Meeting Persephone

I want to thank those who have dropped by with such helpful suggestions as well as words of support and empathy for the family I'd written about in the previous entry.

I am now running on 4 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours. Once I sink my "teeth" into something, I don't let go until I have solutions in mind. Last night I rallied with my family to figure out some things that could be done for these people.

One thing that we are doing is going through coats and get together the ones we have in sizes that would accomodate the family. As Hrafnkell mentioned, these things always tend to happen during the coldest time of year.

We also compiled a television, VCR, and a slew of videos for them to watch - about 50. We took them over to the hotel where the family is staying this afternoon. They have 3 rooms for 9 people and a couple of animals. Their space is minimal and I feel a bit bad about taking them such a large quantity of things. The way I see it though, the things that we took them have value, they can sell them if they need to and get money for whatever they might need. There is plenty in what we took them to spare.

When we went to see them, they had already been bombarded by visitors. Someone was nice enough to drop by a pile of thongs for the girls - not exactly on the top of my list, but the family got a good laugh over it. Jean also kept mentioning a craving for margaritas, I can't say as though I blame her at all.

Then of course there was the story to be told and for us to hear. It was far more than we knew going in and we weren't at all prepared.

First a funny story. When the firefighters arrived they began an immediate search and rescue process. There were no less than 20 animals in the home and probably more. After many of the firefighters came out with their heads hanging after finding yet another lost pet, one of the youngest finally came out with something in his hands. He was holding it up above his head and shouting gleefully, "I found something! I don't know what the hell it is, but it's alive!" It was Angie's ferret. Laughter at the retelling of the story ensued and for a moment the horror of their loss was suspended.

Then the hard part. Jean told us that she had gotten all of the children out of the house except for Patricia. Patricia was sleeping in bed with her grandma (the one I was unsure of her location in the previous post - she is fine, alive, and holding up ok considering for anyone who wanted to know). Grandma heard Jean screaming "FIRE!!". Before she could get up out of the bed, Patricia had gone down the stairs where the source of the fire was. She then heard a blood-curdling scream from Patricia as the little one encountered the heart of the flames. Grandma screamed, "THE BABY IS DOWNSTAIRS!!" Before anyone knew what was happening, Angie flew back into the inferno, down the stairs, and rescued her baby sister.

I'm not a publicly emotional person, but I very nearly lost it in front of this family who'd just gone through this horrific incident. I bit down hard on my lip and just nodded my head.

Angie suffered slight burns on her face from the blaze. Patricia's little face is also burned as well as her eyes. I just wanted to scoop them all up and do whatever was humanly possible at that point.

While we were being told the tale, Mini Me slipped away with Angie. Angie needed to talk and so they sought out the now elusive privacy for a brief talk. While they were talking, Patricia came into the hotel room where they were, dripping because she'd just gotten out of the pool and her eyes bright red, not from the chlorine, but from the merciless flames just a couple of nights ago. Mini Me dropped to her knees to hug Patricia tightly and Patricia whispered in her ear during the embrace, "Angie saved me."

We were also informed that they did, in fact, have insurance. That was a relief though we're unsure what will be taken care of by the insurance company (I know nothing about their policy and the family has gotten so used to the disappointment that I think they're anticipating the worst). Someone in their church has offered them a mobile home free of charge, all they need do is pay the "park fee" at the trailer court. I don't know if the trailer could be placed on their land once the remains of the house are gone (or if they'd want to for that matter), but I suppose that is an option. At least I know now that the 8 of them won't be living in their 2 mid-80s conversion vans even in the transition phase of whatever the future holds for them. That is a relief!

We spoke to everyone, promised to do all we could if they will only let us know what they need and when they need it, gave everyone more hugs, and then left them so they could go back to their church - where they'd already been 4 times this week.

The 3 of us walked down the stairs and then out the door into the now dark evening. I began crying as soon as the air hit my face and could hear Mini Me behind me gasping in the twilight as well. We all stopped and held each other for a moment in the parking lot and sobbed. All of us were overwhelmed at what we'd just heard and grateful that they are ok - or as ok as they can be right now. The reality that Mini Me had nearly lost one of her dearest friends as well as one of her favorite little ones impacted us all more than I can adequately express.

And now tomorrow will bring more opportunity to accomplish more for the family. I'm taking a lot of advice that everyone gave in the comments from the last entry as well as going in other directions.

I have a mission. I have chosen to accept it. It's not impossible at all.