The Crack of Dawn By: Joanna
Mar 08, 2016
The Crack of Dawn By: Joanna
My Family Tree
Author’s Note The earthquake had the magnitude of 6.7, one of the most destructive earthquakes since 1971 (San-‐Francisco-‐Oakland Earthquakes). It only lasted 10-‐20 seconds. It started at 4:30am on January 17, 1994. Luckily, my parents were in a very safe and stable three-‐story town house. They were in Torrance, California at the time. The city did not have any major deaths or many collapsed buildings. Cities like San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles had the most damage. My mom had married Greg a few years before the earthquake, but they experienced the catastrophe one year before their Xirst son, Michael, was born. At that time, they were living in a townhouse in California, which is where the story takes place.
The Crack of Dawn
The soft glow of the early spring morning gently
streamed in through my tiny window. It seemed like a
ray of light shot right into my face as I slowly started
to wake up. I instantly closed my eyes and rested for a
few seconds. The faint chirping of the robins barely
rose above the thundering rumbles of my husband
snoring.
“Mm… Greg, are you awake?” I murmured as I let
my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. Cautiously
half opening one eye, I glanced over at the big mound
causing all of the shaking. Presuming that it was Greg, I
nudged him rather roughly with my toe.
“Stop shaking the bed!” I hissed, only to be
rewarded with a loud snore. Greg shifted his position.
Oddly enough, the bed didn’t stop shaking even though
Greg had stopped moving around. I noticed that the
bed stand still shook violently. Not only that, but the
robins’ soothing chirps had faded into a rattling of
windows and car alarms wailing. I let out an
involuntary gasp, I realized that an earthquake had hit
our apartment building and we were still vulnerable to
anything. What if the ceiling broke and caved in on us?
What if a power line fell down and set Xire to our
building? Anything could happen at this point.
While trying to get up a Xierce crack shook the
whole house and Xlipping me onto my back. I decided
that staying in bed would probably be safer than
getting up at this moment. One glance at Greg told me
that he would be able to sleep right through this
earthquake unless someone woke him up.
“Greg, wake up! There’s an earthquake!” I
screamed as I Xiercely shook his shoulders.
“What?” Greg mumbled sleepily as he rubbed his
drooping eyes.
“There is an earthquake!” I didn’t shout this time,
but carefully articulated every word.
“It’s okay honey, you’re probably just imaging
things. Go back to sleep,” Greg mumbled, “why would
we ever have an earthquake in Torrance, or even
California?” Did I just hear him right? He accused me of
lying?
“Then why is the whole house shaking?” I retorted.
It took a few slow seconds to let it sink in. The moment
it did, Greg sat bolt upright as if he were electrocuted.
He opened and closed his mouth but nothing came out.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do but pray until it’s
over,” he murmured softly into my left ear. I slipped
my cold hands into Greg’s, comforted by the warmth of
his grip. We started to pray, barely over a whisper. As
soon as I had Xinished my prayer, a wave of calmness
washed over me. I knew that Greg and I would be Xine
and that God would protect us no matter what
happened.
“Wait, do you hear that, Greg?” I whispered, my
voice cracking, “No rumbling, no creaking, no
shattering, nothing. The earthquake’s over!” I
exclaimed. “Well… I’m exhausted. I guess it’s a good
time to go back to sleep, right Greg? Greg?” I glanced
over to his side of the bed and only to hear the
thundering snores coming from Greg again. He must
have been extremely exhausted and fell asleep the
moment the earthquake subsided. A tiny smile started
to creep across my face as my eyes started to droop,
silently thanking God for keeping us safe.
Interview on Eunice Weyrich: Earthquake
When was this?• 1994
How strong?• magnitude of 6.7
How long did it last?• 10-‐20 seconds
When?• Early in the morning, about 4:30am in the morning• The house shook so bad that she woke up
What was your Xirst reaction?• She thought at Xirst that dad was shaking the bed in his sleep, then realized the whole house was shaking/swaying back and forth
• Woke dad up
• On the top Xloor of a townhouse (three Xloors)• They stayed there to be safe• Nothing broke or fell
Where you scared?• Only a little scared because she was used to feeling the earthquakes when she experienced them in Japan
• Had much smaller earthquakes many times a week in Japan
Where in California?• Torrance, California
What were you wearing?• Wore her white nightgown
When you woke up were you still drowsy?• No, really shocked her and she was wide awake, wondering about what to do next
• It was the easiest time to experience an earthquake because no one was cooking (because it could have started a Xire since she had a gasoline stove)
• When earthquake hits its better to stay in the houseWhat was dad like when you woke him up?
• He was half asleep until my mom told him there was an earthquake
• They held each other’s hands and prayed until the earthquake stopped
What was it like outside?• Light outside, since the sun had already risen at 5:00am
What were you most worried about?• Their lives’ safety and worried that the roof might collapse on them
What did you hear?• Windows rattling, doors swinging
Research Notes:
• One of the most destructive state earthquakes• Lasted about 10-‐20 seconds• Had a 6.7 magnitude• Around 4:30AM on January 17, 1994• Killed 60-‐70 people
1. What have you learned about your family’s history? How has working on this project helped you understand your family better and given you a better sense of your identity?
I have learned that my mom lived most of her life growing up with earthquakes. Eunice has learned to adapt to her current circumstances where ever she is. If she hadn’t survived that earthquake, I wouldn’t be here to tell this story.
2. Why do you think doing a project like this is important?
It has helped me learn more about my parent’s background, like what her life was like before she had me or Michael. It’s also important because it has really helped me learn how to write in someone else’s prospective. Lastly, it has helped me write with more clarity and with more expressive words.
3. What part of this project did you enjoy the most? Why?
I enjoyed trying to write as if I were my mom. It was a different way of writing and a little difXicult to not put what I would think or do into it. It helped me learn more about my mom’s past and how she thinks. I took the challenge of writing the historical narrative and conquered it. I enjoyed all the parts in whole.
4. What speciFic challenges did you face during this project and how did you over come them?
Trying not to over exaggerate events was really difXicult. I overcame it by asking my mom more speciXic questions so I did not have to Xill in the gaps with exaggerated events. My mom gave me a sufXicient amount of answers and I was able to keep my exaggeration in check.
5. What advice would you give future students as they begin this project?
I would advise them to ask as many questions as possible. The more the better because if you don’t you will have to guess a lot of the emotions and thoughts. Also, don’t leave the narrative to the last minute; it takes a ton of work.
Bibliography
Eplett, Robert A. "California Earthquake of 1994." Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Kara Rogers, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://school.ebonline.com/all/eb/article-‐9438678?query=california earthquake 1994>.