Pray for Japan [Essay]

Originally written on March 15, 2011 on our private family blog.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Fortunately for us, we were not affected like the cities north of us. Here is Friday, March 11th, as I remember it:

3:50 am: I drop Alex off at the squadron for his flight to an undisclosed location. He will be away for work until March 26th.

10:00am: Chris, Sean, the kids and I drive to Ome to visit Yoshino Baigo Plum Gardens. It’s their last day here during their one-week visit, and I really wanted them to see Japan’s beautiful plum blossoms. They’re not in full bloom yet, but I thought it would be one last beautiful sight for them to remember.

12:00 pm: Our time is too short at the Gardens–filled with finding the place, getting lost-in-translation with parking lot attendants, and walking there. After getting to the highest point of the grounds that we could reach and admiring the views, we departed for Yokota AB so that Chris and Sean can catch the shuttle to Narita Airport. (If we didn’t make it, I was going to drive them there–about a 2 1/2-3 hour drive from where we live.)

12:50 pm: We say goodbye to the guys. It’s been a great week hanging out together–showing some of our favorite places in Tokyo and exploring Hiroshima and Miyajima together.

12:55 pm: The kids fell asleep in the car, so I grab Burger King for lunch (it’s the only drive-thru restaurant on-base).

1:10 pm: We’re home, and I put the kids in their beds. They were sharing a room this week since Chris & Sean were staying in Tristan’s room.

2:00 pm: After cleaning up a bit, I finally decide to take a nap. Our week was so fun, but I was exhausted and needed sleep.

2:46 pm: Earthquake. I’m awake. I looked around the room and waited for it to be over, but it felt like it was never going to end. The house was shaking, but nothing fell down. While it was 8.9 at the epicenter, it was only a 5.0 magnitude where we live in Hamura, next to Yokota AB.

Later, I found out that Sean and Chris felt the earthquake, too–on a bridge. The bus driver STOPPED, yes, STOPPED on the bridge TWICE. (You can be rest assured that the bus driver was trying to be safe by telling them to put on their seatbelts. Seriously, apparently it’s a rule for bus drivers to stop during an earthquake. There should be an exception, though, when driving on a bridge. Hasn’t anyone ever heard about the San Francisco or Northridge earthquakes?)

3:00 – 4:00 pm: Aftershocks after aftershocks. The boys finally wake up during one of the aftershocks. (I didn’t see a need to wake them up because the quakes weren’t that strong. Only a few trinkets were knocked down, but nothing fell off the shelves or walls.) Being from California, I’m used to earthquakes–I slept through earthquakes–but now I was getting a little worried with the frequency of the quakes. Tristan says, “It’s shaking, Mom. It’s shaking!”

4:15 pm: We drive to Yokota AB. I needed to go grocery shopping because the kids were out of diapers. We went to the commissary, and there were so many filled carts left in the store. There were only a few people shopping, and the workers were restocking fallen items. I took this time to stock up on items we needed.

I saw a herd of people watching the news, but I figured they were just talking about the earthquake. It wasn’t until we returned home, and I turned on the news that I saw the tragic events that were occurring north of us.

6:30 pm: Sean’s and Chris’s flight was scheduled to depart from Narita Airport.

7:00 pm: I see on the news that Narita Airport is shutdown.

7:15 pm: I finally hear from Sean and Chris. Luckily, they rode the bus with Shawn, one of our friends in Alex’s squadron, and they’re able to call me. Not only is the airport shutdown, but all of the nearby hotels are closed, and the transportation systems are inoperable. They were given sleeping bags and spent the night at the airport.

I felt terrible about their situation–mostly because I felt helpless. Should I pick them up? What if there’s another earthquake, and I’m driving on the road? What if I’m stuck in traffic while an earthquake occurs? With the kids in the car? On a bridge? In a tunnel? I decided that we were all safest staying where we were at the moment. Luckily, they only had to endure one night at the airport. Operations started back up on Saturday, and they were able to fly home.

Alex is safe; and he still won’t be home until the 26th. I wish I gave him a bigger kiss when he left.

As for us, we are fine. Even with the aftershocks that are still occurring (sometimes I feel them, sometimes I don’t), I feel safe here at home. I am prepared for what may occur; and I have the utmost faith in the military. Yokota AB has been continually been part of the relief efforts, and I am constantly being updated with information about what’s going on. By the way, they are continually monitoring the radiation levels, and there is currently no trace of radiation where we live.

UPDATE 3/16: Alex is coming home this Thursday to help with the relief efforts! Unfortunately, we might miss him because we’re attempting to hop to Singapore (pre-planned trip).

Submitted by: Maricel Johns, Tokyo