Alicia watched the wind as it whipped up the dust around her little house. She looked as the sky with appraising eyes. Then suddenly the wind increased in intensity, lifting the roof off her house like cardboard. Suddenly a nine-foot dam gave way and water swept up to the house. The family was in imminent peril of death.
Alicia grabbed her daughter, not quite two two years old, while Roy reached for their two sons, five and three years old, and they looked around for a place of refuge. All they could see in that instant of the mounting waters was an old, gnarled, bent tree which had lived out many a storm. But the question was, would it live out this storm?
They ran to the tree, but in the slippery mud the five-year-old dropped from Roys' arms and disappeared for a moment. Balancing the other boy in one arm, Roy finally pulled his son from the watery muck. They reached the tree and carrying the children, Alicia and Roy climed into the high branches. The waters continued to mount until they were at Alicia's neck. She held her little girl, Kim, higher than her head to assure that she would be out of reach of the waters.
Alicia grabbed her daughter, not quite two two years old, while Roy reached for their two sons, five and three years old, and they looked around for a place of refuge. All they could see in that instant of the mounting waters was an old, gnarled, bent tree which had lived out many a storm. But the question was, would it live out this storm?
They ran to the tree, but in the slippery mud the five-year-old dropped from Roys' arms and disappeared for a moment. Balancing the other boy in one arm, Roy finally pulled his son from the watery muck. They reached the tree and carrying the children, Alicia and Roy climed into the high branches. The waters continued to mount until they were at Alicia's neck. She held her little girl, Kim, higher than her head to assure that she would be out of reach of the waters.
