Last Sunday, 25thOctober2009, two days ago, there was a fire at our 5th floor apartment.
That day almost 1 o’clock in the morning, I was in the toilet, I heard a man shouting in Hockian dialect and I don’t really understand what that man shouted about. I thought people get drunk, quarreled and fought, which sometimes happen at our apartment. I heard a breaking glass sound too. I thought it must be a serious fighting!
I went out from the toilet and smelled something was burning, and the living room was smoky. I guessed I know what that man was shouting about. I ran to the room and woke Joseph up, asked him to go out and check whether it was fire out there. Then he went out to check.
While waiting for him, the burning smell was getting stronger. Close my room where Fidel was sleeping there so that the smoke won’t go in to the room. I went out from the house and looked downstairs, the smoke was too thick, and I couldn’t see anything.
I ran back to the house and made a call to a fire department but somebody has made a call earlier than me. I became panic and keep thinking what I should take. Important documents, birth certificates, laptops? I grabbed a bag and put few important folders in.
Joseph came back and asked us to go out from our apartment.
I asked him, “Need to bring these (pointing the bag which I packed)? Laptop? Anything?”
“No, no… Just go down. I didn’t see the fire, only a thick smoke. It won’t burn the whole apartment. We need to go down, because it’s not good to smell the smoke.”
I took a face towel and made it wet to cover Fidel’s face. Joseph carried Fidel and covered his face. Thought that it’s not so serious, we got down using the lift which actually we were not supposed to use the lift when got fire. Anyhow many people were inside the lift so we just follow. We saved energy instead of walk 12 floors down (because we leave at 12th floor).
When we reached ground floor, there were so many people with their pajamas, a very old woman sat on the floor while her daughter keep patting her shoulder, I guess this woman was shocked.
Joseph passed Fidel to me, he slept on my shoulder without bother anything.
There was 1 old couple injured. Their unit at 5th floor was fired. They couldn’t go out from the door while the smoke is too thick, they couldn’t breathe. The husband broke the room window, get out from the window and climb to the next neighbor balcony. The husband injured his hands and his wife was rescued and ran her to the hospital by the ambulance as she breathed too much smoke.
After waiting an hour at the ground floor and the fire brigade had checked that it’s safe, then we can get back to our apartment again. It’s almost 2a.m. Our house still got the burning smell. We opened all the windows and doors let the fresh air come in. Put Fidel on his bed, he didn’t wake up at all. How lucky he was…. Sleep with no worry, and know nothing.
I felt hungry… maybe because carried 8kg Fidel and stood for an hour. I cooked instant noodle for us. I thought we were ready to have a good rest until I went to wash my feet, I found that my feet were so black! Just remember that our house was full of smoke and it sticks to the floor. Oh no… Need to mop the floor before sleep? Sigh…
Finally we can go to our bed on 3a.m. after cleaning the house.
“Bed, here I come”
“What.... 6.30?? So fast!” I felt my head just touched the pillow, and now need to wake up, prepare breakfast, feed Fidel, cook his porridge and prepare to go to church as I’m the pianist for this Sunday service.
Thank God that I still can concentrate in playing the piano.
After church, we went for lunch and I went home. Must! My eyes can’t open anymore. Unfortunately, Joseph needs to stay back for a meeting at church.
“Bed, here I come again”
One day, I told my eldest son,"Fidel, Aunty SF got baby in her tummy"
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