Aftermath

Aftermath

“Fire!!”

Barry threw the bedroom doors open as he ran down the hallway. Small ribbons of smoke crept up the stairs. Shrill screams came from the smoke detector mixed with cries from his daughters. Everyone scrambled for the stairs.

“Where’s mom?”

“Gone already.Hurry,” he shouted.

Once outside, Barry accounted for the family. He yelled in the chief’s ears that everyone was out safely. Then he stepped aside to watch his family home engulfed in flames.He uttered a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving that his family was safe.

Barry marveled at how quickly the fire had spread. Orange and red flames rose above the roof scorching the leaves of the maple tree beside the house.Thankfully, the flames hadn’t reached the neighbor’s house yet. Gallons of water shot through the air at the angry flames.

Glancing around, Barry watched as his wife, Sue, and two daughters were being led into the house across the street. Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s thoughtfulness did not go unnoticed and would be rewarded later.The realization of the aftermath of this calamity gripped Barry like a vice. He inhaled deeply and realized there was nothing he could do tonight. So, he headed for the house across the street.

Mr. Smith threw the door open as Barry walked up the steps. They didn’t speak for a few minutes. The only sound heard was the quiet sobs coming from the kitchen. The smell of coffee challenged the smell of the burning house. Barry followed Mr. Smith into the kitchen.

Wrapping his arms around his girls, Barry thanked the Smiths for their kindness. He accepted the mug of coffee and sat down.

“Any idea how this started?”asked Mr. Smith.

“Not a clue,” replied Barry.

“You’re welcome to use our phone if you need to call anyone,” Mr. Smith offered.

“Thanks,” Barry said.“I think perhaps I should call my dad.They live across town. We’ll need a place to stay until we sort out this mess.”

The next morning, Sue found Barry standing outside on the front lawn.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she pulled him into a tender hug.

“Yeah,” he answered.“I just needed some air. I think I inhaled too much of that putrid smoke last night.”

“The girls cried themselves to sleep last night,” Sue said.

“I know. I could hear them. It will be difficult for a while but we’ll get through it,” he suggested.“I’ll have to call the insurance today.”

“Do you think they’ll find out what happened?” Sue worried.

“Sure,” Barry said.“There’s always something that causes a fire. We don’t smoke and no one burned candles. The heat’s not on yet. I imagine there’s something electrical that I didn’t notice.”

An hour later as Barry drove his father’s car around the corner of their street, his heart fell as he gazed on the charred remains. A blackened pile of rubble lay on one side while charred walls stood on the other side of what was once a stately house. The entire second floor was gone. He pulled up to the front lawn and climbed out beside the yellow caution tape surrounding his home.

He walked around the house examining the remains. A bicycle lay on the lawn beside a pail. His SUV was parked in the same spot and appeared to have escaped the fire. However, the garage revealed some fire damage. It seemed that the firemen arrived before it was fully engulfed, preventing a major explosion of paint cans.

The living room had evidence of furniture and electronics. Skeletons of appliances and scattered pieces of pottery indicated remains of the kitchen. The small bathroom remained intact.

The wall left standing sheltered a desk and some book shelves. Debris and blackened boards cluttered the space making the investigation difficult.Hairbrushes, bits of clothing, shoes and jewelry littered the soggy floor.

“Oh no,” Sue moaned. “It’s all gone! What are we going to do now?”

Barry wrapped his arms around his wife. He noticed his daughters huddled together in the back of the car. Their grief was written across their faces. He motioned for them to come and they eased out of the car. They stood together for a few minutes staring at the devastation.

The insurance man Barry had spoken to on the phone approached the group. He paused while Barry comforted his family and when the women returned to the car, he spoke.

“Sorry for your loss,” he said. “I have a few forms you should fill out and we will get the claim in motion.”

“Thanks,” Barry said.He followed the man back to his car, signed the papers before returning to his car. Silence lingered as they made their way to their temporary home.

A year later, Barry wandered through the house. It had been a year of rebuilding. A new home stood fresh and clean. Inside, new furniture adorned each room, new artwork hung on the walls, new wardrobes filled the closets, new dishes lined kitchen shelves and potted plants decorated corners.It was wonderful but would take a long time to feel like “home”.

He took his seat at the head of the table. His wife had prepared a roast beef dinner with potatoes and gravy. A pumpkin pie was baked specially to celebrate their first day.Barry gazed at his precious family gathered together on their first day in their new home. Thoughts of new possessions and new home were replaced by thankfulness for all God’s blessings. He was also grateful for the many friends and family who supported them through their difficult days.

“Let’s give God thanks for the food and for His many blessings,” Barry said as he reached for the hand of those sitting nearby. Together, father and mother with their children joined hands, bowed their heads and offered thanks to God.

Each member of the family had their own nightmares of that terrible night. Sue remembered shivering as she waited for the others to get out of the house and the girls remembered waking up to the shrill sound of the smoke detector and the yells of their father. Barry would never forget running through the house, yelling, “FIRE”.