Smoke and Fire

I was coming home a little late from work, walking from Columbus to my building. Yikes! There appear to be a lot of fire trucks ... and they're parked on my side of the street ... and I'm getting closer .... and they could be in front of my building ....


Phew. It looks like my neighbors building ... but wait ... a woman is outside just in flip flops, thin pants and a tank top.

It's Bennie, the super's wife. She had to run outside with nothing. I offer her my coat but Bennie runs outside with his coat. Smoke is billowing out of the basement. I move her away from the spilling smoke. I went home to grab a hat and scarf. I gave her those things but forgot shoes. I went home and grabbed some socks and sneakers. Back outside. Seems like all the neighbors are either outside or took their pets, in carriers, to the lobby next door. I think the fire is out now. Still waiting for the clear. But Bennie's wife starts hyperventilating, coughing. I go get the firefighter who gets teh EMTs. They help her and take her next door in the lobby to give her some oxygen. Everything is going to be OK.

FUNNY CHARCTER. This young asian gal in her late twenties sees the EMTs giving Bennie's wife oxygen. She says she needs some ... she'll be right back after she takes her stuff back into her apartment. She is in no way shape or form distressed, in pain, coughing, or looking peaked. When she comes back she is pretty insistent, she want oxygen. The EMTs are nicely asking her why, if she feels any discomfort. She's got nothing. She just feels she needs some oxygen, that she was in the building and should be able to get some oxygen. I leave at this point, my small role here is done. But recounting this story to a friend, who's a lawyer, he thought the young Asian girl might be asking for oxygen in the pursuit of some legal claim or such. And my filter was thinking she must have seen a cute EMT she wanted to spend some more time with. Brains work and filter information very differently :)