The Blizzard of ' 7 7 . . .

Everyone called him " Ray " , but nearing 40 he began to feel a secret desire to be called " Raymond"... More gray hairs were appearing in what used to be plenty of dark brown.

As of late,life seemed to be galloping forward through an ever darkening wood.
Was it just months ago? The Fourth of July fire works,in Mayor Rizzo's Philadelphia !

Marge, the Kid's and The old green Beetle; downtown and then back home again loaded with fun.
That was the unforeseen beginning of the end of seven years of very good luck for Ray...The house of Raymond had been built on the foundation of his job. One of twoideals he had inherited from his father was a strong work ethic, the other beingarespect for women.Those two poles had enabled him to forge a nuclearfamily,whose gravity held all of his world.

Now it seemed the dark of winter was creeping into his life all to early. Some few
months back, years of excellent reviews and accolades were suddenly forgotten at work.In an effort to ward off a growing and consistent targeting of himself,Ray did the unthinkable.

Unthinkable for Marge! That is... Ray jumped into an opening for Permanent Evening
Supervisor. A demotion in more ways than one, is what Ray new it would be, but it would mean ten percent more money and hopefully an end to any more loss of pride... Marge really didn't warm to the idea. But then,she was unaware of Ray's inner struggles to survive.

Christmas and an unhappy New Years Eve had come and gone. Another,"Well what
do you want? "birthday had seethed by and here it was maybe late January. It might have been Tuesday of that week.Mr.Giordano, Ray's Shotgun, was gabbing away as usual as Ray maneuvered at a high rate of speed toward The University. Mr.G. was going on about how he had managed to get such a great deal on some new concrete sidewalks in Chestnut Hill.

Ray murmured something about Mr.G.'s going to be rich for sure soon... What he was really thinking about though was how through months of very hard work,he had begun to redeem himself at the hospital; If only he could do that at home!Blam!!! It was a right rear Blow Out!!

Some luck remained, as Ray maneuvered quickly from the far left lane of The Sure Kill, to the stony right shoulder. Leaving for work early allowed plenty of time to change the tire,and still get a cheap, on time parking space. On Thursday evening after finishing with the shifts second code call,a false alarm,Ray paused to check the T.V. News in a Ravdin Building patient lounge. He had the thought ever so briefly, that One seldom saw more than one patient in these areas... It was the weather report . Something about a very large snow storm to be Marching up the North East Corridor tomorrow ! So I'll have to tell Mr.G. were going to take the train
tomorrow . Sure, that way my car won't be stuck at work, and I'll be able to get home to Margie and the babies before midnight...


Oreland to the Reading Terminal was very familiar,The Subway route to what was
to become University City took a little more alert thought. Ray was pleased with himself as he emerged, not too out of breath, from the stairs on to Thirty fourth Street... Striding towards the Hospital it came to him that he shouldn't have expected to run into Jimmy along the way , as he had come by way of the Chestnut Hill station. But still he was fond of old Mr.G's Mr. Bluster personae. At work he was some times more of a hindrance than a help, but some how his presence was a comfort.

At the office everyone was on their mark, set to run home . Not only
was it Friday ! But everyone knew where they wanted to be when the snow storm arrived.

And that was mostly anywhere but West Philadelphia !

As usual, Ray made the rounds of seventeen floors and units, three to
five times by about nine thirty. The E.R. had grown quiet, and all of the real sick patients seemed to have decided to wait until Saturday to try and die... Stepping outside of the grand entrance glass doors of The Ravdin Building , Ray could see that the snow was already maybe six inches deep. There was no wind , and it seemed very serene out there.....

The usual phone call had been made around seven-thirty,nothing new but the snow,
except " I hope your not home too late..." And of course he almost shouted about how capable and you know; it's all planned out !

Then there was trouble in NICU with a ventilator,which was reconciled after a
little bagging time , and a tightened humidifier jar. Back in the office at Ten-fifteen , he found Frankie Collins, Iona , and Jimmy " finishing up... " Soon, Ralph and Jackson breezed in with " Getting the Hell out of here ! " on their mind... Ray compromised, and said " Okay... Everyone
can run for it at Ten-forty five..." Sure , the Eleven to Seven Shift will be in by Eleven , I'll run to the Subway, and with any luck I can make the 11:37... Or at worst The 12 : 15 Local...

