Wheelbarrow

I waded through the rubble of my destroyed house. All of our pictures, our passports, and our most priced possessions. Gone, gone and lost in the rubble of the house we had lived in for thirteen years. Gone. My wife’s screaming still rung in my ear along with the howling of the wind from the hurricane that destroyed everything. I was still shaking, I had to find my wife, my children. I was walking as fast as I dared, in-case I stepped on something we could save, though nothing caught my eye I still scanned the large blocks of our house for some sign that we had once lived there. Just as I was going to turn away from what lay ahead, a movement caught my eye. I walked as fast as I dared and carefully pulled away the rubble. And there was my son, five years old and still here. I sighed in relief and picked him up, trying not to notice the large gash in his head. “Sammy. You alright? Nod if you can hear me.” I choked a laugh of relief back as he slowly opened his eyes and nodded slowly, and then snapped them shut. I knew he wouldn’t talk while he was in shock and had blood running down his head, but I was thankful he could nod nonetheless. I hoisted him up onto my back and continued walking. I had no idea how the whole family had gotten separated, we were in the storm shelter when it hit, but now I had been more than five feet away from where Sam was. I tried to think of where everyone else would be, and if they were alive. I saw a flash of gold hair and an orange t-shirt as my daughter pulled herself up out of the dirt and pieces of wall that were on top of her. “Susan! Are you alright!?” my heart dropped as she shook her head and pushed what looked like our fridge off her legs, one of which was bent at an extreme angle. I walked over to her and said “are you hurt other than your leg?” I asked in a calm voice. “ I’m sure I am, just a little scratch here and there.” She replied in the same calm tone. She noticed her brother on my back and smiled at Sammy, though his eyes were closed he said “hi sissy. Look” and he pointed to his head. Her smile faltered and she replied in a reassuring voice  “it’s nothing the doctors can’t fix Sam.”  She turned back to me. “Dad. Do you think you could carry another one?” I looked her up and down and said “I think we can manage.” As I put out my hands to pull her up she said “no not me. Joe. He’s fine but he wasn’t wearing shoes when the storm hit, and with all the glass and such I figured he shouldn’t walk.” And then after seeing my face she quickly added “I would carry him myself but” she gestured to her leg. I nodded and said “where is Joe?” she motioned to a large piece of ceiling “we sheltered under there after the house came down. He’s sleeping right now. I’ll get him” she slowly crawled under the ceiling and pulled out a motionless seven year old and handed him to me. I held him on my chest and asked “how do you propose we get you out?” she pointed to the rusted wheelbarrow next to her. “I can climb in that if you can push me.” I agreed and a few minutes later we were off to find my wife…if there was anything left to find…