The Important Things
What do you do when the world is burning down around you?
Neck Pillow Kittens!
This picture is from the summer of 2023. They both curled up together in my smaller neck pillow. I miss when they were this adorably tiny.
…Time for this week’s story…
The Important Things
Your house is burning down around you and there is only time to grab five things. What do you grab? It’s a simple question posed with the purpose of getting to know people. It is great for social gatherings, dates, or any number of seemingly inane reasons. At least, they seem inane and pointless when your house is burning down around you.
Tom had no idea how the fire started, but what mattered was getting out alive with whatever he could carry.
The first thing he managed to grab was his laptop. Years of work and memories that were kept offline. He knew nothing about digital security, but he knew nobody could get to it if the computer wasn’t connected to the internet. Next was the folder for essential paperwork like birth certificates and passports. Both were located in his office, making them easy to snatch up even though the messy, crowded office was quickly going up in flames.
Running down the hall, he pulled a framed poster off the wall. It was a rare alternate movie poster signed by the director. In the living room were the final two items. He put his laptop and documents atop a stack of folders filled with trading cards he had been collecting since he was a kid. He managed to pull the boxes away just before the flames got to them. The final item was the box with the classic Atari console and games he inherited from his dad.
Hacking and coughing, Tom fell to his knees. Through burning eyes he took in for a moment the inferno around him. There was no way he was going to let these precious items burn. Even though he had not caught his breath, he picked up the stack of items and hobbled to the front door. It was already open, inviting him outside.
Red and blue flashing lights welcomed his eyes to a world no longer drowning in flames. Behind a pair of fire trucks was a crowd of onlookers eagerly trying to get a peek of the action from a safe distance. Firefighters charged across the yard with their hoses in tow. They pulled the levers and water blasted out of the nozzles as Tom ran by them. He collapsed into the grass panting for breath, spilling his rescued items in the grass around him.
A firefighter ran over to assess Tom’s physical status. Once the young man had made sure Tom was okay he stood up. Shaking his head, he said, “Man, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Although breathing better, a coughing fit prevented Tom from responding, but a moment later the firefighter was distracted with work to do. There were more people to check on. Other firefighters hurried out of the house carrying his wife and two boys. One by one, they were laid down around him coughing for air.
“You’re despicable!” said a woman in the crowd, staring angrily at Tom. It took a moment to recognize the short graying hair and judgmental tone of his neighbor from down the street, Linda. “You just left your family?”
“What?” Tom threw his arms in the air. “The firefighters weren’t going to grab this stuff. This is a rare alternate movie poster signed by the director!”
Linda’s jaw dropped and the crowd was abuzz with chatter. Most couldn’t believe their ears. A couple men in the group shrugged and nodded in agreement.
“How’s everybody doing? Honey, you okay?” Tom checked in with his family.
“I’m fine. I managed to grab the memories box and I tossed the instruments out the window,” said his wife.
“I grabbed the Switch,” said his youngest with a cough. He proceeded to turn it on and start playing games. The boy leaned on Tom, who wrapped his arm around him.
Another firefighter charged out of the burning house carrying a dog. The family’s boxer was curled up in the man’s arms with his favorite toy in his mouth. When he saw the family he bucked and flailed out of the man’s arms then ran to them. Tail wagging, he nuzzled them and laid down in the grass licking his toy.
“Hey boy! You found your toy, huh? Good job. You’re such a good boy.” Tom lovingly scratched his dog’s head.
“I had to chase down that damn dog. It wouldn’t leave without its toy! These people are hoarders. It’s no wonder this place went up like a matchstick.”
“We’re not hoarders,” said the youngest. “We just have a lot of stuff.”
“I love you guys. I’m glad everyone is okay,” Tom said to his family, pulling them close and kissing his wife.
“We love you, Dad.”
“I love you, sweetie.”
Tom and his wife later went to prison for arson. The kids were sent to foster homes. It was years before they were reunited, and although nobody was burned, the scars stayed with them forever.