Twists and Turns of Life

Back in the year 1875 lived a gilr named Johanna, in a small town out west in the state of Colorado. She is a hard working and dedecated gilr to the needs of her family. She has one very speial friend that has moved from Georgia not to long ago, named Kirstin. Kirstin has shared in the same ups and downs of a large poor family as Johanna.

Part 2

Kirsten has shared in the same ups and downs of a large poor family as Johanna.

It was a typical day in the lives of them both, each having to help dress and feed their little brothers and sisters for the day. They then had to clear the breakfast dishes and gather the children’s school books, as they frantically run out the door worried about possibly being late for school.

They winds were whispering softly across the golden prairies. Prairie dogs were popping their heads out of their holes welcoming the new day. A pair of jack rabbits scurry along frightened from the pounding sound of children’s feet. The azure sky lay above them like an endless sea.

Johanna spots Kirsten in the distance and strides to catch up. Once joined they talk about the fun they will share in the late afternoon to come under their favorite old cottonwood tree, once school is finished and chores are complete. Kirsten can’t wait to make a head crown out of black eyed Susans while Johanna plans on using forget-me-not and baby’s breath.

School has ended and the bell rings. The girls collect their siblings and venture home as quickly as possible without a moment to waste. They sky has darkened but the girls have not taken notice because their minds are preoccupied with their meeting at the tree.

Their afternoon chores seemed to drag on with no end. Finally completed, Johanna impatiently runs down the trail looking for her best friend. Moments later Kirsten can be spotted running from the opposite direction. As they com upon the cottonwood tree, both fall to the ground panting and out of breath. Now looking up at the darkened sky their eyes widen at the fear of an approaching storm. They knew their afternoon together was spoiled for they had to get home as soon as possible. The children would need to be brought inside and the animals placed in their barn.

Once inside the four walls of their secure cabins both girls begin to wonder about the safety of their brothers and fathers who had gone out together earlier that morning to hunt.

Hail then viciously began tearing at their roofs and Johanna knows they are in great danger of a tornado.

Part 3

Johanna's mother frantically suggests they move into the crawl space beneath the floor as swiftly as possible.

Johanna being the last one turns her head and witnesses the front door fly open and tear off at the hinges in the blink of an eye. The walls begin to sway and the dishes violently crash to the floor. Suddenly Johanna hears a loud thud and realizes it is the hatch to the crawl space slammed shut. Johanna is pulled back with great force and slammed to the floor and trys to crawl like an infant child reaching for the hatch. Inch by inch she moves foward only to be dragged back. She then musters up all her strength that is left in her frail body and fights the force with all her might until she grabs hold of the hatch handle. Unware that her mother is pushing as she is pulling the door opens just enough for Johanna to sqeeze through. Once she is below, the hatch slams shut once again and Johanna secures it with a big iron lock.

Just then they hear a roor that not even the fiercest of lions could make. The children are hysterical and Johanna's mother cries out for God's help.

Almost instantly there is deafening silence. They sit stunned for a few moments. Johanna then looks at her mother in confusion. Was it over? Were they safe? Could they leave the crawl space? All these questions went racing through Johanna's mind.

Bravely Johanna volunteers to open the hatch and crawl out to check if all is safe.

She pulls the lock back and pushes up on the hatch in vain. It would not budge. Were they trapped forever? What was up above holding them below? Who would ever look for them? The thought of her father and brothers entered her mind. Would they come home soon and find them? Were they safe? What about Kirsten?

Minutes turned to hours and it seemed as though they would never be found. Johanna struggled to keep a peaceful look on her face as not to disturb her siblings. Her mother too, fought back tears and prayed in silence.

Johanna's stomach was growling and she was pre occupid with the thought of her hunger when there were distant sounds of her name being called.

She didn't recognize the vocies for they were muffled. Closer and closer the vocies grew until she realized it was her bestfriend Kirsten.

Then there was the sound of thunder like steps as though a herd of oxen entering the house. There were deep loud voices that Johanna strained reconized with out sucess. She screamed out for help pounding her fists against the hatch overhead.

Part 4

Kirsten's voice grew louder and stronger until it was above Johanna's head. Johanna now knew they would be rescued for Kirsten was well aware of the hatch door and space below. Miraculously the hatch pulled open and there peering down were there neighbors and dear friend. Strong, welcoming arms reached down, briging them up to the real world. As Johanna looked up she could see the blue sky, and realized there was no longer a roof to her home. It all made sence to her now,why she couldn't open the hatch, for the beams were piled above. As she crawled over the ruble she looked around for Kirsten, positive she had heard her voice from down below. She looks down the path and there is Kirsten in the distance running to some strange figures that Johanna could not make out. She runs in Kirstens foot steps up the path.The figures begin to grow larger and clearer and she realizes it's her father and brother's along with Kirsten's father and brother's. Johanna screams and races into her father's arms under her favorite cottonwood tree. They all embrace and exchange tears of joy and thankfullness to God for this reuniting of family and community.
The meeting at the old cotton wood tree did not go as the girls had planed that day but instead had becom the best kind of meeting they could ever have imagined.