On Burning Houses

My neighbor’s house and business burned down last week, on Thursday morning.  She left early to go buy vegetables at the fruit market and when she returned there were five fire trucks outside her house, all the neighbors, and smoke – black, wretched smoke – everywhere.

Here name is Yolanda.  We used to go into her shop every day and buy candy, garlic, onions, the little things we’d forget to buy at the store – and she’d ask me about my day, and I’d ask her about hers.  It was the little shop down the road.  La Tienda, we call it at our house.

Before I moved to this country, I saw these tragedies on the news, I read about people’s houses catching fire from their wood stoves, I knew it was true.  It’s different now.  Knowing how fragile life is and living inside its fragility are two different realities. One was a distant knowledge, the other feels as if my whole self is involved in it. It’s ever so near.

The kids and I ran out to the main road and watched, I snapped pictures while I dabbed at my eyes – a whole life burning up in flames.  Every picture, every trinket, all the memories – gone.  In one quick flame.

We asked where she was staying and dashed over to the other neighbor’s house to see her, to assure Yolanda we are here, that we care, that we will be here in the morning, and the day after.  We are present to her pain.  We will count her losses with her.

I write on this blog all the time about neighbors, about loving our neighbors, about community, and now, I write about it again.  This is what I’m learning, this is what I wish I knew more about.  How to love my neighbor.  We can’t turn back time.  We can’t make her house reappear.  We can’t fix this terrible loss.  But we can be present.  We can be her friend and stay in the pain with her. We can weep with her.

We saw Yolanda’s son the other day and he told us they are going to rebuild, as quickly as they can.  In the meantime she’s renting a room from a neighbor and trying to pick up the pieces of her world.

In situations like these there isn’t much to say, there isn’t much to write, except that it’s sad and I wish it hadn’t happened.

I didn’t write on Monday and then this week got a little crazy.  I took my dog on a walk and got bit by a dog, spent time with police officers, other neighbors, and at the clinic getting the rabies shot vaccination!  It’s been busy.

I will write my normal blog on Monday morning …. but for now, please remember my neighbor Yolanda.

Much Love,

Tina