Tonight's the kind of quiet night where the sea's still and the night air, warm. The only thing different about this night is that instead of the salty smell hanging in the air, it's a stormy smell; the smell of rain with a hint of electricity to it. The jungle's quiet. Not even a cricket or frog can be heard.
Yup, like they say, it's the calm before the storm. Looking to my right, I see a bank of clouds in the distance heading straight for Tracy Island. Lightning flashes all around, playing over the water like a disco light; beautiful and oh, so dangerous.
Looking to my left I can see the moon, bright and full with a few stars keeping it company. For a moment I envision a character in my mind from a kids' program, taking a bite out of the moon and smiling while eating one half and playing with the other. I see the storm as an angry monster, coming to catch those unprepared for it. Looking up to where the villa is, I hear my family talking and laughing because it's Scott's birthday today.
As the party was winding down I told my family that I was coming down here to get some fresh air and stretch my legs a bit. I did invite them to join me but, they insisted on finishing what was left of our dinner.
Out on the water I can just make out a ship sailing over the glassy surface. At least it's heading away from the storm and not towards it. Somewhere high above me I can hear the hum of an aircraft heading west.
Now I can see drops of rain falling, reflecting the lightning as it flashes and dances over the ocean.
I just know I have to capture it somehow; you only get to see this kind of Nature's beauty once in your life and never again because each storm has a unique pattern. Because of their timeless beauty, storms have always been something I struggle very hard to capture, to either recreate with paint and canvas or to freeze forever in still photographs. Since I can't paint it because it's too dark, I lift my camera, strapped over my shoulder from snapping photos at Scott's party, and start taking a few pictures to hang on my bedroom wall.
For a moment everything is silent, and then I feel it. The air changes around me, becoming electrified. The pressure changes. It's a feeling that sends warning bells ringing somewhere in the back of your mind, telling you to head inside where you'll be safe.
Everything around me is reacting as if it, too, is sensing the storm. Waves are getting higher, leaves are rustling as animals wake and go into hiding somewhere. Then I feel the wind as it sweeps past me, picking up everything that's light enough to carry along with it. Soon after the first raindrops, small and yet intending to get everything wet within seconds, starts coming down.
Making my way to the path leading to the villa I stop when I see my space loving brother heading towards me. "Hey, John. Did you come looking for me?"
John looks at the dark stormy clouds rolling in. "Yeah, I came down to warn you about the storm; we just got severe weather warning from Fiji."
Pointing to my camera, I grin. "I was about to head back anyway. I got a few shots of the storm out over the Pacific. I'm hoping that they'll look great when I print them out."
The beach now darkening, we turn and start up the path towards the safety of the villa. "If you want, I'll show them to you."
He shoots a grin at me over his shoulder. "Sure."
And I smile, because if there's one thing I like doing better than painting or taking photos, it's sharing the results with my family.
