Adaptation Expansion: And that's an understatement.Parents as People: However, the game makes it clear that Carmosa's life has been far from easy, and the reason she works everyone so hard is because she wants her daughters to be well off.She not only forced her stepdaughter to be a servant in her own house, but she emotionally abuses and neglects her own daughters. The fire had changed everything, yet nothing at the same time. A place where Grandma made her hushpuppies and where one could always find a cold Coke and a Popsicle. I was staring into what was once the quaint country kitchen. Before me sat charred remains of a small round table that sat snuggly between orange cabinets and the stove. Finally, I could discern enough to recognize the shape of something familiar. The sun gave its light through the missing walls. To add to confusion, the fire paints every room it touches with a monochromatic color scheme of black, grey and ash. The chaos of fire and the methods of putting it out, redesign a once very familiar setting into a chaotic black hole. Yet, staring into the home, it was hard to determine exactly what room I was looking into. Only the cinderblock foundation of the porch remained. The back porch was gone - reduced to a pile of ash and cinder. Reaching the back of the property, it was evident as to where the fire started. What was most surprising was that a house fire erases any sorts of familiarity of a home, even when walls remain. An ignominious exhibit that presented a hint of foreshadowing of what more was to come.Ĭaution tape draped on what was once the back porch. The family’s vestibule now sat littered with half-charred belongings, workman tools and scattered trash. It was a place where flowers blossomed in their pots, country vegetables were splayed after harvest and where you would find my grandfather sitting after a long hard day. It was place we gathered to witness the power of a hurricane, until the wind picked up so fiercely that Grandma made us come inside. The porch was a popular family gathering spot on hot summer nights. Remarkably, the front porch escaped the fire and remained completely intact. The massive landmark that once stood as natural divider between the front yard and the driveway to my grandfather’s mechanic shop was reduced to a sad stump. I noticed that the magnificent pecan tree that once stood so ceremoniously in the yard was long gone. Looking around, the yard felt sparser than remembered. To a small child, the world - even in the smallest of places, can feel so big. I remarked at how much smaller the home seemed than memory held. I pulled off the main highway and parked my car into the front yard of my grandparent’s home. Photo: Stephanie B Neal The visit February 12th, 2022 The front porch, which used to be a popular family gathering spot escaped the fire. Reflecting on that period, much remains a blank space - it was as if time itself did not exist. The weeks and months that subsequently followed remain a blur of grief and devastation. As if one family tragedy was not enough, the universe decided to bestow us with two. “Your stepfather is dead”, the voice on the other end of the line said. It was a call that delivered even more devastating news. My journey to visit the home and document the damage was initially delayed by the on-going investigation, but a few days later I received yet another call. My grandfather passed away the year before and Grandma was receiving treatment in a nearby hospital. Thankfully, no one was home during the blaze. The home had been roped off by investigators and was now an active crime scene. My initial reaction was to jump in my car and drive down, but I was advised to stay put. I received a call from my mother, letting me know that my grandparent’s home of over 40 years had gone up in flames. The words I recall hearing on the phone in December of 2021. “Your grandmother’s house is gone - it caught fire”. Caution tape left over from the initial investigation.
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