September 28th, 1896 was a day pretty much like any other. Well, yeah, one fisherman said the mullet were jumpin’ a lot, but what does that tell you? Nothin’ you can put your finger on. It had been a bit windy for a day or two, the wind out of the northeast. The tide was way out, exposin’ a lot of flat, just like any northeaster naturally would. But when we went to bed that night, narry a Florida soul had any idea a hurricane was bearin’ down on ‘em from the Gulf. None at all.

And what could we do if we knew? Nothin’. Before the storm tore us up, Cedar Key had one road to the mainland and rail service. The only way to get on and off all these other islands around here is by boat. By Monday afternoon there was hardly enough water left between ‘em to float one. People ain’t gonna just walk out across the flats, ya know. In some places the mud can swallow you to your knees. So I reckon it’s fair to say us remote islanders were trapped and probably would have remained so, even if we’d figured out somethin’ was up.

Well, the Cedar Keys have seen better days. Last I heard, the population was down to around seven hundred, considerably lower than when the saw mills were operatin’ at full tilt. Looked great for awhile, but it weren’t long before the trees were runnin’ out and that was it. Been slowin’ down for about five years now. Some folks took to runnin’ guns to Cuba. Others, like me, went back to doing odd jobs, fishing, coon trappin’, turtlin’ and such.

But despite the hard times, there ain’t been no such thing as starvin’ to death in Cedar Keys. Nope, at least not up until a few days ago. If you didn’t have any money or food you could just go down to the dock. The fishermen have always been generous with their fish. Course, now there ain’t no dock, fewer fisherman and a lot fewer boats. But we got plenty of hungry homeless folks.

Although folks call the main island Cedar Key, the Cedar Keys is actually made up of a group of several islands. When the storm hit, I was livin’ on one of ‘em. Folks here-abouts get where we need to get by boat. Of course, you got to either sail or row, so commercial fishing or any other navigatin’ is a lot of work.

Of course, I fish too. But the reason I’m still here to tell you all this is ‘cause I wasn’t on the water that night. My boat was stuck in the mud. It seemed like a nice afternoon to do some chores around the house.

After supper, me and the wife took to bed early. We just settled down there holdin’ hands, listenin’ to the rain on our tin roof like it was some kind of music playin’ and talkin’, kinda soft, you know, sharin’ thoughts about things. Don’t know as we actually ever drifted off cause the rain was so loud.

Well, sometime after midnight everybody in these parts had to know somethin’ real bad was in the works. That stiff eastern breeze turned into a gale.

As I heard it, the ragin’ wind and rip currents tore boats from their moorin’s at both Cedar Key and in the anchorage. There was somethin’ like a hunert schooners waitin’ out there to either load or off load cargo. Anyhow, attempts by their crews to keep them boats anchored were futile. Many were swept out to sea, some capsized, crews fightin’ for their lives. It was hell for everybody on the water that night. No exceptions. Glad I was home.

Our house was partly shielded by swamp trees. The trees took the brunt of the wind and a lot of them blew down. Lucky none of them hit us. Still, the house did a lot of shaken and groanin’. Me and the wife lay there wide eyed, cringin’ every time a gust of wind shook the house, worryin’ about whether it’d hold up or not. Course, that made her cuddle up real close and gave me the perfect opportunity to get real friendly, so it weren’t all bad, if you know what I mean.

Well, gettin’ back to the storm, sometime after daylight, the wind and rain suddenly laid down. We thought the storm was over. A lot of folks must have thought the same thing. Come daylight, the wife and I got up for breakfast.

Shortly, the wind kicked up again, but now I noticed it had swung around and was comin’ from the west.

It weren’t long after that when the wave hit. Some folks on Cedar Key saw it coming but there was little they could do but run for high ground. Some say it was ten feet high, others say fifteen. The wave was like a huge wall of water that consumed everything in its path.

The wife and I had just finished breakfast when we heard a roar. I went outside to investigate. I ran down to the creek. From there I could look to the Gulf where the roar was comin’ from. At first, I thought I was hallucinatin’. I couldn’t believe it, this huge wall of water, like nothin’ I’d never seen in my life, was roarin’ across the marsh headin’ right for us. I ran for the house yellin’ as loud as I could but the wave got there first.

