Waiting for Saint Jude's Storm

Waiting for Saint Jude Storm ©

By Michael Casey

It feels as if we are Americans now, we have a storm coming and it has a name. Saint Jude. I had to look at my religious calendar to my right before I saw where Jude had come from. 

In 30mins it will be Monday 28^th  and that makes it Saint Jude’s day. I got the calendar for free I should add, just as we have a Chinese religious calendar in the kitchen, handy for all the kids activities.

I’ve put everything that can fly away, so that it doesn’t. I’ve even picked up a few stray cola cans from the street, so I’ve done my best to keep us safe. My father actually saved the undertaker’s son’s life, and all because of a stray cola can.

The can had been squashed by traffic, then as the undertaker’s son was crossing the road  a beer wagon from the brewery had run over it and sent it flying, cutting the undertaker’s son on the leg, so he was flat on his back in the street. Just then another beer wagon was thundering down the road with beer barrels rattling. The sun would have set for this son. Only my dad stepped into the road and dragged the son to safety.

I put this story as part of the fiction , into The Butcher The Baker and The Undertaker my first book. This all happened 25 years ago and more. When my father died years later the Undertaker’s son was able to thank my father properly, as only an Undertaker can. In death my dad looked 10 years younger, thanks to the son he saved.

So now the clock is ticking and we hope and pray Birmingham and the rest of the country are spared from the wrath of Saint Jude. My mum used to shake Holy Water into the storm asking it to be quiet. I’m sure many prayers are being said, by many Faiths an none, in number 10 too, we could all do without this storm.

We are all united though, we’ll look after our old nan and make sure we keep all our kids out of harm’s way. One death is one too many, and that death has already been reported. So wrap up tight and stay home, lose 3 hours pay and play with the kids. Only when the BBC weather says the worse is over, then venture out.

For tomorrow is another day, and let’s hope Saint Jude does the impossible, keeps us all out of harms way.