his whole life, like a thundercloud, out in front of him

Cowritten with etouffee. Italics by me.

He studied the sky the way Gypsies read tea leaves, carefully one at a time, looking for clues...

but none of the fine lined mysteries would speak to him, and he was so bummed out. Though in his mind's eye, the leaves stirred, moved. All until they took on a strange dance, whispering into his fingertips touching them.

"Move forward, but carefully- write old friends- but tell them only lies- travel abroad but do not pack for the trip"- he wrote notes to himself on a paper bag.

He kept those bags for the scratchy noises they made while being scribbled on. Storm approaching, even inside his own ear, he mused. And smiled delightfully, in the way little boys would when they pick up their favourite toy car...

...cradling it in the palm of their hands, imagining the places it would go, and he inside it.

Like the car behind him now, door still open, beckoning for him to return to safety. What had all these years of pretend play prepared him for? The leaves he imagined in the sky stirred a new. And then he went out in the field to meet the coming storm.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT. SOME OF
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND OR LARGE
HAIL POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO RESULT IN SOME URBAN
AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. LIGHTNING IS ALSO A RISK WITH ANY
THUNDERSTORMS.

..............................................................

He discerns the storm brewing, the clouds gathering about.
He feels the increase in pressure. He senses the change in the wind.
It makes him uncomfortable, like a collar too tight about his neck.
He knows it will probably become severe, that there will be collateral damage.
He is in no hurry to rush towards the squall. It will arrive when it will arrive.
Until then, he battens down the hatches, puts away that which could blow away.
Ties down the awnings, then sits down on the porch to watch the clouds rolling in
and the changing colors of the sky, to grasp the sudden shift in pressure
that will indicate the storm is upon him. When the time comes, he will deal
with the tempest. Until then, he will watch and he will wait.

Perhaps tomorrow it will be clearer.