X-plosion

I might be stretching this a little, but we're nearing the end of the A to Z Challenge, and it's been a challenging month!

I had to check with one of my sisters on this one, because I couldn't remember the year, or the time of year this happened.  I thought my sister might have a good idea of when it happened since she delivered paper to this certain house that was across the street from our back-door neighbors.  She said she thought it was 1971, which makes sense because she was delivering papers at that time.  I told her that I thought it happened in the summer, because I'm pretty sure our windows were opened.

In the middle of the night, we were awaken by a huge boom.  This was followed by a very distinct burning smell.  As it turned out,  the house across the street from our back-door neighbors blew up.  My daddy went over to see if he could do anything, but came back shortly, telling us to go back to sleep.  My sister asked about the woman (who was pregnant at the time), and was told that at that point they couldn't find her.  She was found at the bottom of the basement stairs.  I was told that probably what happened was that she was trying to get out but turned the wrong way and ended in the basement.  To this day I remember seeing the stroller in the back yard, and remember that smell.

Things like that just don't happen in the Small Town.  It's generally a peaceful, quiet little town.  We were told that they think what happened was that a bank robber (which apparently she had identified since she was working when the bank was robbed) found out where she lived.

My sister said that the woman had given her a pink wallet for Christmas.  She also said that she remembers a rose bush beside the porch.  Before the house was torn down, the rose bush was blooming.

That was the first and only time I've heard an explosion.  Every time I hear of one happening, I think about that house.  I just can't imagine having to live with that fear day in and day out.  I'm very thankful to be living in a country where explosions are not the norm.

8 comments:

  1. That was certainly a sad experience in your life. To think that a bank robber would have done that to hear makes it even worse. Wonder if they ever caught him.

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  2. Wow, that is a sad story and all because she identified a bank robber. I bet that shook the little town.

    Lucy from Lucy's Reality

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  3. Must have been pretty scary for you then to leave such an impact now when you hear of other explosions. Thanks for sharing. xoA

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  4. Wow, that would be scary to experience. I can imagine that any loud noise would bring that back to your mind.

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  5. What a sad and scary memory....her poor family!

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  6. Good "X" topic! New follower here. I'm stopping by from the "A to Z" challenge and I look forward to visiting again.

    Sylvia
    http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

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  7. That's so sad and tragic. :(

    ~Lynn

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  8. How awful. :( I wonder if the bank robber (assuming he's the one that did this) knew he'd be taking two lives that day?

    When I was a very little girl, I spent the summer with my Aunt Mae in Calhoun Falls, South Carolina. A man came to her door and he was crying. Well, him crying upset me because I wasn't generally exposed to male tears. His story upset me even more. He had been married once. Their house caught on fire and he couldn't get in to save his wife. He was on the outside looking in and she was on the inside, looking out and screaming. She couldn't get out. Can you imagine the pain and horror of watching your spouse burn to death? He snapped (understandable!). That day he was on Aunt Mae's back steps crying to her, recalling the day that his wife died...that will burn in my memory forever.

    These things have a significant impact on children, his story, your explosion. We were too young to have to process such things and, no matter the age of these women, they were too young to suffer such awfulness. :(

    Have a blessed Mother's Day!

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