EARTHQUAKE J.E. POWELL

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Sure, sure, just remember the roads might be blocked and we prob’ly have to walk all the way and back,” she warned.

“God, that sounds daunting.  How far away is Highgate?”

“P’raps five miles,” she guessed.

“Gosh, ten miles total.  I guess we’ll walk and pray to get a ride even a part of the way.”

They reached Zion Hill Square without luck.  A cell phone signal was as elusive as a will o’ the wisp but the road was filled with people interested in knowing what the damage was, and to see if their neighbours were okay.

There was a report of a woman who had died of a heart attack.  Of course, Rosie knew who she was even though she had been bed ridden for years. 

There were also fallen power lines, but thankfully no live wires since the power company had been swift in turning the power off.

Rosie seemed to know everyone and she could see the interest in wanting to know who she was.  Some were even brazen enough to ask, especially the men.

She smiled.  She knew if there was cell service, Rosie would be getting a few calls from the women since they were more underhanded with their queries.

All the way to Richmond were houses with damage, torn up asphalt and fallen trees.  Men were already at work clearing the roads, but travel was severely hampered because the bridge at Gowie’s had a gigantic crack which they deemed unsafe to travel over until engineers were able to check how safe it was.

Many illegal, high priced taxis were born that day especially when they were told that another bridge closer to Highgate had also been compromised and the drivers had promptly set up a system of service that plied between the bridges and back.  Rosie and Phaedra were happy to hear that because it meant they did not have to walk the entire way.

As they were entering the taxi, Rosie saw a friend who told her that she had been able to use her phone in Highgate.  Phaedra was relieved knowing it would not be a wasted trip.

On the way to Highgate was a long stretch of road they called Long Level, which was by no means level except in comparison to everywhere else.  It snaked along in waves of slight inclines and synclines before hitting a corner in the distance.

They were driving along hopeful to make contact, finally, when the car felt like it hit a bump before it shut off.  Startled, Phaedra looked up and saw the road moving like a snake all the way to the corner and the car, which should have been stationary, was bumping up and down.

The women screamed while the men cursed expletives in a row.

“Jesus Christ, God a come,” exclaimed one woman in the midst of the bad words.

The trees swayed as if experiencing the fury of a storm as an oncoming car, careened around the corner and crashed in the embankment.  Before they could fully comprehend what was happening, they were jolted in their seats accompanied by a loud crash.

As suddenly as it started, the movement stopped.  Dazed, they filed out of the car to assess the damage.

“Aftershock,” someone said by way of explaining.

“Look ‘pon me cyar, man.  Me jus’ collecki from the body shop las’ week an’ look ponni now,” lamented the driver, as he viewed the damage caused by the car that hit him from behind.

By then the other car had been emptied out and the other driver was also contemplating on his damage.

Phaedra’s driver seemed to be spoiling for a fight but was quickly calmed down by the voices of reason that pointed out it was not anyone’s fault.  It was indeed, an act of God and no one should be blamed.