Tag Archive | rain

Little Isabel and Rainy Days ~ Part 4 ~ Rain, Rain Go Away!

Oct9

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Katherine H. Purdy

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“Let’s read about Noah from God’s Word, the Bible.” Mama reached for the Bible on the shelf as Papa slipped into the other rooms, cutting canvas and draping it over pieces of furniture before returning to the kitchen with two full buckets of water, dumped them into water barrels on the back porch and made another trip. By the time he had finished, Eugene, Curtis and Isabel were sitting patiently on the floor and baby Maggie slept soundly in her tented cradle.

Mama opened the Bible to Genesis and began to read.

At that very moment, lightning flashed across the sky and thunder shook the house; accompanied by heavy rain.

“Hurry children,” Mama said as she sat the Bible on a chair and slid it under the table, “ crawl under the table where you will be protected.” With tears in her eyes, Isabel crawled under the table tent and lifted the corner to see if Mama would follow.

“Mama, I’m scared!”

“Yes dear, I know.” Mama stooped and looked under the table. “Eugene, I want you to hold the baby while I help Papa. Just hold her close. Curtis, sit close to Isabel, please. You are her big brother and protector. Don’t worry, everything will be alright.”

 ~*~

“Yes, Mama,” Eugene said as he reached for Baby Maggie and then turned to Isabel.

“Ah, it’s alright Sis. God is in control.”

“That’s right, Sis. Remember Noah’s Ark?”

Isabel nodded and peeked under the canvas flap to watch the rain on the window panes. Trees bending in the wind and suddenly, rain drops turned to hail. “Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. All of us want to go out and play!”

“Eugene, how long did God let it rain on Noah’s Ark?”

“Forty days,” he answered softly. “It won’t rain that long here.”

“Is that a long time?”

“Yeah, Sis it is. But that won’t happen here; right Curtis?”

Isabel turned to her other brother who nodded solemnly.

“How come?”

“Because God promised He would never destroy the world with rain again, He even put a rainbow in the sky to remind us He keeps His promise.”

Curtis squirmed, scratched his head and looked up at his older brother. “Did He promise not to flood houses?”

“Aw, it will be over soon and we will tell everybody at school we had a kitchen table tent!”

“Will it help if we pray like Mama and Papa?”

“Maybe.” Eugene scratched his head and then quickly replaced his hand on the baby. “Even if it doesn’t stop raining right now, Mama says that when we are afraid, He comforts us and provides a way to not be afraid anymore.”

“Okay,” Isabel said

Isabel rested her head on the edge of Maggie’s blanket and was almost asleep when she heard footsteps on the front porch and then a loud banging on the door.

“Jesus is coming to help us,” she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.

Miss Madison10441101_10203141061280662_7210698404753137386_n

Little Isabel and Rainy Days ~ Part 2 Enduring the Storm

Oct8

Enduring the Storm

Katherine H. Purdy

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Isabel awakened to the pitter-patter of rain on the roof and the delicious sound of bacon sizzling in the skillet on the stove.

“Hey sleepyhead, it’s time to get up!” Eugene sat on the edge of the bed. “Mama said to give you a piggy-back ride to the kitchen because there is water everywhere!”

“Oh boy, I love rrr-rain!” Isabel giggled as they trotted over and around bowls, pitchers, pots and pans collecting water on the floor.

“Mama said we will have to stay in the kitchen all day where it’s nice and warm.” Eugene said as he lowered Isabel down at the kitchen table.

“Good morning, Sunshine!” Mama said as she placed a platter of food on the table.

“Whoo-whee,” Papa said as he entered the back door, dumping water from his hat onto the steps and stood on the rug to wipe his feet. “It’s a great day for ducks and geese,” he said as Mama helped him struggle out of his large, wet coat. “On second thought, it may be too much rain for them too.”

“You’re soaked to the skin,” Mama observed as she handed Papa his slippers. “Maybe you should change and we’ll dry out your clothes by the stove.”

“Oh, I’ll be okay in here by the stove. Besides, I have to go right back outside after breakfast.

“This is a big storm, We have a few tree limbs scattered everywhere and a few saplings have been uprooted. Hope it passes by soon or blows itself out.” Papa shook water out of his hair as he passed Little Isabel’s chair; evoking giggles and wiggles as she tried to dodge the water droplets.

