Capturing Savannah

by Krajcirovic, J. L.

  I successfully tip toe past them. Taking care of the teeth and hair brushing. Checking the clock to be sure I make it down on time. On my way back out Dax wakes up.

  “Hey.” I say.

  “Hey Thea.” Dax says as he slicks back his hair with his hands.

  “Go back to your room and get some sleep in your own bed, Dax.” I say whispering.

  “Ya. I thought about sleeping in yours but….” Dax says.

  “Sorry Dax you can have your room back.” I say quietly. “I am going to say goodbye to my mom. Don’t wake up Emily.”

  I sleepily head downstairs and wait right outside the front entrance of the dorms under the awning because it’s raining lightly. About five minutes of time passes before my mom pulls up. She pulls up close to the side. She leaves the car running and hops out so I know she wants to keep this quick.

  “Stay happy.” She says to me in the middle of a hug. She is hugging so tight I am not sure I can say anything back. She releases a little of the grip and I manage a “Have a safe trip mom. Thanks for the visit.”

  She hops back into the car and she is gone as quickly as she came. I’ll miss her but I know I am at home here. Here in my life. And my life is just beginning. I think about her words about staying “happy”. I admit I think I am happy. I think it’s because I am here, but I also think David has a lot to do with it. Yawning I walk back inside and to the elevators. When the elevator opens on the sixth floor I consider going back into David’s room but I don’t want to wake him and plus Dax is in there now so that would just be weird. I think about how I could maybe try to be more than just friends with David. I think about how maybe I will tell him that today.

  When my head hits the pillow I fall asleep quickly. Hours pass and I know it’s time to get up. It’s still raining but a little harder now. I think that is why I slept so much there is something about the rain that makes me feel at ease, peaceful. I think about how I am going to talk to David later today about being more than friends. I feel nervous but also excited too. But I realize that first I need to get started on my weekend assignments also. I shower and change and feel ready to tackle the day. I grab something to eat in the cafeteria and as I am eating I think about my next photo assignment. The assignment is to capture a happening, a force or event. The examples in class were of a college party and of someone getting a commemorative tattoo. We have three and a half weeks to complete it but I want to get a head start on it. Since it’s raining that is what I keep gravitating to doing the assignment on. Rain. Wind. Water. Weather. I am not sure yet how I will tackle it so I will need to do some experimenting.

  I go back upstairs to get my hoodie, my camera and backpack for all the gear. I knock on David’s door just to say hi and also to see if he wants to tag along with me. There is no answer so I wait there a few minutes starring over the railing at the rain. I get some shots down the outdoor hallway where half of the frame is rain and the other half is the dry part of the hallway that is covered by the awning. I walk to the stoop and get some shots of the lonely stool facing the wall of rain. As I am playing with the shots Emily comes out of our room all dressed.

  “What are you up to today Thea?” she asks.

  “Working. Shame though. Seems like a nice day for the beach.” I say jokingly.

  “That is where I am going if you want to tag along. A few people from my painting class are meeting at the lighthouse to work on an assignment.” She says.

  “Actually. That’s perfect. I am getting some shots of the rain but want more of the water and the wind. Waves are kind of perfect for that.” I say smiling with excitement.

  “Alright. Let’s go.” Emily says.

  We pile ourselves and gear into her blue mini cooper and start the drive to Tybee Island. On the way I take a few shots of the rain colliding with the windshield. I get lost in my thoughts and before I know it we are there.

  “Ok let’s meet back at the car in two hours. Ok?” she says.

  “Sounds good.” I say.

  I tighten the strings on my hoodie that is clinging to my head. Throw my backpack over my shoulders and head to the shoreline. To my surprise there are a few people out here in their swimsuits. That water has got to be cold. They are running around splashing and I am drawn to them with my camera. It’s raining what I would call medium hard. So hard but not so hard that you can’t see. I am sure I look pretty funny and stalker like right now with a plastic looking trash bag poncho draped over my camera and head when taking a shot. I play with the settings too so some shots are blurred by the rain. Other shots the shudder speed is quicker so it can capture the rain in slow motion so it looks like water droplets.

  The people playing in the rain notice me so I move on to something else to shoot. I walk along the shore and stop right where the tide meets the sand. Getting close up photos of the foamy bubbles that appear when the two meet. The storm makes the sand look almost black and the foam of the water white creating a beautiful contrast. I sit down on my knees right there at the shoreline and get photos from that height of the waves in the distance rushing towards me.

  After awhile I walk to the spot with the slick black rocks that I have now been to three times. The way the water rushes at the rocks and shoots up when they touch feels like a force to me. I get several shots of this hoping the detail of the water stands out when I get to the printing part. The wind gets stronger and the rain gets harder. It’s becoming difficult to see much of anything through the lens besides a blur. But I get shots of that too. The waves are really going crazy now as well.

  “Thea! There you are. We have to go. The storm is getting pretty bad.” Emily says. “Come on.”

  We carefully run together to her blue mini cooper and jump in soaked from head to toe.

  “I was looking for you for like fifteen minutes.” She says.

  “Sorry about that. It was hard to see much and I was kind of in my own world.” I say.

