Page 104 of From Rivals to I Do

The conversation we’ve had stirs something within me, igniting a spark of determination I’d thought was reserved for my days as a Navy SEAL. The connection Amber and I have formed is beyond mere camaraderie. It’s become a shared strength, a will to overcome the odds stacked against us. Amber’s vulnerability, her story, has touched me in a way I never anticipated. We’ve leaned on each other in this underground world, and it’s time to transform that reliance into action.

I stand, my eyes scanning the rooftop, our neighbor's rooftop, and searching for a way out. Our dialogue has become the catalyst for my old instincts to kick in. This is no time to let fear paralyze us. The possibility of escape could be within our grasp.

“What’s the matter?” Amber asks, looking concerned.

“Oh, nothing,” I say. “But we won’t just keep waiting down here for anything or anyone! I have to find a way out for us,” I conclude.

I walk around the rooftop looking for anything we can use to possibly float ourselves to safety. At first, it seems like a hopeless effort. Then I see a glimmer of hope, an old ski-board thrown in the corner. My mind instantly goes into survival mode, and I try to imagine, if this board is our ticket off this roof. I looked over the roof and the water was high, there was no way I would trust jumping off and swimming, although I am a great swimmer. We did several water rescues when I was in the Navy.

I grab the board and try to measure how far we actually are from the water. I can reach the water with the board, that is hopeful. Now, I just have to figure out, how to get us off the roof onto the board. I begin to question my thoughts, with doubts of fear. The water is cold, how far will we have to go, is help close by? All these thoughts begin to cloud my mind. Then I decided, I will leave Amber here safe and go get help. I know she will be scared, but I cannot just sit here and wait for help and help my never come.

"Amber", I say with reservation. "Do you trust me, to go get help? I promise I will be back for you as soon as possible". Then Amber's face drops and I can see the fear in her eyes, even amidst the dark sky."You want to leave tonight? What if the building collapses while you are gone, what will I do?" "I was thinking, at dawn break, if no help has arrived. I know my way around this city, we are not far from the navy base, I can go get a boat and get you to safety". "Derrick, I do trust you, lets see what the morning holds, maybe someone will come to rescue us, I do want to get off this roof and go find Alex". I reach out for Amber and slowly pull her into my arms, and we fall asleep under the stars. A night to remember as tragic as this day has been, this moment is so comforting and fulfilling.

The sound of birds chirping awakes me, and instantly I am preparing to go get help. I peek over and Amber is in a deep sleep. I kiss her on the forehead, make sure the duffle bag of supplies is at arms reach and I instantly go back into navy seal mode. I throw the ski board over the roof into the water, and seconds afterward I plunge into the cold ocean waters, which initially sends a shock through my body. My mind reverts back to years prior, it's not about me, I am trained to save lives. I look through the water and I can see the sky, I aggressively swim to the surface and there is the ski board, within arm's reach. I grab the board and start paddling my way for safety.

Chapter seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Iopen my eyes, and reach for Derrick, to my surprise he is gone. Initially fear grips me, what if he never comes back? What if something happens to him? Why didn't he wake me up? I stood to my feet, walked to the edge of the roof, looked over, and could see the water was receding a little and a strong rotten egg smell seemed to evolve from the depths of the water. I took a look around me, huge tree branches floating along the building, cars, floating, and debris from homes floating. A sense of sadness overwhelmed my heart, these were homes for families. Now these families will be homeless if they even survive.

Instantly I felt like I punched in my gut, survived!. Did Alex survive? I hope he is alive. Tears begin to roll down my face, thinking of Alex and what he must be going through. He already lost his mother, if he loses me here in Japan, he will have no one. He is probably so scared. I began to say a prayer for him and Derrick, which did give me a little comfort and hope.

As noon approached, the sun started to glare and my body was soaked in sweat. I reached in the black duffle bag and grabbed water. I was so grateful for the water, Derrick left for me. I then took notice, that there were only a few waters left, I must ration the amount of water I drink. I have no idea when Derrick will return for me, but something in my gut tells me that he is coming back for me. I take solace in that thought and head back to the corner of the rooftop to get out of the sun.

As I sit on the hard concrete, avoiding the sun, I fight through emotions, I begin to think of my sister. I miss her so much. I came to Japan to heal. Looks like my mother was right, I should have never come here. I am so far from home, and I have lost Alex. My mother would really get a kick out of this, and my sister is depending on me. I promised her that night she died, that I would protect Alex and raise him as my own, now look what I have done. Tears flowing down my face, I suddenly hear someone calling my name. I jumped up and ran to the end of the roof, and there was Derrick in a boat reaching for me.

