After last night's incident, I don't know whether to feel relieved, sad, optimistic or unreal. It still feels very surreal that such a thing happened to this family in our very own house but it did. It's that sort of things that you never believe that it'll happen to you and when it does you start getting paranoid about everything else. Well, that's my mom actually but I'm trying to make a point here.
To get to the gist of it all, the house very nearly almost would've went up in smokes and flames if it hadn't been for my quick thinking to get the garden hose to flush out the fire or mini explosion that happened to the living room's air-conditioner unit. My mom switched it on upon deciding that the weather was getting too warm for her despite my plea not to because I was on the other hand feeling slightly chilly already. Then a sudden small blast popped and then in a matter of minutes, what we thought was just a random spark became a flaming air-con unit. Two brothers came running down only when I started screaming for help and I couldn't believe my words when I actually shouted, "The house is on fire!". We just started getting bottles of water to douse the flames but it kept getting bigger until I managed to calm myself down for a second or two and remembered about the garden hose outside that I never use. So, I immediately rushed out to grab it hoping that it'll be long enough to reach the fire and it did fortunately for everyone. Black and thick smoke began engulfing the house and I could barely breathe until the fire was put out. Everything within near proximity of the air-con unit was covered in black soot. It was all over within less than fifteen minutes, I wager. My dad only came into the picture to examine the damage after we called him and he promptly arrived as soon as he could.
The cleaning up process is nearly finished. I couldn't touch anything this morning without inspecting it for the tiniest dust or black soot. I almost didn't want to go for my Law lecture this morning but decided against it because I think I would have choked some more had I remained in the house because of the rancid stench. I can still feel some of the soot on me and I've been scrubbing my hands raw to get rid of the black dirt. The electrical appliances should be all dried up during the night and we can safely resume to TV-watching leisure.
I suppose there's a lesson ingrained in this somewhere but I can't seem to find one. Well, I guess the most important thing is that the house didn't burn to the ground and I think it was actually my materialistic self that pulled me through the crisis for getting the garden hose instead of jumping around like my mom did throughout the thing. For a brief moment I thought, "I can't let my room and everything in it go up in flames! There're too many precious stuff in it! My clothes! My notebook! My handphone! My books! Think, Jillian, think!" and then the light bulb in my brain lit up and off I went racing for the said hose. So, I suppose being materialistic in a way is a curse and a blessing. It was definitely a blessing to me at that moment because I could think rationally and didn't go running out of the house screaming for help and alerting any irrtitable neighbours.
The ceiling has definitely seen better days. Selfish as I may sound but I can't wait to really go away now after last night's accident. It's like how much more can things get screwed up. Sigh.
Okay, enough of the depressing recount and aftermath ponder of events. The new video iPod looks really good but 30GB sounds a bit too much for me. I'm still eyeing the U2 one and hopefully there'll be stocks around as it is limited in production. The new iBook G4 looks extremely tempting as well. It's highly unlikely that I will get it but it's always nice to dream about its cool and sleek white body and shape.
I need a shopping trip to ease my nerves. I think it's about time I get an exercise mat as well. The gym going thing just isn't working out.
omg.....shoot. luckily noone got hurt and there wasnt any serious losses =/ thumbs up for u! for being so ratinale...iif i were to be in ur shoes...err...i'd be just like ur mum, i think =P
cheer up!!! send my regards to ur mum! btw....wat air cond brand was it? kill the manufacturers!
holy crap. see, you totally do work well in emergency situations. you wrote in my comments whether you didn't think you'd be good in one and there's your answer. haha. glad you're all okay though! god, that sounds traumatic. it's amazing you did that though. i think i would've been stuck to the spot for a minute or two. garden hose, fast thinking. you saved the house! and your things!
Heya.. you write well..
I'll link you, aryt?
:D
wow jilly!! thats quick thinking on ur part!! yup, thank goodness no one was hurt. maybe the air con unit was old..short circuits. whoa..scary!
anyway, kudos jilly!
wow jilly!! thats quick thinking on ur part!! yup, thank goodness no one was hurt. maybe the air con unit was old..short circuits. whoa..scary!
anyway, kudos jilly!
had this to say at 21 October, 2005 01:12
cheer up!!! send my regards to ur mum! btw....wat air cond brand was it? kill the manufacturers!