Richie Makes it Home
It had been raining all day and water was pooling up at the end of the drive. Toni was getting anxious for Richie to get home. She’d been watching the weather reports on the TV in her newly done study since she got home from the clinic. There was talk of flooding in Coffs and some of the outlying areas. She was hoping they weren’t in an outlying area. This was the first real rain they’d had since coming to Australia.
Having given Miss Peeg the day off Richie was manning the office by himself. It seemed to be getting darker and darker outside and since he had no pressing business he thought he might leave early. His cell phone went.
"Oh Mr. Roberts I am calling from Coffs Hotel…I’m afraid I’ve lost my car," Miss Peeg stated
"Lost your car…what do you mean did someone steal it?"
"Oh no sir…it floated away…and the rescue person said it was most likely done for…his words exactly sir."
Richie tried to understand what she was talking about, "what happened Miss Peeg did you park it in a pond?"
"Oh it was the flood sir, the roads are flooded and Mrs. McGee and I were trapped weren’t we and had to crawl out of the car and sit on top and it did float sir for quite some ways before the nice rescue man came for us." She went on to explain what had happened and that they were safe and sound in the hotel.
"Right…well don’t worry I’ll uh close up here today and we’ll see about tomorrow. Let me know if I need to come get you okay?"
"Oh yes sir I shall, but I don’t think it will be tomorrow the TV says it’s flooding out everywhere."
Richie turned off the lights and locked the door dashing to his car. There was a lot of water on the road as he made his way home sometimes it was over his wheels but the Land Rover kept going. He was awfully glad to see his driveway and the house on top of the hill.
Toni met him at the door, "I’m so glad to see you Richie I was worried with all the flooding."
"It’s getting pretty bad out…yeah I’m glad to be home…wait till I tell you about Peeg’s adventure in Coffs."
Richie went upstairs pulling off his wet clothes and looking for warm dry sweats as he recounted the Peeg story to Toni.
"But Richie it’s not funny I’m sure they were terrified…I would have been." Toni said sitting on the bed.
"You would not have been out in the rain looking at flowers in the first place…I don’t think Miss Peeg has a terrified bone in her body. She acts first and thinks later…anyway they’re fine."
"Mrs. McGee…that’s Travis McGee’s mother isn’t it?"
"Yeah…he probably had no idea what she was up to." Richie dried his hair with a towel and ran his hand through it for combing.
"Are you hungry…thirsty?"
"Thirsty….I can wait on food I had a big lunch at the new restaurant. Looked like Millie’s was filling up for the night…a lot of people not wanting to chance it on the roads."
Toni raked her hand through his damp tousled hair, "you’re cute wet."
Richie looked at her, "I’m too old to be cute," he kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze.
