Earthquake Shock

by Marlane Kennedy

“Yes,” the little girl said. She pulled one of her hands away from Fiona and pointed at the green house with the wood door. “That’s my house.”

  “What’s your name?” Fiona asked.

  “Emma. Emma Renee Abernathy.” She managed a tiny smile, like she was proud of her name. She had a deep dimple in one cheek, Joey noticed. Just like his sister, Allie.

  Fiona smiled back. “I’m Fiona. When did you last see your mom?”

  Emma frowned in thought. “I was outside playing in the backyard. Mommy was in the kitchen doing dishes, watching me out the window. She waved to me. Then everything was shaking. The back porch fell! I got scared and hid in my playhouse. I was afraid to come out, so I stayed there a long time.” She paused and then added, like it was somehow important, “My playhouse is pink. It has a plastic refrigerator.”

  “It sounds very nice,” Fiona told her.

  Joey studied the house the girl had pointed to. It was damaged, but still standing. He wondered if Emma’s mother was trapped inside.

  “Dylan and I will go inside the house and look for her mom,” he told everyone. Dylan was strong, and Joey wasn’t sure what they’d find inside the house. He just knew no one should go in there alone. “Kevin and Fiona, you stay with Emma.”

  As Dylan and Joey approached the house, Joey grew apprehensive. He eyed the partially collapsed roof. What if the house was unstable?

  Dylan must have been thinking the same thing. “You sure this is a good idea?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked suspiciously.

  “What if it was your mom that was trapped inside? Wouldn’t you want someone to check on her?” Joey asked.

  Dylan simply nodded.

  The pair advanced slowly, nervously approaching the front porch. But before they reached the front door, Joey heard a joyful yelp from behind.

  “Mommy! Mommy!”

  Joey turned in time to see a frantic-looking woman clear across the street. “Emma!” she screamed, bringing her hands to her face in shocked relief. “Oh, thank heavens! Thank heavens!” The only thing stopping Mrs. Abernathy from running into the road and snatching Emma up in a big hug was the slithering sprawl of a downed power line blocking the sidewalk in front of her.

  Suddenly, Emma broke away from Fiona’s grasp and darted toward her mother.

  Later, Joey would say it all happened quickly. And yet, weirdly, everything also seemed to play out in slow motion at the same time.

  “Emma! Stop!” Fiona didn’t know what to do. “Stop!”

  Mrs. Abernathy waved her arms. “No! Emma, no!”

  Before Joey knew it he was running harder than he ever had in his entire life. He had to reach Emma before she reached the sidewalk. Because if the little girl touched the downed power line she’d be electrocuted.

  Joey raced past Fiona, who by now had also started running after the little girl. But Emma was so excited to see her mom, none of it mattered. She was oblivious to the danger. She doesn’t know any better, Joey thought as he drew in a ragged breath. She’s just a kid.

  Just as she was within inches of the wire, Joey lurched forward. He snatched her purple T-shirt, jerking her backward, and swooped her into his arms in the nick of time!

  The girl struggled, kicking against him. “Put me down! I want my mommy! I want my mommy!” she protested.

  But Joey didn’t loosen his hold. He slowly inched away from the downed line as Emma’s mother rushed halfway down the street and back to avoid it.

  When she reached Joey, she took Emma from him, hugging her tightly and burying her face in the little girl’s hair. “I couldn’t find Emma after the quake. She was there, right outside the window, but I couldn’t get the back door open because the porch roof came down. I had to get out through the front door and by the time I ran out to the backyard she was gone! I thought maybe she’d gone across the street to her friend Jessica’s house. But when she wasn’t there, I ran around the neighborhood from house to house looking for her.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Oh, Emma! Where on earth were you?”

  “In the playhouse,” Emma mumbled. She nuzzled into her mother’s neck.

  “The playhouse?” Her mother started to laugh. “The playhouse?”

  “I was scared,” Emma said.

  “Oh, baby, I was scared, too.”

  By this time Fiona, Dylan, and Kevin had walked over to where they were standing.

