This is the equivalent of a ditty I wrote for school school.
-Eric
Lightning
The twins, Jamil and Rashad, were bored. They had
been at their Grandmother’s house in the country
for almost a week. There was plenty to do when
it was sunny, but this day it was dark and rainy.
They sat in the upstairs bedroom looking out the
window. Past the tall willow tree in
Grandmother’s yard a thunder cloud was in the
distance, heading toward them. They watched the
lightning flashes get closer, and heard the thunder
getting louder and louder.The lightning and thunder
were fascinating.
Jamil thought for a minute. “In Science class
Mr. DeVarno always said that lightning is attracted
to things that are highest off the ground.”
Rashad nodded in agreement. “He also said metal
rods attracted it, too.”
The lightning was striking closer and closer.
The thunder shook their home.
Jamil turned to Rashad. “I bet you I could get
lightning to strike this willow tree in Grandma’s
yard.”
Rashad didn’t believe him. “How you gonna do that?
You can’t make lightning strike where you want it.”
“Betcha I can!”
“What’ll you bet me?”
“Tonight’s your night to pick what we watch on TV.
If I get lightning to strike that willow tree, I get
to watch what I want.”
Jamil wanted to watch the Lakers in the Championship.
Rashad wanted to watch “Bloody Death 3” on the Horror
Channel. Rashad hated basketball, especially the
Lakers. Jamil hated horror movies. They scared him
so he couldn’t sleep.
Rashad liked the bet. “You can’t do it! You’re on!”
Lightning flashed and lit up their room. Thunder
followed like an earthquake.
“Let’s go!” Jamil said. And they jumped up and ran
downstairs and outside.
“What are you gonna do?” Rashad asked.
Jamil ran around the back of the house. Rashad
followed. Jamil grabbed a ten foot long metal rod
that was lying against Grandma’s house. They had
played Ninja with it earlier in the week.
“When I get halfway up this willow tree,” Jamil said
to his brother, “hand me up this rod.”
Jamil was an excellent climber. He climbed halfway
up the willow tree in a flash. He looked down to
Rashad, who held up the rod and handed it to Jamil.
The lightning was flashing all around them. Thunder
boomed. Jamil took hold of the rod and carried up
further into the tall willow tree. Through the
willow branches he held the rod straight up into the
air. The top of the rod was five feet higher than the
top of the willow tree. Jamil wedged the rod between
the trunk and some branches. It did not move.
Rashad looked up at him and yelled, “You’re crazy!
This will never work! We’ll be watching ‘Bloody
Death 3’ tonight!”
Lightning struck nearby. Thunder shook them. Jamil
started to climb down the willow. But halfway down,
something happened. He started to tingle. The hair
on his head started to stand up with electricity.
Jamil was suddenly frightened. He climbed down
another five feet, and then, like an action hero,
jumped the rest of the way out of the tree. As he
hit the ground with a thud and rolled past Rashad,
a bolt of lightning struck the metal rod on the tree.
There was an instant and deafening clap of thunder.
The boys screamed, the tree exploded with fire and
sparks, and Grandma’s willow split down the middle.
The twins ran like lightning themselves into the
house and watched the tree, split in two parts down
its trunk and burning in the rain, through the window.
Grandma whipped their butts with a switch, but Jamil
and Rashad watched the Lakers that night.
