Thirty Years Ago on the Beach - #6 Realization
While we were upstairs spinning our fingers and looking at the map, the storm surge from Gilbert was invading the villa. Returning back downstairs, we went into the living room area. There was limited visibility but the sloshing of our feet on the floor was unmistakable. We scrambled for the candles and found that the sea was now in the living room.
At first it was a small puddle, nothing that a mop wouldn't be able to clean up. In just a few more seconds, the time for two waves, the puddle turned into a river. It was time to move to higher ground, which was the villa behind this one.
We quickly grabbed everything we thought we would need as we tried to raise everything else off the floor. Acting more on impulse, we got ready to make the move.
The wind was screaming. There is no way to adequately describe the sound. There were projectiles of every size and description hurling through the air. Rain was so heavy that is was hard to see your hand in front of your face. And this is what we had to go through to get to the next villa.
The groundsman decided he should go first to make sure the path was clear and everything unlocked. There was no way to use anything such as an umbrella or tarp for protection, it would be ripped to shreds instantly. The only way to do it was go as fast as possible and hope for the best.
Cracking the door open, two of us braced the door. It was nearly impossible to hold. The groundsman tried to get out the door but we could not maintain the crack opening. The door slammed shut. The speed of the wind was too great, preventing us from keeping the door open. There would be no moving at this point. The storm was too wild.
The groundsman was relieved that he didn't have to go. He admitted that he thought he was not going to make it. We all silently took a moment to take in the enormity of the hurricane. This was not something to take lightly. This was a life and death situation.
The sea in the living room once again became our main concern. We all tried to come up with ideas, but in the end we decided if the worst happened, we would all move upstairs. Trying to go outside had convinced us to take the path of least resistance.
