The Asheville Argus:  Two storms

22 June, 2011

DOWNTOWN — An early twilight drenches the city. No brief summer storm, this one is settling in. Passersby divert into shops or huddle under awnings, only to barge out again when they realize the rain is here to stay.

After half an hour, the streets are filled with only the desperate or the determined. Middle-aged women walk their dogs, fat men run incongruously down the sidewalk, teenagers walk close to each other, excited to be wet.


Through the car windows, these people look like paintings, moving and alive under their impasto. Smokers are the only ones who stand still, leaning stylishly into the side of a building for shelter.

SUICIDE BRIDGE — There’s a wreck somewhere ahead. A fire of brakelights reflects from the wet pavement. I increase my following distance and, like all the other drivers who know this bridge, hope those behind me do the same.

Before we reach the end, traffic has stopped, and blue lights reflect under the trailers of the 18-wheelers lined up to follow Interstate 26. A VW Beetle is trapped between the wall of trucks and an incoming fire engine.


In the end, it’s nothing. Drivers struggle to see what caused their delay. Two people stand with cellphones on the roadside, at opposite ends of a pair of cars with minor damage. We ooze past the blockage and onto Patton Ave. I pass a young man on a moped. He’s soaked to the skin, but unencumbered by the traffic.

8 September, 2011

DOWNTOWN — Posters tell us that a storm is coming, but in the soft light of the evening no one seems to care. In these last few days since the tropical weather moved through, you can catch rumors of fall in the fine skies and cool nights. It’s hard to believe a storm will ever come again.

On the street, couples pause in front of shop windows. A young woman walks her dog, carrying a tremendous bouquet of unwrapped flowers. I wonder if they were given to her, or if she’s carrying a gift for someone else.

Evening sets in and the town lights up. The posters are everywhere, magic-marker lightning bolts scrawling their warning. No one notices but the buildings, getting darker as the light fades. A high overcast has moved over Asheville, and what’s left of the sun is directionless and vague. I decide to head home early in case the bridge is locked down.

From the car I see the usual crowd photographing the statues in front of the Civic Center. Between the tourists there’s a flash of color. In a city where everyone photographs everything, you have to look for connections that aren’t always there. I park and wait for the crowd to leave.

If you hadn’t seen her, you’d have no way of knowing the young woman with the dog was here. No one heeds the storm-warning posters, but a flower left in a statue’s hand draws a crowd.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “The Asheville Argus:  Two storms

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.