Earthquake!

I remember my first earthquake experience. I was in Italy at the time. It was a Saturday night/Sunday morning. No one saw it coming. If anyone did, I do not know. If I had died that day, I would have known it.

I am a terrible 'light sleeper'(what da heck is that?) Sometimes it's good, for the most, I don't like it. So on this summer night/morning I was nicely enjoying my sleep when I felt a shaking. I thought nothing of it at first. Then it happened again. I thought my friend was getting up to use the loo. When it became persistent or rather, when I came to, I asked my friend if she had been shaking the bed ( silly question). Sleepy eyed she said, no. Then a very huge shake again, I jumped out of bed, literally. Turned on the light to notice the chandelier was shaking too and the detachable armado had moved somewhat. In a split second as I realised what was happening, my friend still very much clueless, a huge tremor passed again. I ran to the kitchen, the wares were clattering, ran back to the room. My friend had just sat up and was asking what was up.

I will never forget her answer to her own question; that my drunk neighbours who had a party the night before were probably shaking the building. "Guuuurl"

You see, if the magnitude of the quake was above borderline, which it almost was according to analysts, my friend would have died peacefully in her sleep and wouldn't have known what killed her. I knew this was the 'earthquake' but I was scared shitless. It went on for a long time. I told God I was not gon' check out that way. No. Not me. A calmness enveloped me. The tall building seemed to be swaying. People were running out to the open sky. My friend said we run. I said no. It was pointless. Made no sense. If the ground opens, no matter where you run, with the height of that tremor, it was gon' get you. At this point, I didn't resort to fire brigade prayer. Nope. I was just calm. Brethren, do not pray to experience it.

After what seemed like forever, the tremor passed. We would hear later it had travelled to the French Alps ( I think) to vent it's venom. That morning, mercy spoke. I got dressed and left for church. Everyone had their tales. Brethren, always build your faith. A slight tremor that forgot to follow it's leader passed after service; faith and fear had their time.

Next day I went to school and in the course of classes it happened again. We were all evacuated and made to stay under the open sky (Really? I had thought. This thing doesn't know traffic regulations o)

It was a major experience for me.  See, where I come from, Mother Nature has been kind. Save for a bit of flood and erosion here and there, which can be controlled to an extent, most of the disasters we face are man made and not natural. So, when it made the news recently that an earthquake had happened somewhere in Italy with casualties, my heart went out to them.

Today I lit a candle for everyone who had to leave sooner than they should have because of what they had no control over.

Thanks for reading.