Ring! Ring! Ring! “Yes! School’s out” became my favorite quote every day after school even if I was only in kindergarten. It was the spring of 95 a spring and year my life was scarred for life.
I went home and took my daily nap after school because after listening to Mrs. Simpson nag all day you’d be tired too. As I was dreaming about growing up and playing football I heard this unusual sound. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Was the sound I heard? I’m thinking is this a dream or am I crazy. But sure enough it wasn’t a dream though I wish it had been.
The doors of my mom’s room burst open as she started screaming FIRE! My mom sprinted to my little sister’s room. Who was about 10 months old then my step dad woke me up but all I could see was smoke and fire. I started to cry because I had never seen fire before only in the movies. My mom was panicking and so was my step dad. We felt the door only to notice it’s steaming hot. My step dad opened the door anyways and I saw a sight that still sticks with me to this day. It was the stairs on fire and that was our only way out. I really started to cry now because I’m only in kindergarten and my sister can’t even talk yet and I’m wondering if we are going to make it out of here alive.
My step dad races to the window and spots over 50 neighbors down below watching. We lived on the 5th floor so we were five stories high above the ground. My step dad grabs me and attempts to throw me out the window. I’m bawling and terrified as I look down at what seems as a never ending fall. I begged my step dad not to drop me as if he meant to drop I told him I will be a better kid and won’t argue with him as if this was his reason. I told him sorry over 10 times and continued to cry the hardest I’ve ever cried in my whole entire little short life.
He explained to me that the neighbors had a parachute like cover to catch me in when I fell. I felt a little better but still scared about the idea of him letting me go. So he finally picked my fingers off one by one and he let go. BOOM! I hit the gigantic cover with impact. “I’m alive” I said. As I’m on the ground I saw my step dad throw his daughter who is my little sister out the window. She also hits the gigantic cover. I’m relieved she makes it out fine. Then comes my mom. She gets thrown out the window BOOM! CRASH! Is all I heard followed by the screams of the crowd who were watching nearby.
I try and sprint over to see what’s all the commotion about but the fireman realizes I’m her son and doesn’t let me see what’s going on. I finally sneak past them to see a sight I hope I never see again. It was my mom blood coming out of her mouth with her eyes open. Not a sound, not a movement. I assume the worst; my mom is dead. I broke down crying and yelling, “My mom’s dead my mom’s dead.”
Paramedics arrived on the scene and took me and my sister to the hospital to make sure the fire didn’t do damage to our bodies. I don’t answer any of the questions the doctors ask me because as far as I’m concerned my mom’s dead and I now I have to live in a foster care because I grew up without a father. my so called step dad and mom weren’t married. The doctor finally says something of interest and says,” Do you like Winnie the Pooh? I said, “Why yes I do”. He said, “Well here’s a bear for you that looks like him”. I said in my head I may be 6 years but I’m no fool that bear didn’t look anything like him but I accept him with a smile and say “thank you very much”. the bear comforts me for a while until I start to think of my mom again. I once again started to bawl.
The doctor over hears me and says, “Hey little guy do you like super Mario bros”. I get happy because I had never played a super Nintendo all by myself. I told the doctor, “Yes I would like to play”. The doctor brings in the game and I play it while they run a bunch of tests on me.
My dad arrives and I’m not too happy to see him because he hasn’t been there all my life and I’m wondering where the heck my mom was. I ask my dad, “Where’s Mom and Sister” My dad explains my sister went home with her dad who opened the door and jumped down the burning stairs and almost died. And he doesn’t know where my mom is.
So a week and a half passed and I stay at my dad’s house depressed and broken inside. One day my dad said come on little man let’s take a ride. I take my bear (the one that suppose to look like Winnie the pooh) and hop in. The car ride is silent and we pulled up kind of close to where I used to live. We knocked on this strange door and I’m scared not knowing who might open that door. Is it my grandma? Or my new foster family? I didn’t know but didn’t want to find out.
The person opens the door but it’s not just any person it’s my mom with my sister standing by her. I started to cry and yell out Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! She says, “Hey baby” with a big smile. I close the door on my dad and hug my mom. I would have to say the fire was life changing. I’ll never forget I almost lost my mom. I still have the Winnie the Pooh bear to remind me of what I almost but didn’t lose and that horrible day. My mom can’t ever forget because she lost almost every bone in her back but are all back now. My mom can’t do any physical activities the way she use to. But I, my little sister and my mom will never forget the day we were caught in the line of fire.