“The thing about rain you can't even see through is that it's not very colorful, but at the same time, with all that rain, when it's done, there's gotta be a rainbow somewhere, and if it's going to be close to sunset, there might even be red ones.”
“Ain't it the truth, Vertran, and if there are red ones, we gotta get some pictures for Rob next door.”
Nine-year-old Vertran Stepforth and eight-year-old Gracie Trent were passing some of the time waiting out the rain from an arm of Hurricane Nneme by getting all the cameras and video equipment ready to chase rainbows and such after the rain, and Sgt. Vincent Trent, Gracie's father and Vertran's uncle, smiled at this before turning to Vertran's big brother, 16-year-old Thomas Stepforth III, or, in the family parlance, Tom.
Tom was busy getting his camera equivalent together, too, but for a different reason.
“Remember how I told you when you were Vertran's age not to try to grow up too soon?” the sergeant said to his nephew.
“Yup, Uncle Vincent, and now I understand. Ain't no chasing rainbows after a hurricane any more. I have to get out and document the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Lofton County Free Voice, and stay safe while I do it.”
“That's right, although given the amount of water in the landscape, that's not all going to happen today – probably not until tomorrow morning, Tom.”
“Probably not, but, I still gotta be ready,” Tom said. “I might be able to get embedded with Major Hamilton as he does his first public safety checks.”
“Oh, so you think he's going to let you get into his F-150 for the ride?” Sgt. Trent said.
“Well, I gotta ask!” Tom said.
“Yeah, you do,” Sgt. Trent said. “Honest journalism is really important right now – not that the _Tinyville Times_is particularly bad at this, but it is sort of all hands on deck right now anyhow.”
“With all this rain, for real,” Tom said. “I picked up an inflatable raft to get across flooded fields in case I can't get a ride.”
“Always good to be prepared,” the sergeant said.
“Yep,” Tom said as he checked his camera. “I think I'm going to do a lot of these in color but also black and white, because sometimes black and while picks up textures really well, and Dad was saying the movement of water leaves a lot of textures in the landscape.”
“It does,” Sgt. Trent said. “Good thinking.”
“Sometimes when things are not very colorful, you can pick up other things better,” Tom said. “I'm going to actually study photography this year in high school, but there's nothing like learning by doing.”
“No, there isn't,” Sgt. Trent said. “Stay at it, nephew -- but stay safe out there when the time comes.”