“Mama, can we eat now?” Curtis asked as he popped a piece of bacon into his mouth.

“May we eat?” Mama said with a smile.

“That’s what I asked!”

“Not until we are all seated at the table. It’s impolite to eat before everyone is seated and the blessing said,” Mama answered as she poured hot coffee into two cups. Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky followed by a sickening sound of cracking wood with a loud crash on the roof. “Oh no, the roof!” Mama screamed, turning her focus from the coffee to the window where branch from a falling tree brushed against the window.

Eugene and Curtis jumped from their chairs, turning them over in the process, Baby Maggie started crying and Isabel slid out of her chair and latched onto Mama’s skirt.

“ Hot Coff-coff-Coffee!” Papa shouted as the cup overflowed, splashing on him as he pushed away from the table, his chair slipped, dumping him onto the floor.

“Oh dear!” Mama rushed to help Papa with the coffee pot still in her hands and Eugene rushed to take it from her.

Papa shook his head and headed first to the window and then to the back door. He returned with a small branch in his hands. “I can’t believe it. The tree landed on the back porch roof and not the house; crashed right through.” Papa slowly shook head and took his place at the table and lead the family in prayer.

As Papa prayed, Isabel heard a soft cry. She opened one eye and looked around and caught Mama looking her and so she squeezed her eyes tight until Papa said, “Lord, thank you for keeping us safe and for sparing the roof to this house. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

“Not until we are all seated at the table. It’s impolite to eat before everyone is seated and the blessing said,” Mama answered as she poured hot coffee into two cups. Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky followed by a sickening sound of cracking wood with a loud crash on the roof. “Oh no, the roof!” Mama screamed, turning her focus from the coffee to the window where branch from a falling tree brushed against the window.

~*~

Blessing said, tears dried, coffee cleaned up and refilled; the Greene family finally got down to business of eating when two squeaky sounds made their way to the kitchen table.

“What’s that?”

“It’s probably just limbs scraping against the house,” Papa said as he poured coffee from his cup into his saucer and sipped the hot, strong liquid.

“Maybe it’s a mouse,” Curtis said as he reached for another piece of bacon,

“Or a big fat rat with beady eyes and a long skinny tail,” Eugene said while making a scary face at Isabel.”

“A mouse? A rat? Isabel screeched as she stood on the kitchen chair. “Papa, it’s not a rat is it?”

“Oh, I don’t think so. At least not yet. There’s an opening now for mice to get in through that big hole in the porch roof.”

“Oh Avil,” Mama said as she wiped Maggie’s face with a wash cloth. “Don’t frighten the child. The storm is frightening enough.

Almost as if on cue, a loud meow echoed in the room. Isabel slid out of her chair and raced her brothers to the back porch. “Kittens!” Curtis said as he watched three kittens huddled between the tree branches lying on the porch.

“Four kittens and one Mama,” Eugene said as a gray tabby carried a kitten in her mouth and deposited it with the other three, shook water off her head and began to groom the tiny kittens.

“Well, will you look at that? Mama cat knows to bring her babies in from the rain,” Papa chuckled.

“Of course she does,” Mama said gently, “she’s a mother. Oh the poor dears are soaking wet and Mama cat must be so cold and wet. She had to bring each kitten in from the cold wind and rain. Eugene, please bring me the empty crate from the pantry. Curtis, please bring a towel and also bring some large flannel rags.”

Mama made a soft bed for Mama cat and her kittens and placed the bed by the warm stove. “We mustn’t disturb the kittens. I don’t anyone to pick them up. Not yet. Mama cat will give them everything they need and we will feed Mama cat a nice bowl of cream.”

Isabel put her hands behind her back to keep from picking up the tiny, crying kittens.

“Mama, did Jesus send us kittens because of the storm?”

Miss Madison10441101_10203141061280662_7210698404753137386_n

Little Isabel and Rainy Days

Oct28

In honor of all who are affected by Hurricane Matthew this weekend, I thought this story might be appropriate. Praying that everyone is safe and dry!

Miss Madison10441101_10203141061280662_7210698404753137386_n

Little Isabel and the Leaky Roof

Katherine H. Purdy

Little Isabel awakened to the sound of snoring in the next room and sat up to listen. Snore, snore, whistle, choke and snore, snore some more.

