#homewprk

[prior-incantatem]

Week 2: I still haven't started my homework

[danimlemos-blog]

Rain, Thunder and Grey's Anatomy

Thunderstorm. I get scared even writing this word. Yeah, my dearest friends, this young lady over here just went through her very first thunderstorm of her life. To tell you the truth, the incident was somewhat funny. Not for me.  

I didn’t experience my best days in California last week. My host family traveled to Toronto for the Passover and I spent the holiday taking care of their 19-year-old cat. It was a brave old pet that passed away last Wednesday. Anyway, she wasn’t in her better shape when they came back, a day before. To top it off, it was Spring Break. As you know, I’m an au pair and my schedule was a little bit different during the past week. I had to be creative and entertain the toddler I take care of during mornings and afternoons. Thanks to Canada’s jetlag, the kid took very nice and long naps after lunch.

On Thursday evening, I was feeling tired and a little guilty about the cat – since I was the last person to be with her. So I had to skype my sort of guru, looking forward to listen to comforting and supportive words. I called Mom. The thing is, Mom and I were skyping and all of sudden, my room’s glass door and windows shook. Then, I started shaking. My first thought was: EARTHQUAKE. Luckily, I guess, it was just a thunder. I’m terrified about heavy rain, lightning and thunders since I was a little girl. I thought things were better now that I’m a grown up. Shame on me! Mom got worried, of course. I told her things were ‘ok’, it wasn’t raining so much and there were no more thunders. She didn’t buy it, for sure, and hung up.

When I finally calmed myself down, I decided to watch some TV, which has always made me some company. There I was, listening to Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler comments on American Idol when I read (and heard) an Alert System announcement. My English’s a lot better now than three months ago, when I arrive in California. I got so nervous that night, I could only understand the words: Thunderstorm, San Mateo County, Burlingame, tornado, 8:50pm. Sweet Mother of God! I took a look at the clock. It was 8:40pm. “I have 10 minutes to get myself ready for a Thunderstorm and a tornado”, I thought. I put some warmer clothes on, caught my computer, wallet, passport and visa and ‘shoved’ them in a bag and ran to the aim house, where my host family was. For the ones who don’t know, my room is a small cozy suite outside the house.

Rushed, scared, missing home and with the question ‘What the f*ck I’m doing here in this country?’ echoing inside my head. When I got there, my host mother was already sleeping. My host father was about to put the kid in bed. And I had to ask him if I could spend some time there, just hanging out, because I was afraid of thunders. He looked at me as if I were some kind of insane person and smiled. He was nice, as usual, and said ‘ok’, make yourself comfortable’.

I went straight to the living room, got a spot in the middle of the couch and turned the TV on. I don’t why, but just being with someone to share my agony, I was already feeling relaxed and ready to face what I had to. 8:50pm. “Great! Here comes the thunderstorm”. 9pm. New Grey’s Anatomy episode was about to start and I was thinking of a thunderstorm and a tornado that were supposedly coming. 9:10pm. My host father came out of the kid’s bedroom. The house was so quiet. 9:15pm. A few more not-scary-thunders. 9:20pm. Rain. 9:22pm.” Where’s the storm?” 9:24pm. “Where’s the storm again?” 9:25pm. Grey’s Anatomy’s break. 9:26pm. I got up from the couch, passed by the dining room, got to the kitchen, saw my host father and said “Thank you for letting me stay a while”; “No problem”, he replied. 9:28pm. I was back to my room, lay down on my bed and finished watching the episode. Relieved.

I’m sure my host father laughed behind my back and now makes fun of me with his friends at work.