EARTHQUAKE J.E. POWELL

CHAPTER EIGHT

After several attempts of trying to get a line to call home to check on the family, which proved to no avail, she busied herself in making a path back to the house to ease the difficulty she knew Zach would have.  He lay there helplessly watching his wife, moving rubble from the house and chopping the smaller branches from the fallen trees around them.

Less than an hour later, Phaedra learned that she could depend on others.  Despite having their own troubles to deal with, several men from the area appeared in the company of Rosie to see how they had fared.

“Gosh, guys, I’m so happy to see you,” gushed Zach, relieved that they might get somewhere at last.

Phaedra, also very pleased, straightened up from trying to lift a piece of mortar and sat on it instead with great relief.

The men were gruff in their responses and set to work immediately as they sized up what needed to be done.  One man set to work with his machete, already sharpened, and the edge glinted in the sun as he swung it repeatedly, cutting the tree into more manageable chunks for the others to pull away.

The car was badly damaged, with the back portion of the roof badly dented, and the rear windows smashed.  It seemed like if they were ever to get out of there, they would need a different mode of transportation.

In just a few short hours, the village men had tidied up their surroundings, clearing a path to the house and also the driveway.  She and Rosie had been able to use the kitchen, which was part of the more recent addition and was still in good condition; while the men moved furniture from the demolished side of the house to the section that survived the earthquake.  It was a tight squeeze but they managed to pack them securely while allowing good space for movement until they were ready to leave.

The power company had shut off the lights but as a precaution, Phaedra turned off all the breakers.  The water was off as well, but since they had their own secondary supply, that was one less thing to worry about. 

The other things to worry about were the hope that it would last while they were still in residence, their inability to communicate with the family and aftershocks.

After walking around outside attempting to get cell phone service with no luck, Rosie suggested that they walked as far as they could to see if they would have any luck.

She made sure the mini generator was in operation and put water and food within reach of Zach before her departure.  She had begun to feel real anxious about calling her family to see how they had survived the earthquake.

It was rough going.  The road was lined with rock falls, land slides and fallen trees.  Many houses, especially those with inferior building methods, suffered real bad damage and she could see the families standing around the rubble in disbelief.  Some men were busy doing whatever they could to provide temporary shelter and a few women stood over hastily contrived outdoor fires preparing food for their children because life must go on.

“Miss Phaedra …,” started Rosie.

“No, no,” interrupted Phaedra.  “It’s Phaedra, call me Phaedra, Rosie.”

“Sorry ma’am,” she said looking apologetic.

“Ma’am?  That’s even worse!” she laughed and Rosie joined her.

“Phaedra, a hope you ready for a long walk.  If we don’t get a signal by the time we reach Richmond, we’ll prob’ly have to walk to Highgate.”

“Well, if that’s what it takes,” said Phaedra.  “I need to know what’s happening with my family, especially the children.  Are you up to it?”