What did Storm Desmond bring?

She checked herself in the mirror for the third time. She didn't seem pleased with that particular plain black skirt. She went back to the closet and brought out the black pleated skirt. With the burgundy camisole firmly strapped to her torso, in the most delicate procedure, she wore the linen top that was neatly ironed. She then adorned her body with the navy blue jacket. Her gold necklace with a heart pendant adorned her neck. Her hair was strapped in a ponytail. She puffed two quick sprays of the Chanel perfume in the air in front of her and then she started the ritual. She walked in circles as the dew of the fragrance settled on her body giving the slight lingering smell. Sometimes you walked past some folks and it seemed as if they were dipped in the bottle of the perfume, they were wearing. Estelle believed that, fragrances should be slightly scented on people. She grabbed her lap top bag, car keys and breezed to the study. The man in the study who was bent over his laptop hardly looked up.

"Have a good day honey."

"Have a good day too. Be blessed" Ntuen said.

He looked up and caught his wife stepping out of the study. It was like ready, steady, snap! Like back in the days of analogue cameras. What a fascinating sight he saw. The smell of the perfume was still lingering in a mild way in the study. He stopped leaning over the machine, paused himself, sat back on the chair and his mind flooded with memories. The whole thing did not seem to make sense to him.

He remembered when he first met her twenty five years ago at the train station platform. It was a cold turbulent and windy day. The wind was blowing at about forty five miles an hour. Britain had witnessed series of storms that winter – first it was storm Abigail, then Storm Barney, then Storm Clodagh, then Desmond. Why weren't these storms named after Sango, the god of thunder in Nigeria? The country was still reeling in the losses sustained in the previous storms. Floods and insurance claims. Deaths and destructions!!

Litter bins were being knocked down. Objects flew helter skelter and people held on to their cases and belongings. Bicycle riders were literally thrown off balance. Cars pulled over on hard shoulders as chaos and weather rage enlarged its coast. The rains came down battering and pattering on houses and people. Roadside café stalls were uprooted. Trees were being pulled down by winds. Branches of trees crashed on roofs and people. Emergency calls quadrupled within the hour. Sirens blared past and the emergency services were struggling to cope. It was about 4pm. Everybody turned to news stations for updates. Train services were delayed and then cancelled. There were no replacement services offered. There was a warning from the officials. "Wherever you are, stay put, don't venture out. It's bad out there and it's going to get worse."

Women were the worst hit victims. Their hair clips and accessories were being yanked off them and tossed into different directions across the platforms. The little café shops on the platform were filled to capacity. Human beings formed chains. They huddled together as if to protect themselves from some imminent danger. A young lady was moving her head vigorously in prayer. An elderly man stood calmly with his arms crossed reciting some incantations. He was heard repeating "I have had a good life. I have had a godly life. Maybe the end is here". Estelle had wanted to secure her rucksack to her handbag when the handbag fell down and was blown away instantly. Ntuen darted across the platform chasing the handbag. He grabbed it just on time, before it was whisked away onto the rail tracks by the wind. Estelle was ecstatic and impressed at the speed of Ntuen. What her life could have degenerated into, if that bag had disappeared flashed before her in a split second. It wasn't the bank cards or the wallet or money in her bag that mattered to her. It was the memory stick that contained all the evidence in the latest case she was handling and the backup from her laptop. Her house keys were inside the bag as well. That would have made her life a tedious one. Ntuen was a cheetah and her hero.

"Hello" said a voice.

Ntuen turned to his right side and saw this lady standing next to him.

"Yes, hello" Ntuen responded in a sort of unsure manner, looking around to be sure that the hello was directed at him.

"You don't seem to remember me?"

"No, not at all."

"Well, I remember you very well. Good deeds always stand out" the young lady continued.

Several weeks had passed before Estelle bumped into Ntuen at Victoria train station. They were at the concourse waiting and looking at the boards for the next train to East Croydon station.

Estelle and Ntuen travelled together to East Croydon and the rest was now history. Two years after that fateful meeting, they were married and blessed with two lovely children.

Ntuen snapped himself back to his computer and continued with his work. He couldn't concentrate. The beauty in that lady came rushing back to him. The lady he first met about twenty one years ago.

In her office during the presentation of the new product, Visor3, the presenter had flown in from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He was a rough looking guy. He wore a beard and his hair was uncombed. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a burgundy shirt. He wore a plaid jacket and a pair of ankle high boots. He had the most remarkable smile.

Before the meeting started, he went about greeting everyone establishing a sense of personal connection with the attendees. During each handshake, he would give each person a compliment. "Oh that's a great haircut you've got", "I like your sense of colour combination", "Wow, what a great handshake", "I like your tie", I love the colour of your phone". It was endless compliments. People loved that air of buzz around him. He sure did make everyone feel good.

"Hello everyone."

"Hello" people responded.

"My name is Gary and I am from the Rotterdam office of Visor3. I have been a part of Visor3 right from its inception and it is my privilege to..."

Six hours later Gary was alone with Estelle and Mr. Bold, in a meeting to decide the UK launch date.

"Oh I love that smell. It is Gabrielle Chanel."

"Yes it is" Estelle responded.

"I like it even better when it is tainted" he went on.

"What do you mean by tainted?"

"I call it the circle dance. When you spray the perfume in the air and dance around in circles while the spray dew settles on you, leaving with you a faint smell of the fragrance all over your body".

Estelle was shocked. What a description. No one had captured her attention in her life like Gary did during his brief explanation of 'tainted'.

She had been exchanging emails with Gary about Visor3 and the upcoming launch until Gary was due for another visit to the UK office.

She took extra care that morning to dress. No one smiled to her like Gary did. No one complimented her like Gary did. Even in her blunders about the product, Gary was ever willing to always take her through the steps again.

"I know my wife. She looked so different thismorning. She looked like when I first met her. Something is going on. A PhoenixMars Landers from another orbit is picking her signals and transmitting it. Ihave to intercept this" Ntuen