LembetySeven

LembetySeven

Another story that came to me in the night.

Maybe I shouldn't have those Taco Hell burritos just before bed.

It was a kinda nice day; warm, but not too much, breezy but just. Three in the after noon and I had the sun behind me as I looked out on the lake. A woman sat at the other end of the bench, we acknowledged each other and then went back to our own thoughts.

"Excuse me, what did you just say?"

I shook myself. "Excuse me?"

"Did you just say lembety seven?"

"No, I don't think so."

"You did. I heard you. You said it!"

I thought for a moment. "Yes, I guess I did."

"Oh my god! What do you know? What's going to happen? My mother only said that when something horrible would happen!" She was jumping up and gathering her things as she said that.

Suddenly something big and heavy crashed into the bench where she had sat. She screamed and ran off. I sat there studying the object. U shaped and yellow in color. Maybe eighteen inches in length, a couple inches thick, the ends looking like broken welds.

A couple Park Police ran up asking what happened, is any one hurt, who screamed, am I alright. I nodded and pointed in the direction the woman ran. "She went thataway."

A crowd had gathered, then a news crew, fire fighters, an ambulance crew, and finally a couple park workers. The fire fighters checked me, said I was okay. The ambulance crew looked disappointed and wandered off. The news reporter asked me a few questions, I told her what I knew - not much - she looked disappointed too.

When everyone else had left the park workers asked me when I was getting up. "In a little bit. I'd kinda like to get my self back together. They nodded and climbed back into their maintenance cart and drove away.

When I was sure everyone had gone I stood and walked the half block to my apartment, stepped into the shower and schucked my clothes. They were going straight into the trash, there was no way I was going to try washing all that shit out.

***

There was a brief mention on the local news. I was on for about five seconds, but they had found the woman cowering behind a dumpster and crying. She made a much better interview. She mostly cried through the interview but was pretty clear in blaming me for her close call with death.

***

I don't know where the term came from, I just remember it was my mother - Bless her soul - shouting it one day. That was when I was about ten. We lived in Kansas. I think Dad worked for an auto dealer as a mechanic. Anyway me and my brother were having breakfast before school when Mom came running into the kitchen shouting Lembetyseven! She herded us to the bathroom, threw a bunch of blankets into the tub, it was one of those deep claw foot ones, and made us get in. She got in with us and covered us with another blanket and we waited.

It wasn't long until it sounded like a big train driving right through our house. Everything shook and stuff was falling on us. I think some hurt Mom because she would yell like that. The noise went on for a long time and then faded away.

We waited a long time after the noise stopped before Mom would let us up. The house was gone. Just pieces laying everywhere. Mom sat and cried. I found a towel and wiped blood from the back of her head. Mom began looking for things. She found a mirror but it was smashed. I found one of my shoes. We didn't find much else, Mom said it was all likely scattered all over the county.

Dad came racing up in his car, weaving through the mess. When she saw him Mom fell into his arms crying. After a few minutes she stood tall, looked right at him and declared she didn't want to live here anymore.

***

Dad got a job in an oil refinery in Texas. Down by the coast. Not Houston, but kinda over towards Louisiana. Port Arthur. We had a nice house and Brad and I liked the school. It did get hot in the summer, and when it rained is really rained. But we never saw snow in the winter and we never froze.

Everything was going good, I made good grades in school, had a few friends, didn't even get zits. Then Dad came home early one day and said to Mom; "Get the necessary stuff, we gotta get to high ground."

Mom went "OH LORD, LEMBETYSEVEN."

Dad told her not to panic we had at least twelve hours. I knew about hurricanes 'cause they taught us in school. We drove all the way to Nacadoches, but every hotel room was filled, so we had to sleep in the car.

It rained like a river that night, and the wind was pretty strong. In the morning we found a church that was handing out food to everybody that had run from the storm. While Brad and I were eating Mom had Dad in a corner and from the way she was leaning in and the way her finger was tapping his chest I figured we weren't going back to Port Artur. Yup, we were moving again.

***

Dad got a job at an aircraft factory outside Los Angeles. That lasted until the first earth quake. It wasn't even a bad one, but Mom said she wasn't gonna wait for 'The Big One" everybody was talking about. We moved to the Seattle area where Dad got a job at the other aircraft company. I heard him tell Mom we couldn't go any farther because he was pretty sure she wouldn't like the volcanos in Alaska.

***

Mom settled in. We got a nice house with a big yard. Finally got a dog - a scruffy looking guy we named Rascal. I graduated high school, spent two years in the Army, mostly in Europe. Just pretending to guard one building or another. After the Army I went to trade school where I learned accounting.

Mom passed away in her sleep at the age of sixty three. Doctor said her heart just quit. Dad lives alone. He retired when he hit sixty seven. Now he putters in his yard. He got a cat for company, but the cat hates him and won't let Dad touch him.

***

I've worked at the hospital for three years now, in Billing and Accounts. It's a bit boring, but I don't mind since it pays decent and I get free medical.

~~~

I don't know why I said it. It just came out of my mouth as if Mom were standing there shouting it. All I know is I'm out my best pair of pants.