By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I wasn’t in any direct danger yet, but it was approaching. The world was going up in flames, the leaves on the trees being burnt to crisps while the fire ravaged the once beautiful forests of California. It was still somewhat far, but from my vantage point on the hill, I could see it advancing slowly. I watched as my neighbors piled into their cars and left, packing their lives and families into their vehicles and leaving their homes behind. I had no plans to leave. I didn’t know what I expected to do, as my house could certainly not withstand fire and neither could I. I had many memories in that house, and my unwillingness to lose them had almost cost me my life. I had just moved in after tragedy struck my family, and it was the only thing I had left of my parents. As I stood and watched the smoke curl into the sky, the last car was filled. It was a woman with a child on the way, but no partner or family in sight. She seemed to be in a similar situation to me, other than the fact that she was with child. I had just recently come into the house and the money, so I wasn’t familiar with my neighbors. The woman noticed me on the hill and I noticed her expression growing conflicted as she realized my car was still parked and I had not made any effort to gather my belongings. She shut the trunk of her car and began to approach my house. As she got closer, she called out to me. “Hello. Aren’t you preparing to leave?” She stopped next to me and turned to watch the flames. “No. I can’t afford to leave this behind. It’s worth too much to me.” I gestured at the structure behind me, full of sentimental and valuable items alike. “Well, what do you think will happen to you if you stay? You obviously won’t survive this.” This was a very blunt statement, but I knew she wasn’t wrong. On the other hand, how could I let my parents’ house burn, their lives, and memories becoming ash on the ground? “I can’t leave. This is all I have left of my family. They’re dead, and they aren’t coming back. This is all I have to remember them.” I inhaled deeply, the smoky air settling in my nostrils and infiltrating my senses. “Is this what they would want for you? To die because you were being stubborn? To lose any opportunity you might have had for a family of your own?” I let these words sink in, and I understood what I had to do. I just didn’t know if I had the strength to do it. “Please don’t sacrifice your life for objects. For a house. It isn’t worth it. You’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. Nothing can take away your memories of your family. Not death, not fire, anything. But I'm begging you to please leave. If you go now, you might be able to get some things.” I could see the worry in her eyes, but it didn’t seem likely she would give up. “Why are you being so kind to me? You should be worrying about yourself and your baby.” I glance back at the house, knowing that goodbye was looming. “There was a time that I had no one, too. Someone saved me, and now I’m paying it forward. Plus, I couldn’t live with myself if I had known I could’ve saved someone and I didn’t. You deserve a future.” With these final words, I knew I had to go. As much as it pained me, I couldn’t protect the house. I couldn’t stay. She was right. My parents would still be there in my mind, even if their house was not there anymore. “Thank you. I only have to get a few things, and then I promise I’ll leave. You need to leave, too. You shouldn’t inhale too much of this smoke.” After my statement, she unexpectedly embraces me. I hugged her back and was surprised to feel tears spring to my eyes. No one had ever fought for me like that. She started back down the hill to her car, and I watched her go. Then, with a smile and a wave, she was gone. I went back through my open doorway and took in the house for a final time. I could still smell my father’s cologne and hear my mother’s laughter wafting through the halls. The moment I heard replayed in my head, remembering the devastation. “Your parents were in an accident. I’m so sorry…” The words played like a broken record through my mind as I gathered my most precious belongings. Photo albums. My father’s watch. A necklace of my mother’s. Although it was the most difficult thing I had ever done, I knew I had to do it. I left the house and walked to my car with the contents of my life in my arms. I turned on the ignition, and although my vision was blurred through my tears, I knew that it would be a new chapter. I had no idea where I was going to go, but as I drove away, I knew that she had saved my life. I sit here as I tell this story 60 years later as my children chatter in the kitchen and my grandchildren run in the yard. I think about her often, hoping she and her child are happy and well. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I had stayed in that house. I wouldn’t have this beautiful life. I wouldn’t have anything. I still miss my parents every day, but I try to remember them fondly instead of grieving. If the woman hadn’t saved me that day, I wouldn’t be able to remember them at all. I hope my story inspires others to help people, even if they’re a stranger. You could save someone’s life one day, and in exchange, someone else might save yours.
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