Oh my lands! What a beautiful community! What wonderful giving people! Love and care still reigns! You wouldn't believe Grandma and Grandpa's living room Sunday evening! There were boxes and boxes of cloths, groceries, toys, shoes. It all came to us from far and near. It is amazing how many braved the weather to help us.
Night found us once again at Grandpa's house. It would be our "home" for a couple of weeks. We were right back to where we had started. But this time we knew the true meaning of thankfulness.
In the back bedroom, Mark quietly pushed the two twin beds together while I put clean jammies on Bret and Kate. He pulled down the covers and brought us to him. There we laid, snuggled together, while a night light glowed softly into the darkened room. Daddy held his little boy and girl there close to him in his strong farmer arms. Somehow those arms reached to include me.
Coming close to loosing someone that is dear to you even made a strong farmer cry. All he could do is hold us close and pray to God, thanking Him for sparing him the grief of having to say "good bye".
Late into the night, Mark whispered to me over the heads of little Bret and Kate. "Honey...are you awake?"
"Yes. I'm having a hard time falling asleep. Why?"
"I guess I'm ready to have your mom and dad come for the kids now. Are you?"
"Oh, I don't know. It sure will be hard to see them go away. I just can't get that picture out of my head. You know when I looked down those steps and saw their little faces looking at me. And all that smoke between us and the smoke alarms blasting in my ears. It is like a nightmare," I whispered into the darkness.
Mark's arm got tighter on my shoulder and he said, "We're in such a mess here. I'm sure they would be better off up with your mom and dad for awhile. We got so much cleaning up to do and all that bookwork for the insurance. If you could let them go for just a week I think we could get alot of things under control."
I turned to him and said. "Well okay, I will get by."
"I'll be here for you. Don't you know how hard it is on me to think that you all could be gone. The thought is terrible, but we have to go on now. We'll be ok."
When Mark opened the front door the next morning there sat a brand new toy John Deere tractor and disc. It was one of those big ones and they were still in their box! An employee from the local John Deere dealership had drove out and left them setting there on the front porch. The kids were over thrilled!
That afternoon my mom and dad put two little suitcases in the trunk of their car and turned to take Bret and Kate from my arms. As they drove away, I just stood there watching their car get smaller and smaller until it had disappeared from view. I knew this was for the best but my arms felt so empty. I turned and went to find Mark. There was work to do. We were not going to give up! We would have a home again!
The first thing we did was call our insurance. It had been just last week that I had put a check in the mailbox to pay for the next six months. I remember thinking, "I doubt we will ever use this...," now we were calling the number! Someone would be out tomorrow to adjust the whole thing and help us decide where to go from this point.
As the three of us walked through the ashes, the smoke covered appliances and smoke streaked mirrors, the melted drapes and light fixtures dangling from the ceiling, Mark and I learned just how lucky we really were that cold dark morning just two days ago. We found out it could have been so much worse. We believed in a guardian angel for the first time.
The adjuster turned to us and asked, "Who was in the house when the fire started?"
"My wife and two children," Mark answered, a fear showing on his weary face.
"How old are your children?"
"Two and five. Why?" I asked concerned.
"Would they talk with us alone? Just to answer some simple questions?"
"I'm sure Bret would, but they are up at my mom and dad's right now."
"It will take some time to do the paper work here...say a week, but we would really like to talk to them before making the final decision. Say in a week or so?"
"They will be home by then I'm sure," Mark answered. "They were down in the basement when the furnace blew up, so they saw it all."
"I hope you both know how lucky you are. Those little children are untouched. That is a miracle I'm sure you know."
"Yes, there were a lot of miracles performed that morning," Mark said clearing his throat.
It was getting too much for me, and I just stepped outside. My mind flashed back...I saw those two little faces looking up through the smoke at me. "What if...what if," I took a deep breath and said to my self. "You're all safe now. You have to get a grip on reality. You're husband needs you now more than ever."
There was so much to clean up! Lots of times I went alone to the house and Mark would come between doing chores. Most everything had to be thrown away. The couch, chair, table, and beds all sat untouched by the flames but oh the stink! Smoke had penetrated deep into everything. We just couldn't get those things clean so out they went.
