Last night, we went over to a nice dinner at a family we consider kin though we haven't seen them much this year. But, it's about time! Two adult sisters live in adjoining townhouses. Their brother Uncle Jerry is visiting and he has cut a hole in the wall on the balcony between the two units. We're enjoying a dinner of spaghetti and salad and garlic bread around the table on Linda's side. The cooking and buffet are set up next door on Nancy's side. We're having a great time talking and telling stories; we're planning a New Year's Eve party.
This picture isn't the best as Nancy and Nancy's daughter Janine have their eyes closed. But the door to the balcony between Linda (with her hands clasped) and Janine (short white blonde hair) is important.
In a few minutes, Janine will hear something funny and will get up and open the door to investigate. She returns a second later, screaming. Nancy's living room next door is on fire! Crazy what you do in an emergency. Nancy runs over, makes sure all of the cats are in the back bedroom, opens the window and wets a towel and puts it by the closed door. Janine (in heels) has picked up a mat and is pounding on the bookcase on fire, screaming for bowls of water. Matt's trying to call 911 from his cell phone and tries to get somebody to tell him the address. Somebody else else calls 911. Jerry and I are filling bowls with water. Meanwhile people have gathered as smoke pours out the window. Janine gets the fire out. The sprinklers in the living room start coming on. People are calling "Get out! Get out!". Which is what you should probably do in the case of the fire. Don't endanger yourself trying to put out the fire. So we get Janine and Nancy out of there. Linda takes the three dogs and we all go outside. Where's Janine? Where's Nancy? Everybody accounted for.
Nancy realizes that she had left a holiday themed candle on the bookcase and somehow the ribbon caught fire and ignited the books and videotapes.
The fire trucks come. Pretty impressive response, four fire trucks and several aid cars. They make sure everybody is out and makes everybody else get out of the way. Meanwhile Janine is sitting down coughing pretty bad, she does have asnthma and she was the one insisting on putting out the fire (which she did do). The aide guy approaches her and leads her away to the aid truck. I go with her, I think somebody should be with her. They give her oxygen and keep her for awhile. Nancy, her mom, eventually comes; I'm glad because Nancy's not looking too good to me. Linda and Ilana are sitting in the car with all the dogs.
The fire engines light up the dark. Lots of firefighters doing something going in and out. They take out most of a coat closet and some pictures. I take them and put them in Linda's garage. No more fire luckily (Janine really did put it out) but lots of smoke and water in the dark. Somehow, I decide that my job is to stick right close to Nancy (it's her house). I mean, I've attached myself to her. At one point, a firefighter comes out with one of the cats and hands her to Nancy.
The firefighters will not let anybody in but eventually they do and we find coats and purses and shoes and cell phones. Nancy and the firefighters go in the back bedroom (where the sprinklers have luckily not come on) and they retrieve the rest of the cats, safe and sound.
What a mess! Eventually we've all gathered back on Linda's side. The firefighters come in to interview and the landlord is called. We go home and Dennis brings back our blow up mattress.
Now the next day, Matt, Ilana and Naomi have gone over to help with the cleanup. They'll all come over here for dinner.
Whew! That's a lot of excitement that nobody wanted!
Picture of a fire engine in the dark from wikipedia, just to give the idea. I didn't take any picture as it happened.
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