The Storm Summary

As thundercracks overhead, Bobinôt and his young son, Bibi, take a seat inside a general store. Bobinôt tells his son that they should wait until the storm ends to return home. Young Bibi asks if his mother, Calixta, will be afraid of the thunderstorm. Bobinôt says that while the rain will frighten his wife, she will be fine because she has the company of the family’s maid, Sylvie. Bibi politely corrects his father, explaining that Sylvie is not on duty today. With the news that his wife is all alone in the storm, Bobinôt purchases a can of her favorite shrimp as a gift before returning to sit with a remarkably peaceful Bibi.

However, although her family assumed she would be frightened, Calixta doesn’t even notice the incoming storm as she’s too busy sweating over her sewing. Calixta only notices the clouds when the room she’s sewing in turns dark. At the sight of the thick black clouds, Calixta rushes outside together the family’s laundry hanging up to dry. As she struggles to seize laundry swept up in strong winds, Calixta notices a man approaching on horseback. To her surprise, it’s Alcée Laballiere, whom she knew as a young woman but had not encountered much since. With drops of rain plopping from the sky, Alcée asks if he can wait out the storm on Calixta’s porch. The very sound of Alcée’s voice sparks a bit of arousal from Calixta. When it’s clear that the porch won’t provide Alcée adequate protection from the storm, Calixta invites him to follow her into the house. Once inside, the pair work together to quickly fortify the house’s windows and cracks from pooling water. As they work side-by-side, Alcée notices Calixta’s good looks held up over the years.

Alcée joins Calixta by the window to watch the storm. As the rain gathers outside, she grows increasingly nervous for her son and husband’s well-being. Alcée attempts to soothe Calixta with kind words about her family and a hug. With each crash of thunder or bolt of lightning, Calixta jumps with fear and settles more snuggly into Alcée’s arms. The closeness of their bodies reminds Alcée of their time together in a town called Assumption. With Calixta in his arms and Assumption on his mind, Alcée grows increasingly aroused. When he takes a moment to look into Calixta’s eyes, Alcée notices Calixta is also aroused. When Alcée asks Calixta if she remembers Assumption, breaking the conversation Calixta’s family in the storm, Calixta leans in for a kiss. The kissing then leads to sex. As the two enjoy a tender embrace, Alcée admires Calixta’s beautiful white skin, and then leaves as the storm rolls away.

Meanwhile, Bobinôt and Bibi start the journey home. As they trudge through mud, both worry how Calixta will react to their filthy clothes. However, to their surprise, Calixta greets them with open arms when they return. With Calixta happy to see her family and the gift of shrimp, all three enjoy each other’s company over dinner.

Elsewhere, Alcée writes a sweet letter to his wife, Clarisse, encouraging her to stay longer on her vacation if she so desires, noting that her well-being is his top priority. The tender correspondence pleases Clarisse. Even though Clarisse loves her husband, she’s she pleased to have a break from her wifely duties, particularly as they pertain to sex. The story concludes: “the storm passed, and every one was happy.”