“Isn’t Papa silly?” Isabel whispered into her doll’s ear and then clasped the doll close, rolled over on her tummy and slid off the edge of the bed until her toes reached the floor.

“Wasn’t that fun, Dolly?” She nodded the dolls head in the affirmative. Just as she stepped forward, a drop of water pelted her head. It was then Isabel realized she was standing in a puddle of water. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew rain through the open window as lightning flashed across the sky. The loud clap of thunder sent her running barefoot past the curtain dividing her room from her brothers; into the hallway on the hard wood floor, through the doorway to her parents’ bedroom and jumped onto the fluffy rug at Mama’s bedside.

“Mama, you awake?” Isabel patted the hand on Mama’s pillow and decided to check closer. She stood on her tip-toes and fluttered her eyelashes against Mama’s cheeks without a response. Finally, Isabel placed her forehead against her mother’s and whispered loud enough to be heard. “Mama, are you awake?”

“When someone’s eyes are closed Dear, they are either asleep or praying,” Mama said softly.

“Are your eyes closed Mama?”

“Yes dear and yours should be too.”

“Are you asleep or praying?”

“I was asleep and now I’m praying,” Mama said with a hint of humor in her voice.

“It’s waining in my woom.”

“We have talked about this before, Honey.” Mama said mid-yawn, “Pucker your lips as if you are blowing a kiss. Now say; “rrrrrrrrr”.

“Isabel puckered her lips and slowly repeated the words. “ Rrrrrrrr. Mama, it’s ‘r-r-raining in my room!”

“Very good, Isabel.” Mama murmured sleepily and then suddenly sat up and raised the wick on the oil lamp beside the bed.

“It’s what?” Mama queried just as lightening flashed and a clap of thunder shook the house.

“Oh dear,” Mama said, “We need to close the windows. Climb into our bed, child or you’ll catch a cold!”

“Yes, Mama,” Isabel said and ran to the foot of the bed, climbed on the blanket trunk, onto the foot of the bed and crawled in-between her parents; snuggling close Mama. “Can we still have our tea party when Sally Anne comes over to play today?”

“If everything is nice and dry and Mrs. Albright brings Sally Anne over, we may have a simple tea party! Now go to sleep while I close the windows before the paint on the walls are ruined.”

“It wai – I mean rained on my head too,” Isabel said as she snuggled under the white sheet and the log cabin quilt.

Just then, the room once more shook with the sound of thunder and Papa’s snoring stopped mid whistle. His feet immediately hit the floor and strode near the window. His toe came into contact with the baby cradle, causing him to yelp loudly as he danced around the floor while grasping  the throbbing toe and landing back on the bed causing little Isabel to bounce.

Isabel stood on the bed and clapped, “Papa’s funny. Do it again Papa, Do it again!

Mama reached for Isabel, pulling her back down under the covers and then leaped out of the bed to rescue baby Maggie who joined Papa’s howling.

“Shhh, it’s okay baby; it’s okay.” Mama cooed and then turned to Papa.

“We need to check the rooms and close the windows. Isabel said it is raining in her room. I hope the roof isn’t leaking,” Mama said as she covered the baby with a pink blanket and rocked the cradle gently.

“I’ll close the windows and you get something to catch the water.” Papa said as he searched for a missing slipper. “I’ll be glad when our house on the Meadows farm is ready so we can get out of this shack with all its leaks and creaks. I feel as if we are being robbed every time I pay the rent. Rain will be good for the crops though.”

Mama nodded as she reached for the large bowl holding a water pitcher and placed it strategically under a drip just to the right of the bed before following Papa into the hallway. Moments later, Eugene and Curtis entered the room carrying a quilt and a pillow; bedding down on the floor close to their parents bed.

~*~

“We get to camp out just like cowboys!” Curtis said as he shook water out of his blond hair.

“Or like soldiers,” Eugene commented. “Just like Papa’s uncles who fought in the war.”

“There won’t be any ‘camping’ tonight- just sleep,” Mama said as she placed a large bowl under another drip. “Papa must get up early so I want you to go back to sleep as quickly as Jim’s old hound dog.” Mama smiled and Isabel giggled at the thought of the sweet old dog that constantly slept on her half-brother Jim’s front porch.”

“That dog won’t hunt!” Eugene lowered his voice to imitate Jim.

“Precisely. Now go to sleep.”