The Oddest Feeling

Well they happen so often that we joke about them now. Twice a week the earth will give a little shudder and roll around a bit, and usually we're in bed and wonder if we should get up and go outside or not. By the time we decide to, it's over. Then in the morning over coffee, we laugh about how complacent we are. Gallows humour. Whistling past the graveyard. But you can't come to a place that's been completely devastated by an earthquake and be scared all the time. If you're going to be scared all the time, then you don't come. If you come, you beat back fear with humour.

Anyway, last night was different. We began by joking: HaHa do we go outside or not, haha. Then the whole dining room started tossing like a ship in a storm and the laughter - if i can put it this way - got a bit more serious. We decided to go outside. It was like walking across a boat deck in heavy swell. You reel like you're drunk. Outside the vehicles were rolling back and forward. The earth underfoot was lolling around like water in a glass. It's the oddest feeling. The house actually wobbled. It looked like the reflection of a house rippling in water. It lasted about four minutes. We took bets on the magnitude and the next morning found out we were all wrong.

I went to bed, not thinking anything of it, not realizing that it would be all over the news in an hour: 8.7 off the coast of Sumatra! Hundreds dead on the island of Nias! 70% of houses down! My phone rang and I sleepily shut it off without answering, giving my worried parents an anxious day no doubt - until I saw it splashed all over the internet news in the morning and called them to say I am fine.

Others, of course, are not. People here got a real scare and there was panic and fleeing in the streets. The island of Nias was hit hard, and it's difficult to get there so people may have to wait for help. I said this morning to Sally, 'Gosh, you'd think the old earth could let up a little, hey?' but there's no telling about these things.

Not much else to say at the moment. Just know that the old planet is a bit loose around here and the ground, despite appearances, is NOT solid. So keep your wits about you.