“The cyclone will hit in the evening. They are here to take us away to the temporary shelters.”
“What of our house… and furniture, and jewelry?”
“Hurry up… we need to go.” He looked away, hiding his tears from his wife who was still bewildered by the emergency of the moment.
“But…” She tried to voice her concern for everything they had earned in their lifetime.
He took her hands. “Is this life more important or these material possessions? I am sorry. Just pick a suitcase and take the clothes and jewelry, you could pack into it. We need to leave/live.”
.
Image copyright: Janet M. Webb
* For Friday Fictioneers.
HA's Place 
How lives at times can mean so little to us. Taking risks for material possessions, when if we have our loved ones and perhaps a few treasures we can continue on. Nicely done HA.
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But still…
It is a hard decision to make…
To leave everything behind and just leave!
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i think it’s the thought of having to start from zero that truly frightened her. i hope none of us would be placed in a similar situation. well done 🙂
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Dear HA,
Those who cannot part with a treasure at needs be are fools. Well illustrated.
Aloha,
Doug
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ah it is…in that moment we are not always thinking right as well…trying to save what we can when the most important thing is the people….
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Nicely done. Some prioritising needed here…
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hard choice to make when faced with danger but our thoughts linger in the future. love this story.
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I’ve had to rebuild my life so many times because of disasters. You really captured the shocked pain you feel at having to chose what to keep and what to leave. Sometimes, all you can do is just keep repeating that “material things can be replaced, life can’t.” A very sad fact.
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It takes so little…to destroy all..your characters were very real – well done
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A well-written story about what is and isn’t important.
janet
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One of life’s great dilemmas in a nut shell.
Well done.
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Oh what a horrible feeling that would be. To have to leave behind your life. Excellent story HA!
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I hope to never face that decision, that moment. Such a horrible thing to do. Well done.
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It really is hard to say goodbye to all the things that made a life. Until you close the door, you don’t realize you can live without it.
You wrote the emotion of the moment perfectly HA
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I love the leadership you have conveyed in the husband. I can feel the power in the grasp of his hand, that strength, determination, and love. They will survive.
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I can’t imagine what it must be like. But it’s good to live.
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There is a choice … and this is what it boils down to…
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It is very hard to grasp disaster that has not yet come upon us. In a similar situation, my husband had to stay because of his job. I chose to stay with him (and our two cats) rather than fly away to personal safety. It would have been quite impossible for me to have chosen to leave! In the end, the disaster diverted itself elsewhere. Thousands died. Life is fragile. Great story, dealing realistically …
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I was laughing at human nature’s inclination to cling to materialistic things even in the face of danger. well done.
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