At approximately 4.30am, I woke to being violently tossed about in my bed, a split second later sound registered in my mind as a loud crack vibrated the air. My large tv that once sat on my draws, was now face down on the wooden floor. I herd my Mischiefs scream through the ever so loud rumbling. The sound was like 100 Jet Planes flying low over head. I tried to get to them but the constant shaking made it next to impossible. When the earth calmed down a little, I went to go check on them. Mischief 1 was awake and sitting in his bed. "what was that mummy?" "An earthquake honey" "What?" "An earthquake, go back to sleep if you can". The girls door had been slammed shut while the earth heaved our house around. I opened it to find them crying in the dark. I turned their bedside light on and calmed them down. When everyone was settled, I went and sat on my bed. I saw my phone and contemplated calling my mum. It was 5am and I did not want to wake her. What if she had slept through it? Next thing my phone starts ringing and it was my mum. I told her that we are fine and the kids are settled again and that yes, I still have power. My sister and brother were both out of power and my sisters house was a mess. I got off the phone to mum and went back to check on the mischiefs, as I stood in my hall way, I herd only what I can explain as a freight train heading right past an open door. Then the ground began to heave again. More screams from the mischief girls. Mischief 1 however had I think actually gone back to sleep. Like his father, can pretty much sleep through anything at night.
Once again when the girls were settled, I came back to my room, sat on my bed, replied to txts friends had sent and sent some off to others I had not herd from. Friends from Dunedin started txting after they to had been woken up and learned that the epicenter was focused near Christchurch. My Bestie from the middle of the north island also started txting me because she too had been shunned awake by the quake. Every half an hour at the latest, the ground would quiver and mischief 3 would moan. I gave up on sleep at about 6am and came onto my computer to see what I could find out. I listened to the radio as I browsed the net and came across a site I'm now addicted to. GeoNet. There I discovered what scientists at that time said was a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit just outside of Christchurch. I knew we had an earthquake but had no idea it was that big. Although as the day progressed, further study of the information now states that is was a 7.1 magnitude but much shallower than originally thought.
During the morning, friends who were out and about would show up to see if my mischiefs and I were alright. Sometime during the later part of the morning, I decided to take a "tiki tour" to my parents place. I came across a scene just meters from my old High School. It was by the Avon river and a lot of the urban mess can be found by the beautiful Avon river that runs through the City. The road was torn apart, crossing islands ripped by gaping holes. Gutters and drains torn from the road and some crumbled like yesterdays newspaper. Pot holes in the grass with the river now flowing beneath them, coupled with silt covering the once were foot paths. Many people were awestruck, and I herd a fair amount of impressive slang that would not be appropriate to repeat.
In true Cantabrian teenage form, young boys were out jumping over/off the jagged cracks on their skateboards, all across this section. I had a little giggle and took a photo of them.
I then continued the journey to my parents house, and moving away from the river, the damage that could be seem was minimal. The odd chimney had fallen down and some looked like they were about to topple at the slightest breeze. I arrived at my parents to find a driveway full of bricks. Bricks! Mum said nothing about anything falling down when she had rung me numerous times that morning. Upon entering the house and greeting My parents and a frazzled sister who's house was a mess and had been cut off from power and maybe water, I then learned that the piles of bricks were the once old chimney that Dad has been meaning to dismantle for some time. He said it was a miracle it didn't fall down in the quake. With no effort at all, he was able to just pick up the bricks, one by one, and drop them on the drive.
That seems to be the general feel for everyone at the moment. "Its a miracle that ...." Everyone has a story, and everyone feels it could have been worse and are thankful it was not.
It is now Monday morning, and I am still on edge. We have felt countless aftershocks, and every truck rumble or plane over head brings a slight skip of the heart and a split second surge of adrenaline wondering if diving for the nearest table or door frame is needed. Going to sleep is hard. Both nights I've left it until I am exhausted to crawl into my bed, for I know any attempts to sleep prior to that, would be fruitless. When I am at that point, and I close my eyes, I feel as tho my bed is shaking. Sometimes I'm right, and sometimes it's just my mind playing tricks. Last night however, there was another shake as I was drifting off to sleep.
School is out until Wednesday. Now is not a time I feel good about being away from my Mischiefs, But i would be lying if i said part of me wants to be able to clean my house without them around.
I am thankful that not only is my shopping day Wednesday and that when I go shopping, I buy for the week, but also for those years of marriage to a man who would never let our cupboards go empty. I have kept that up since our separation, and at a quick estimation, I could stretch the food I have to last about 2-3 weeks. My milk goes off on the 12th, so hopefully by then I will be able to get more. From what I understand, Supermarkets are open and getting things in, but things like bread and bottled water are flying off the shelves. I'm Thankful that my car also has nasty but safe to drink Dunedin water rolling around in bottles. I have them there just in case there are any unfortunate circumstances during long distance trips.
My power never went out and neither did my water which I am also thankful for. I'm also thankful that I have so many containers full of kids toys, that when I found out that water may be cut (at first my parents had water, then they didn't), I started filling them with water.
This has been a massive shock to the system. Even tho the only damage my house took was my tv, the destruction around the City has brought me to tears. Right now I'm trying to hold them back. Opawa Chapel is still standing, no damage. The Stake Center has huge cracks up the walls, and Avonside Chapel has a crack from Pulpit to Rec hall, with bricks fallen in the hall ways. I have not herd about Cashmere Chapel, but it is also by a river, so it wouldn't surprise me to find that's cracked to the nines as well.
I have a collection of photos and a video that I have taken so that you all out there may see what I have seen. I have seen houses that have been destroyed but out of respect for the owners, I did not want to exploit their sufferings. Photos however never capture the full beauty of all nature has to offer. I find myself using words such as "Amazing", "Spectacular", "Incredible" because there are no others large enough to describe fully and give mother nature the reverence she deserves.
This has been a humbling experience to realize that we can do what we want, build what we want, but both Mother Nature and God Rule Supreme.
The Girls helping move the old chimney bricks off the dive
Please excuse the long pauses and the constant saying of "just". I was lost for words. You can also tell that my cold is still hanging around.
