Jacob, Lila, Karen, and Paul left the hotel when the all-clear had been announced. The waves rough and the sea roared as they waked to the beach house. Along the way, they say pieces of roofs and every imaginable item that the hurricane had picked up and deposited on the beachfront. Jacob could not move fast enough to get back to his house. With each step the possibility of not having a house or one in such disrepair he would have to move filled his stomach.
“Dad, it will be okay,” Karen said. Jacob nodded. He knew his daughter was in tune with his feelings at the moment. One quick look at Lila, and her feelings were on her face. He had always wanted a house on the beach. Shawn thought it was stupid, so after she died, he sold their house and bought the beach house. Maybe it was only for the time he had the house. Perhaps it was time to move on. Once again the feeling of why was the black woman here
Around the bend there stood the remains of his beach house. The four of them stood in silence, taking in what had been Jacob’s dream for most of his life. He loved the ocean and living on the beach gave him life. “Dad,” was all Karen got out before Jacob fell to his knees.
Lila dropped next to him and placed her arms around him. In that instance, Jacob felt a peace he had been searching for most of his life. The thought the beach house was what he needed, but this woman with her arms holding him made every mistake seem minor. “Jacob, you can rebuild,” Lila whispered in her ears. “No, I think this is the end of this dream,” Jacob said.
Karen and Paul watched Jacob and Lila. Slowly Jacob stood and took Lila’s hand to help her up. “Well, let’s see what we can salvage,” Jacob said. The roof was half gone, and the shutters banged against the frame. The irony of the day, the roof was intact over the room with the boxes Jacob had been going through. That room and the guest bedroom had survived if he could call it survival. Sloshing through the water in flooded rooms, Jacob picked up a few items.
“Dad, I called Carl, and he is on his way with his truck,” Karen said, “Thanks, honey,” Jacob replied. Lila had worked on his kitchen. “Lila, you do not have to do that,” Jacob said. “I am here so I will help,” she replied and continued to work on the items on the floor.
By the time Carl had arrived, there were bags of items that needed to go to the dump. Most of Jacob’s clothing would need to be washed. Paul worked in silence with the others. Carl made two trips to the dump. By nightfall, they cleared what they could save. “Dad, you can come home with me,” Karen suggested. “Thanks, I need to be alone,” Jacob said. “Jacob, you need not be alone,” Paul said. “Paul, your days of taking care of me are over, thanks, but I am good.” Jacob turned to Lila, “We need to talk.” She nodded.
Jacob and Lila left Karen, Carl and Paul and headed back to the hotel, never looking back at the beach house or the three stunned people on the steps.
© 2019 Ivy Jade