"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

“Gather your things. We gotta git.” It was dark in the room. We knew the day was coming. “I’m scawrd daddy.” “ I know baby but we gotta git, ain’t no time to be scaredt.”  I couldn’t see anything just heard the rustling of clothes and them bumpin’ into things.  Suddenly there was light as one of our windows burst with a flyin' brick. “Ahhh, Leave the dawl, we gotta git!” “I'M SCAWRD MOMMA! TELL DADDY, I CAN’T MOVE!” “I’ll git her Pa', take da otha children out to da' shelta.”  We all crushed ourselves next to the ratlin’ door waiting, wonderin’, squeezin’ tight to our little potato sacks tight against our chest. “I’m not leavin’, Abraham can take ‘im to the shelta.” “PLEASE, POPPA, GO, Joseph gonna try'n get past Abraham, they need you Poppa, Go!” Daddy grabbed Momma, and kissed her, “I Love you Ma, don’t take long.” The wind was stronger; we could hear it’s cruel roar.  “Huddle, children.”  Daddy hovered over us like a bear. I knew not even that nasty roar could get us but I wanted Momma and Sarah there. The door flung open as Daddy pushed us out protected like the inards of an armadillo. I could hear Sarah screamin’ through the beating of the wind and the tearing of the panels off our house like paper. “Hun, please let momma pick you up.”  I can imagine she musta looked into Momma's warm brown eyes and grabbed momma around her neck. But her foot was stuck. “Momma, I see it.”  I heard Sarah screech and I ran to get past daddy but he caught me with those long strong arms, “No, Abraham! She comin’.” Momma ran out the house “It’s next tu ar house, it’s riwt dere!”, belted Sarah. “Run Ma, Run!”  Daddy yelled as loud as his lungs could yell while pushin' us down into the open shelter doors. The wind shook the ground the shelter was in. I couldn’t stand to see anymore, I just squeezed my eyes shut and hoped it would be over. Momma yelled.” “I’m not gonna make it Pa, git her.” “You gonna make it Ma, GOD, JESUS she gotta make it!” Pa, gripped me up and put me next to him in back of the rest. “Hold hands, Tom, you las’ grab dat pole dere!”  Daddy held my hand and reached out for Sarah and Momma. Oh, the sky was dark like lookin’ in a monster’s mouth and the twister right behind Momma like it was chasin’ her. Momma threw Sarah with the force of the wind but Sarah caught hold of momma’s arm and wouldn’t let go. So when that wind lifted Momma we was all strung together and I was grateful Tom ate all dem potatas cause he was holden tight to dat iron pole and Daddy was holdin’ tight to Sarah and Sarah was holdin’ tight to Mommy flyin’ in the air backwards screamin’. “ Let go SARAH! Let go!” “PULL, Y’ALL PULL,” “JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!” I didn’t know what Daddy was doin’, it seem to me as big as dat twister was GOD was doin’ it but we all joined in.  “JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!” And we pulled till we couldn’t feel our arms for pain and all our eyes closed from the wind blowin’ so hard with dirt and wood. Suddenly we all jerked backward and it was dark and silent.  “Is evrybady alright?”  What a sweet voice to hear in all that wind.  We all roared with laughter and love and jumped on Momma from every direction.  “I love you Ma.” “I love you Pa.” “You want any more childr'n.” Momma just laughed and laughed. Sarah whispered, “Why you call JESUS Daddy?” “I knew HE’d give me strength I didn’t have.” and he kissed her sweetly on the forehead. "Thank you JESUS" Pa said loudly and that's exactly what I was thinking when I laid my head back against that dark cold wall and closed my eyes, "Thank you, JESUS," just like Pa I was grateful to survive another twister with all of us intact.

To be continued...