Sleeping on the Floor

3. Everything I own in the box to the left

"What about this half-melted plastic cup? I'm sure you could upcycle it into, I don't know, like a pillow case or something." John explains as he pulls the cup out of his box and moves it around in his hand while pulling faces, attempting to sell it to us. Gem and I laugh. "Chuck it." I say and he shoots it into the centre like it's a basketball. 

We're sitting in a big circle on the back lawn, a small distance away from the victim of the beautiful catastrophe. We each have a box in front of us and in the centre is a growing pile of things that didn't quite survive. To each of our sides are a few of the things that did. 

So far, I've got 3 of Toby's teddy bears, mom's silver cutlery set and my make-up bag that I left in the sitting room after Gem and I had a make over session the night before (thank the Pope). Gemma managed to pull my granddad's records out of her box, a few cracked photo frames, Toby's 'school' bag and a deck of cards. I would really like to know which firefighter decided to open a charred cabinet, sift through its inventory and manage to find a deck of cards still in good shape. Just curious. John, so far, has dad's fancy work pen and mom's fine china. 

"You really think nothing of yours made it out?" John asks in a more serious tone while scratching through the last few contents of his box. 

"They said my room was hit the hardest," I reply while dumping my empty box into the centre and standing to get a new one. I drag it over and plop back down. 

"I'm really sorry. That's like, your whole life." Gem says, her voice full of sympathy.

"Maybe it hasn't sunken in yet but I'm not that upset. Obviously I'm sad and all that but my mom's favourite antiques and collectibles were saved, my dad's things were barely touched and we saved Toby's special teddies and his crib, I'm happy for them. My phone, laptop and chain were all at your place and I was wearing my pearls. We couldn't have been luckier."

"Damn, Car, you never seize to find the positive." John looks over, full of wonder. Gemma nods in agreement and the three of us sit in silence for a little, just being there. 

At around 2:30, all the boxes are empty and the final inventory includes: 

- 4 of Toby's teddies           

- mom's silver cutlery set and her fine china 

- my makeup bag

- Toby's bag for daycare

- the records

- a deck of cards 

-Dad's fancy work pen

-8 photo frames (most of which have cracked/ blackened glass)

-Toby's crib

- not even 1/5th of my book collection

- grandma's hand carved rocking chairs

- the antique kist that's filled with boring paperwork

- my guitar 

In terms of damage done to the house:  the entire left-side is gone, like something took a bite out of it. On the top floor, only my parents' room is standing with a floor and all four walls. On the middle floor, the winding staircase remains (only just). My room doesn't exist anymore, neither does Toby's but 3 of the 4  spare rooms stand with a floor and four walls. The basal floor took the least damage with only the lounge and sun room destroyed. The kitchen still stands. 

"It's nearing 3, should we get going?" Gem asks. We're packing the last of the saved goods, surviving furniture and kitchen supplies into a storage truck. John comes with the last box and agrees.