Memory.

june 2005.

There is a bad storm raging here. I was waiting to go get 7ds from school because I figured he was safer there than at home! Then just now, suddenly, he WALKED IN THE DOOR!!! His babysitter, "A", walked in the door too. I did not send her to get him. The school did not call me.

A wall at the school COLLAPSED. It COLLAPSED. RIGHT NEXT TO MY BABY.

I don't know how "A" knew about it. The phones are out at the school. They couldn't call anyone. So "A" grabbed ALL the kids she could who she knew she had legal, signed permission to take, and she took them.

She has a van that seats 13 people! So she took my child and brought him home. His beloved light-up star wars shoes are under a foot of water, as is everything else there. So he will need new shoes. He said he is happy to be home and not dead even though his shoes are ruined. He was TERRIFIED he tells me. "A" said of all the kids, he stayed the calmest.

They have a substitute teacher today!!!!! "A" found her in complete hysterics. "A" told her to get a grip (I LOVE "A") and then just TOLD her she was taking the following kids and taking them now, and coming back for more kids, so just stay there and help.

"A" said she was dropping off more kids and then going back to the school to see if there are more kids she is allowed to take home. See, everyone walks to this school, it's not safe to walk home today and THE SCHOOL HAS COLLAPSED.

She has her teenager calling other parents and letting them know what happened and that "A" has their kids and is dropping them off.

Oh my freaking god, my kid's school collapsed. A good portion of it anyway.

Guess he has the day off tomorrow. He is outside in the backyard, wearing a green tank top, tan shorts, and a black cape, feeling the "heaviness" of the air and trying to determine for himself when it will rain again. My little meteorologist is usually right too.