It's a story based on what happened to a poor family during hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Andrea learns about hurricanes and how to prepare for them. She experiences fear as she sees the devastation of the island, but her parents are there to k...
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Andrea woke up the next morning and noticed that her fan was off. She got up from bed to verify if it was on. When she looked at the on and off button, she noticed that the on button was still pressed. But, how could that be, if it's clearly on? Andrea walked to the living room and saw her mother in the kitchen. She had a small radio on. She was filling water on a huge plastic box. Mami was using the water of the kitchen faucet to fill it up.
"Mami? What's going on?" Andrea asked squinting.
"Honey, we can't go to Plaza las Americas. The hurricane is really coming. I am almost done with the water. Papi went to the store to buy some batteries for the radio and for the flashlights. He also left to buy food and candles because the stores will close. We'll be alright," mami said. Mami must have been up for long hours. She looked tired. She even had black bags under her eyes and she hunched a bit. Andrea noticed many plastic containers filled with water on top of the kitchen counter. Mami, who was very creative had also filled up a few pots, and recycled bottles of plastic. There were two large containers on the bathroom too.
"Mami why are there so many plastic boxes filled with water?" Andrea asked.
"Because there will be no water. They will cut the water to protect the pipelines," her mami said.
"What can I do to help?" Andrea asked.
"Go get a few books, coloring books and board games. There will be no electricity for a few days and you'll need to entertain yourself with something. Do you know where the board games are?" Mami asked.
"Sí," Andrea replied. Suddenly, the water of the faucet did not come out.
"What happened?" Andrea asked.
"The water's gone. They must have shut it down already. It's a good thing that abuela called me last night and told me that the hurricane wasn't a joke. She said that it was really coming to the island. I really thought that the huracán would not come. They've been announcing hurricanes year after year and the hurricanes always went North. The warnings began to feel like the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. I thought that it was just another one of these so-called storms that would never come and just go North. I was wrong," mami said. This surprised Andrea.
"You were wrong?"Andrea asked her mami.
"Yes. I should have prepared better. Thank God that abuela convinced me to do it. If not, we would not have water right now. Remember to always prepare for a hurricane even if you think it won't come. It's better to be prepared."
Mami closed the faucet even though there was no more water coming out of it. She grabbed her small radio and sat down on the living room. Andrea went to the balcony to look for a few coloring books, a book she was reading and the board games that were under her parents' bed. When Andrea returned to the living room and placed the things on the table she heard the governor of Puerto Rico talking on the radio about el huracán. The huracán had grown stronger. Its winds had intensified to 160 miles per hour, making it a category 5. When a hurricane reached category 5, it meant that it was very, very dangerous. There would be 30 inches of rain. Mami opened her mouth in shock. She covered it with her hand. Andrea felt scared.
