Norman's Neighborhood

Seven

When the sky began darkening, the three Scotts were still out hunting for their dog. They had separated in order to cover a greater area, and had made arrangements to check in regularly with one another by text. Mike sent a message to Dena and Logan, suggesting that they suspend the search: "Looks nasty to east. Better head home."

Logan got home first; his long legs and lean frame gave him an advantage in running. He sprinted down the driveway just as the first drops of rain began to fall from the threatening thunderheads. He went through the side gate and took a quick look around the back yard, checking to see if perhaps Norman had returned. The big gray dog was noticeably absent.

The distinctive scent of impending rain permeated the atmosphere as Mike jogged down the block toward home. He expected to find Logan there already, and hoped Dena wasn't far away. He heard a distant rumble of thunder. The clouds had become a murky mixture of heavy grays. Just as he reached the front of their house, an impressive light show flared above and around him.
Mike counted mentally, 'One... one thous-'
"BOOM!" answered the thunder. Mike ran for the door as the rain began.

By the time Dena arrived just a few minutes later, she was soaked. She ran into the house and immediately inquired, "Any news?" Mike and Logan simultaneously replied, "No."
Mike, looking at Dena's plastered hair and wet clothing, told her, "You'd better go get out of that wet stuff and dry your hair!"
"Poor old Norman! I hope he's found shelter somewhere," she worried as she headed up the stairs.

**********
"Mom." Daisy broke into her mother's thoughts. She was in the back seat, next to her brother, as the family drove around placing "Missing Dog" posters.
"Hmm?" replied Kathy. She had been considering whether to go next to the feed store or to the supermarket. They needed some groceries...
"Mom!" Daisy repeated, more insistently. Kathy met her eyes in the rear view mirror.
"Sorry, sweetie - what is it?"
"That man with the nasty little dog. It's his fault that Norman left. What if Norman gets hurt?" Daisy set her jaw determinedly. "Somebody needs to teach him some manners!"
Kathy almost laughed, but she knew Daisy was serious. Instead, she kept her composure and replied, "The man, or his dog?"
"Both of them!" Daisy scowled.
"Well, unfortunately, we can't tell everybody else what we think they should do. If we did that, we wouldn't be showing good manners."
"Daisy's kinda rude sometimes," Todd put in.
Daisy reached out and flicked Todd on the arm.
"Owww! See, Mom...?" he complained.
"Stop it, both of you. Todd, you baited her - and Daisy, you're the older one. Behave!"

Kathy pulled into the parking lot of Riese's Supermarket.
"There's a bulletin board inside the door. We'll put a poster up, and then I need to grab a few groceries."
"Mom, how come we always come here? We never go to Zane's store," Todd said, climbing out of the back seat.
"It's not Zane's store - it's his dad's store," Daisy retorted.
"Daisy...!" Kathy warned, giving her daughter a look.
"Stop. Don't you say you're going to Anna's house, or Lily's house?" She turned to her son as the automatic door slid open for them.
"Todd, I do go once in a while to Thessaloniki Market, but it's a specialty store - not a supermarket."
"What's that mean?"
While she found a spot to pin up the poster on the crowded board, Kathy answered,
"They have all sorts of interesting things there: lots of ingredients from Greece, Turkey, and countries near them. Things this store doesn't sell. If I want to make Greek or Turkish recipes, that's where I would go to get ingredients."
"Can you make Greek food?" Todd begged, hopping in a circle around Kathy.
"Would you eat it?" she responded, raising her eyebrows at him. 

Kathy made a quick tour of the store. Produce first; she liked to keep a good supply of healthy snacks that the kids would eat. Daisy was a good eater, always willing to try new things.Todd was a little fussier, and not as adventurous. She picked up a bunch of celery, a bag of apples, and a carton of mini bell peppers.

At the dairy section, Daisy and Todd were each allowed to choose a cheese snack while their mother grabbed a gallon of milk. The kids drank it at an astonishing rate, and with six children in the house that day, she knew their supply had dwindled.

Before heading to the checkout line, Kathy picked up a bag of chicken wings.
"Dinner!" she announced. "We'll have -"
"Hot wings!" Daisy requested. Todd wrinkled his nose a little, then shrugged and pulled on his mother's arm.
"OK, if they're not too hot," he consented.
"I'll make them mild, with extra spicy sauce on the side," Kathy answered. "How's that?"
"Good!" both children assented in unison.

Through the plate glass windows at the front of the store, Kathy observed that the sky had clouded over since they had entered.
"Looks like rain coming!" she remarked in surprise.
An older woman in the line ahead of them turned around.
"It's already drizzling. I just ran in here for this," she told them, holding up a loaf of bread, "and it was starting as I came in."

As she finished speaking, they could see and hear the sudden storm intensifying. Rain slashed diagonally in heavy opaque sheets, pounding rhythmically on the roof.
Kathy watched the downpour in dismay.
"We didn't come prepared for rain! We'll have to run through the raindrops," she told her children. Todd hugged himself and bounced in excitement. "Yay! Rain is fun!"

As they moved up to the checkstand, the windows were illuminated by an intense flash of lightning - immediately followed by a tremendous thunderclap. There was a loud buzzing noise, and the lights went out.
"Uh-oh!" Todd burst out, eyes wide.
"They have a generator," Kathy replied, "but we don't. I hope the power isn't out at home!"
A few seconds went by; there was a low humming sound, and the lights came back on. Cash registers chirped as power was restored to the system, and business resumed.

"Mom, what's a - what's it called?" Todd asked, as they dashed through the rain, each clutching a grocery bag. Fortunately, their parking spot was not far from the store's overhang. Unfortunately, the water was already pouring off the edge of the tile in spots, so they had to dodge the deluge and couldn't avoid getting wet.
"Let's get in the car!" Kathy answered. She had clicked her key to unlock the SUV before they scurried through the storm; flinging open the doors, they plopped down in their seats.
"Whoo..." Kathy exhaled through puffed out cheeks.
"Now, what was your question?"
"The thing you said the store has, and we don't," Todd told her. Kathy explained the function of a generator as she drove home.