The Perry Playground: Burn Notice

It can all change in the blink of an eye. This is the lesson learned this past Saturday as Daniel and I were at home, being lazy, watching tv in the afternoon, in our pajamas. Everything seemed normal, the neighbor kids were outside playing and squealing in delight. Our puppies were curled up with us on the couches, snuggling. It was unusually warm for a January afternoon, so there was a lot of hussle and bussle outside in our neighborhood. Daniel and I were just about to finish up the show we were watching and start getting ready to head to the TNU vs. Cumberland game at 4pm. We kept seeing the sunlight from our bedroom window get dim and then brighten but we thought nothing of it. We figured it was the tree outside our window blowing around. Then we heard sirens...again nothing unusual for our neighborhood; they come with the territory in Nashville. But they kept getting louder and louder. I got a sick feeling in my stomach and told Daniel I thought they were close. I opened the front blinds to check it out and saw the smoke billowing from our neighbors house. The flames came next into my view and I began to feel really sick. I yelled to Daniel that it was next door and we both ran to get dressed. In a panic I threw on some clothes, trying to figure out in my head what I needed to have on...was it cold out...would I need boots? Would I need a sweater? Then Daniel yelled and told me to pack a bag...I didnt really comprehend at first what he meant...then it hit me. What if it spread to our house? I mean the neighbors house is only about 15 feet from our home. A flying ember could easily fly over and catch our roof on fire. Then the panic set it. I hate to admit it, but I was not so good under this kind of pressure, and as much as I would like to think I am prepared for an emergency, I'M NOT! I had no idea what I needed to pack. I was having crazy conversations with myself, like "Do I need work clothes? I should pack a hoodie because its cold, wait...I need my make-up, do I bring extra shoes? What about toothbrushes? Wait! I need to rescue my photos and our important documents. I need a phone charger. Where did I put our documents when we moved? I need to get the dogs put in their crate. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was panicked. Daniel on the other hand was cool, calm, and collected. Or at least that how it seemed to me. Maybe I was just too focused on my panicked state to see that he was panicked too. He was able to get the documents, the photos, the computer, and the valuables while I got the dogs, the clothes, and toiletries. We ran out the backdoor with our stuff and took everything to the back fence. As we were leaving the house we heard the firefighters breaking the windows on the side of the house and we saw the flames shooting out the attic in the back. It was surreal. We ran around to the front of the house and moved our cars to the back of the house so the firefighters could get closer and so our cars didnt get damaged as well. A few minutes later our landlord showed up and then the reality set it. I was able to stop for a few minutes and take it in. We went to the front of the house and watched as they pulled a firefighter out of the rubble that was once the front porch. It had collapsed on him. Then I saw the two kids that lived in the house sitting in a car. I went over to check on them and they were both crying and visibly upset. I asked if everyone got out of the house ok, and they said yes, but their mother was taken to the hospital because she collapsed from the smoke. I got them something to drink and a snack to eat. There wasnt much more we could do. I felt so helpless, so saddened, and so thankful that no one was seriously injured, and that our property had been spared.

As the firefighters finished their work, the paramedics left, the news reporters packed up, and the family was taken to a friends home for the night, the magnitude of the day weighed on me greatly. It is still weighing on me. I keep replaying the day over and over in my head. How did we not know what was going on earlier? What would have happened if we were not at home that day? What would we do if this would have happened to us? Am I prepared? These are all questions that I am still trying to process. All I know is that I am extremely thankful and blessed that it was not much worse. Daniel and I are collecting donations for the family and I pray that God will work through us to minister to this family. We have only known them for a couple of months, but I hope through this tragic event, we can become good friends.