Days Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen

Sunday morning it was my goal to watch Westwinds live but as it turned out we finally got to Skype with Hope. It was grand to catch up with her, especially since she just got back from South Africa, where I lived for three years! We were also able to Skype with Stan, so we missed Westwinds.

After lunch we headed to school to work for a bit and learned that we were in store for a tropical storm that was headed for us from the St. Croix area. It wasn’t supposed to be too terrible, but figured that we’d probably lose power and maybe internet. Abbie told us if we felt uncomfortable we could come out to their place, which is concrete and hurricane-proof. Our house is wood and up on a hill out in the open; a ready target for hurricane winds.

 As the day wore on, Tropical Storm Irene became more and more nasty-looking. We did, in fact, lose power just after I found out on the internet that our status had changed from a tropical storm to a hurricane. Plus that, the direction of the hurricane changed at the last minute and Culebra ended up being hardest hit from it. We hurried up and  closed all the windows and most of the hurricane shutters. We lit candles and sat at the table playing Rummy with the new deck of cards we bought in Fajardo yesterday. Then we got a call from Billy saying he wanted us to come off the hill and out to their place, and to do it right away while we had the chance. I was trying to be calm and talk about our “adventure” to Hannah, while inside I was freaking out.

We drove through the pouring rain and driving wind out to Abbie and Billie’s. Hannah had a bite to eat and they offered me something as well, but frankly, I was too preoccupied with the storm to be interested in food. Their house is well-equipped with a huge generator that could probably power the entire island, They also have a house they built as a mother-in-law house that someone is currently renting from them, but is away for now, so they let us sack out there. There were two beds in a really big bedroom, so there was plenty of room, but Hannah looked at me with a kind of look on her face that told me she preferred to share my bed, so that’s what we did. She fell asleep pretty quickly, but the storm was literally the most violent I have ever experienced. It sounded several times during the night as though a low-flying jet was just overhead and coming right for us. The winds were relentless, as was the rain. I think I got a couple of hours of sleep, and even that wasn’t sound.

In the morning, we realized the rain had somehow gotten inside the concreted structure and we had half a bucket of water by the time it was all cleaned up. We were anxious to head back to our place to be sure everything was intact, so after Billy checked to make sure the roads were passable, we set off. He told us there were several places where the road was flooded but that if we just keep going through it, slowly and steadily, we’d be okay. We stopped on our way to check the school and besides a few limbs down everything looked good. Even the classrooms that are most vulnerable were in great shape. We didn’t have school, though, since there was so much damage on the island in general.

Driving to the top of the hill was a bit nerve-wracking, with the debris in the road from the storm, but we made it just fine. A tree had fallen on the fence, knocking part of it down and several branches were strewn around the yard, but there was no major damage.

The biggest problem was that everything was soaked. Hannah’s room had more water in it than we had back at Abbie’s, so we had to move most of the furniture out and then use a mop to literally push the water out. The water had seeped through the floor into the main living area, so the large area rug was soaked. A couple of screens had blown out of the windows and across to the far end of the porch, and the cushions on the furniture had all gotten wet, too. We had no electricity, so I was concerned about the welfare of all the groceries we had just purchased in Fajardo.

Eventually the rugs were all moved were moved out to the deck railing so they could dry whenever the rain really stopped. We cooked dinner of chicken and chick peas, put some dish soap in the dishes and washed them in the rain. Exhausted, I went to bed at 8:30. The power did come on for a while, but I had no cell phone or internet service. It’s crazy how dependent I have become on them both!

This morning (it’s Tuesday) we had school, although we had no power. We sat in our classrooms in semi-darkness and had a modified day. A few of our students weren’t here, but most were and they seemed happy to be back in the routine.

News travels quickly on this little island because of the small population and everyone being connected so closely. At the beginning of the school day we had been told to expect the power to come for a few hours and then they would shut it down and make it available to Vieques, another (and larger) island nearby.

At the end of the school day, however, we were told we may not get it for five or six days. I was planning what to cook in order for our food to not spoil! I also cleaned the shower here at Abbie’s school so Hannah and I would be able to use it since we have no water when we have no power at Nadeen’s house. Hannah was at a classmate’s house working on a project, so it was the perfect time to get it ready for her.

Imagine my delight and surprise when, as I was sitting in my dim classroom after showering, the lights came on!! Yay!!! I sprang for my phone and computer to plug them in to charge!! As soon as the phone made its welcoming ding, I called Stan to let him know we (temporarily at least) have some means of communication.

So here I sit, writing this while I have the chance. I did take some pictures, but I’m going to get this off while I have the chance and share pictures later.

Please pray for us. This adventure is really hard and seems to get way overwhelming at times. I told one of my students today, though, when she was complaining about something hard, that some things are a “good hard” and some things are a “bad hard.” This is a “good hard.” It doesn’t always feel like it, but I know it is.

Thank you, God, for reminding me that You are in control. Thank you for keeping us safe. Thank you for the people in my life who support us and love us unconditionally.