Thunder and lightning

When he pulled into a customer's yard, he had just put down the kickstand and hadn't had time to get his package when the rain became heavier. Even though he had taken shelter under a metal roof, the rain still poured down hard, hitting the wheels. This type of metal roof was made to cover a small enough yard, with the surrounding area exposed. It was fine if the rain poured straight down, but if it rained with wind, any place underneath would definitely get wet.

The delivery man was out on the road all day, so he didn’t care about the rain or shine. He was only worried about the box, which was made of cardboard boxes that could easily get wet. Inside those boxes were sometimes expensive electronic items, and if they got wet, the customer wouldn’t accept them, and the shipper might even be forced to pay compensation. He quickly pulled the package he was about to deliver out of the basket behind his motorbike, then pulled a small tarp over the basket that contained all the customer’s belongings.

Illustration: LE NGOC DUY

The door opened slightly, a girl in her thirties stuck her head out. At that moment, thunder and lightning flashed loudly, shaking the tin roof. Immediately, a downpour of rain came down. The rain seemed ready to pour down on anyone who was careless and standing outside. Luckily, he was standing in front of a house. And even luckier, the landlady just opened the door and called out: "Come in before the rain gets you wet."

The wind blew strongly, her arm that was holding the lock was pressed hard, slamming the door shut with a bang. At that time, the shipper had already entered the house.

*

The power was cut off immediately. This was a common occurrence during thunderstorms. Either the power company cut it off on its own initiative, or the sensor system automatically cut it off for safety. Lightning was a minor issue during a thunderstorm, so cutting it off was fine. The only thing was that it also cut off the husband’s observation at work ten kilometers away.

The house has two surveillance cameras installed. One is on the front porch to monitor the events in the front yard, thanks to which he saw the delivery man who just arrived to deliver the package. The second camera is installed inside the house to cover the living room, kitchen and common area. Now that the power is out, both cameras cannot work, looking at the phone screen, all he sees is a dark image and a notification that the device is offline.

The changing of the seasons often comes with terrible lightning storms. Even where he was working, it was raining and thundering, but the only thing better than home was that there was no power outage. He was sitting in the city, where there were many essential company headquarters and agencies that needed to operate continuously, so the electricity had to be guaranteed. It was not like the countryside where he lived, where every few thunderclaps caused a power outage.

There were only two people in his house, his wife and the shipper, and lightning was raging outside. Unpleasant thoughts began to take over his mind, making it impossible for him to concentrate on his work.

He stared at the phone screen, checking the camera app, both cameras were still offline. He tried to remember the pale, worried face of the delivery guy when he first entered the yard and the smile on his face when he was about to sneak into the house before the door slammed shut. This was the face of the delivery guy who had come to his house many times. He was probably about the same age as his wife, but he always called her sister and called himself brother obediently. The delivery job had taught him that courtesy towards customers. His wife always called the delivery guy brother, also following the minimum courtesy.

He also remembered the previous times this shipper often came to deliver goods at noon, when he was at the company. Through the camera, he saw that while his wife was busy checking the goods, he stared at her for a long time. Even after he finished paying, he walked a few steps and turned back to look at his wife.

Ten minutes had passed since the camera had been disconnected, and there was still no sign of it coming back on. Experience had shown that in rural areas like his, when the power went out, it would take a long time to get it back on. They had to wait for the thunder to pass, for the weather to calm down, and for the electricity company to carefully inspect before turning the power back on, sometimes for an hour, not a short time.

Now he was so anxious that he could not work with peace of mind. He planned to rush home to see what was going on. It was only a fifteen-minute motorbike ride from ten kilometers away, especially since it was raining and windy and the road was deserted.

But, he was timid, and the thunder and lightning still rumbled occasionally, so he didn't dare ride a motorbike. He could drive safely in a car, because it was built on the Faraday cage principle, so it was safe despite the thunder and lightning. Unfortunately, he didn't have a car. Being poor sometimes wasn't a crime, but in some cases it was extremely disadvantageous, like him now.

Or, call a taxi. He dialed the taxi hotline, and the other end said that all the cars were currently busy, asking customers to wait a little longer. It was true that when it rained, the demand for taxis increased, normally they were parked all over the street waiting for customers. He turned on the technology taxi booking app, but suddenly remembered that this service was only available in big cities, not in small provinces like where he lived. Small provinces were not a crime, but in some cases it was extremely disadvantageous.

The rain had eased. He quickly put on his raincoat, helmet, and took his motorbike out to speed home. Just as he reached the gate of the headquarters, a flash of lightning flashed across the sky, accompanied by a terrifying sound. That was a sign that lightning was very close and he was in an extremely dangerous area, and it was advised not to go out. He quickly turned his motorbike back inside, staying still, not being complacent.

His phone rang, the taxi driver was calling to ask if he still needed a ride. Of course, he replied, coming right away. As soon as he finished speaking, his home camera turned on again, meaning the power was back on. He stared at the monitor. The thunder and lightning had passed, only a light drizzle remained, the yard was peaceful again. The motorbike loaded with goods was still parked in the yard.

At this moment, the door of the house opened gently, and the shipper slowly walked out. Unlike the previous times, he walked away without looking back.

Hoang Cong Danh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/sam-set-ngang-qua-193352.htm