‘I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY!’-Rebecca, 12, Cobham Intermediate
It was just a normal day and I was eating lunch with Sarah. Suddenly the room started shaking; I panicked and dived under my desk leaving Sarah to have to dive under the desk next to me. The shaking was so violent and went on for what felt like hours. I held onto my desk screaming and holding onto Sarah’s hand. Once the shaking stopped we ran to get my phone from the cloak bay and ran out of the door. Outside the ground was covered in water and there was a huge crack right along the ground.
Sarah and I went to the field (where we had to meet in a crisis) and saw most of the school already there. There was liquefaction all over the ground and huge mounds of sand. We walked to the middle of the field and starting using our cell phones. My eyes were filled with tears I could barely see but I managed to spot our class so we ran over to them and sat on the ground. Then the thoughts started flooding in.
Where was my family? How was the house? Where was the cat?
Before we knew it Sarah and I were bursting into tears with my teacher,Miss Hughes and some friends comforting us.
Suddenly another huge earthquake hit and set off the emotions in most people.
It felt like it had been days before we finally got contact with family. I got a call from my Mum saying she couldn’t get to me as the garage door wouldn’t open with power and that she couldn’t get hold of Dad and that he was in the city where it was badly hit.
Again I wept and of course Miss Hughes made me feel heaps better.
I thought I would never get home, that I would be stuck here all night. But my hero came, Sarah’s Dad had come to pick her up and they kindly took me as well. We drove to her house with my heart pumping and looked around the house. 10 minutes later my Dad (who we got hold of) picked me up. He told me all about his experience and before we knew it we arrived at my house. While I was getting my stuff out of the boot a huge one hit and it was so freaky!
I ran in the house with my Dad and knocked on the door.
Our house was a mess. There was stuff all over the ground and huge cracks, and my brother was not home!
Our family was nearly reunited at 4:30 but we had lost Abbie the cat. I thought we had completely lost her. We found her underneath the cupboard shaking with fear.
I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY!
Hello Rebecca,
I am sure that you feel like you will never forget that day. I think you are speaking for a whole lot of other people too. You have been through one of the biggest, scariest, frightening experiences for any 12 year old person. I think you are so lucky that your whole family was reunited.
As I was reading your story I started to think oh no.. I hope Rebecca’s brother was found. And then.. I hope Abbie wasn’t trembling too much to have a hug!
Best wishes to you, Sarah, your family and your lovely teachers who care for you all so dearly. Good Luck Rebecca
Deborah, Australia
Hi Rebecca
Just a normal day and then all that!
I am so pleased you had the presence of mind to get under your tables so you weren’t panicking as badly as you may have thought.
How wonderful you had Sarah to be near by and for her to have you. The bond of shared experience is a strong thing and you will always have this time to talk about, even when you are old ladies!
Miss Hughes sounds lovely to be able to comfort you before you got the call from Mum.
I am relieved and pleased to hear that your family are together again and reunited with Abbie.
Thanks Rebecca for writing this piece so well, take care, we are all thinking of you.
From Ella in Auckland.