HELP

11:12 AM

Why would I ever take the elevator.   I usually always take the stairs but I had a pretty late work day and thought ‘ Well I think I need a little break I should just take the elevators tonight.’  In my 7 years of living here I have never once taken the elevator except for the day that I moved into my apartment. 

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I've always kind of had a fear of riding in elevators.  Ever since I was a little girl I just haven't liked riding in elevators.  It’s  kind of a long story but if you're willing to listen I'm willing to tell it. 

It's been only me and my mom as long as I can remember my dad died right before I was born.   My mom who's going into labor and he had to work that day.  His boss said he wouldn't be able to take that day off.  He knew  that the stairs would take too long because he didn't have that good of legs and well he just thought that the elevator would be faster.   I guess he didn't know that that was his last moment.  He never got to see me, his daughter.  The elevator in the hospital was weak and had been known to break before.  They thought that they had finally fixed it but they thought wrong.  My dad was in the elevator when it crashed along with three other people.  My  mom always tells me that  I was the reason my father died that night. My family never really had luck with elevators.  Elevators just hate us and I don't know why.

My mother's grandfather died in an elevator as well.   you probably think that there wasn't any elevators back in that day but there was humans control dumb and some humans just weren't strong enough to control him and they let people down, down, down until… CRASH!  is there they go just like how wind blows dust.   They  die so easily.  

When  I got into the elevator I didn't know what I was thinking!   Actually I probably wasn't thinking.  Which sounds like casual me never thinking about anything I do or say.  I don't know how I'm going to tell my mom. I don't think she's ever gotten in an elevator in her life!  Can you believe it?  

I'm sitting here watching the video from the elevator.   It was me and about two other people.  Seconds after we arrived at  floor  number 3 we started going down to my floor number two.     One of the cables gave out just as the doors were opening so the doors were open as we were going down to the bottom.  Who knew how scary that moment was.  I can’t even explain it.  Luckily the bottom floor of the elevator was the main room.  So there were people that could help immediately.  

 Me and a little girl were the only ones that survived.  She lost her mother.  I couldn’t believe how she’s going to live without her mother.  I know I wouldn’t be able to.  I have seen her and her mother before but no sign of her father.  She must not have one.  But maybe she was riding in the elevator alone.   I don't think so though because she kept yelling ‘  MOMMY!  MOMMY!’   She must not have known that her mom was dead.   The other guy standing there was a man about my age.  That could have been me.

In the video it shows me wrapping my arms around the little child and leaping out of the door before the elevator crashed.  Now I’ll go back to the moment when It happened.

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Seconds after going to the third floor I was almost home almost back to my cozy room where my furry little pug Larry waited.  I  guess he would have to wait for his dinner tonight.  He’s  going to be so happy to see me though he always has because he knows that as soon as I get home he gets to eat dinner and a treat.  Then as I was thinking about Larry the elevator started moving really fast.  I grabbed the little girl next to me, because her mother was staring at her phone.  What happened to watching your kid?  The door started opening so I held it as tight as I could in my arms and leapt out onto the main floor. I kind of threw her when I jumped. Luckily she landed in someone's arms the other two people though we're probably not going to be okay.

  The little girl was too young to remember her grandparents or even her father if she had one so I said that I could keep her for a while until they find out who her grandparents or father is.   I guess they kind of adopted her in a way.  She  is such a bundle of joy and loves, Love's, loves my dog Larry she's only about 5 years old so she's the perfect age right now.  She told me that her name was Amelia, but she told me just to call her Mila.

6 years later...

She knows I'm not her real mom but she calls me Mom anyway and I think that's really sweet.  She’s  now 11 years old  and tells me that she wants to be a doctor to help people when she grows up.   Mila is my only daughter  and I think she's enough for me. 

 She  tells me that she doesn't remember that night much or her mom but whenever she brings it up I start to cry inside my heart because that night she  lost her mother. I don't know how she's so strong and brave and independent and beautiful she's perfect. 

10 years after the elevator crash…

Today my baby is finally learning to drive!   I can't believe how fast they grow up.   It feels like only a year ago she was 5 years old but it's really been 11 years.   That night will forever haunt me but Mila comforts me.   My mother died a year ago from cancer.  It would always make me laugh when Mila would call my mom Grandma Hailey.   Mila was sad to see her go as well but she knows people pass and people come. 

   A few weeks ago she saw her sister for the first time in 11 years it was so sad. turns out her sister was about 17 at the time of her mother's passing so she kind of started a life of her own now.  Mila's sister was in college that's why she didn't know about her mother's passing until it was on the news. Oh! And  Her sister is pregnant!     Mila is going to be an aunt!  She was excited to hear that, too!   Sometimes Mila sister Emily calls me her Mom too, just because I adopted Mila and I've cared for Mila for all these years.  The weirdest part though is that me and Emily are about the same age only about a ten year difference.

I've been living my years here in Oregon  for the last 7 years. Mila convinced me to finally move here and I kind of have a fiance now.  I think I am soon to have a baby.  Mila is going to love her new sibling because she always talks about babysitting but never has any jobs.  I feel like Mila is and always will be my little lucky charm.