As the saying goes, “to each their own.” Everyone in my family felt the repercussions of having no electricity. It affected everyone in ways that prohibited them from engaging in their usual activities. Even my two dogs could not continue their normal routine because of the new sleeping arrangements. The first night was one of the most unforgettable nights in my life. I remember my sister repeatedly asking me, “How many fingers do I have up?” through the pitch black room. It was the first time in years since we had slept in the same room and instantly I missed my own space where I could be free from her annoyance. I yearned for the light where I could lose myself in books and be unaware of the time when I finally came back. Without any power, my secluded paradise was far beyond my grasp. It was my mother yelling “Don’t forget you can’t open any of the refrigerators or freezers!” that pulled me out of my trance. In attempts to conserve the battery life of my phone, I cut it off and decided to embrace the rare moment where my entire family was home and unoccupied. “UNO tournament, living room table, five minutes, and bring your flashlight!”, I roared loud enough to reach everyone’s ears. It was my sister’s quickwitted response that caught me off guard. “How exactly are we supposed to know when five minutes is?” Thankful for the lack of light to mask my facial expression, I stared at the space where I pictured my sister to be spread out lounging on the soft cloth couch across the room from me. When did she become so sarcastic? And why hadn’t I noticed? This observance of the change in my sister’s personality was among the many unnoticed traits that surprised my family members. I was not the only one who came across this thought. Several times the words “Since when do you like that?” or “I had no clue you liked that type of stuff” could be heard as we learned the new interests of our family. The many different topics and conversation shifts probed by the nor’easter that kept us shut in allowed us to catch up and learn about the details of each others’ lives that we wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do with power. A week later when our power was restored, I found it to be unnatural back in my secluded paradise. I shut off all the lights on the floor of my room and yelled to my sister across the hall, “How many fingers do I have up?” -Bryair Alston
31