#35

The second day of her vacation there was a big storm with heavy rains and high winds. The morning after was calm with a bit of a mess, like after a sneeze. She decided to take a walk to explore the neighborhood around her. There were puddles and downed palms to step around, but the sun was warming her face and she did not mind. As she waited to cross the street, she read the sign that stood out front of a large white brick building:

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GO

As she continued to walk, she repeated the phrase over and over in her head. “I am go…”

As it stood, it made no sense. Maybe they ran out of letters. That happens. They must have meant “know that I am going” or “know that I am gone.” Both made more sense, at least grammatically. And both began to make her sad, as they conjured up images of abandonment, of loneliness, of watching someone leave and not being able to chase after them. Or maybe it was peaceful? A moment of calm knowing a menace has gone into self-exile. Much like this moment following the storm! A weather system’s parting words.

As she looped back and passed the sign again, she smiled having uncovered the cryptic bulletin. Clever weather, she thought. And then the wind suddenly picked up and rain began to peg her happy face. She had to pull the hood of her coat around her head and rush back to the hotel, so she never saw large plastic letter “D” lying on the grass and the small golden cross that sat atop the peaked roof brick building.