"Jim, you better start getting everything ready. The weather calls for a big storm," Mom said from the living room.
"Okay, Mom, I'll get started when I finish my breakfast," I replied.
"What can I do to help?" My sister Sue asked.
"You can get the tote with the lanterns from the basement," I said.
"I'll run to the grocery store to stock up on a few things," Mom said.
I finished my food and went to dress. My mom, sister, and I lived in central coastal Maine in a small house on five acres. We were used to the winter storms and made sure we were prepared for the loss of power.
Once I had my jeans, shirt, and boots on, I headed outside for firewood. When we lost power, the boiler went out, so we had to rely on the free-standing cast-iron fireplace in the living room for heat. We also lost the pump and had to fill containers with water to cook, clean, and flush the toilet.
My dad would have helped and told us what we needed to do in the past. We lost Dad to COVID last May, three months into the pandemic. In addition to not having a funeral for Dad, Sue's high school graduation was virtual. I had graduated the year before. There were eleven months between Sue's and my birthdays.
After filling the wood rack on the back porch, I removed my boots and coat then went downstairs to fill the water jugs. When I got to the basement, Sue gathered a few things we'd need. I took the five-gallon containers from a shelf and carried them to where I could fill them.
"I hope we don't lose power this time," Sue said.
"I hope so too, but it's better to be safe than sorry," I said.
"Have you heard anything about your job? The store I work for said they probably won't open until summer," Sue said.
"No, I haven't heard anything. It seems almost everything is closed right now," I said.
My sister, Mom, and I worked in town. Sue worked in a clothing store, I worked at a hardware store, and Mom worked for a doctor's office a few days a week. Many of the town's businesses were based on the summer tourist trade and were closed for the season. January was slow in this part of the state.
"Would you go upstairs and get the dirty clothing, please. I want to do a few loads while I can," Sue said.
"Sure. You can finish filling the jugs while I get the laundry," I said.
I grabbed a laundry basket, went upstairs, and gathered the dirty clothing from our rooms. When I emptied my sister's hamper, I saw her underwear, picked up one of her bras, and read the label, noting she wore a thirty-two C, a size larger than the last time I checked. Sue always dressed conservatively and wore clothing that hid her body. In the summer, she wore oversized tee-shirts and baggy shorts or jeans. In the winter, she wore bulky sweaters or sweatshirts. My sister was about five-foot-seven, four inches shorter than me. I wasn't sure how much she weighed but guessed her to be about one-hundred-twenty pounds. I'd read stories where the brother said he didn't see his sister in a sexual way, but I did. When Sue began developing, I would think of her when I masturbated.
Leaving my sister's room, I emptied the hampers in Mom's and my rooms, took the basket to the basement, and put it on the floor near the washing machine.
When Mom got home from shopping, I went to the garage to carry the things into the house. Sue came up to help Mom put the items away while I made a few trips to get the bags. Mom made lunch, and we sat in the kitchen eating and reviewing what else we needed to do.
By two in the afternoon, we were as ready as possible. I checked the LED lanterns and the radio batteries, ensuring they were fresh. Sue went to her room, returned with the clothes she wore in her arms, and went downstairs to finish the laundry.
The wind picked up, and it began snowing at about four. I built a fire in the fireplace and made sure there was plenty of wood in the holder. Mom filled a couple of large pots with water, placing them on the cast-iron fireplace to warm. If we lost power, our electric stove wouldn't work. We had a camp stove to cook and make coffee, but we used the fireplace to heat water for washing to conserve fuel.
Sue, Mom, and I sat in the living room, watching the weather reports on television and the radar showing the massive storm moving toward us from the northeast. The broadcaster showed our area map, pointing to the roads already closed.
Taking turns, we showered, not knowing when we would be able to do it again. We'd lost power for several days and had to wash up using a basin in the past. I went to the basement, grabbed two water jugs, took them upstairs, and put one in the kitchen and the other in the bathroom.
Mom showered first, coming into the living room wearing her flannel nightgown and a pair of socks. She took three goosedown comforters from a chest, placed two of them on the couch, and the other on her chair. If it got cold enough, we'd sleep in the living room to stay warm from the fireplace.
Sue went to the bathroom to shower while I watched the weather report. It seemed the storm had stalled just north of us, dumping snow and making travel dangerous, if not impossible.
"This storm may peter out before it gets here," Mom said.
"I wouldn't count on it, Mom. You know how these storms can stall then pick up again," I said.
Sue returned a few minutes later wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. As she took her place on the couch, I noticed her breasts wobbling beneath her sweatshirt. She caught me looking and smiled.
I went to the bathroom, hoping there was enough hot water to shower. After getting into the tub, I turned on the water, washed, and shampooed my hair before the water went cold. I dried myself, then put on my sweatpants and a long-sleeve thermal shirt. I tossed my clothes on a chair in my room then went to the living room.
"I'm going to have a glass of wine. Would either of you like one?" Mom said.
"Sure, I'll have one, Mom," Sue said.
Nodding, I said I'd have a glass of wine too. Mom went to the kitchen, returned with three glasses of red wine, set two of them on the coffee table for Sue and me, then placed her's next to her chair. Before sitting down, Mom went to the kitchen again, returning with a bottle of wine.
Mom sat in her recliner, lowered the back, and pulled her comforter close. She reached for her wine, held the glass up, and said, "Here's to a safe and warm night."
Sue chuckled, picked up her glass, and took a drink. I sipped my wine, feeling it warm me as I swallowed. Ever since we'd been confined to the house, Mom allowed my sister and me to have an occasional drink. Since Dad passed, I noticed Mom drank more often than I remembered. I would hear her crying in her bedroom many nights, but it became less over the past few months.
"This lockdown has been trying, hasn't it?" Mom said as she refilled her glass.
"Yeah, but we're doing okay, Mom. With the stimulus money and our unemployment, we're getting along fine. This last forever," I said.
"I know it won't, but I still feel bad for you two. We're doing fine financially. We still have most of your father's life insurance money left. Fortunately, your father insisted on mortgage insurance, so the house is paid for. You've been cooped up in this house for almost ten months," Mom said.
"It hasn't been too bad, Mom. When the weather was warm, Jim and I went outside and did things in the yard. We had a great garden this year," Sue said.
"I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you two haven't fought or gotten on each other's nerves. I know Sue was disappointed she missed her graduation and prom," Mom said.
Sue chuckled and said, "The graduation wasn't a big deal. As far as the prom goes, no one asked me."
"I thought Matt would take you, Sue. You two went together for months," Mom said.
"Things didn't work out with him. Matt wanted to get a room after the prom, and when I said no, he dumped me," Sue said.
"I didn't know he wanted to get a room after the dance," I said.
Sue shrugged her shoulders, smiled, and said, "I don't tell you everything, Jim. If I had told you about Matt, you might have done something stupid."
