Coming Home

Here's my email from Thursday night, 9/1. My sister was working in a New Orleans hospital, part of essential personnel for Hurricane Katrina. The last we had heard from her was Tuesday 8/30 at 6pm.

By Thursday, my family was in shock and nearing hysteria. One brother and his family were safe in West Louisiana, but were certain from looking at footage on the news they lost their home and everything but the few items they put in their car when they evacuated. My sister's home was merely a block from the levee break, there was even less hope for her possessions.

But by Thursday noon the only true concern was the safety of my sister. The news from New Orleans was beyond grim and hysteria was setting in. Then the call came...

"I got the call today at noon, Pam on a bus heading to Houston. She was dazed, couldn't answer many questions, just said they were taking her to the Astrodome. She would call me when she got closer. I looked at the clock, there was no way they would be here before 7 at best. I ran into action. Cleaning and getting things in order. I ran to the chi chi boutique and bought $100 of candles, bath salts and soaps.

Then I started making calls. Rumor was the Astrodome was a nightmare, crowds, bumper to bumper traffic and the only ones coming in were the police escorted buses. I called EVERYONE trying to find out information on how to pick her up. No one could tell me anything. I called her cell phone endlessly and if I hear that bitch say one more time "Due to the hurricane, all circuits are busy...." I thought I would track her down and kill her.

I called my brother Keith and reminded him to get here early so we could plot our strategy to find her at the dome. She called me at 5:30, she was in Baytown. THOSE BUSES WERE FLYING! I explained my fears of the Astrodome. I told her to get to the street, preferably Kirby and walk with Astroworld to her back. My brother picked me up and we headed out, taking my BAD advice of going up KIrby. Road work and serious traffic hampered us. Pam called, she had gotten off the bus and took off running. She was walking down Fannin. We took a wrong turn and ended up in bumper to bumper traffic creeping to the dome. She called, she was coming towards Greenbriar, WAIT, we were on Greenbriar. We were stopped at a light looking for her as I spoke with her when my brother screamed, there she is and jumped out the car waving to her.

Now let me get this straight. My brother is an engineer. He is calm and collect and NOT prone to emotion. He nearly abandoned the vehicle. I looked and there she was, in a dirty t-shirt, black cotton pants she had made into cut offs days ago, white keds. Her hair was filthy pulled back in a clip. She was the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. The cars around us stared like we were nuts as we literally screamed and danced in the street. The light turned green and she jumped in the car. The stench was immediate. She smelt of filth and death. She had a small black fanny pack with $40, a license and a credit card. This is all she owns in the world, other than her car which my brother drove out of New Orleans before the storm struck.

We drove to my place and she sobbed as I drew her bath. I took the only clothes she currently owns, including shoes and put them in a bag and placed them in the trash outside. She soaked while my brother ran to get us Vietnamese food. We sat and ate drinking wine and beer. The stories she told are beyond belief. People dying by the scores. One of her many makeshift jobs was to fan the dying to give them what little comfort possible in their last hours.

Tomorrow we'll start the task of rebuilding her life. Tonight, I am forever greatful to have my hero, my best friend, my lovely sister home with me. To everyone, thanks for the prayers, good thoughts and kind words. I am truly blessed!"