It was the last week in August of 2005 when a catastrophic event had took a toll on many lives primarily in New Orleans, Louisiana. I as welll as many others on Xavier’s campus were authorized to evacuate the premises by Saturday afternoon, unless they were leaving on buses with the university. I actually left with my friend and extended family that Friday morning or afternoon. We left Xavier that day and went to Belle Chasse, Louisiana, located on the west bank. There we settled and decided if we were going to evacuate New Orleans or not. I had never experienced anything such as a tropical storm or for that matter an hurricane before. I mean, I knew about these dangerous water absorbing monsters, but never took them under consideration. I and many others would agree with me when I say that we under estimated the weather conditions and therefore what was about to take place next.

That Friday afternoon my friend’s and left non-chalantly, but hoping that we would return to school and reunite with Xavier’s academia, little did we know, we were packing lightly for an event that would keep some of away for months, and others years. Early Saturday morning my friend and some extended family members that we evacuated with headed to Hammond to stay with teir neice and husband. It took us approximately 12 to 14 hours to make it to Hammond, Louisaiana due to the traffic. On top of of that, we ended up running out of gas and had to wait for about 45 mins, until we finally reached a gas pump. I remember it raining extra hand. It rained so hard that thought that it had begun to hail. It was a quite trip for me gazed the left, back passenger window at various people in other vehicles beside us. Some were frustrated, in patient and road-raged. While others drove calm. I on other hand had experienced mixed feelings about his event that was about take place.

Riding in poor weather such as the heavy thunder storm just made me drained and overwhelmed with depression. The only thing that I remember myself thinking was that I’d just arrived at Xavier. I had only been there for about weeks. Not only that but I went back to this uncomfortable feeling of lonley and emptiness. And I hadn’t felt like that really since I got emancipated from fostercare. I noticed this feeling especially when my friend’s parents and family were calling to check on their status, while I on the other hand hadn’t heard or recieved any phone calls from my family. Not only that, but I’d just barely started talking to my biological father, due to various circumstances that had taken place in the both of our lives. In addition, I haven’t a living mother to comfort me from my confusion, anger, hurt, and emptiness. So, I sucked up me inner feelings, and camouflaged my emotions with a mask, portrayed by most as a smile.

When we arrived at our destination, I was introduced to ten other family members that we would be sharing housing with for the next few days. It was quite entertaining other than the fact that there wasn’t any electricity or water pressure was very low. So, we had to take boths under candle light with luke warm water if that. Yeah, refelecting back on that particular occasion, that was crazy. After the storm passed on Sunday, I remember the next day being really pretty out. The sun shining bright. Up abovewas clear with a blue beautiful sky. The weather was comfortable, not too cold, not too hot, but just right. That day, which was Monday, my friend and extended family departed Hammond to go to Atlanta, Ga. to visit between my Papa Ken and Aunt Nesta’s two children’s houses.

We didn’t arrive in atlanta until about three or four o’clock in the morning, so I crashed out as soon as I saw a couch or a floor that I could lay on. Later on that morning, when I’d awaken, I turned the television on to a news channel. I found out shocking yet disturbing news about the storm. The news said that New Orleans and other areas close by were under water! I felt myself lose grip of my reality. Everything was so serial, almost like an allusion, something that I never could imagine would happen. I experienced much grief that day. I just remember my chest aching, and my head pounding from so much crying. I couldn’t even call anyone up really without someone I didn’t feel too comfortable with over hearing my conversation. I didn’t want anyone to see me, with the kind of condition that I was in. I wasn’t mentally ready to be physically out of my comfort zone. I also hadn’t a cellphone of my own to speak in private on, so I dealt with more disturbing news on my own. And, when I finally did get a hold of my family back at home in california, I had my uncle’s wife yelling and going off on me. Talking about “we have been worried, and trying to get in touch with you.” But in the back of my head, I’m thinking, how do you think I feel, I’m the one that am across country by myself. So that conversation did not necessarily last too long.

To make a long story straight, I stayed in Georgia for about another week, and then my social worker sent me a ticket to go back home to california. When I made it back to california, I decided to go to school at Cal Poly University in Pomona. There I was treated with hospitality, kindness, and respect. I enjoyed my stay there. I still some times wonder what it would have been like to complete my attendance at Cal Poly. Even though the ratio of African Americans, Whites, and other ethnic groups are opposite I still enjoyed my stay. I felt a little weird at first when after attending a predominantly black school and then turning around and attending a predominantly all white university. That part was psychologically crazy for me at first, but I soon got over it.
But, instead I decided to go back to Xavier as soon as they opened back up from the storm, and will attend until my graduation date of May, 2010.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 27th, 2008 at 7:34 pm and is filed under Week 01: Background. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.