Memories of Spokane-Funny Story #4

It was Saturday morning and very, very early. To a college student that means 8am for Saturdays.

The phone rang and at first I thought it was my alarm- trying to hit it with both eyes closed is a trick I learned really well during my first year... So when I smacked it and it didn't stop I woke and realized it was the phone. I thought, it must be my dad- its 10am in Chicago and there is no one here who would call me this early on a Saturday. I would just let the answering machine get it. The voice on the phone was familiar and male, but it wasn't my dad.

"Hi Jamie, Its Derek..." I got up to grab it because Derek would never call for no reason at 8am on a Saturday.

"Derek?"
" hey yeah, you are home. How are you?"
"good...::clear throat:: and you Derek?"
"um okay."
Long pause.
"Are you sure you are okay?" I asked.
Derek chimed in non chalantly "yeah, my house is on fire though."
"WHAT!" I said. "Derek, are you okay? Do you want to come over?"
"Yeah, that would be good."
" I'll come pick you up right now."

Apparently there was some sort of electrical wiring fire and when Derek woke up that morning at 5am there was a cloud of white haze around him. He got out and called the police and then me from a pay phone after they arrived adn things calmed down (Cell phones were not so much used in Spokane in '99).

Derek came over & told me how he felt. I was still in my pajamas so I showered and found Derek asleep on my couch when I came out. I left him a note and a key (which he kept and used frequently after that- that is another blog entry though) and said he could use the towels in the closet to shower if he wanted and if he wanted to go check out his place ( it was within a mile form mine-so walkable) and it still wasn't smoke free he could always come back to our place and watch tv or sleep or rest.

I went out on some errands found Chrissy and told her about it. Marti, Derek's roommate was gone that weekend so he had no idea. After I came back I walked into my living room and saw Derek was off the couch. I was headed to the bathroom, about to open the door and out walks Derek in just my butterfly towel all smiley and smelling fresh. I was so glad he walked out when he did- I could have seen a lot more of that boy.

I cooked spaghetti for us and we had lunch then I drove him to his place- he said "bye" but I knew he didn't really want to be there after that. I said, "get some stuff, you aren't staying here tonight."

I believe we went to the Kisman's house that night for a movie and pizza- (pretty frequent tradition- Aladdin and Papa John's) and after talking about it for a while, we ( about 10 of us who were over and the Kisman kids (my classmates) decided to sleep outside under the stars on the patch of grass outside their house. We woke up in the morning and went to our respective houses to shower for church- Derek stayed at the Kisman's- not just for a shower but from that day on. And when Marti got home that Sunday, he was also welcomed at the Kismans and stayed until summer.

I love that community...I long for it again.