  Mrs. Abernathy stared at the downed power line. “You saved my daughter,” she told Joey. “You saved Emma’s life. If you hadn’t reached her in time …” Her voice trailed off and she shook her head at the thought. “How can I ever thank you?”

  Joey didn’t know what to say. He just shrugged. “I’m just glad she is okay.”

  “Do you run track at school?” the woman asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone run that fast!”

  “No. Just pure adrenaline, I guess,” Joey said as Emma looked up and gave him a shy, one-dimpled smile. She seemed to have forgiven him for grabbing her. “I’ve got a little sister at home,” Joey said. “Emma reminds me of her.”

  “Well, she’s very lucky to have you as a brother.”

  Joey thought about how frustrated he was with Allie when he last saw her at the skate park. He wasn’t so sure she really was lucky to have him. But he’d change that. If only he found her safe and sound once he made it home, he’d try to be the best big brother ever.

  “We’d better get going,” Fiona said.

  “Thanks again,” Mrs. Abernathy said to Joey. She frowned. “I don’t even know your name …”

  “Joey Flores.”

  “Well, Joey Flores, you’re a hero!” She smiled.

  With that, the group waved good-bye and continued on. No one said a word. It had been a long day.

  They hadn’t gone more than half a block when Fiona broke the silence. “Joey, you saved my life, too.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, looking at her sideways.

  “When the earthquake struck and we were under the overpass, I froze in my tracks. I was so surprised, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think. It was like I was paralyzed — my brain, my arms and legs. Just everything! You could have bolted. But you didn’t. You pulled me and dragged me until something kicked in and I began to move. If you had run off without me, I wouldn’t have made it out. I would’ve been buried.”

  Again, Joey didn’t know how to respond. He knew what Fiona was saying was true. But he just felt grateful to have his friend walking by his side. He didn’t feel like a hero. Heroes were larger than life. He was just ten-year-old Joey. “You would have done the same for me. If I’d frozen, too, you probably would have come to your senses and dragged me out as well.”

  “Well, I’m glad we didn’t have to find out!”

  Joey shrugged and grinned. “Me, too.”

  “Joey?” Dylan said.

  “Yeah?”

  Dylan stared ahead, not really looking at him. “You … you kind of … sort of …” He stumbled over the words and then suddenly reached over and punched his arm. “You saved me, too, buddy. I mean, you were the one who figured out why I was stuck. You crawled into that tiny space and cut me loose. I would’ve been crushed in that aftershock. If you hadn’t made it out, too, I never would have forgiven myself. It would’ve been all my fault.”

  “But I did make it out. You made sure of that. Remember?” Joey told him.

  “Well, let’s just say I owe you. Big-time. Okay? I’d be a pancake right now if not for you.”

  It occurred to Joey that since the quake, Dylan had not teased him. Not even once. Joey grinned and couldn’t resist saying, “Okay. You owe me. Big-time.”

  Dylan punched him again. “You’re all right, for a little dude.”

  Joey punched him back. “Gee, thanks.”

  “Oh, shoot!” Kevin exclaimed.

  “What?” everyone asked at once.

  “The battery on my camcorder just died. And I didn’t get that touching moment — or Dylan’s IOU — reco
rded.”

  “Well, thank goodness for that!” Dylan said, and they all laughed.

  But the kids soon grew quiet as they neared their homes. Joey thought of the happy, joyful reunion little Emma had with her mother. Would he be as lucky? Would Kevin, Fiona, and Dylan?

  “Well, I guess this is me,” said Fiona as they approached her street. She gave her friends a nervous wave. “See you guys later.” She turned and headed off toward her house. Soon it was Kevin’s turn to say good-bye. Joey and Dylan walked in silence toward their apartment building. Who knew what they would find when they arrived?

  Now Joey and Dylan were only about a block from their apartment building. With each step Joey grew more anxious and scared. His heart thumped. He was aware of each and every beat.

  Dylan stared straight ahead, but he reached over and thumped Joey on the back reassuringly. “Almost there, bro.”

