October 17, 1989, San Jose, California, early evening. I am sitting at the desk in my bedroom, my senior year of high school, and my mom is in the room next to mine, playing Boggle on our now ancient Mac. I am working on a homework assignment (I don't quite recall which) when the house begins to shake, and shake. My mom and I both yell, "Oh Shit!" in unison, and then I scream, "Get into the doorway!" and we stand there, in the doorways of the rooms side by side, waiting for it to be over. The quake kills 63 people, injures more than 3,000 and leaves even more homeless. The Bay Bridge and the Cypress structure collapse.
Ten years later. I work at a natural foods deli in Santa Cruz, and I'm fetching some items from the case for a customer who looks familiar to me, a friendly middle aged woman, all smiles and silky grey hair. I figure she's a regular. My co-worker and I are having a conversation on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Loma Prieta temblor. "Where were you during the quake?" I ask from behind the counter, including the shopper in on our chat. The customer thinks on it, and then offers in good cheer, "I was giving a pelvic exam at the Women's Health Center!" We all laugh, and then she and I beam at each other in embarrassed recognition.
2 comments:
I was doing somersaults in my front yard. My Mom came to door and yelled "earthquake - get inside!". So I ran into the house and took shelter in a doorway.
Looking back I think, why the hell did I run indoors! I was safer outside, but the instinct to get to a doorway took over.
I spent the next day home from school in a makeshift shelter under the dining room table riding out the aftershocks and trembling in fear.
Oh - little ten-year old Ricky! :( Yeah, the 1989 quake kind of ruined the fun of earthquakes for me. That shit was scary! The doorway thing is a total fallacy - definitely better to be outside, or under a solid table. Hope the dining room table helped you feel safe!
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