The storm raged wildly outside the house, howling against the
shutters, smashing the branches of the trees along the siding.
Inside, the boy watched from his window. It was late and he knew he should be
sleeping, but he was so young and the storm seemed so big and frightening.
Shivering, even though his room was warm, the boy watched as lightning cracked
across the sky. "It's just the Angels bowling," he muttered, repeating something
his grandfather had told him. "And the flash just means they made a strike..."
"Child! What are you doing up?"
He turned from the window. "I am sorry, Mama. The storm...it scares
me..."
The woman's expression changed from anoyance to tenderness as she looked at
her child, trembling so at the weather. "Come here, little one," she said, her
arms outstretched to embrace him.
The child didn't hestitate, but ran and leaped into her arms, hugging her
tightly. "Mama, make the storm go away, okay? It frightens me!"
"I cannot do that, love," the woman murmered, stroking the child's silky
hair. "But perhaps I can tell you a story to take your mind off of it."
The boy smiled. His mother told wonderful stories. "Okay!"
She tucked her son into bed, making sure his teddybear was nestled in his
arms. "Are you comfortable?" she asked.
The boy nodded. "Now tell me the story Mama," he demanded.
The woman smiled. "All right," she said and begain....
Once upon a time, there was a very handsome young man named
Remy...
"Yuck!" the child interrupted. "Does he have to be named such a stupid
name?"
The woman nodded. "This story is partially true my son, and therefore, the
name has to be Remy."
The boy frowned, then resigned himself to this and smiled. "Okay, so his name
is Remy. Tell me more Mama."
As I said, Remy was very handsome and all the girls loved him... The
woman stopped for a moment and looked at her son. "And no comments about how
icky girls are okay? Just let me tell the story."
He was very popular and had a great many friends. People loved to be
around him, because he had a wonderful sense of humor and a quick smile. It was
hard to be unhappy around him.
When he was a little older than you, perhaps seven, he was playing in the
Bajou with a friend of his, a girl named Beauty, when a storm came over the
area. It came without warning, turning the aftenoon sky to the color of coal,
and the rain started coming down in great gray sheets, soaking him and his
friend instantly.
Beauty was frightened and looked at Remy. "This rain is bad! How shall we
make it home safely?"
"Of course she was frightened," the boy muttered. "She was a
girl."
The woman smiled, chosing not to comment that mere moments before, her brave
son had been too frightened to sleep and he was safely in his house.
Remy was worried too, but he tried not to show it. Don't worry Beauty,"
he bravely said. "I will make sure you get home safely." And with that, he put
his arm around the girl and started leading her home.
But the storm was fearce and unforgiving. The rain was falling faster and
faster, the swamps were getting wetter and wetter, until the watter spilled over
onto all the dry land. The two children were soon soaked to the bone and wading
through water, which slowed them down. Still Remy fought bravely on, holding
Beauty's hand, encouraging her to keep going. And still, the storm crashed
around them. Lightning zoomed down, hitting trees dangerously close to them,
causing them to explode in fragments of wood and sparks. Beauty had never been
more frightened in her life.
When the water was over Beauty's knees, she stopped and began to cry. "Remy,
we will die here!"
Remy just smiled. "No we won't Beauty. God will see us home. You must have
faith."
"God shouldn't have let this happen this to us!" the girl
cried. "I don't wanna have faith in him!"
"Den you must have faith in me," Remy said. "I will get you home safely."
Beauty knew Remy was her only hope. She nodded, clinging to his hand. He was
older than her by a year and therefore, at least a year wiser.
The two trudged along. The storm rose in it's intensity, until the rain was
so bad that they couldn't see two feet in front of them. Beauty finally stopped.
"Remy, I can't go on...I'm too frightened. The lightning has come so close. We
are going to be killed!"
Remy shook his head. "No, we won't. I promise."
"And how can you promise that?" Beauty asked, no longer sure
of Remy. They had been walking around for awhile and she was becoming afraid
they were lost.