  Joey nodded. They passed by an emergency squad parked outside a heavily damaged building. An EMT wheeled a woman toward the ambulance on a stretcher. She had a neck brace on and her head was bandaged, but she was conscious.

  Grand old trees lined the streets. This was a historic part of the city — Joey’s mother and father loved the quaint, well-kept looks of the neighborhood and the architecture. But it didn’t look well kept anymore. A few of the trees had been uprooted by the power of the quake. One had crashed into the roof of a house. Another sprawled across the sidewalk and blocked one lane of traffic.

  Joey squinted. He should be able to see the roof of their apartment complex on the horizon. It was several stories taller than the single-family homes and other smaller apartment buildings nearby. Unless … unless it had collapsed. His throat grew tight. He clenched his fists and told himself to breathe.

  Finally he caught a glimpse of the roof above the tree line! The building was still standing, but he could see that some of the support beams under the roof were exposed. That couldn’t be good. He quickened his pace, breaking into a jog, then a full-out run. Dylan followed suit.

  By the time they reached the complex they were nearly breathless. They were greeted by broken windows, lopsided balconies, and scattered pieces of debris. Part of an outer wall had fallen and Joey could see tumbled beds, refrigerators, tables, and chairs inside two apartments. It was like looking into a gigantic dollhouse. In one apartment the furniture looked especially familiar. He gasped. It was Dylan’s apartment. The one he shared with his mother and grandmother.

  “No!” Dylan said.

  They both started toward the entrance door, but were stopped by a policeman before they could get too close. “Sorry, boys,” he said. “This structure hasn’t been declared safe yet.”

  “But my mother and sister are in there!” Joey said. “I have to see them!”

  “The building has been evacuated. There’s no one left inside.”

  “Is everyone okay?” Dylan asked.

  The policeman just shrugged and shook his head.

  An ambulance screamed down the street. Was it carrying someone Joey knew? His sister? His mom?

  “Most of the residents have gathered on the basketball courts behind the building for now. Why don’t you check there,” the policeman said. “If you can’t find your families, come back and let me know.”

  Joey and Dylan hightailed it to the basketball courts. The space was full of people milling about. Joey rushed into the crowd, weaving his way back and forth, eyes darting in every direction.

  Finally he spied his mom. She was holding Allie and talking to the elderly man who lived in the apartment across from theirs. She looked tired, and even from across the court, Joey could see her glistening, bloodshot eyes. “Mom!” he called out.

  She turned and ran toward him, balancing Allie on one hip. As soon as they reached each other, his mother hugged him close. “Thank God you’re okay.” She kept saying it over and over again as she clung to him. “Thank God you’re okay. Thank God you’re okay.”

  “Dad?” Joey asked. “What about Dad? Where is he? Have you heard from him?”

  She squinted with worry. “Not yet.” She smiled in an attempt to be reassuring. “He’s probably stuck in traffic — it’s crazy out there. There must be lots of detours slowing things down. It could be a while before he makes it to us, but I’m sure he’s fine.”

  A rush of emotions hit so heavy and deep, it caught Joey off guard. He was relieved to find his mom and Allie, but worried about his dad. He sank down onto the asphalt of the basketball court and rested his head on his knees for a moment. When he looked up he saw Dylan, just yards from where he sat. Dylan’s grandmother had cupped her grandson’s face in her hands and she was smothering him with kisses, while his mom wiped tears from her eyes. Dylan didn’t look like he minded too much. He glanced over at Joey and rolled his eyes, but he was grinning.

  Suddenly, a man in a suit was clapping his hands and whistling for everyone’s attention. “I need you to gather around,” he shouted. “I’m from the department of building and safety, and I have an announcement to make.”

  Everyone scurried to find a place where they would be able to hear whatever news the official had to say. Joey stayed close to his mother’s side as they made their way toward the front of the crowd.

  After everyone settled down, the man began to speak. “No one will be permitted to enter any of the apartments in this complex tonight.”

  The crowd erupted in frustrated groans.