Well, the house exploded like a stack of sticks. I was knocked off my feet; tumblin’ every which way under the water so that I couldn’t even figure which way was up. I was frantic to get to the surface but I didn’t seem to be gettin’ nowhere. I just knew I was a dead man. Then, I slammed right smack dab into what turned out to be a cabbage palm. I don’t know how I managed to grab holt of it but I did. The current pulled me straight out. Providence must’ve been on my side ‘cause I realized I was right at the surface and managed to get my head up for a badly needed breath of air. I just held on for dear life and eventually managed to pull myself into a position where I could wrap my legs around it.

After I got situated, I tried to look for where the wife might’ve ended up. Well, it was nothin’ but drivin’ rain, fast movin’ water, foam and debris as far as the eye could see. The only thing showin’ was treetops whippin’ and thrashin’ in the wind. I couldn’t see much. I could only hold on tight and dodge tree limbs, logs and a couple of snakes that passed by.

Well, of course, I was very concerned about the wife. I called out lots of times but got no answer. After awhile, I guess I accepted the fact that there wasn’t gonna be any. Seein’ that house get hit the way it did, I realized there wasn’t much chance she was alive. It’s been two weeks now since the storm and we ain’t found her body so I think she must’ve gone out to sea with everything else.

Well, I’m not exactly sure how long I was in that tree. It seemed like a long time but you know how you lose track of time in a situation like that. Eventually the water drained back to the Gulf. A lot of stuff went with it, probably pieces of my house among other things. As the water went down, I shinnied down. When the water got low enough, I slogged my way back to where my house had stood.

Didn’t find much really, just the pilin’s and about a hunert yards away I found our cast iron cookin’ stove. Everything else was wiped clean. I started thinkin’ about how I was goin’ to get out and get help. I stumbled around lookin’ for any sign of the wife, kinda still hopin’ and waitin’, ya know, to see if she might show up. I hollered a lot. Hell, I’d been happy if anybody had showed up but they didn’t. I guess they had their own problems. Anyhow, I decided it was too late to start out on foot, so I knew I would have to spend a very uncomfortable night right there. I did and it was!

Well, of course, I was in despair. A few hours before I had everything to live for, a beautiful wife, home, everything I needed to make a livin’. In a few short seconds it had all been wiped away. I had nothing left. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. I wished over and over I hadn’t made it. I just sat there, feelin’ sorry for myself, slappin’ mosquitoes, grievin’ and cryin’.

Well, soon as daylight come, I smashed a few oysters, ate what I could, then started walkin’. As long as I stayed on top of debris, oyster beds or saw grass, it kept me from sinkin’ very deep in the muck. Often, I didn’t have that luxury. I had a pretty good swim too but I’m used to swimmin’. By noon I reached high ground and a couple hours later was knockin’ at my in-laws door on Cedar Key. When they seen me standin’ there without the wife, they knew right away I bore bad news. But I choked up and couldn’t say no words. We just all stood there holdin’ each other and cryin’ for the longest time.

Their house is one of the lucky few left standin’, on account Cedar Key’s got a little bit of high ground. On low ground, most everything is gone. Folks that were lucky to see it comin’ naturally run for high ground. Some made it.

The mills, railroad, fish houses, docks and churches too, all gone now. In the anchorage, twenty schooners were lost with all their crews. A few commercial fishermen managed to survive. With so many people missin’ we’re not sure how many died. May never know.

And we ain’t seen no relief in the two weeks since the storm. The Cedar Keys is facin’ real hard times. With everything so tore up, I don’t know what us folks gonna do. We’ll suffer. We got no choice.

Yes, I know lots of these folks believe Jesus is gonna take care of ‘em. But I find myself thinking a lot more like Epicurus. He asked very reasonable questions about the occurrance of natural evil and the human suffering that results from it.

Was God willing to prevent it, but not able? If so, he is not omnipotent.

Was he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Was he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Was he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

If there really was a Jesus lookin’ out for these folk, then their friends and loved ones wouldn’t be dead and they wouldn’t be in this fix. The only real hope I see is that we got each other.

Of course they’ll say I’m just mad at God for taking away my lovin’ wife and all. But they got it all wrong. I just never could embrace the absurd. What has happened, always happens. In the final analysis, there are only human solutions to human problems. If we can’t or won’t do it, it won’t get done. All the prayin’ in the world isn’t going to change that fact.

So, I’m askin’ ya, any chance you could spare a few jars of beans?