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I drive a couple of hours through the familiar roads. To pull up to a farm I knew all too well.
I walk up to the door grabbing the key that was under a pot. I walk into the kitchen and grab a glass and water from the fridge.
I lean against the counter as I drink it when I hear a noise. "Momma it's me" I say and she walks in "Oak. What happened? What-" she starts to ask but I just hug her tight and don't let go. "I'm so sorry I didn't come back. I left you when you were hurting, I just-I'm so sorry" I cry into her arms "Oh sweetheart it's ok. We all had to find a way to cope. Don't worry" she tells me with her soft voice
I cleaned myself up and put some clothes she gave me on. "I am sorry there's so much junk in here." She tells me as I look at old pictures "I'll clear it out for you tomorrow. And your friend Javi stopped by a few weeks back. Almost didn't recognize him with that haircut. Are you chasing again?" She asks me as I sit on the bed "No." I tell her and follow her eyes which were looking at my scar on my leg. I pull my pants down some to cover it before looking back up at her.
"Do you need anything?" She asks me "No I'm fine" I nod "Ok. Goodnight" she says walking out "Goodnight" I tell her
. . . . .
In the morning when I woke up momma was already outside working. So I got changed and headed to the barn. Where all my stuff was kept.
"Hi!" I yell "Hello" Jeb yells back "Hello" I yell again "Ahoy!" Jeb yells "Ahoy!" I yell back "Oak is doing some work as always. Where is she? Show yourself. Isn't she cute" he says recording me as I raise my hands "What are you doing?" I ask him "I was just doing a little video tour of the barn. Where you do most of your work. This is oaks famous little school project" he says showing my project on the table "What is it you're working on oak? Tell the folks" he says pointing the camera at me "Uh cloud microphysics" I smile "Say it again" he laughs "Cloud microphysics" I say again a little louder "This is what I have to be put up with, when you're dating someone who's very bright-" he says pointing the camera at himself "Gorgeous" I cut him off laughing
"Hey Jeb!" I call out "Yeah?" He asks "What do you think we're gonna do-" I ask raising my hands "Today?" He asks "Nuh uh, tomorrow! What are we doing?" I ask him "We're going chasing- uh we're gonna kill a tornado right?" He asks "We're gonna- we're taming a tornado!" I smile still raising my hands "We're taming a tornado?" He asks "We're taming" I smile then spin around doing dances "This is oak's favorite slogan, taming a tornado." He smiles as he films me dancing "This is what it's like to be in a tornado" he laughs as he spins around fast
The memory of that video goes through my head. That was the last full day I had with them.
I move the plastic on the table to see the papers I had of my project. I look at it before turning away.
"How you doin?" My mom asks walking in "Just the way I left it." I say "I've been wondering what you wanted to do with all this stuff" she tells me "Oh you can just throw it out" I tell her "You done?" She asks me as I move some more plastic. I just hum in response "It's funny I keep seeing more and more tornadoes, and floods, and droits, and price of wheat and seed going up and up and up." She says and I just sit down and look at her "But yet I'm still here." She says "I'm sorry mom. I haven't been good about calling" I start to say "I'm not talking about that" she cuts me off and I look at her confused "I'm talking about how no matter what, I'm staying here, I've always been here, and I'm not planning on leaving soon. You'll always have me to come back to. So just as I'm planting my foot on where I know I belong, you should do the same" she tells me and before I could answer he phone rings
"I've gotta get this um, throw it away. I'm still waiting for you to save the world." She tells me then walks out
I stare at my project on the table. I switch the button and the wind blows up. Then I switch the next button and the wind twist into a tornado. Causing some of the wood houses to fall over.
"You build your own tornado" I hear someone say and I turn to see Tyler "Look at that" he smiles "Middle school science fair project." I tell him then turn it off "You must've won" he says and I tilt my head
"How'd you find me?" I ask leaning against the wood "Dexter pieced it together. He remembered your name from the news a few years back. I'm sorry bout your friends" he tells me but I just give a small smile
"I'm fixing some food you two ok eating outside?" My mom asks walking in "Oh no I couldn't brother you this much-" Tyler starts to say "He's not staying." I tell her "He's staying. You can call me Cathy. Oak won't you set up the table" she tells me then walks out
Tyler looks at me "I can see where you get it from. It's in your blood" he laughs "Uh I'm not blood related to her actually" I say a little awkwardly "Really?" He asks "Yeah um she adopted me when I was 8. But I still took on some of her traits" I smile "I can see that" he laughs
