Landslide: Mom’s Punishment, My 16th Lesson

"Enid! Where the hell is your brother? Don't you know the whole hillside could be coming down any minute?" Mom paced in the hotel room like a cat on a hot tin roof. Outside, the sky was so dark it looked ready to collapse. The wind made everything rattle and sway. The emergency announcement played over and over through the loudspeakers. "Red alert for extreme rainfall. All visitors must evacuate immediately. The last rescue bus leaves the main terminal in 20 minutes!" Mom whipped her head around, her eyes blazing. "You little brat! Get your ass out there and find Hugo!" I glanced out the window. Sheets of rain lashed through the gale. Roadside signs had been torn loose and were tumbling across the ground. "Mom, he said he was going to the hill behind the resort with that kid he just met... And in this weather—" "I don't give a damn where he went! Bring him back or don't bother coming back yourself!" she cut me off with a roar. I looked toward Dad crouching in the corner. His lips moved. "The rain's terrible out there. Maybe she could wait until it lets up a little..." "Shut up!" Mom didn't even bother looking at him. "If anything happens to Hugo, are you going to take responsibility?" Dad shrank back and fell silent. I had no choice but to go looking. The moment I opened the door, a gust nearly swept me off my feet. I braced myself against the wall and struggled forward. Water from the flooded path had already poured into my shoes. I was about to head for the trail behind the resort when a gleeful voice rang out from behind. "Whoa! Awesome! This is so much fun!" I turned. Hugo was bouncing toward me along the wooden boardwalk, covered in mud, strands of wet hair plastered to his forehead. He was buzzing with excitement. Mom rushed to the door. She pulled him into her arms and frantically checked him all over, her voice trembling with concern. "Sweetheart, you're finally back! Are you cold? Come on, let's get you into some dry clothes. We can't have you catching a cold!" I stood there in the downpour, soaked to the skin. Every blast of cold wind sent shudders through me. Mom never so much as glanced my way. Just then, the last bus pulled up, its horn blaring. Its high beams were blinding through the rain and mist. The driver kept hammering the horn, urging everyone to hurry. "Everyone on board! We're leaving now!" Mom wrapped Hugo in a large bath towel until he was bundled up tight, then hurried him into a seat at the back. I followed and started to step aboard. "Get off." Mom shifted sideways, blocking my way. "You know what you did wrong. Hugo does nothing but run around having fun. Tonight, he nearly got himself killed on that mountain. "You're staying here. Maybe then he'll learn to take things seriously and understand what fear feels like." I froze. My brother panicked. He pressed himself against the window and shouted, "Mom! No! Enid could die if you leave her here! There's going to be a landslide—" "Now you know you were wrong? Now you're scared? Why didn't you think of that before you sneaked out?" Mom snapped, cutting him off. "Your sister's staying here to take your punishment!" He flinched back into his seat, tears rolling down his cheeks. One tourist couldn't stand it anymore. "Hey, there's a red alert! People could die! One mudslide and that flimsy building will be gone. Are you kidding me?" Mom wasn't moved in the slightest. She ducked back into the room. Less than 2 seconds later, she came running out with our little toy poodle in her arms. She tucked the dog into the only space left on the bus and declared, as if it were obvious, "A dog can't find his way around or take shelter from danger. I have to bring him." Then she gave me a cold glance. "Enid, you're an adult! You've got legs. Can't you find somewhere to hide?" Dad was sitting up front. His lips parted. Mom shot him a look, and he immediately lost his nerve and turned toward the window. The bus door slammed shut and locked. I saw Hugo pounding on the window, straining as though he was shouting something. But the wind and rain were too loud. I couldn't make out a word. Mom patted his head and stopped him from looking at me. The bus rushed away. Its taillights vanished into the night. One by one, the resort's lights went out. I was the only person left in the storm. Then a shout came out of the darkness. "Young lady! I've got room in my truck!"