Okay , Ten to Eleven , I guess the night shift aren't going to be as
responsible as me ... And it was me after all that suggested that R.T. comply with the New hospital mandation to be on the job an extra half hour, by starting a quarter to the hour.

But Damn it! I'll just not answer any of the phones or beeper/radios , unless it's like a code call

Let's see , I'll just line up the three gadgets on the desk by the door here ; I've got my galoshes on, my hat's on my head, I've got my " James Bond " brief case and epee like umbrella ready to run! Where the Hell !! Are they!!!

Eleven - thirteen ! Gerry Comer and his assistant Carolyn splash through the oaken
door !! Carolyn speaks breathlessly of heroically finding a parking space on thirty eighth Street!

The report is status quo! Good night !! Ray raced down the wooden steps of the
part of the complex that dated from the Civil War era, over to Ravdin and out on to 34th Street.

West Philly had never before seemed so eerily hushed as Ray hurriedly pushed through the sterile white blanket. Maybe, maybe my luck will hold? After all didn't Billy Lott proclaim me

"The luckiest guy he ever met..."; But of course that was a long time, another world ago...

The steps down to the subway platform were still filthy, but now they were
filthy and wet. It seemed dangerous some how, just to be walking on them. It was as if the wetness had endowed the concrete and steel with some sort of vital malevolence.

But Ray still had to hurry, if there was to be any chance to reach the solace of home...

On the platform were three anxious souls. A thirtyish Black female who appeared to
feel entirely put upon because, well who knows... A Black male , who looked younger in age than the woman, although it looked like he had a hard life and not too warm a coat on. Then there was the White Policeman, who looked like he had been mad for a long time.

Ray checked out the faded stencils to see which side of the platform he should board on.After three or four examinations he was satisfied. But you know you can't be too careful. By pushing up the sleeve of his black Loden Coat ,which he took secret pride in, he saw that his Benrus already said 11:35 ... So much for catching The Landsdale express . But there was still time to get the 12:15 Local . The Cop paced back and forth, The young man hunched up his shoulders behind a pillar, and the woman continued to look angry...

It was quiet enough to hear the others breath and water dripping, so when a distant
squeal of metal on old steel etched the dank fetid air,all faces jerked to attention!
The train car thundered through the stop with all of the fury and rage of an artillery shell!

Ray assumed it must have been some kind of express? The Cop drew himself up to full
stature ,with his fists on his waist, and the woman began to pace in a small oval. The young man seemed to gesture with body language that's the way it always is...

In just eight minutes, here comes another screaming projectile! It too seem to have
only ghosts aboard... Now the Cop putt's his hand on his .38 Special and says " The
next one better stop ! Or I'm going to shoot em! "

No more cars came by after that . It would be good to at least get to the Terminal
tonight,but by One thirty Ray was alone on the platform; alone and exhausted he thought.Ray thought better of returning to the office, not just because of the dull anger for Gerry not relieving him a little early,but also because there was no place to lay down there...

A hard bench was commandeered in the Dulles Building , only the tenth floor had Psych
patients on it. The rest were closed offices. With his brief case as a pillow, Ray faded out for a while after convincing himself he wasn't embarrassed by his situation.....

Back on the dirty concrete platform at Six thirty five, Ray heard the mumble-
grumble of the Sub coming . As it slowed to a stop, Ray could tell by the white on the roof that it had been parked outside last night as he had tried to sleep.

Ray felt almost giddy with the knowledge that he was finally advancing towards home .
It had been as if he was caught up in some sort of nightmarish board game. And now he was winning! It was difficult to see the station signs through the almost opaque car windows, and as the train lurched forward again Ray realized "That was Market Street! ". Well I'll be okay, I'll just get off at the next stop, and walk back..... And here's the next stop, Oh; South Broad...