  The man put his hands up. “I know this isn’t the news you wanted to hear, but we can’t let you into the building until it passes a safety inspection. Besides the obvious repairs to the outer wall, we need to make sure the structure is sound. There may be further damage we can’t see and we need experts to come in and take a look.”

  “So when will that be? When can we go back to our homes?” someone asked.

  “I can’t say for sure. But please know the city will be working overtime to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you need a place to stay, the recreation center on Quinton Street is being set up to handle emergency accommodations.”

  “So what are we going to do?” Joey asked his mother.

  “I guess we should head for the recreation center,” she said.

  “But what about Dad?” Joey couldn’t help but ask.

  Mrs. Flores put her arm around him. “Don’t worry. He’ll find us.”

  But Joey did worry. He wouldn’t be able to relax until his family was back together again.

  * * *

  Some of Joey’s neighbors decided to stay with relatives or friends, but others had no choice but to camp out at the community recreation center.

  Joey, his mother, and Allie were greeted by Red Cross volunteers, who took down their names and information. This made Joey feel a tiny bit better. Perhaps this could help his father track them down. That was, if he was okay.

  Cots lined the gym. Donated sandwiches and bottles of water were handed out. The air was warm and people fanned themselves to stay cool in the cramped conditions. But even though it wasn’t a swanky hotel, nobody seemed to care. They were too busy swapping stories. Everyone was just happy to have survived the quake.

  After scarfing down a ham and cheese sandwich, Joey set up camp on one of the cots. Mrs. Flores sat at a folding table, talking to their neighbors while she tried to entertain Allie. Things were so hectic and confusing that Joey hadn’t had a chance to tell her exactly what he’d been through. But maybe that was for the best. He had a feeling she’d totally freak out if she knew.

  Joey sighed. A long evening lay ahead with nothing much to do. After a while, Dylan came over with a deck of cards and sat next to him. “A lady was passing these out,” he said. “You want to play a game of rummy?”

  “Sure,” Joey said. But it was hard to concentrate on the game with his father missing. He tried not to think about the cars he’d seen — the ones crumpled and crushed by the overpass — but the images wouldn’t leave him alone.

  “
I wonder how Kevin and Fiona are doing,” Joey said more to himself than to Dylan.

  But Dylan nodded. “I’d call them, but my phone … well, you know.” As he trailed off, Joey realized that the earthquake had really shaken everything up. The outside world and the one inside each of them. He hoped his friends were okay. That their houses weren’t flattened like some of the ones they’d seen earlier. He squinted at his cards, as if that would help erase the images from his mind. He had a seven of hearts and an eight of hearts, and Dylan just discarded a nine of hearts. He picked it up and placed the sequence of cards face up on the cot, when Dylan suddenly poked him.

  “What?” Joey protested. “That was a legit move.”

  Dylan just grinned and pointed behind Joey.

  Joey turned around to find his father pushing through the gym doors. He looked tired and stressed, his dress shirt unbuttoned and his tie undone. But when he saw Joey, his whole face brightened. Joey didn’t care who was watching, he jumped up and ran into his father’s outstretched arms.

  “Hey there, Joey!” His father hugged him close. “Where’s your mom and Allie?”

  “Over at the tables.” Joey pointed. He’d never felt this excited in his life! Not on Christmas morning, not on the day he’d gotten his skateboard. Absolutely nothing compared to this. He had his family. We’re together and that’s all that really matters, he thought as he and his dad made their way over to the table. His mom must have agreed because now the entire Flores family was wrapped in one giant hug.

  “What a drive home!” his father said, once the ecstatic reunion was over. “Some major roads were closed. It was stop and go most of the way. I heard the old Franklin Street overpass collapsed.”

  “It did,” Joey said. His parents looked at him in surprise. He explained how he was under the overpass when the quake struck. That he and Fiona had narrowly escaped and how they’d rescued Dylan and found Kevin. His mother’s eyes were about to bug out of her head, and instantly Joey regretted shooting off his mouth about what had happened. She’d probably never let him walk to or from the skate park on his own again.