The Rhythm of the August Rain by Gillian Royes Read Free Book Online Page A

and an old man who didn’t have much sense. But we was lucky in my house, only two windows break.”
    â€œWhat happened to the—the driveway to the hotel?”
    â€œYou remember Old Man Job telling the boss from long time to build a retaining wall along the driveway?”
    â€œI remember that.”
    â€œAnd the boss always say he don’t have no money to build no wall. For seven years, people telling him to build a wall, even Mistah Lambert—I hear him with my own ears. The driveway going to wash away, Mistah Lambert say, but the boss was too hard ears. He say his hotel strong, no storm can mash it up.
    â€œThen come Albert, and the boss couldn’t believe his eyes because he never gone through a hurricane before. The waves come up twenty feet, come right over the cliff and sweep straight through the hotel. He alone was there, and he climb on top of the reception desk to stay away from the water, so he say.”
    â€œHe never thought of running away?”
    â€œToo late, rain was falling thick, thick. He have to wait for the eye of the hurricane so he could make a dash for it.”
    â€œAnd did he?”
    â€œWhen the eye come through, the wind and rain stop and the waves get lower. So he come down off the desk and walk outside and take a look at what happen. The roof on the dining room was gone and the roof over the other building where he was, the guest rooms and reception area, was coming off. He know he have to leave now, because the wind going to come back, and he start wading down the driveway before the second half of the hurricane hit.”
    The little man stood up, gesturing. “He get to the end of the guest-room building now—and the driveway gone. It wash away, just like Old Man Job and Mistah Lambert had said. No land was left between the hotel and the main road. He find himself on an island.”
    â€œOh, my God.”
    â€œHe decide to jump in the water and start swimming.” Shad’s arms churned, windmill-like, in the imaginary ocean. “He swimming, swimming, thinking he could make it, but he never realize the waves was still high. Halfway across now, the storm start to lick again behind the eye, and the waves get big again. He said he never swallow so much water in all his life, but he make it to the beach and crawl up to the main road, naked. He decide to come to the Delgados’ house, and he fighting wind and rain now, dodging tree limb and everything, crawling up the driveway—this very driveway outside here—and he make it to the verandah and bang on the door, and Mistah Lambert pull him inside.”
    Shad sat down, drained, and they both looked out the kitchen window at the orphaned island. From this distance, the ocean surrounding it looked as harmless as a baby’s blanket.
    â€œAnd he built the bar,” Shannon said, adding a sigh that mourned the old and accepted the new.
    â€œBut like his spirit die with the hotel, and he didn’t have no money to build it back.”
    â€œI had no idea—”
    â€œBut time is longer than rope—you ever hear that saying? It look like we going to have another hotel now.”
    â€œ Another hotel? Is Eric building it?”
    â€œIs a three-partner business—the boss going to be the managing partner, then an American man named Danny Caines going to put up the money, and me. I going to be a partner, too, and help run it. How you like that?”
    After answering Shannon’s questions, Shad said he had to go to work, and she walked him to the front door.
    â€œTell Beth hello for me,” she said. “We’ll have to labrish —isn’t that the word for ‘chat’? I’ve almost forgotten my patois.”
    â€œYou better brush up on your wedding labrish ,” he said, shaking his head, “because is that Beth going to talk the whole time.”
    Starting down the driveway with his basket, Shad turned to wave, and Shannon waved