“Did you see that?” Cameron asked.
“Yes, yes I saw that.” Mike replied with some edge to his tone.
Miles and his little brother were sitting by the window watching the thunderstorm. After every huge lightning flash, Cameron felt the need to ask Miles whether he saw it or not. Miles knew lightning was fast, but he was looking up at the sky too and a lot of the flashes were so blindingly bright that it was hard to miss them.
Miles knew that standing by the window during a huge storm wasn’t exactly the safest place to be, but Cameron wanted to step outside and watch the lightning. Miles figured that the window sill was going to have to suffice for now.
It hadn’t started raining yet, which was surprising to Miles. Usually it started to rain before the thunder and lightning. It had been thundering for about a half hour now and the streets were still dry.
That’s why Cameron didn’t understand why they couldn’t go outside and watch the lightning.
“This is the coolest thing ever!” Cameron beamed.
Miles pressed his lips together into a small smile. “Uh-huh.”
“Don’t you like watching the lightning?”
“Yes,”
“Then why aren’t you excited about it?” Cameron, for the first time since the storm started, turned away from the window and looked at his brother. He stared at Miles quizzically as though he genuinely had no idea why Miles wasn’t that interested in the storm.
Miles looked evenly at his brother wondering what exactly he was supposed to say. Lightning was cool and all, but it wasn’t that fascinating. “Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, I guess.”
“Is that right?” Cameron asked tilting his head to the side honestly believing Miles.
“Sure,” Miles said shrugging his shoulders.
Another bright flash of lightning shone through the window for just a moment. Cameron snapped his head back around to face the sky with wide open eyes.
“Aw, I missed it!” he exclaimed as a loud clap of thunder vibrated the house.
“Wow, that was a pretty big one.” Miles agreed. He was beginning to wonder if they should step away from the window now. But how was he was supposed to explain that one to Cameron?
“I want to be a weather person when I grow up.” Cameron said matter-of-factly.
Miles stared at Cameron’s profile with a raised eyebrow. “You want to be a what?”
“A weather person,”
“Why?”
“So that I can watch the weather all day,”
“I don’t really think that’s how it works…” Miles chuckled.
Cameron turned his attention back to his brother looking away from the black sky. “What does that mean?”
“I mean…” Miles sighed. Why did he say anything at all? “Weathermen have machines that watch the weather. The machines tell them what the weather is going to be like and then they predict what is going to happen.”
“Okay?”
“My point is you won’t be sitting by a window all day watching the sky. But if you want to be a weatherman, then by all means, go for it. I’m not here to sway you otherwise.” Miles added not wanting to discourage his little brother. He knew deep down that Cameron wanted to be a chef anyway. Then again Cameron had his whole life ahead of him to decide.
“Machines? Why do people need machines to tell them what it looks like outside? Do they not have windows at the weather station?” Cameron asked genuinely confusion.
Miles sighed. Yeah, why did he bother to say anything at all?
“I’m just saying that there’s a lot more work into being a weatherman than you think. But you can still be a weatherman if you want.”
“I know,”
“Okay, then.”
“But why do they need machines?” Cameron asked.
Miles groaned. “I don’t know… Probably to save them some time because they have to get ready to go on TV.”
Cameron gasped. “They go on TV?”
Miles raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Haven’t you ever seen Mom and Dad watch the news?”
“That stuff is boring. I don’t pay attention to it.” Cameron shook his head.
Miles shrugged and shifted his weight on the couch. “Well, on the news, there’s a weather portion. The weatherman comes on TV and talks about what the weather is going to be for that day and also for the entire week.
Cameron’s eyes grew wide impressed. “Wow!”
“So, there you have it.” Miles concluded lamely.
“I want to be a weatherman!” Cameron exclaimed again.
Miles smirked.
“I’m going to be on TV when I grow up!”
Miles stood up and stretched his legs and arms. “Whatever you want to do, little buddy. Just know that being a weatherman will be a lot of hard work.”
“Don’t worry, I’m practicing right now.” Cameron smiled. He turned back around and looked up at the sky with hope in his eyes.
Miles couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head. Cameron just didn’t get it and he probably wasn’t going to understand it for another year or so.
“Aren’t you going to keep watching this with me?” Cameron asked.
“Sure,” Miles nodded, “but do you want anything? I was thinking of making some hot chocolate.”
“Oh, yes, please!”
Miles nodded knowing that his little brother couldn’t resist the temptation of hot chocolate. It was probably Cameron’s favorite thing in the world.
Miles entered the kitchen and made two mugs of hot chocolate using the hot water from their cooler machine. He dumped the chocolate powder in both of them; stirring in milk in just Cameron’s to cool it down a little bit. Miles liked it extra hot and with the extra chocolate.
When Miles got back to the living room, Cameron still had his chin lifted to the sky.
“Come sit normally, Cameron. I have the hot chocolate and it’s pretty full.” Miles said.
Cameron obeyed right away. He took the hot chocolate from his brother and said his thank you right before taking a sip.
“I’m going to be a weatherman right now.” Cameron announced.
“Sure,” Miles agreed nonchalantly.
“I mean it.”
“Okay.”
“I predict that it’s going to rain in five… four… three… two…”
Another crack of lightning flashed throughout the living room followed by another boom of thunder. Then the heavy rain started to fall from the sky.
“Whoa,” Miles said in awe with his eyes wide on the sky.
Cameron smiled smugly. “Who needs machines?”
Sunday Morning
An abandoned house. A heist. A new puppy. Lost Love. From unbelievable to true-to-life, this flash fiction collection will take you to many places and get to know various characters. With no two stories alike each is thought-provoking, emotional,...