Flashback

I was driving down 9^th Avenue in Escondido the other day, when sirens screamed from behind and police cars screeched past me with lights flashing.  Up ahead, traffic slowed, narrowing into one lane, and I cursed myself for always being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  How did I always end up being stuck in bad traffic?  As I crept forward behind the line of cars, I was startled to see a plume of dark black smoke appear ahead on the left.  Oh no, that has to be a house fire, I thought with dread.  My body cringed instinctively as we drew near the catastrophe.  I tried to keep my eyes on the street while stealing glances out the side window as we approached the fire.  There it was, a nice two story house with a tile roof. Orange flames erupted furiously from the garage roof and I prayed they would contain the fire before the house burned too.  There was also a car in the driveway and I hoped they would move it before it exploded.  God bless, God bless, I whispered as I drove, concern flooding me for the owners of the house.  Hopefully nobody was hurt.  Did they know their house was on fire or were they away at work?  Suddenly a wave of sadness overwhelmed me and I began to sob.  I know all too well what it is like to lose your home and everything you own, and how life changing such a disaster can be.  God bless you, home owners, God bless.