I breathed in and out trying to find a steady rhythm to focus on during this hell. In…out…in…out…in… It was a chant I said to myself almost like prayer. The wind blew in my face and boasted the smell of ash and blood. Embers flew in the sky like tiny little tiny black stars. I squinted my eyes which were watering from the smoke in that penetrated the sky. The burning buildings in front of me flickered. It was as if I was in the scorching pits of hell. I looked around me and people were huddled together with thin blankets trying to get every bit of warmth they could get. Their faces were gaunt and smudged with black smog. They looked out into the scene of their town being destroyed and all they’ve ever known was gone just in just a flash. They couldn’t even cry anymore all they could do was stare out into the madness and wonder if there really was a god. I starred at this one particular girl and her grandmother. The girl couldn’t have been more than four or five. Her arms were so thin and frail and her big blue eyes seemed too big for that thin face while her hair was in a cloud of brown mess surrounding her face. She was huddled against her grandmother who looked about eighty. The grandmother I noticed wasn’t starring at the scene like everyone else but she was closing her eyes and whispering to herself which seemed strange. Was she crazy? Did she go insane? Did she need help? I went a little closer to them and tried to see what she was saying. I could only make out a few words which were god and amen. She was praying. I was surprised. Almost everyone had given up praying after their town was slowly being destroyed. Even after all the evacuation warnings and setting up safe houses in the outskirts of town they never stopped praying but when their town went down in flames they stopped but she didn’t. She stopped suddenly and opened her eyes to reveal the same blue eyes as the little girl but they were weary and wise from old age.
“Thank you.” She said in a frail and small voice.
I looked at her. What had I done? There town was being destroyed and I did nothing to prevent it. Their livelihood was gone and she was thanking me?
She must have seen my expression because she smiled at me knowingly and answered with “You must think I’m old and crazy for praying in this hell. I’ve seen good in my life. You might not see a god but he works through people like yourself. Even though there might be evil in the world there is good that is constantly fighting it. Don’t look at me like that. You are proof. So thank you.”
I starred at her wordlessly trying to take everything she said. She really was miraculous for saying that. Her will power and her soul were stronger than I would ever be. Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and it put me out of the daze I was in. I turned around and it was Adam, my boss.
He handed me a bag full of snacks. “Here start distributing it to these people.” He said handing it to me.
I took the bag out of his hand and smiled. “Okay Adam.”
He looked at me skeptically. “What happened? I thought you weren’t looking forward to volunteering at the Red Cross unwillingly via your parents.”
I looked at him. “Not anymore.”