The Trees Hardly Seemed to Notice

But the birds were behaving strangely. They all sat down tight, tucked into a corner of the estuary, as if there was a storm out to sea.

These larger-than-life events, like the earthquake of 22nd February, change your sense of time. The day of the quake was very long. And I still find my sense of where I am in time is somehow out of sync.

Following that afternoon, those of us able to get home, and with a home to go to, found it took hours longer than usual. Working out which roads were open and which required four wheel drive was a case of trial and error.

It was on that drive home I made my first “I’m okay” call. A few texts had gotten through so I knew my immediate family was safe and that our house was still standing. But I had also watched as others received messages that weren’t so reassuring. Having been in the Northwestern suburbs meant we were away from the central devastation. Still, the shaking was violent and strong enough to make you wonder how it is that materials which appear solid bend like rubber.

By the time I began to make my way home it was several hours after the initial shock and I knew news would be making its way overseas. I rang my parents. That’s when I first discovered how deep the tragedy was beginning to settle into me.

When you have to say something that you’re holding close to your chest, especially when your nerves are shot and you’ve been running on adrenalin, it comes out somewhat different than what you’d expect. It comes out shaky, or at least it did for me. Because I realized in that instant that I was saying “I’m alive” and of course I knew there were others who were not.

During the course of touching base with family and friends in the next few weeks I was asked if we were considering permanently leaving? It’s true the city has been changed forever and the damage to life and property has been catastrophic. But the response to the crisis by people everywhere has been amazing, even overwhelming.

It’s not necessarily where you live but whose in your community that makes you feel safe or otherwise and in a funny way we feel better about where we live now than we ever have.

Kia Kaha Christchurch.