The Sun Ray shone directly into the car windows with hot air in the atmosphere, despite the AC in the car, was turned to the lowest degree still the cooling effect of Ac didn't stand a chance in the sunny weather. I was tired of the long journey and I couldn't sleep, but still, my elder sister slept comfortably in that hot weather. "How does she feel comfortable?" I thought to myself.
"Mummy, aren't we there yet. I'm tired of seating my ass on a single spot for nine hours."
"C'mon Mike, soon we'll be there. Be patient dear, we're closer than you think."
"We are close? You said that three hours ago." I replied I wished she had listened to me and used the GPS to navigate the route, we won't be going through this long journey. Who knows if we aren't lost. But, no, she's all about safety." I rolled my eyes at her given an annoying look.
"Just shut up. And let me focus here."
"Fine, Mum. You got all the focus in the world you need. I hope we're not lost."
Soon, we passed a signboard. "Welcome to New Jersey."
"We are in New Jersey now!" Mum said as she drove to our new house. It was a penthouse with eight floors, a big garage, and a small basketball court. But the neighborhood was filled with hustlers, people with good hearts, and homeless ones. In the streets of New Jersey, it's beautiful.
In no time, my sister and I were enrolled back to school at Zion high school, while my mother got a job at the community hospital, as a nurse. Every night she has to take other jobs for her to meet up with the bills. Mum had this giving spirit, she gives without discrimination, every day when she steps out of the house she always takes with her a spare breakfast in a lunch pack to give to Mr. Bethel, who stays at the roadside begging.
One day, I asked mum "why does she give Mr. Bethel and other people she meets freely without asking for anything in return?" Then she told me of Mr. Bethel
"Okay, Mike, when you give, you shouldn't expect anything in return. Just give from your heart, even if it's the last thing you have with you. Mike, as you grow you'll come to understand the importance of giving and helping others. Take a look at Mr. Bethel who lost his wife and son in a car accident. He's the only survivor of that terrible incident and since then he has been fighting the memory of that incident. He lost his job and all he had. Tell me, should I see him in that situation and refuse to help me?"
"Oh, that's bad. I feel so sad for Mr. Bethel. Okay, mum, I'll start to render help to others."
She smiled at me and hugged me. A hug that connected me to her heart, as I remembered my father, who died of cancer. Her heart was still bleeding secretly. I could remember one night, I saw her staring at a framed picture of Daddy. She placed her hands on the picture and cried so much that she couldn't control herself. Hmmm, three years of being alone. Three years of losing the one you loved so much.
My mother's work has always been the safety-conscious type and she made us know the safety importance for our well-being and the environment. But not everyone understood the importance.
On Wednesday afternoon, my sister and I got back from school after a long time. I felt so tired and hungry. So I had a quick shower, ate a little pizza, and went to my bedroom to sleep. An hour passed, my sister barged into my room and called out my name hastily, like she was terrified by something.
"Mike… Mike… Mike… wake up…." She shouted.
Immediately, I stood up and discovered that the room was filled with smoke.
"What's happening? What's that smell?" I coughed
"The building is on fire and we need to get out. Now!" She yelled, then she held my hand as we ran towards the door to exit the building.
The fire started from the 4th floor and the building was a penthouse with seven floors, everyone was forced to evacuate the building because of the fire. We got out of the building, then she phoned my mum telling her about what happened to the house. She panicked, then instructed us to stay safe and off the fire zone that she was on her way to get us.
It didn't take five minutes for the firefighters to arrive, as they tried to get the rest out and secure the fireplace. There I was looking at our properties burning to ashes, now we have nothing. Suddenly, a woman shouted. "My baby… My baby… she is in there. Help me…" she ran to one of the firefighters, holding his cloth tightly. "Please, help me. My baby girl is in there." She pointed at the burning house with tears rolling down from her eyes. She couldn't hold it any longer, so she ran towards the house.
"Madam… stop!!!" One of the firefighters ran after her and stopped her from doing something she might regret. "Madam… we will get her out. Our men are there."
"Ahh!!!" The crowd shouted.
Mr. Bethel ran into the building with wet clothes and a rope.
"Somebody stop that man…" the chief firefighter shouted.
But it was too late. He went inside the burning building to save a little girl without thinking of his life. He was ready to sacrifice his life to save someone else.
The tension was high. He wasn't yet out and no sign of him. Now the building was falling apart, it was burning with such intensity, I just watched the house, as fire engulfed it from all sides. The roof was on fire, the doors, and windows were on fire and the fire was coming out of the house.
"How will Mr. Bethel come out of this?"
Now, my curiosity has turned to horror realizing the house would collapse.
"C'mon Uncle. Bethel, come out please."
Everybody's eyes and thoughts were on the man that ran into the house to save the little girl. "Will he survive? Has he died? Am sure he's covered in smoke and flames?" These were murmurings from the crowd.
Suddenly, a yellow rope flew out of the window with it being Uncle. Bethel and a wrapped girl. "Get him down now!!!" The Chief firefighter ordered.
Mr. Bethel just saved a life, but he was hurt, I never believed he could do that.