Nobody on the train, and now this platform is as quiet as a grave yard on a
rainy spring night. How can I get to the street ? There, through those revolving bars I guess .From the number of steps upward already covered, it seemed that the rail platform must have been deep below the surface. The air seemed to be freshening now as Ray turned another right angle on the odious concrete stairs . At the top of the short flight , a wide expanse froze Ray's spine.In the dim fluorescence,he began to perceive as many as one hundred
supine bodies!

If he had not been striding with determination towards home, he would have come up halt! The thought struck him that these inert bodies were what people commonly referred to as Bums ! Life experience assured him that they were very much alive and very dangerous in this situation. And his umbrella as epee , brief case as shield would not, could not save him from utter destruction, should these numbers without witness rise up against him...

Half way through the slumbering rags, Ray heard a deep, mean voice call out "Carson !
Where are you going ?!! " Carson, a relatively slight man, had just started to get up on the near right of Ray's path. He replied to the Ogre in a plainly trembling voice " Oh, I was just going to get a cigarette ? ". No! said the Ogre, and Carson lay back down... Ray felt as if he must be invisible as his leaden legs propelled him on towards what looked like the morning light.

Ray was exhilarated by the vast open space, on the South side of City Hall, as well
the virgin blowing snow that seemed endless. Yes ! It's this way, a couple or three blocks to the Reading Terminal and then Home!

The doors to the Terminal opened in or out, but then five flights of steps had to be
surmounted as the escalators were not working. No surprise there ......

No green Landsdale signs lit yet , but it's only 7:52... At least I can sit down and it's not too cold... Say this would be a good time to take a leak... Yes, the pause that refreshes...

It looks like the Fuzz let a couple of shopping bag ladies nod through the night here, I'm afraid of that kind of poverty... Like the Bums.

Wow !There's The Landsdale Green! I won't have any trouble getting a seat because I'm
apparently the lone rider, scurrying under the dim grey vault high above... Very little light couldpierce the ancient, glass and iron arch that spanned the eighteen tracks ; not now, or when Ray was only nine years old. Since then the soot and oil had grown ever thicker, but Ray could seethe Sun brightening the maw of the Terminal...

Okay!Were finally moving ! Checking his watch he saw it just 08:12, not bad, I'll be
home before Nine... I'm certainly glad , I got a round trip ticket yesterday , because now that I went and splurged on a couple of cups of coffee at work, I don't have a dime on me .

Just as Ray was starting to feel some slight comfort from the train car's aged heating system, The Conductor made his first appearance by Slam- Banging !!! The door open !Not making eye contact, he shouted North Philadelphia! Every One Off ! The Breaks are No Good!!

In a daze Ray stepped off of the steel steps into more than two feet of virgin
snow. Diagonally on his left he saw in the now almost blinding sunlight a turn of the century Rail Road, green house like shelter. As the snow was still powdery , Ray was able to ease the glass paneled door open with surprisingly little strength... Inside he estimated the dimensions were about twelve by fifteen. On three of the walls were mounted brown wooden benches. Right in the middle was a pot bellied iron stove. Even if any fuel been available , Ray had quit smoking , it seemed years ago... And so, of course he had no means of igniting a fire...

Fortunately not all of the small panes of glass were broken out, So the now the
cruel wind, that was creating amazing drifts on the plains surrounding Ray's island could not so easily drain what little energy Ray had left.

Circumstances can cause just the ticking of the watch on your wrist to be pain full.
It's a train! I'm getting on no matter where it's headed! Even if it's headed for Doylestown, I can get off at Glenside and .......

The Conductor sang out " Landsdale Local - Next Stop
Jenkintown ! " Through the fog in his mind he thought " I'm going to be home soon.."
Oreland! The wind is less pain full now. There's a man trudging into the Hardware with no awareness of a neighbor trying to get home . The gently sloped street is so easy to traverse in the heat of August... And now a left onto Redford Road, so familiar and yet now so frozen strange... Up towards the house, along where the walk should be...

As Ray's eyes began to adjust to the indoor light,his Margie appeared from the stairs.
" Where were you all night ? Why didn't you call ? !! "......


***** Epilogue *****



In the inevitable Summer that followed, Proud Butterflies caressed the warm earth with love.

As luck would have it, in the Decade or so that followed Ray was able to clasp them to his heart, for true love can't be frozen.....