"I have a secret," Remy said, leaning over to be heard above the rain and
thunder.
"What is that?" Beauty asked.
"You can't tell anyone..." Remy warned her.
"I won't," she promised.
He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a playing card. The
Ace of Hearts. "See this card?"
Beauty nodded. "You're always carrying cards around with you, big
deal."
"Ah, but this is a special card," Remy explained. "This card was
given to me by the Storm Master,"
"Who is that?" Beauty asked.
"She is one of God's helpers," Remy said. "She makes the rain come and the
storms. I met her one night when I was out durring a storm like this. She helped
me get home and gave me this card. When she gave it to me, she told me that
whoever carried this card could never be hurt by the storms. No matter how bad
the rains and winds got, she, the Storm Master knew that the person carrying
that card was under her protection."
"Does it work?" Beauty asked.
"Does it work?" Remy repeated, looking shocked. "Of course it does! Lightning
has crashed all around us and yet, we have not been hit, right?"
"Yes," Beauty agreed hestantly. "But you're the one carrying
it. What about me?"
"As long as you hold my hand and have faith that the storm will not hurt you,
the card will protect you too," Remy swore.
"And did it?" the boy interruped, unable to wait for his mother to
continue
"Well," the woman smiled. "Beauty had trouble at first, after all, it did
look just like a regular playing card and the storm was very bad, but
Remy had never told her anything but the truth, so she decided to put her faith
in what he said. She clutched his hand tightly and let him lead her. "
*They walked for what seemed like hours, but was actually only one at the
most. Finally, they both came to a place they recongized....Beauty's home.
Beauty cried out in happiness, "We made it! We're
safe!"
They rushed into the house where Beauty's mother rushed to greet them, for
she had been very worried about the two children. She made them take off their
wet clothes and gave Remy a blanket to wrap around himself while he waited for
the storm to end and his clothes to dry before he went home.
The storm only lasted another hour or so, but the entire time Beauty told her
mother about Remy and how the Storm Master had given him the card and how the
card had saved the both of them. Beauty's mother listened, amazed at this.
When it finally came time for Remy to leave, he handed the card to Beauty.
"Here," he told her. "You keep this. Any any time you're frightened by a storm,
remember the Storm Master won't let ANY storm hurt you as long as you carry
this.
"Are you sure?" Beauty asked. "It was given to you!"
"And now I give it to you," Remy said, kissing Beauty on her forehead.
"Someday you will meet someone frightened by the storms and you can pass it onto
them." Then he left.
"Did she meet someone?" The boy asked, "And did she give them the card?"
The woman reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out an old worn playing
card. "Yes, she did," she said, handing the card to her son.
"You're Beauty?" the boy said, shaking his head in disbelief. "No!
You're Mama!"
"My name is Belle," the woman explained. "Which is French for Beauty. I
didn't tell you at the beginning, because I didn't want you to guess it was
me."
"And this is the card Remy gave you?" The boy stared at it in shock, thinking
How could something so powerful be so...ordinary looking?
"Yes," Belle said. "That is the same card. And now I give it to you. It will
keep you safe from this storm and any others."
The boy clutched it gratefully. "Thank you Mama.... Someday, when I'm
older...maybe I can give it to someone else...but for now, I'm gonna keep
it..."
The woman nodded, tucking the blankets around her son. "Do you think you can
sleep now?"
The boy nodded, closing his eyes and clutching the card. Belle sat on the
edge of the bed, staying with him till he fell asleep. Just before he drifted
off, he opened his eyes briefly. "Mama?" he asked.
"Yes?"
"Remy sounds nice. I hope I get to meet him someday," He barely got the last
word out of his mouth, when he drifted off safely to his dreams.
"I hope so too," the woman whispered, leaning down to kiss his forhead and
brushed away a lock of red/brown hair that had fallen into the boy's eyes.
"Every boy should know his father..."
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