Night of the Twisters

In the aftermath of the storm, Dan’s family lives at his grandparent’s farm together. The Darlingtons are forced to split up. Arthur comes to live on the farm, while Stacey lives with her friend Evelyn. Ronnie Vae goes to stay with cousins in California. Some nights on the farm, Dan and Arthur put their mattresses outside and sleep “under the stars” (144). Through insurance and government loans, the Hatch house is going to be rebuilt on the original foundation. Aunt Goldie decided not to rebuild and to instead move into an apartment closer to town. She was trapped in Meves Bowl and was unable to remember much at first. She found herself in a hotel room a few days later with no purse or extra clothing. She tried to get in touch with everyone, but an operator told her the area was “sealed off” (145). Several days later, someone from the Red Cross was able to drive her to the farm. As Aunt Goldie slept and recovered from her ordeal, she remembered a trucker driving her to the hotel, which was 150 miles away.

For the next few weeks, everyone was talking about “Black Tuesday” (146), as the day became known. An investigation revealed the situation was “a first-class freak” (146) with six or seven funnels hitting the ground. One of them was five miles wide, which is also unusual. And while almost all tornadoes spin counterclockwise, two of the ones that night spun the opposite direction. However, everyone felt the real story was the aftermath of the storm, when there was no drinking water available, or clothes, or fresh food. They were forced to drink soda for days and swap precious belongings for food or clothes. Animals started hanging around grocery stores with no power and looters came in to take what was left.

Those are also the moments that everyone bonded together. For Dan, it was in that time that “everyone became our neighbor” (148). Volunteers came from all over to help. There was the National Guard, the Red Cross, the Mennonites, and a disaster team from Wichita Falls, Texas. Mrs. Smiley was “the shining example” in their immediate neighborhood as she got the Mennonites to help her put 80 jars of canned goods out on tables outside her house to serve to everyone. As a result of her generosity, members of the Presbyterian men’s club came out quickly to help Mrs. Smiley rebuild her roof. Arthur found her old screen door with the patches on it in his basement and Mrs. Smiley says it will go perfectly on her new back porch. President Jimmy Carter visited the town, telling them they won’t be forgotten. By August, both the Darlingtons and the Hatches live in government-issued trailers rent free.

A full year later, Dan finished seventh grade. They Hatches gather to remember the storm’s anniversary along with the whole neighborhood. The Darlingtons come over, and Arthur is already there to help set up. Ryan chases the new family cat, Minerva II, after the original Minerva disappeared in the storm. The one person who won’t make it is Mrs. Smiley, who passed away at the doctors after complaining of not feeling well. Dan believes “her heart was too big to be housed in such an insignificant body” (152). She was given a “fine funeral” (152) at the Presbyterian church, and everyone came out. He says that Mrs. Smiley would have loved it. At the Hatch house, Dan’s mom and Aunt Goldie are working on the coleslaw. Grandma Hatch is setting the table. Dan’s dad is in the garage with Grandpa Hatch restoring the Corvette. Dan is waiting to be asked to help when his mom calls to him and Arthur to help set the table. They get to work, smiling, ready for the feast.