There werected many things in the kitchen that could be saved, but everything was streaked with smoke. One afternoon, a sweet little couple came over and took all our good china home with them. They were not really healthy themselves, but they spent hours and hours cleaning up every plate, saucer, and cup. They wrapped them real snug and placed them all into a box. See what I mean! There are lots and lots of precious people out there with hearts of gold!
A week later found all four of us and the adjuster sitting around grandpa's kitchen table. Bret sat there between us and Kate on my lap. Papers were strewn all over the table.
After talking to us about the business side of all this, the adjuster turned to Bret asking, "Would you and your sister here be willing to visit alone with me for a little bit young man?"
"Ok," his answer was short and simple.
"We'll just have mom and dad step out in the other room for a little bit ok? I just want to ask you some simple questions."
A child always tells the truth. The insurance company knew that and they were preparing to pay out a good sum of money, so they wanted to know that everything was honest as far as we were concerned. Bret had a very important job as he sat there with his little sister telling that man just what happened in our basement that Sunday morning.
Our insurance company was wonderful! After all was said and done we were completely satisfied. It was decided that we would tear down the old house ourselves. They had left it to us to decide if we wanted to fix up the old one or just start over new. Because of memories and electrical safety, I felt better just starting over.
They gave grandpa and grandma some money to pay for extra groceries while we were there. We ended up being with them for about two weeks. The insurance company had a small used trailer house moved out and sat it just east of our house. Here we were once again, living in a trailer. It was home and we were together.
Life went on. The sows had to be fed morning and night. Mark and some neighbors worked on removing the sides of the house. They were able to move them in one peice using the tractor and loader. So four green house sides lay to the southeast of the trailor among the grass and weeds, waiting to be used later to build a garage. The basement walls were black as coal. Men were sent out to change those coal black walls into pure white ones. The old furnace was lifted out of the basement and the stairs were tore down and hauled away.
One bright sunny day, the insurance adjuster took us to a little town an hour north. In this town was a manufacturer that made new homes and then moved them to the site. We toured the plant, and talked with them about the possibility of getting a new home. They told us that they leave a slot in the line for emergencies like ours. I remember the day we picked out a floor plan for our new home. I remember the day we signed the papers. We were going to have a new home and just pick up from where we were.
Our mailbox was full of letters containing positive words of encouragment. Life went on for all of us as our clean basement sat there waiting for that beautiful day our new home would set there once again.
Night found us once again at Grandpa's house. It would be our "home" for a couple of weeks. We were right back to where we had started. But this time we knew the true meaning of thankfulness.
In the back bedroom, Mark quietly pushed the two twin beds together while I put clean jammies on Bret and Kate. He pulled down the covers and brought us to him. There we laid, snuggled together, while a night light glowed softly into the darkened room. Daddy held his little boy and girl there close to him in his strong farmer arms. Somehow those arms reached to include me.
Coming close to loosing someone that is dear to you even made a strong farmer cry. All he could do is hold us close and pray to God, thanking Him for sparing him the grief of having to say "good bye".
Late into the night, Mark whispered to me over the heads of little Bret and Kate. "Honey...are you awake?"
"Yes. I'm having a hard time falling asleep. Why?"
"I guess I'm ready to have your mom and dad come for the kids now. Are you?"
"Oh, I don't know. It sure will be hard to see them go away. I just can't get that picture out of my head. You know when I looked down those steps and saw their little faces looking at me. And all that smoke between us and the smoke alarms blasting in my ears. It is like a nightmare," I whispered into the darkness.
Mark's arm got tighter on my shoulder and he said, "We're in such a mess here. I'm sure they would be better off up with your mom and dad for awhile. We got so much cleaning up to do and all that bookwork for the insurance. If you could let them go for just a week I think we could get alot of things under control."
I turned to him and said. "Well okay, I will get by."
"I'll be here for you. Don't you know how hard it is on me to think that you all could be gone. The thought is terrible, but we have to go on now. We'll be ok."
When Mark opened the front door the next morning there sat a brand new toy John Deere tractor and disc. It was one of those big ones and they were still in their box! An employee from the local John Deere dealership had drove out and left them setting there on the front porch. The kids were over thrilled!
That afternoon my mom and dad put two little suitcases in the trunk of their car and turned to take Bret and Kate from my arms. As they drove away, I just stood there watching their car get smaller and smaller until it had disappeared from view. I knew this was for the best but my arms felt so empty. I turned and went to find Mark. There was work to do. We were not going to give up! We would have a home again!
