am.

64. The Last Bet

Alphy and Margurita had many things in common. They both loved a good conversation, music and nature. Over the years, Alphy had grown to appreciate nature as much as his sweetheart. He had often watched her expression of joy at the sight of a flower, a bird or a sunset, and he too had learned to see the beauty in these simple things. But as fate would have it, there was yet another lesson to be learned.

Ever since she was a child, Margurita believed that we can learn many things from nature. As a young child she had heard her father speak of these things, and as she grew older she learned that nature has its own rhythm. Her father had taught her that the sky looks different before a storm, that there are ‘tell- tales’ to look for- if there is a cloudy ‘ring’ around the moon, or if the Big Dipper is dipped lower than its usual position, this means there’s a storm brewing. Margurita also learned that the blue jays make a lonesome cry just before a storm. Margurita had learned to watch for these Signs, and she would tell Alphy about them. At first, Alphy was not convinced. He dismissed this as, “C’est des pettes de vieille femmes.” (Just “old wives tales”)

Alphy would observe the direction of the wind, and whenever it blew from the Northeast direction, he was sure there was a storm on the way. If there was no wind, Alphy paid no attention to the sound of the blue jays, even though Margurita told him that their

sounds never failed to warn of a storm.

One day Margurita asked Alphy if he wanted to have a bet

with her. She stated that by the sound of the blue jay’s cry, there was a storm on the way. At first Alphy would not bet; he told Margurita that he would see what the weather forecast was for

tomorrow.

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