Niya - Wen Mengyan - #0505020199

In my hue, hailing the heavy storm in 2008 as one in a million is not an exaggeration. It did create many heroic deeds by people. In effect, I was right among the millions, who benefited from it. It will never die in my living memory.

According to the recorded history, Jiangxi province had long been considered one of the areas, which were most seriously afflicted by the snowstorm. This year was no exception. The story should be traced back to the threshold of the winter vacation.

With high spirits, I had expected the vacation as a brand - new escape from the inhumane torment of several months ’ study. As usual, I would return home as soon as possible. This year, instead, I stayed at my cousin’s in another city for two weeks. At the beginning, everything went on just as I had planned. Everyday I sank in the warm house, enjoying every bit of ease and contentment and ignoring that the cruel storm was creeping up on us day by day. The sweet moments seemed to be over in a flash. One day, we suddenly recognized the thick ice overnight, crippled and scattered here and there like a desperately misshapen army crushed the trees down disgracefully. “A fiasco!” my cousin said. Outside, the wind continued howling and swirling, regardless of any stumbling block in its way. That was the premonition of the tragedy.

It was time for me to go home. Because of the heavier and heavier storm, we were forbidden to take the highway. Therefore, we had no choice but to take the much more zigzagging and bumpier way. During the entire journey, I threw up several times, like a cornered beast lingering on the verge of doomsday. At the end, I crawled out of the car, saved as the caged bird back to the long - dreamt wood. Unfortunately, as soon as we arrived home, the power began to fail. From that day on, it was on strike for nearly two weeks. The two weeks was the climax of the devastation.

The town fellows were in the core of darkness, continuing to curse the damned weather. One of my friends was very funny. She said: “We live like pigs everyday.”(In Chinese culture, pigs stand for laziness and stupidity.) To a larger extent, we resembled the life of pigs. We idled during the daytime. After a short and hasty supper, we went to bed early. Because of consequence of the destroyed electrical system, the whole town was beneath a veil of darkness and it was deadly quiet at night. Moreover, it was freezing cold outside, so we had to stay in the dark and cheerless rooms, busily doing nothing. Time and time again, gusts of chilling wind penetrated through every possible chink into our ice - cold bodies. Once we got away from the gas stove, we were doomed to become ice - cycles from head to toe. Sometimes we could hear swarms of gusts slapping the door. In a word, rich families could buy expensive generators to keep warm and have light, while we, the poor counterparts had to use cheap candles in place of generators. At the same time, the most important vehicle of communication for the people in town was cell phones, but they were also out of service. Consequently, business was blocked in some areas. Misfortune never comes alone. The worst was that the water mains failed too at the most urgent moments. For those people who lived in the apartment houses, life without both electricity and water sources was much tougher. They had to donate a world of money to the hotels to sleep and eat. Hence, the hotels kept thriving for a period of time. Even if the situation was aggravating, the New Year would not stop its steps. As a result, we had to experience a grey new year that was power and water free. The most regrettable matter was the entertainment gala for the spring festival. In China, it is our tradition to watch the programs on the eve of the New Year. Each year, my whole family would watch it on time. This year, we missed it. During the hardship, I thought of the dear master - Thomas Edison. He brightened and colored the world. We have to sincerely thank him. Electricity was the engine of the modern culture, without which the world would be a piece of blank paper. It was hard for me to visualize the primitive years when there was no power. How great he is! However, the heavy storm ferociously stole it away.

Undoubtedly, the snowstorm was the axis of evil, which gave birth to all the miseries above. A blessing in disguise! On the third day of the spring festival, the power resumed its position, while it sometimes worked off and on as a naughty boy, who was absorbed in playing the same mischief. At least, the nightmare had now passed. It was said that soldiers were dispatched to the high mountains to repair the electrical system. They worked day and night on the muddy roads against the chill and the lashing rain. How thankful we are for their constant work! Behind the curtain was always the scheme. We all believed that after the torture, there must be a reform in the government. So there was! Someone was dismissed and punished after the spring festival. For better or worse, the heavy storm is now gone. We have tasted it and the taste is still lingering. If offered the second same delicious dish, I will say: “Welcome!”