On the Friday after the accident, I was working at a daycare center in Mechanicsburg and I looked around at the children innocently sleeping on their cots. My son was there. He was only 4.
That was unacceptable.
I heard from a friend that the plan was to close down the lanes on the Turnpike so all four of the eastbound lanes headed east and all four west bound lanes headed west. That meant if I was on the East Shore I couldn’t cross the bridge to get my son on the West Shore. That was unacceptable. So we decided to pack up and travel east to Philadelphia to be with my family.
It was a haunting feeling to go through all the clothes and all the toys and all the CD’s and all the books and the kitchen items and the china and the keepsakes and the photo albums…. to determine what stayed and what would go.
I became afraid that someone might break into our house
As we packed up the car I became afraid that someone might break into our house while we were gone. Then I worried that I may never be able to come back. The sound of the front door when I locked it and pulled it closed was chilling.
The Turnpike was packed but we finally made it to my mother’s house. It was 2 weeks before we decided to come back. But it took a lot longer to feel safe again.
Joan