RE:BELLE

When things have been peaceful and you’ve gotten used to a particular way of life, you tend not to worry (even when there are signs that you should) that your way of life will soon be threatened.

You know of course that bad things can and do happen and that they can happen to you or the people closest to you. But, you can’t imagine that they would or why they would- after such a long time of peace and calm in your life.  Quiet times lull you into feeling safe…and normal.

When I first saw my grandmother with just hair and fish keeping her modest in the tub that morning so many years ago, it should have struck me as strange and I should have started worrying almost immediately. But, then again, our family has always been a little strange. And, maybe I thought if I willed everything to be safe…and normal, then, the woman in the tub furiously chewing through pounds of raw fish was just the manifestation of a day gone slightly awry.

Of course, it was the manifestation of something much more serious…and it ultimately led to the disappearance…maybe death of the woman I’d loved more than any other- even more than my own mother. Maybe all of that- the storm which crept up to destroy my safe and normal quiet is what makes me as restless as I’ve been and continue to be. Maybe deep down, I'm thinking if I keep moving and keep my life loud and interesting- there would be no quiet to destroy.

Then along came Luis- a literal storm/hurricane in the midst of near two decades of quiet. People were not too worried. There was no island wide panic or frenzy to prepare for the coming storm. Indeed, as my landlady and fisherman told it to me- some people only began getting worried after a particular meteorologist turned up repeatedly advising them to get very worried.  My fisherman joked that the particular meteorologist finally got through to those people by having the sense to use the one word which would get every local’s attention. Dangerous.  He also joked that Hurricane Luis indeed proved to be dangerous in both the conventional and the local sense.

The hurricane was dangerous in the traditional sense because it indeed did cause harm and damage and placed many in danger. And, it was dangerous in the local sense, because it was just like one of those dangerous people who’d “skin teeth” (grin) at you and make you think all was fine for near two decades and then turn up to maliciously tornado your quiet and turn your life inside out. 

 (V). Damien