Part 3...The Phone Calls

I had to make three phone calls that morning.  Please keep in mind that by the word morning, I mean 1:30am. 

The first was to my parents.  I can tell you, that was the hardest call I have ever had to make in my life.  I pray that I never have to ever, do that again.

I call my folks' house phone as I figured that they wouldn't have their cell phones in their bedroom.

Dad Answers.  I say, "WE ARE SAFE"  three times.  Dad wakes up.  He says what's the matter.  This is the first time I break down.  I choke out, my house is on fire, BUT WE ARE SAFE, I need you. 

Now my dad is a man of few words.  I like that about him, especially that night.  He say's "we are on our way" and hangs up.  Perfect.

I find out later that he jumps out of bed and starts getting dressed.  Mom sits up saying, what whats wrong, where are you going.  I didn't ask dad what he said to mom or her reaction.  That was just an image I still dont want in my head.  I actually dont  even think about it.  As I am typing this, I have pushed it out of my head.  I dont want to know. 

Now, may parents may be a little older than me :)  I am so being nice here, but they can fly when they want to.  I once checked their gps after one of their little trips to visit my sister, and the max speed was 102.  They both blamed eachother.

According to my parents, they broke every single traffic law know to man on the way to my house.  Mom would look one way at a red light, dad would look the other and they would just go.  I am guessing they were going about 80 down Route 14. 

Second call.  And I dont remember if my folks, I usually refer to them as The G's, for future reference, were there yet?  There was quite a bit of wandering around on my part?  At least that is how it felt.  Trapped in a bubble, wandering almost in circles, not knowing what to do with myself? 

We, people in general, usually have some control in our lives.  We get up, do our stuff, live our lives. That morning I had no control over anything.  I could only wander around in circles, in my jammies.  no control, totally and utterly helpless.

Anyway..second call.  I have already written about.  C1 was due to leave at 4am on a bus to go to Boundry Waters.  it was supposed to be a wonderful canoe trip for the boys and their adult leaders. 

Second call...To one of the leaders going on the trip.  SR.  A good friend I have know for 8years? give or take. 

Boy am I glad that she answered the phone and not her hubby.  How in the world would I do that one.  Um...Hi M, is S there?  At 2am.  How odd.  Anyway...I tell her, I am very sorry but I dont know if C1 is going to be able to go on this trip.  See the problem is that on these trips, you cannot have someone drop out at the last minute unless a death or house fire occurs.  They have everything planned down to the last detail.  They have giant packs to carry, canoes to portage, etc etc.  You cannot be down a man.  So anway, I continue.  I tell her, There is no easy way to say this, but my house is fire.  His gear is in the living room, and well, my house is on fire.  I dont know if its ok. 
She asks if I need anything.  I reply, S, I am standing here with my cell phone in my jammies.  I will call you back.

I do remember at one point having to tell C1 that his bird might not survive.  C1 has been a huge bird fan since he was a little kid.  and I do mean huge. Ask him about any kind of bird and he will tell you all about, it.  I bought him this one for his Bday.  I was hand raised and hand fed.  It was a beautiful bird, very friendly, well, was friendly until the cat almost ate him twice.  then he became a little cranky.  So I tell C1 and he says, I know Mom.  Sigh...

Then I call JKF.  someone has to take these dogs.  She has three dogs, and does greyhound rescue.  I know she will take them.  Problem is, there is never a phone upstairs, but, oddly enough, one of the portables was upstairs.  Hubby answers.  He says I was very matter of fact.  Very even keel. 

Well, I think i was.  I had to stand strong in front of my kids.  If I fell to pieces, so would they.  I stayed strong and so did they.  There was only a little crying but nothing hysterical.  That was a good thing. 

So, I tell him that we had a little house fire and I needed him to come and get my dogs, bring leashes cause I dont have any.  He says ok.  Now, he wasn't even going to wake K.  He was just going to come, but she heard the phone and asked whats up.  Again, I didn't ask her what he said or her reaction.  I dont want to know the type of panic we caused the ones we love.

Now, I have no idea what time it is now.  Not that it matters.  I actually think that the G's got there before JKF came to get the dogs?  Not sure. 

So, G's show up.  That was hard.  Mom told my brother that she ran down the street.  My brother stopped her and said, wait....you ran??!?  I did clarify that later.  and I love you mom, that it was more like one of those cartoon characters where the feet are moving really really fast.  It was kinda funny. 

She found me first, or I found them first, and I got the biggest hug I think I've gotten since I announced that they were going to be grandparents.  I think she cried then too.  Then its a blur again...

KF and hubby show up and hubby leaves with Dogs. I notice KF looking around for me and I yell to her...then its a blur.

at some point, I think before everyone shows up, I happen to look down the street and see my friend L walking towards me.  I find that odd since she lives several blocks down...how could she see the fire from her house.  She comes and gives me a giant hug.  See, turns out that one of the boys that saved our lives txted her daughter and said, your not going to believe what we did.  Tells her, so L says well where on my street?  Cause she's to far down to see it. Boy txts back that he's standing out front helping hold two big dogs.  With that L runs out of the house and down the street.  I do find it odd that she ran down the two giant blocks rather than driving...would have been faster to drive.

Now things are very very very hectic...crazy, nuts...fast, slow, confused.  C1's gear is found and he says he wants to go.  He can't do anything here.  So SR comes and gets him.  I find it kinda funny too, that she showed up in her bare feet.  She had time to find shoes :)

Boy that was hard.  watching C1 leave.  Scary, hard.  Actually, hard to put into words kind of hard.  We would have no phone contact for about 7 days.  Would he be ok?  Did he have all of his gear? would he have nightmares?  Daymares?  You remember when you dropped your oldest off at their first day of preschool...you wanted to grab them back and shout, no you are not ready yet(or was that just me).  this was how I felt but 1000x worse.  I didn't want to split the family up but there he went down the sidewalk. 

Now its blurry again...snippets here and there but there is no order to those snippets.  Its like doing the dishes while watching a movie.  You only catch bits and pieces of it and then get very lost in the movie.

The younger two left with my parents.  I dont remember them leaving.  I know I gave them hugs and hugs and hugs...but I dont remember them leaving..

wow...how scattered is this post....this is exactly how it felt, still feels...scattered, insane, blurry, scary, surreal.....


Part 4.....They found the cat, and our trip to Walmart