All My Shit Has Melted
“All my shit has melted.”
– Dad
Welcome to another Story Time Saturday. This Saturday I am telling a story that is very near and dear to me. It impacted my life, and the lives of my family in so many different ways. There are days when I feel like I haven’t fully recovered from it, and I know my family is still dealing with it. It helped make me the person I am today. I don’t think any of us would trade the experience for all the things we lost, because we gained so much more. That being said, here is the story of my shit melting.
August 25th 2010. I had spent my morning reading a book up in the woods under my favorite group of trees. It had been a pretty good day but it was nearing 2 and I had to be at work around 3. I worked 25-30 miles away from home so I had to leave about an hour early. I remember sweating my make up off, just as quick as I could put it on. I managed to get ready and I drove myself into work to begin my night. I was counting down the hours until my shift ended at 10.
My younger brother was at a friend’s house and my mom left around 6 p.m. to go get him. Leaving my Dad home alone for a little while. My dad always enjoyed taking care of our animals in the evening. It was while he was taking care of the animals outside, he noticed that smoke was coming from the house.
In a panic, he ran into the house. When you opened our back door, the first room you would walk in was our laundry room/spare room. Clothes hung up above the washing machine, he grabbed those. Walking from that room towards the front of the house is the kitchen. He once said that by the time he got to the kitchen, on his way to the living room the smoke was horrible and he could hardly see. He was able to grab the phone and his ‘purse’ out of our living room. (My dad has worked outdoors all my life, his insulated lunch box always housed his wallet, keys and everyday things. We’ve always called it his purse) At this point my dad barely made it out of the house. The ceiling was starting to fall, and the smoke was unbearable.
Getting outside, and taking in a breath of fresh air, he managed to get a call out to my mom’s cell phone, and then another to 911 before the line was disconnected. Phone service does not exist where I grew up. You may get enough signal if you hold your phone the right way, on a clear day to send a text. So using his cell was out of the question. All he could do was wait.
My mom made it back home with my brother to find the house ablaze, by this time it was nearly dark. The fire department had arrived, and the house was already being deemed a total loss. My brother being the fit little shit that he is, ran to the highest point of our 10 acres and got a call out to my grandparents who lived 5 minutes away from my work.
My night was going great, I had most of my nightly projects done, and I just got back from taking my break. I was just clocking in and getting back to work in my photo lab, when my Grandpa walked in and told me the news. I didn’t hear anything else he said other than, “I’m so sorry, but it’s gone. Your house is burning down.” Now when someone tells you bad news you can react in weird ways.
My reaction probably wasn’t healthy or safe but, whatever, it’s my family in trouble here. Anything else he said I didn’t hear. I didn’t care about anything but getting home. I was getting down to business, and fuck my job or anyone who got in my way. My car was a little 99 Infiniti G20 5 speed. I found out how fast it could go that night. I remember this part as clear as day, because by the time I hit my road, it started sinking in. I could see the smoke and flames a mile away… and I knew that was my home. That is the most surreal feeling. Knowing that you’re getting ready to see something utterly disastrous, and that it’s yours.. it’s chilling. Driving down my road I see this, I feel this, I need to get home and I need my family. I need to know everyone’s safe and if my dogs are dead…
There were 4 or 5 large fire engines blocking the road. Honking my horn, I finally got someone’s attention. The guy wasn’t going to let me though until I finally said, “look bud, that’s my house that’s burning, that’s my family down there, get the fuck out of my way.” I’ve never seen someone move so fast. I can get pretty murderous if need be, and in times like that, I don’t give a fuck about manners. After parking my car, I remember running down my gravel driveway, which had been turned into a river. My khakis where knee deep covered in sludge by the time I hit the back yard and saw my family safe. My family was safe. I walked up and hugged them so hard. I glanced over too see our puppies safe and sound. I finally could breathe right.
So what do you do when your house is burning down right in front of you? Pull up a lawn chair and watch. We sat there for an hour or two and just watched. None of us really talked. If anything we laughed in hysteria here and there.
Finally the fire was out. All that was left was the damp burnt smell, ash and a few coals. I grabbed up my keys and drove into town for some supplies for the night. I also needed to call my oldest brother in Texas, as well as my grandparents. Coworkers had instantly jumped on things and had clothes ready for me, my grandparents were also on standby if we needed anything. After getting a few sodas and snacks I headed home.
That night we slept in our cars. We had total darkness out in the boonies, the power had to be cut from our pole light. I looked in my glove box, middle console, trunk and purse for what all I had left in the world. Some CD’s, chap stick, phone, wallet, keys, hoodie, my work clothes, Star Wars t-shirt (underneath my work polo) soggy shoes and socks. That was pretty much it. All I had left in the world, now lay in the front seat of my car. That’s sobering.