  “Ya. No kidding. They are saying the storm is getting really bad and that everyone needs to get home.” Emily says.

  “We’ll be ok. Just drive slow and steady Emily.” I say turning on the radio.

  “If you’re on the roads right now watch out for flooding especially near bridges. The storm has turned into Tropical Storm Gaston. Forecasters are saying the winds may get strong enough to upgrade the storm to a hurricane, which could impact the coast of The Carolinas, Georgia, or Florida as early as tomorrow morning. So if you thought hurricane season was over you just might be wrong….” After this message on the radio I flip the station to music.

  I concentrate on the music. Emily concentrates on the driving. It takes almost two hours to make it back cause we are driving slow and we do have to take a few detours to avoid water covering the road. But we get back ok and easily find a close parking spot to the dorms. We run in and Max stops us.

  “You girls ok? What were you doing out in that storm?” he says.

  “It turned bad.” I say. “But we are ok.”

  “Well that is good.” Says Max as he releases us to go upstairs. “Oh and Ms. Clark.”

  “Ya?” I say.

  “Let me know if you need anything ok?” Max says.

  “Alright…I’ll do that.” I say confused by his words. He wasn’t being creepy or anything he sounded like he had sincere concern. Over the storm I guess but it sounded like more than that to me.

  We arrive at our floor and the wind is really moving the rain now. It’s going sideways so our awning is useless. We hurry holding onto each other and the wall of doors on the way to keep our balance. Emily unlocks the door and I notice a note on the whiteboard.

  The ink of the words is light and looks runny probably from the rain but it reads Unexpectedly had to go back home – David. I tread into the room after Emily and there is a piece of paper folded up under the door. We both walk over it with our wet shoes and dripping wet clothes. Emily picks it up and puts it on my desk as she walks into the bathroom and grabs a towel and fresh clothes. Whi
le she is in there I strip down to my bra and panties and put on a t-shirt and shorts, the pajama kind. After that is settled I open the folded piece of paper. It’s one of David’s drawing, one I had admired in his room. It is the one I adored of a Savannah oak tree draped in Spanish moss. There are wet spots that have caused some of the pencil shading to soften and blur. I leave it sitting out open on the desk hoping it will dry.

  I draw back the blinds so we can keep an eye on the weather. The sound of the rain is comforting but knowing that it could turn really bad, not so much. Emily and I both turn our desks at an angle so we can work and watch the rain out the window. Emily needs to finish her painting assignment of a viewpoint from the lighthouse. She has it lightly outlined in pencil so the composition is there she just needs to do the painting part. She gets out her paint, brushes, and palette paper. I watch her mix the colors together preparing to paint. I feel inspired so I get out some paper and paints so I can work on my color theory assignment. I need to create a twelve-step graduation of one color. I choose black inspired by all of the grey tones outside the window. Emily and I both seem to get lost in our work and in the sound of the storm. The gusty sound of the wind and of the falling sheets of rain are in a constant tone. In the background we have the radio on so we can hear updates on the storm and also have some music playing.

  We both jump at the loud knock at the door that is followed by a big boom of thunder. Emily answers the door and it’s Dax.

  “You girls ok in there?” he says.

  “Yep. We are good.” Emily says. But Dax is looking past her as if waiting to hear something from me.

  “Ya ok.” I say.

  “I am getting hungry though. Dax do you want to escort us down to dinner?” says Emily obviously flirting.

  “Sure. You coming Thea?” he asks.

  “Alright. I’m coming.” I say. I grab my camera figuring I need to get some more shots of the rain from the railing and also from the awning in the front of the building. I also slip on a dry hoodie and shoes. I know I am wearing pajama shorts but this blah weather makes me not care so much right now.

  “Do you ever not have that thing with you?” says Emily jokingly bulging her eyes at my camera.

  “I guess not.” I say. “Might miss something. Plus I am doing a project on the storm and I need some more shots. If I am going outside during it then I’m taking my camera with me.” I say.

  The wind has changed directions some so the rain isn’t angling in towards our room as much. The walkway is soaked and slick so we walk carefully to the elevators. Our feet slush on the floor to the cafeteria making the three of us laugh. We wait in line with our trays. The line is long probably because everyone is stuck in here at the dorms and eating is a good way to pass the time. With the weather and thinking of David I choose the breaded chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and collard greens and of course a sweet tea to drink. I have come to learn these items are a Savannah staple and one I am starting to enjoy. My comfort food.

  We are lucky to find an empty table. It’s dirty with dishes and trays so Dax and I pick them up before we can all sit down. Emily guards the table while we do the cleaning. While we are eating Emily and Dax talk about home, their hometowns and all the things they miss. I think about how much I miss David right now. And I hope his trip back home will only last a few days. I also hope he didn’t get caught in this bad weather. I remember Pensacola is on the gulf side of the state so it doesn’t seem likely the storm would be much his way.

  “Thea? You ok?” Dax asks me.

  “Ya sorry. Just thinking.” I say. “Hey Dax did you talk to David before he left?”

  “No I didn’t.” he says.

