Throughout the Years [[Second Grade]] Part One-

Second Grade. The year my life changed. Well not to much but if it had anything to do with my current fears, I would say so. As I was going through some old photo albums I found a story that I wrote as a child of my experience. It’s a little more dramatic than I would write now as I’m older and rational but for kicks ill share the story I wrote as a child of my experience. (Remember this was my point of view written when I was very young) Here goes:

The Earthquake/1992

  “When I was about 6 or 7 years old something terrible happened. My family and I lived in Big Bear, California at the time, in a small wood cabin. And early one morning I woke to the sound of what seemed like my dog climbing to the bed to later find out it was the cabinet door slamming open and closed. That night my mother had slept in the pullout bed in my room for a reason I had no idea why. So when I heard the noise, my mom pops up and says “Get in the hallway it’s an earthquake!” To my surprise, I jumped up and ran in the other room. I didn’t know what an earthquake was and I was scared to death. My lips shattered to the thought of my dying. I remember seeing my mom trying to get my sister up and she wouldn’t budge until my mom dragged her by the arm into the hallway. Everything around me was moving and I heard the sound of things breaking. I saw my mom disappear into her room and later come out with my brother and the phone. I wanted to know where my dog was but I didn’t ask. I just stayed quiet as I heard my mother speak to my grandmother on the phone. The earthquake lasted for a couple of minutes, but I stayed until I was told to move, hugging the wall as tight as I could. I remember my dad came out of the room. He said he would get our coats and shoes so we can go outside to the road till everything was clear. Outside I saw my neighbors. We stood out there talking to them for a while until we knew it was safe to head back in. I remember seeing a car drive by asking if we saw his dog. We said no as I remember my dog. Where was he? I asked my dad and he went inside to find him. When he came back out he had let me know that he was scared and hiding under the bed and that he was okay. The next couple of days was a blur. They went by so slowly. There were aftershocks here and there. I was scared and I didn’t want to move. I wanted to live the rest of my life on the small couch in the living room. I remember that night we slept in the car and for the next week we slept in a tent in the backyard. Our house was trashed. We tried to clean up a little each day. There were maybe two or three earthquakes a day and the town was a mess, so my dad thought it would be best for us if we moved. My dad waited to get the first transfer out to Las Vegas. The soonest we were able to leave though was a week because there has been a rock that fell on the road on the way down the mountain and it had blocked the way out. But when it was cleared my aunt came and helped us clean up and pack. We lived down at her house for a couple of weeks till my dad was able to leave work and move with us and find a house. Till this day I always love the beautiful mountains, the snow and the fun we had. But I will never forget those terrifying weeks of horror living in earthquakes.”

To be continued….