The next day I drove up to work. People were donating money to my family left and right. People we didn’t know, who drove down our road daily, neighbors and old friends. It helped out so much. Cash helps. I obviously needed some time off work, and we needed supplies.
We bought ourselves a backpack and in those we kept our new life. Toiletries, a t-shirt, socks, some clean panties (most important) and car chargers for our phones. Along with that we bought a pair of boots for each of us, and gloves. Digging through rubble to find anything at all was on the next day’s to-do list.
We borrowed some tents and set up camp. Literally. Some people don’t realize this but if you leave the site of the fire before the investigation, and before the insurance adjuster can come out, it’s considered abandonment. Well because of this we camped out for a while. Friends let me stay over so I could shower and get to work, and my brother was a senior in school so he stayed with friends. This just left Mom and Dad camping for weeks. Rain, cold nights and hot days, they camped.
The investigation finally finished up. The total loss of our house ended up being an electrical issue. Our house was built in the 40’s and the wiring was old and outdated. The fire began in my upstairs room. Before they deemed the electrical responsible, they tried blaming me. I was young, and they thought I may have been smoking pot or a cigarette and forgot it upstairs. Or maybe I left a curling iron on? Nope. That’s definitely not me. See, my parents taught us kids to unplug things. So when I left for work that day, I unplugged my power strip, which powered my room. It wasn’t me for sure.
Nobody really tells you about the aftermath. So here it is. If you want your insurance company to pay for things, you have to make a list of everything you own. EVERYTHING. If you own any guns, or expensive items, they want receipts showing you actually owned them. Well how does that work when all your shit burns? It didn’t in our case. You don’t get that credit. So can you list how many t-shirts you own? How many electronics, complete with makes and model numbers? Can you write down everything you have packed away in a basement or attic? How many forks and spoons do you own? Don’t forget your seasonal items! It’s the hardest thing to do. Not only that but it’s absolutely depressing. Not only did you just loose everything but you have to make a list of it. Pro tip: Keep a digital log of what you own and digital copies of receipts to expensive items, I recommend Dropbox.
Immediate relief is a joke. It took us 3 weeks to get a check for $2000. When you loose everything that’s not enough for hotels, or other everyday expenses. Not to mention feeding a family. And due to the fact we had home owner’s insurance, the Red Cross would not help. We were refused.
People can be mean. I was a 20 year old girl, who didn’t have clothes to wear. One of my managers had given me a $50 gift card to Maurice’s in the mall. Braving the mall, dressed in clothes that didn’t fit me, a shirt that was ugly and no make up on, looking raggedy as fuck, was hard. I literally got made fun of. Some people in this world really suck.
We eventually bought an RV to stay in, and actually I loved it. We were close, cozy and all my belongings fit in a bin. My brother and I finally had bunk beds!
Things got better, and some things got harder. To this day we all have moments of thinking we own something, followed by ‘oh wait that burned.’ All our shit melted. That became our favorite phrase for awhile. What can you do? You have to make yourself laugh at the hard stuff. My family quickly became the closest we have ever been. It’s a pain we all shared, and yet all we could do was be grateful for it. It showed us what was most important in life. Family.
When Stephen and I are looking at his old photos or I see a box of his childhood, it saddens me, because I wish I could show him mine. I wish my future little girl could have worn my favorite baby dress, and played with my old toys. It’s sad if I think about it. So I try not to.
Keeping on the sunny side! Because of all this, I have a skill set that some people will never have. I can survive. I have been through more during my 26 years than some people ever have to their entire lives. I’m not naïve in attaching my happiness to material possessions. It’s also incredibly humbling to wash your clothes by hand, and cook your food over a fire. Do it for more than a weekend, until it’s not fun anymore. It will give you a new appreciation of your everyday life.
Credit has got to go to my Mom and Dad.
They both have been troopers through all this. At the time I couldn’t imagine what it was like to have worked for something and literally watched it burn to the ground. Having been married now and working toward our own goals, I’m beginning to have a better handle on what that must have been like. I appreciate them so much. Love you guys!
It’s been a process, and it’s been challenging. I won’t lie, I’ve cried a little bit while writing this for you guys. Most importantly it has re-inspired me. Not only in my own life, but finding some way to help others who have experienced the same devastation.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. This is probably one of the most important stories I will post on here. I’m sure there will be others however this one is so close to my heart. If you have ever experienced anything like this at all, I would love for you to share it with me. Leave me a comment, or send me an email if you don’t want it public. You’ll have an ear when you need it.
Look around you, appreciate what you have, because it could all be gone one day.