"Derrick, thank God you are ok, I was starting to get worried". "Amber I promised you that I would get you out of this, and I am going to do just that, did you doubt me?" Derricks says with a prideful laugh. He throws a rope over the roof to connect to the edge and says "Now Amber the rope is secure, climb down the rope". I have been waiting for this moment, but fear begins to grip me again, what if the rope snaps? "Derrick, do you think this rope will hold me?". "Listen to me, the rope is secure, You are not that heavy, but if by chance it snaps, I promise I will catch you. Trust me. Do you trust me"? I took a deep breath "Yes Derrick I do trust you".

I crawled over the rooftop, wrapped my feet around the rope, and headed down the rope inch by inch. My heart is beating a mile a minute, my mouth is dry, and I can feel the rope cutting between my legs. "That's it, keep coming down, and I will catch you". Derrick yells out with assurance. I looked down and my hand slipped off the rope, my upper body was swaying from the left to the right, and suddenly the rope dislodged from the roof. I am headed straight down!

"Derrick, Derrick catch me" I am yelling frantically. Before I knew it, I was saddled in the arms, of this strong navy seal and I never felt any safer. He secured me in his arms. "You are safe Amber, you are ok now, I got you". He says while kissing my forehead and rubbing my hair out of my face. I reach up and wrap my hands around his neck. "Derrick thank you so much, and before I know it. I slipped the words "I love you, Derrick". I could have said it a hundred times in that moment.

"Amber I love you, I know God brought you and Alex into my life, now let us find Alex".

The aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami is staggering. As we venture into the water, the landscape tells the story of nature’s relentless fury. The streets are floated with debris, and it’s a haunting sight. Our housing area was fortunate enough not to be close to the coastal area, so not every house suffered the full brunt of the tidal wave, but the quake left its mark everywhere.

The scarce water supply offers a glimmer of relief in this dire situation. It’s one of the few comforts we can cling to. In the distance, the sky is filled with the distinctive sounds of helicopters. Their presence in the air provides a spark of hope, at least for the many other people who would need it. Sirens heard from afar, offer some reassurance that there is still some form of order amid the chaos.

As we paddle to safety I can't help but ask "Derrick, where has all this help been"? "When I made it to the base, they thought this area had been searched last night, somehow it was overlooked" "Oh wow, so had you never left to get help, we would still be trapped on the roof, thank God, you made it back to me safely". "They wanted me to wait and bring a helicopter to you, but it would have taken a few more hours, I did not want to wait, I wanted to get you off that roof as soon as possible, I feel complete now that I have you safe".

In the midst of this devastation, I can’t help but feel grateful that Derrick was here all along. I don’t think I would have survived it one bit if he hadn’t come to my rescue.

“What actually made you come find me and take me to the roof?” I ask him.

He turns to me and raises his eyes. “I do not know, I did not think twice about it. I have been wanting to come and talk to you since you moved in. Plus, I am familiar with these storms and earthquakes in Japan. When I felt the rumble, I just came running to you, it was like an instinct, if that makes any sense?". "Yes it does, actually. It sort of reminds me of how I felt when my sister died. I did not think twice about raising Alex".

There’s a sense of unity in our journey, a connection that transcends the horrors that surround us. I draw strength from Derrick’s presence, knowing that he’s not only someone to rely on but also a source of solace.

We searched and searched for Alex for two days to no avail. The school area had been blocked off due to the storm, but we continued looking for him from sun up to sun down. Derrick continues to offer comfort and hope during this devasting time. Finally, all the water recedes into the earth, and the damage of the storm is more obvious than ever. The community was left in devastation, with decayed bodies lying around, and homeless people everywhere. Even though I can't find Alex, I can't help but think, it is a miracle we survived.

Derrick’s house, though battered, is not entirely in ruins it’s a rare glimmer of hope in this bleak landscape. We walk through the shattered remnants of his home, Derrick’s strong hand holding mine, guiding me toward a room that remains mostly intact.

It’s a strange feeling to find refuge in a damaged room. We step outside, surveying our surroundings as best as we can. The street that was once familiar is almost unrecognizable, swallowed by chaos. The houses stand as hollow shells of what they once were.

As we make our way toward my house, my heart races with trepidation. I can’t help but fear the worst. The sight that greets us confirms my worst fears. My home is reduced to rubble. Everything has crumbled, and scattered to the ground.

My voice quavers as I take in the heartbreaking sight. “Derrick,” I murmur, my eyes stinging with tears, “it’s all gone.”

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