The first thing we did was call our insurance. It had been just last week that I had put a check in the mailbox to pay for the next six months. I remember thinking, "I doubt we will ever use this...," now we were calling the number! Someone would be out tomorrow to adjust the whole thing and help us decide where to go from this point.
As the three of us walked through the ashes, the smoke covered appliances and smoke streaked mirrors, the melted drapes and light fixtures dangling from the ceiling, Mark and I learned just how lucky we really were that cold dark morning just two days ago. We found out it could have been so much worse. We believed in a guardian angel for the first time.
The adjuster turned to us and asked, "Who was in the house when the fire started?"
"My wife and two children," Mark answered, a fear showing on his weary face.
"How old are your children?"
"Two and five. Why?" I asked concerned.
"Would they talk with us alone? Just to answer some simple questions?"
"I'm sure Bret would, but they are up at my mom and dad's right now."
"It will take some time to do the paper work here...say a week, but we would really like to talk to them before making the final decision. Say in a week or so?"
"They will be home by then I'm sure," Mark answered. "They were down in the basement when the furnace blew up, so they saw it all."
"I hope you both know how lucky you are. Those little children are untouched. That is a miracle I'm sure you know."
"Yes, there were a lot of miracles performed that morning," Mark said clearing his throat.
It was getting too much for me, and I just stepped outside. My mind flashed back...I saw those two little faces looking up through the smoke at me. "What if...what if," I took a deep breath and said to my self. "You're all safe now. You have to get a grip on reality. You're husband needs you now more than ever."
There was so much to clean up! Lots of times I went alone to the house and Mark would come between doing chores. Most everything had to be thrown away. The couch, chair, table, and beds all sat untouched by the flames but oh the stink! Smoke had penetrated deep into everything. We just couldn't get those things clean so out they went.
There werected many things in the kitchen that could be saved, but everything was streaked with smoke. One afternoon, a sweet little couple came over and took all our good china home with them. They were not really healthy themselves, but they spent hours and hours cleaning up every plate, saucer, and cup. They wrapped them real snug and placed them all into a box. See what I mean! There are lots and lots of precious people out there with hearts of gold!
A week later found all four of us and the adjuster sitting around grandpa's kitchen table. Bret sat there between us and Kate on my lap. Papers were strewn all over the table.
After talking to us about the business side of all this, the adjuster turned to Bret asking, "Would you and your sister here be willing to visit alone with me for a little bit young man?"
"Ok," his answer was short and simple.
"We'll just have mom and dad step out in the other room for a little bit ok? I just want to ask you some simple questions."
A child always tells the truth. The insurance company knew that and they were preparing to pay out a good sum of money, so they wanted to know that everything was honest as far as we were concerned. Bret had a very important job as he sat there with his little sister telling that man just what happened in our basement that Sunday morning.
Our insurance company was wonderful! After all was said and done we were completely satisfied. It was decided that we would tear down the old house ourselves. They had left it to us to decide if we wanted to fix up the old one or just start over new. Because of memories and electrical safety, I felt better just starting over.
They gave grandpa and grandma some money to pay for extra groceries while we were there. We ended up being with them for about two weeks. The insurance company had a small used trailer house moved out and sat it just east of our house. Here we were once again, living in a trailer. It was home and we were together.
Life went on. The sows had to be fed morning and night. Mark and some neighbors worked on removing the sides of the house. They were able to move them in one peice using the tractor and loader. So four green house sides lay to the southeast of the trailor among the grass and weeds, waiting to be used later to build a garage. The basement walls were black as coal. Men were sent out to change those coal black walls into pure white ones. The old furnace was lifted out of the basement and the stairs were tore down and hauled away.
One bright sunny day, the insurance adjuster took us to a little town an hour north. In this town was a manufacturer that made new homes and then moved them to the site. We toured the plant, and talked with them about the possibility of getting a new home. They told us that they leave a slot in the line for emergencies like ours. I remember the day we picked out a floor plan for our new home. I remember the day we signed the papers. We were going to have a new home and just pick up from where we were.
Our mailbox was full of letters containing positive words of encouragment. Life went on for all of us as our clean basement sat there waiting for that beautiful day our new home would set there once again.
What a wonderful story of restoration! And knowing that it was a young family's true experience makes it so much better.
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