Tsunami and Housing

It's been a 2 popo week in Faga.  The week had it's normal ups and downs, as all weeks do.  Because I was anticipating the move, I had less patience with some of the stuff at home. 

On Thursday night I went to sleep at the usual 10:30.  When I was deep asleep, I got a text from PC warning about the earthquake in Japan and possible tsunami.  We were hold to stand fast, which means sit tight and stay tuned.  I went back to sleep.  Then got a call from the country director asking if I'd gotten his email.  Yup, holding fast here under the covers.

An hour later, I woke up when a lizard fell on me.  I really am starting to hate lizards.  A bit later someone knocked at the door.  "What?"  No response except another knock.  There's only one person who knocks on my door in the middle of the night.  Sometimes she does it just to ask if I'm awake.  I called her name as I struggled to disentangle myself from the mosquito net and get off the floor.  The only response was another knock.

I opened the door, and said, with more than a touch of exasperation "What do you want?"  "We're evacuating.  Leaving now."

Okay, "stand fast" might have meant be prudent and pack a bag in case of evacuation instead of rolling over to snore some more.  I washed my face, brushed my teeth and regretted not showering before bed.  I threw on some clothes and grabbed my backpack.  Imagine you have 2 minutes to pack.  Everything you leave behind may be lost forever.  What would you take?  At 2:30 a.m., still half asleep?

I took my PC passport, safe in a ziplock; TP; a change of clothes; large bottle of water; Mr. Kindle; my headlamp; mosquito coils and mosquito repellant.  How'd I do, PC?

After packing like a wild woman, I raced to the main fale, where everyone was huddled around the TV.  The report was coming in from Japan with text scrolling to say there was a tsunami watch in effect for Samoa.  I knew that.  What had changed to make them want to evacuate now?  "Ou te le iloa"  "I don't know."

After half an hour, I quit watching TV and went back to bed, fully clothed.  What seemed like seconds later, in the middle of a lovely dream the phone rang.  It was PC, saying that Samoa wasn't advising that but it would be better to be safe than sorry, so evacuate.  This time it was my turn to wake everybody up.

After some confusion about who was going in which vehicle, much as if the 3 Stooges were facing a tsunami evacuation, we headed out in a 3 vehicle caravan.  I was with my buddy from New Zealand in the last truck. We headed inland up the auala galue, the road to the plantations.

We drove at about 5 MPH for 30 minutes or so.  We parked.  I tried to get in a comfortable position to grab a bit of shut eye.  Ten minutes later, we all drove on.  I have no idea why.  Neither did the driver.  We parked again, and I went back to trying to get comfy.  Another ten minutes later there were lights.  Seems some folks didn't believe the tsunami warning and were heading to work on the coast and we were blocking the road.  More vehicle maneuvering.  I tried again to get to sleep, with the radio from the next car blasting.

After an hour of sweltering in the truck with windows closed against mosquitos, we heard a yell.  "All clear.  Alu i le fale."  We're going home.   Excellent.  Home.  Bed.  When we got there I asked about school and was told there would be no school because of the discombobulation during the night.

I fell onto my floor/bed fully clothed and started snoring.  When someone knocked on the door 30 minutes later I was not happy.  And they kept knocking, but not acknowledging my shouts of "What?"  What I really meant was "WTF?" but that seemed harsh.

It was my "sister", asking why I wasn't ready for school.  "You said there was no school."  "Not for children.  Only for teachers."  Then I was informed I had ten minutes to shower and change.  Which I did.

I was surprised then to see lots of kids at school when we arrived.  About half the school was there.  I was there physically but mentally I was in the dream that the PC Director interrupted hours before.

The day ended with a shopping trip to buy a refrigerator for my new house.  It's lovely, with a small freezer.  And, I can lift it.  By myself.  Gives you an idea of how large the fridge is.

We took it to my new house.  We couldn't put it inside because the house wasn't ready but we were assured that it would be all set for my move in on Saturday.

TO BE CONTINUED...WILL SHE ACTUALLY MOVE??