the flood, pt. 2

Try as I might, it's impossible to find any news on the flood. The village is too small, in these sorts of places tragedies happen all the time. People pull together without outside help. There is no FEMA, no emergency assistance. Folks who've been living there all their lives have seen their little homes ruined and there's no insurance money to claim. It'll take them years or longer to replace what they lost, the ones who had guest lodging on their land have lost their only income source, not only is tourism painfully down this year but the lodging will be unliveable for a long time.

Another of our soon to be neighbors called a little while ago. He wondered if we'd heard and we told him we had. Man, do we have a situation here, he said and yet his voice is smiling. J wants to know where everyone is, he can picture all of it in his mind. We are all sleeping at X's, his house is the one that hasn't flooded but the water's rising and it's about 8' away from the front door. I feel the urge to tell them to be careful but I know the words are silly, these folks know a thousand times more about what they'll need to do. In the midst of the call our friend says I can't get out to your land, the bridge is destroyed. As soon as I can I'll try and check on it for you. We tell him it's not important, we already know it's flooded and all that matters is that everyone is okay. He tells us again how crazy it all is and I hear his laugh. In the jungle I suppose, one has to figure out how to make due.

We sat in the park today while M ran around, the sun was hot and we were dry. J's face is tight, I know he's wishing he was there so he can see for himself. Our house would be gone. We can barely afford to do this once, there is no way we can do it twice. There's nothing to say and I'm reminded again that we don't know what we are doing and I wonder why that doesn't give me more pause.