Harriet and Jade, Chapter One

The thunder rose from a crackle to a powerful crushing, which scared thirteen-year-old Harriet Gardenia into hiding under her pillow and comforter. Young Dina skipped onto her bed, calling, “A tree just fell onto our house.”1

“I know.” Harriet winced.2

“Ooh, another wall leak!” Dina said, sounding excited.3

“Yep.”4

“Do you reckon our sump pump is overworked?”5

“Yes. The power outage has to have shut it down.”6

“What about the backup battery?”7

“I don’t know. Probably ran out already.”8

A structured bolt of lightning nearly hit their damaged roof.9

“Harriet?” Her little sister breathed heavily.10

“What?”11

“When are Mommy and Daddy gonna be back?”12

“Not sure.” Harriet went over to the window and pushed the blinds out of the way. All she saw was many knocked over trees and trees blowing around, and heavy raindrops bulleting down onto the soaked earth, whitely blurring all of the things beyond. “Don’t see anybody.” Just then, Harriet leaned on the windowsill in a puddle. The window had leaked.13

“Harriet?”14

“What?” Harriet said exasperatedly. Her sister had no idea how much she annoyed her.15

“Are we gonna die?” Dina bit her lip to keep from crying.16

Harriet flipped her light brown braids over her shoulder and gave Dina a stern look. “No.” She looked out the window and, by the look of the damage, somehow knew she was lying to her sister. “We are not going to die.”17

“Are Mommy and Daddy gonna die?”18

“Um…” Were they? There was a chance; even though they had just gone out to dinner with some family friends. If they got into bad traffic, and then…No. Harriet blinked the terrible outcomes out of her mind.19

“Well?”20

“No, Dina. They’re not gonna die.”21

“Okay! Maybe when the storm is over, then we can go to rainbow castle and play with the unicorns!”22

Harriet rolled her eyes. She knew that the unicorns at the rainbow castle were men in costumes. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. She knew there was no possible way of getting there without climbing out the window and meeting them there, and it was too cold to go out in her summer outfit – all she was wearing was gray cotton shorts and two tank tops, one gray and one orange. So she remained on her bed. Just a minor tropical storm, she recalled Savannah, Georgia’s local news reporter assuring the viewers at home. Yeah right, Harriet thought.23

There was another knock on the basement door. Harriet decided to go down and answer. She ran her teeth over her braces and “braced” herself.24

“Hello?” Harriet opened the door, wide and cry-eyed. She sensed this was a bad sign.25

“Yes, are you the Gardenia’s?” A police officer said.26

Oh no. “Uh, yeeeeeesssss…” The evil word. Yes. Now the news would be coming. The only reason he would be here was to say that her parents were dead.27

“Just wondering. A tree made a big dent on your house.”28

“Oh, good.” Harriet let out her breath.29

“Hmm?” He slipped his right hand into his pocket, the other holding a turned-in umbrella.30

“I mean, bad. But better. Uh, yeah.”31

“Okay then. I’ll be off. Fire in the neighborhood across from here, got struck by lightning. See you around.”32

“Kay, bye.” Harriet pushed the door closed, but it was hard because the thrust and force of the wind was pushing against her. Once it did shut, Harriet whistled a, “Whew!” But before she relaxed completely, another knock reined onto her door.33

“Yes?” Harriet opened the door again.34

“By the way, we just found out that Will and Josie Gardenia…”35

Oh no. Here it came.36

“Have died.”37

Harriet nearly exploded of sorrow and tears. “What?” she blubbered. “How? Where? When? Why?”38

“Well,” the officer said, checking his notes, “Can’t answer what, but they died of a pole accident. I’m very sorry, but they were electrocuted. And…where was on St. Davis Avenue. When was just about an hour ago. Also,” he said, “two people by the names of Alan and Sarah Romano have died, they were in the car with your parents. You know ‘em?”39

“Umm…” Harriet racked her brain for the last name. How could he expect her to think when she just found out her parents were dead?! “Oh,” she said. 40

“Hmm?” the police officer said again.41

Jade Romano. She was a girl at Harriet’s school who wore black a lot and listened to bands Harriet didn’t even know. Harriet didn’t like Jade because whenever she tried to talk to her nicely, she ignored her. Jade didn’t like Harriet because she was always chipper and a pretty popular girl who was Student Body President. Jade had five brothers, Harriet knew the older ones were Tom and Burt and the younger triplets were John, Keith, and Adam. “Yeah…”42

“So?” He tapped his foot in impatience.43

“Weelll…their daughter goes to school with me. And they have two older sons and three younger ones.” Harriet explained.44

“You friends with her?”45

“Er…” Harriet wasn’t sure about this one. Of course, Jade had talked to her before, but only sometimes nastily or, “No thanks, I’m not voting for the Student Body this year,” or even sometimes, “Bug off, I’m trying to do something.” That sort.46

“Well?”47

“Sure. Um. Yeah. I guess. Okay. You could say that,” Harriet stammered.48

“Well then I’m sure you won’t be uncomfortable breaking the news to her then. Good day now.” The police officer smirked and tipped his head.49

Harriet sighed. “Field trip time, Dina,” she called up. But when she raced up the stairs, she found a horrible sight.50