And still....

Brain out the window, I was in auto mode. Making coffee's has become natural to me, well, as natural as it can to someone that's been making them for less than a month. Nevertheless, I was in my zone. Chilled out, not thinking. Focusing on nothing. Unaware. BOOM. They never come when you think they will, or do what you think they will. But it came, Mr Earthquake graced us with his unwanted presence at 11.34am this morning. Lights swinging, coffee cups falling, toddler time awry with small children crying and mothers in fear. Darting for the door, my focus was on myself. Selfish, but necessary. Under the safety of the doorframe, I watched the customers dart for cover, safety, whatever they could find. The rumbling went on, wrecking havoc with my norm, what I know, what was now being turned upside down by this fury of nature.

A small period of time later, though what felt like light years, and the swaying subsided. The lights continued to swing, but it was calming, chilled. Slowly our ground was remaining solid beneath our feet. Was that it? You never know.

I continued to make coffee for customers. Isn't that what you need in these desperate times? Either that or whiskey. But as customers left rushing for the exit, the loud speaker ushered us from the building, preventing our normal daily routine, telling us things won't be returning to normal. Telling us to 'get out'.

So we did, grabbing our bags and coats, we left behind the scene of our disaster, people spilling onto the streets, alarms blaring and important looking men in DayGlo fluro jackets running around furiously, doing their best to returning life to normal, reversing the trens of Mother Nature. Waiting was infuriating. Could we return? The roof had collapsed, the power was out, the sewerage had overflowed. Rumour mill was in full blow. I couldn't listen.

But life doesn return to normal. The camera crews came and left. The buildings were reopened, deemed safe. The news reports it, and moves on. Unaware of the trauma and ongoing destruction disrupting our everyday lives. We carry on but for some, its hard. Getting over it is not as easy as outsiders may think. The ground rumbles, but so what? No, it continues, and its control-less. As you begin to deal with it, you are shocked once more, forbidden from leading your everyday life, literally and metophorically shaking your life.