Humanity At Its Best

Yesterday morn started out wonderful. I felt like leaving my cave and getting some things done. I talked to TET and our conversation gave me an idea for a blog entry. A BLOG ENTRY!!!! I haven’t felt creative in so long and I refuse to use the blog as a whining zone. First, I had a few errands to run locally, no long trips for me.

About 0930 I set out, cheerful, humming. At my first stop, I was conversing with the storeowner when she received a call. After hello, alarm made a home on her face. Oh Christ, something’s happened at her home, I’ll offer to watch the store for her while she takes care of it. “What?” I asked. Horrified, she told me our friends’ house was even now burning to the ground. Well shit. I broke any and every posted speed limit getting over there. (Our town is small; I can go from one side to the other in under 15 minutes if the lights are against me.) Five fire trucks were clustered on the street. (If our town is so small, why do we rate five trucks? We don’t. Departments from up to 20 miles away had responded. At least four other small towns had sent their trucks.) There were also several water trucks – we are a small town, fire hydrants? I joined my friend and hugged her as we watched her home burn to the ground. To the ground!

The day did get better, not great but better. Her children (16, 20, 21) had gotten out of the house safely, the ferret and the snake with them. The dog and cats had scattered so we were worried for them, but hopeful. Neighbors came over and gave the kids jackets and shoes. The middle child, a Marine home from Okinawa for Christmas leave, ran off an insensitive TV cameraman. Friends arrived, hugs happened. Friends walked up to Mom and handed her $100 bills. Housing was arranged, her church has offered their parsonage that is empty at the moment. The Red Cross provided vouchers for food, clothing and hotel stay. More friends arrived, more arrangements were made; more donations were arranged, there was always a friend near the Mom and her children, just in case. The storeowner closed her store and came by to pick up the snake. Another friend went out and bought all the stuff needed for a ferret (ain’t cheap let me tell you) and came 30 miles to pick it up.

The firefighters were still working on hot spots and sudden blaze ups when I finally took the family to lunch (about 1400). They thought they would be there till dark and reassured the family there was no need to hang around, NOTHING could be salvaged, NOTHING would be left. After lunch, we went to my house to make phone calls and use computers. There was a bright spot in the afternoon – one of the cats was found wailing on the front porch after the firefighters left. Ugly (that is her name, I swear) is now living with us.

The Mom asked The Geek to check out her car as it was making an odd noise. He came back shaken – he was surprised she was still alive; apparently the brake calipers were just about done in. Like she NEEDED any more problems!! The Geek followed her to the car dealer (26 miles away) to drop off the car. I took the kids and off to the motel we went – where I gave up my car for her family to use. (She wanted the family to have a few days alone after this event so she had turned down all other offers of places to stay.)

We all went to Wal-Mart to get a couple of change of clothes for all and some food using the Red Cross voucher. (This Wal-Mart and its clueless Customer Service clerk is a whole ‘nother rant.) MORE aggravation arrived in the form of her ex and his replacement wife. Well, at least he showed up ready to buy the kids what they needed to get started. I enjoyed putting things in his cart that the kids needed. Yes, I am a spiteful person and it was a nasty divorce. The daughter will not speak to dad and she asked me to take all the things she needed over to his cart so she wouldn’t have to go near him. I, of course, agreed; see earlier statement about me and spite. The oldest son made a point of reminding dad of needing college money and a new laptop (he wasn’t happy about dad and the reasons for the divorce either.) The Marine wouldn’t let dad pay for anything he needed, he’s still a tad upset that dad turned his back on them and left them homeless and penniless before.

At 2200, The Geek and I said good-bye to the family after unloading bags into their motel rooms. I promised the boys I would provide tools and combat boots so we (yes, I’m going with them) could sift through what was left of the house. I have an ulterior motive for that. I don’t want the Mom or the daughter to see the bodies of the cats and dog. One of the firefighters confided to a non-family member that the dog had apparently crawled under the house. Hopefully the fire was hot enough to cremate the cat bodies. But maybe the cats made it out. The kids left the doors opened when they evacuated. I have my fingers crossed and a room ready for them if they are alive.

So the day was terrible. But I’m concentrating on all the expressions of love, concern, compassion, and caring expressed by everyone; friends, neighbors, complete strangers, Red Cross, businesses, firemen, deputies. And today is no different, I'm fielding calls from all over town: people wanting to help, asking how. It was and is incredible.