to see if
I could ascertain what the damage was like but it was extremely dark. I could not even see the house opposite. This was truly a nightmare of the greatest
proportions. Suddenly there was a flash
of lightning. For that split second all
around lit up as if the sun had come out in its brilliance. What I saw then literally caused me to become
motionless for what appeared to be minutes. It drove so much dread in me that I
have not quite gotten over the experience yet, nor do I expect to be over it in a long while to come. In that split second
of brilliance I saw the spot on which my neighbours' house was located. All I saw was the spot. I wondered how it was possible for an entire
house to disappear just like that. Even
more puzzling to me was the state of the aged couple who lived there and who
had refused to go to a shelter. I began
to shiver. I asked myself, “When will it
all end?” What a terrible ordeal for
them to have gone through! One moment
they were safe in their home, the next, there was no trace of either them or
their home. This experience was nothing
that any sane person would wish for. I
was sure then, that those who were wishing and hoping for such an experience
were now regretting even thinking of such a wish. Such was the terror visited upon us by this
destructive hurricane, Huron.
I moved away from the taped
pane of glass. Outside the wind was as
furious as ever and the rain kept up a constant staccato on the roof. As loud as this unwelcomed din was, it could
not shut out the voice in my head. These
thoughts continued to reiterate, “What terrible tragedy could have befallen my
friendly neighbours, the Merritts?" My
thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the house began to shake. I could not understand how the wind could
shake these walls that were reinforced with steel and concrete. This was the wonder of wonders. The walls continued to shake. They were about to collapse. I began to scream and the more I screamed,
as if in mockery, the more the walls shook.
They started to cave in on my family and me. I shouted, “No! No! Dear God, don’t let this happen to us!”
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