No Time for Anything

Mom was just sitting there staring out over the neighborhood. She was holding her necklace in her hand. Her face glazed over in disbelief. Jr took Julia from my arms. He could see the look on my face was one that showed I didn’t need to be holding her right now. I had no tears, just shock. People were walking by all as if in a daze. Many questions pouring into the minds people trying to figure out the things that just transpired. The only noise heard was that of water spewing up like an old geyser. It sounded like it came from the other side of the street. Did it really happen? What happened? It seems like we were just sitting around the dining room table. I can remember it all so very clearly.

I was singing in the kitchen washing up some of the dishes before dinner. I noticed the beautiful lilies Robert had bought me just two days ago. When he brought them to me the smile on his face told me he got Mom to agree to come. But now, just two days later the petals just started falling right in front of me. I thought to myself 'How strange, they are still fresh. Why would this happen so fast? What did I do wrong this time? They never did this before.'

Mom’s favorite family festival with all the attention she so deserved was going to be something for her little box of memories. Jr was sitting at the table. He loved sitting next to his dad and gleaning everything he could from him. He is a bright boy and has such a desire for knowledge. His father was cutting the roast. This was indeed going to be a day to remember. Everything was perfect and well planned this time. It had to be very special. Nothing could go wrong now and we were making this the best year yet for Mom. This year was hard for her because of not having Dad here but we were not going to let that stop us from making Mom know she was loved and cared for. To everyone else there was never any doubt. Not only our family but our community loved her dearly. She was always making something for people. If she wasn’t crocheting a baby blanket she was baking someone a birthday cake. Any time anyone needed a sitter Mom was on call. There wasn’t a child in our town that didn’t know her. Who could know that all of this would transpire in less than one hour of a lifetime?

The storm warning was instant. “A severe storm moving into the area, all residents take caution. Move to a safe shelter ” It seemed to be screaming at us from the little weather box on the side board. There was no time to prepare. It never gave us a chance. My husband Robert was the first to react. He jumped into action. He ran to the windows to shut them and bam, it happened that quick. The lightning went right through him. The light was as bright as the sun at high noon on a clear day filling the room. The vibration of the thunder shook the house as though an earthquake just hit. My heart felt the piercing of that same bolt. Instantly the smell of burning flesh filled the room. As it struck it caused an instant fire to burn through the living room. We had to move fast to get it out. No time to think or feel, just react. Jr ran for the extinguishers I ran for Julia. She was in danger of the fire coming near her. Mom jumped up to go after Robert but in that very instant the sirens went off. Now, a tornado too? No one could have ever imagined that our town was about to turn into a living ghost town.

I ignored the flowers for the moment and just kept singing as I brought out the rest of the food. Our baby Julia was napping in her bassinet in the living room. Mom was holding her necklace in her hand as she was reminiscing over the beauty of memories of Mother's days gone by. Her son was cutting the roast as usual. He was teaching Jr now just how it was done. One day it would be his turn to take over. After all, it was something he learned from his father as did his father before him, becoming a family tradition. She was so proud of him and it showed in her eyes. He looked like his dad as did Jr. So her thoughts were drifting off again. She remembered when he was Jr’s age sitting at her very own table with her mom and dad. The smell of the dinner was the same. Time seems to just slip on by. He looks so much like his father, he has the same mannerisms...

Awakened by the instant tragedy she screamed with fear and instant heartache at the same time. Seeing her run to Robert as I ran for Julia I couldn't help her! I had to go after the baby. There was hardly any time! We had to get down stairs to safety. I dragged Mom by the arm, pulling her away from her son to follow me. I knew Jr would come quickly because of all the training. Though we live in a community that seemed so protected by its terrain, Jr insisted on taking all the training that was offered every time it was available. Mom was so resistant, in shock over what just happened to my husband and the fire but short of dragging her we managed to get the four of us downstairs to our shelter. There was no time to think, no time to mourn, no time for emotion at all. Just do and pray for the best.

We got down inside and Jr secured the door. He really knew what to do. The sounds were horrific. Mom pulled Jr up close to her, checking him out to see if he was burned or hurt in any way. Then she practically ripped Julia from my arms to check her out too. After seeing that no harm had come to our precious baby, her countenance just changed. She pressed her lips to her cheek and then started rocking her. She was like a little girl holding her baby doll. Her face was no longer in a panic mode, she was just tenderly rocking Julia and singing softly. Jr, on the other hand, now had a look of horror on his face. It was like the time we watched the documentary of World War II. I thought he was old enough to handle it but I guess anyone seeing the reality of killing to such a degree would be fearfully sick to their stomach. I couldn't hold him. I couldn't touch him. What was happening to my little man of just eleven years of age. This is too much for him. He couldn’t have been trained for this. My heart was being pierced all over again. My mother in law is going in and out of reality. My son is being tormented. My husband is gone and all of this in less than one hour? I was just starting to believe it was the end of the world or at least our family but as fast as it started it stopped. We all froze from the silence. I waited to hear if anything else was going to happen. I told Mom to stay with Julia. I wanted her to be still for a few minutes longer. Except for the gentle hum of Mom with Julia all was quiet. It was an eerie quiet. Julia wasn't crying because grandma had her bundled to her breast to comfort her. But the sound of silence was deafening.

It was time to go upstairs. My thoughts started rushing together making a list of what we had to do now. Once we get everyone up the stairs we can come to some kind of a calm. We have a mess to clean up. I have to call the fire department to report what happened, and call the police to help with the death of my husband or is he really dead? Maybe I just imagined he was dead, maybe he was just in shock . There is so much to do. So many things were running through my brain and bouncing off my heart...All of a sudden Jr was calling to me in the most gentle voice. “Mom, Mom, Mom can you hear me? Mom, what are we going to do? Mom, we have to.... “ I looked at my son and snapped back from my thoughts.

Something was pressing against the door. Jr helped me push as Mom stayed back with the little one. After pushing again and again we finally got the door open. We all emerged one by one and we were all speechless.

Everything was gone except the couch that was just a few minutes ago pressing against the basement door. We stood looking at the front steps. There was no door, no walls. We walked around looking at our surroundings. It was as if our home had never been built. Concrete steps and a foundation were in place like the builders were coming at any time now. Only this was not the case. Everything that had been - had been undone. Gone. Not a picture in sight. Gone. There were no curtains where the windows should have been. Gone. There were no dishes from a table that was just moments ago set for dinner. Gone. The flowers that were losing their petals don’t even exist anymore. Everything had been sucked up and moved out like a great vacuum cleaner came by. Everything is gone.

Taking Julia from Mom's arms we all just stood there looking out over the neighborhood. Where did everything go? Now I was in shock, unable to move. The realization that even my husband's body is gone. Jr took his sister from me. Mom just sat down on the steps. She ever so gently took hold of her necklace once again, this time tears fell from her eyes. It was the first time I saw her cry since my husband gave her that beautiful heart-shaped locket on Mother's Day just one year ago today.