Just when we thought all had settled...

February 22nd 2011

So life was returning to normal, I was fine putting Lara down for her naps, I was able to sleep at night, the roads had more or less been fixed, weeks of digging liquefaction had cleared the roads, sewerage, power and water all restored. then.... BAM!!!! another HUGE quake strikes! This time in the middle of the day 12.51pm... My reaction was very different this time! Lara and I were home together, I was on the computer while Lara was playing on the lounge floor with her toys. The shaking started and I thought "Oh not another bloody aftershock!" reluctant to move as they usually shake and end rather quickly. Well not this time! As the rumble and shaking got bigger and bigger I dived for Lara who was playing under the T.V, I struggled to get to her as the ground was shaking so much. I scooped her up and crawled to the nearest doorway. This one is MUCH bigger than in September I thought to myself, the house is definitely coming down this time! The noise was terrifying! Lara was HYSTERICAL. the house sounded as if it was going to collapse, the paintings and mirror on the wall were rattling violently, the kitchenware smashed and the drawers and cupboards were flung open spilling their contents. I was doing my very best to stay calm, over and over I told Lara "It's ok, it's ok, mummys here" no words could help her hysteria. I held her close and covered her head with my arms.

The shaking stopped and my neighbour was calling my cell phone. We were both shaking like a leaf! unable to string a proper sentence together. We worked out that we were both ok and we met at the fence. I couldn't stop saying "Oh my God!" over and over again, I couldn't control the jibberish and fear that spilled from my mouth. BIG aftershocks struck as I was outside with Lara, I could see the tree trunks swaying and the fence rolling. "I'm not sure we should be outside" I told my friend. I couldn't figure out whether it was safer to be inside or out! Certainly the noise wasn't as bad being outside.

We stayed at the fence talking, slight hysteria could still be heard in my voice i'm sure... "people will have died this time" I kept saying. Incoming call from Sam... Thank God!!... he is safe and on his way home. My friend had her radio on... reports of the devastation rolled in "whole buildings collapsed, people trapped, buses crushed" How big was it we wondered? At least as big if not bigger than in September surely!... actually we learned it was just a 6.3 on the Richter scale! REALLY? felt much bigger than that. "City centre has been devastated" the man on the radio announced. I suddenly realise 4 out of 6 of my family members work in the city and it would have been lunchtime, the worst possible time it could have struck! I was gripped with panic all over again. "Fatalities reported" the radio blurted! "oh my god!" I texted my family furiously, network congested, no use trying.

By 3pm I have heard that all but one of my family are safe. My sister was still unaccounted for! Mum had come to my house and we were all conversing about the event and worrying sick about Jenny (my sister)

4pm... A car rolls up...a 4wd... a muddy bare foot emerges from the car door... is it?... could it be?... It is!... JENNY!!!!!! sighs of relief all around. Jenny came to the door and we all hugged and blurted out crying! Jenny immediately told us how unimaginable the city looks. "bodies covered over in the street, people trapped beneath rubble, buildings with sides completely off, the cathedral spire gone!, buses mangled with people inside" Absolutely shocking!

No power, water, sewerage again and this time Lara is old enough to really react to the aftershocks, and let me tell you there are many! Mum and Jenny stay for dinner...luckily we have a gas stove top we can cook up a feed. Chicken stirfry it is. We use plastic cups as our dinner plates so we can just throw them away afterwards. Dishes are hard to do with no utilities working!

Night falls, it is cold, eerie, and terrifying. I don't want to put Lara in bed and I don't want to go to bed. Too scared! As if we are going to sleep tonight.

We eventually pluck up enough courage to go to bed, we had been lying there only a few minutes and there is a knock on the door... It's Sams boss. He has been asked to help fix some broken equipment so the police can have internet access back! I begged Sam to stay. I could NOT be home alone. I cried and begged some more but deep down I knew he had to go, he was the only one who knew how to fix what needed to be fixed, and if it wasn't for the police needing it I would never have let him go. As he left he told me he would drive past my parents house and tell them I was home alone. Jenny who was staying at mums decided to come and stay with me. She arrived wrapped in her duvet and we huddled in the lounge together bracing ourselves every time an aftershock hit.