  We are all quiet for a few minutes and I go back to eating. The meal is pretty good for a cafeteria but doesn’t come close to being as good as Mrs. Wilkes restaurant, the best southern fried chicken and sides served family style. Emily starts talking more about New York and the people in Times Square. It’s interesting but I can’t concentrate on the conversation. My thoughts just keep going to David. I think it’s because ever since I saw his note I have been trying not to worry or wonder what could have come up that he didn’t have enough time to tell me about in person even if it was just a quick trip back home.

  The three of us are done eating and there are students waiting for seats so we take our trays to the dirty dishes area. We walk to the front lobby to look out the windows. And Dax and Emily accompany me outside under the awning so I can snap a few more pics of the downpour. The water is pooled right out the doors where we are standing. I can see flooding in the street across the way, too.

  When we go back inside there is a small crowd of students gathered around the big screen TV in there.

  “Tropical storm Gaston has now been classified as Hurricane status, Category One. In Savannah we can expect flooding and lots of rain. The direction of the storm has changed. South Carolina residents in low-lying Charleston and Georgetown counties were urged to evacuate earlier today. This was a voluntary evacuation to move to higher grounds. But now residents are instructed to stay put in their homes or shelters and stay out of the storm. In the Charleston area several bridges are being closed to larger vehicles and trucks in anticipation of Hurricane Gaston making landfall between tonight and tomorrow evening….” The news reporter says.

  There is a mixture of concern and relief among the crowd of students. I feel mostly relief. Relief that I know David is far away from the storms main path. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if there is at least a little rain where he is at.

  The news is saying the same things over and over again so the three of us decide to go back upstairs. We linger on the stoop and I get some more shots of the blurry sheets of rain and hint of buildings and trees peeking through. And some shots of Dax and Emily’s figures blurred with the sheets of rain in detail by changing the depth of field and shudder speed settings.

  “Hey you girls want to come over and watch a movie? I got a bootleg version of The Day After Tomorrow?” Dax says.

  “Totally. I love Jake Gyllenhall.” Says Emily a little too excitedly if you ask me.

  “Pass for me. I have some more work to do.” I say.

  “What? Come on Thea. All work and no play makes Thea a dull girl.” Says Emily.

  “I know. Sorry. I’ll see you later though.” I say snapping more shots with my camera and walking to our room. At the same time being careful not to slip on the slick walkway. I unlock the room and go inside dropping my camera softly on the bed and plopping down next to it. The blinds are still open from earlier so I stare at the window for a little while.

  The phone in our room rings and brings me out of my intense stare.

  “Hello?” I say.

  “Thea?” David says on the other end of the phone.

  My heart skips a beat. “Hi David! I am glad you called. I miss you. Everything ok? When will you be back?” I say. I am about to ask another question along these same lines but he interrupts.

  “Thea. I need to talk to you.” He says.

  “Ok.” I say back staying silent so he can talk.

  “Thea. I am not coming back.” He says.

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “I’m not coming back to school. So this was a sort of goodbye call.” He says.

  I stay quiet for a few minutes not sure I am understanding what he is saying.

  “So what happened? You can tell me what’s going on.” I say.

  “My funds aren’t going through. And I am not going back to school. It’s that simple.” David says calmly. “I am glad we met Thea. I am glad we are friends. Good friends.”

  “Yes. Friends.” I say remembering that was what I told him I had wanted before.

  “We’re friends so we can stay in touch if you want.” He says.

  I stay quiet not sure what I want to say right now.

  “Ok. Well….Goodbye Thea.” He says.

  All I manage to say back is, “Goodbye David.”

  He
hangs up the phone so I hang up the phone. I sit still on my bed very confused by what just happened. Things were so good between us. But I guess that is how it is between friends. I mean that is what we were right? That is what I said I wanted to be to him on more than one occasion.

  After sitting there for a good twenty minutes I try to get back into working on school stuff, but I can’t concentrate. I decide to march over to David and Dax’s room. Dax must not have told me everything. By the way he was acting it was like he knew something was up. He must have talked to David about all this.

  Carefully on slick floors I march to Dax’s room and knock aggressively on the door.

  “Hey.” Dax says smiling a little when he opens the door.

  “Can I come in?” I ask.

  “Ya come watch the movie with us.” He says.

  When I walk in I notice I don’t see any of David’s things. All of his framed photos are gone. His sketchbook and art supplies are gone. The comforter and sheet set on his bed are gone.

  “So you knew he wasn’t coming back?” I ask Dax abruptly.

  “Didn’t he tell you?” Dax asks.

  “He did about fifteen minutes ago.” I say back angrily.

  “Thought you knew Thea. I saw the note from him on the whiteboard and you were acting like you were upset so I figured he must have told you.” He says.

  “Told me what? What did he tell you?” I ask.

  “He didn’t tell me anything. I woke up and he and all his stuff were just gone.” Dax says.

  “Really?” I say back not really believing him.

  “Yes really. I care about you Thea. Trust me I would have told you if I thought you didn’t know.” Dax says.

  “So I was going to ask earlier when the room seemed a bit empty, but wait David’s gone like for good?” asks Emily.

  “Yes.” I say trying hard to keep it together.