Babies in Burning Buildings

Babies in Burning Buildings
Meet Joe. Joe wants to be a hero. His brother David was once on TV, and that was a big deal. David had a small antiques shop downtown that was in danger of being pushed out of business when the city had finalized a “redevelopment deal.” The local news stations all used powerful clips of Dave’s speech to the City Council at the last public hearing for the “redevelopment deal.” Joe lost himself in the daydream of this scene—a scene his parents had videotaped and repeatedly played for visiting guests and family members.
Our next speaker is a small business owner by the name of David McDonald. He has a question directed at the entire council.
Representative 1: “Please approach Mr. McDonald.”
David McDonald: “I am not here to plea, or to threaten, nor to chain myself to my building. I know we have lost. I know that it was over from the beginning, and that we never had a chance. This is all a show, and I know that. I also know that this will be on the news, and let me tell you, I plan to take advantage of that.”
Representative 2: “Mr. McDonald, please state your question for the council.”
David McDonald: “My question is for the families watching at home.”
Joe remembered his brother’s face turning to the news cameras with his fist wrapped around the cheap microphone.
“Will my city fund the war against themselves? Will you give money to these men that want to homogenize our town into theirs, so that everything looks the same, including our children’s apathetic faces? Do you still want to work for a boss you can see and speak to on the phone, or do you want to disappear…”
This is was always the most exciting part for Joe and his family. A large security guard escorted Dave away from the microphone as he began to shout. The representatives laughed as the guards carried him away, but Dave broke free to scream into the cameras once more.
“Do not buy ANYTHING!”
Joe concluded his daydream and flipped on the TV to catch up on the local news. A reporter came on discussing current unemployment trends, and he lost interest. He remembered the time he almost made it onto TV. The news had been interviewing witnesses to a horrific fire in Joe’s neighborhood. He had gone out for groceries when the news crews began to arrive. One of the reporters stopped him for an interview.
Reporter: “Sir, what can you tell us about the fire? What have you seen?”
Joe looked around, left then right, then behind.
Joe: “Uhh, well…I really just.”
Reporter: “Were there any children in there that you know of? Did you or anybody else make an attempt to go inside?”
Joe licked his lips, and took another look around him.
Joe: “Actually, well yeah. Yeah, there were two, or no three kids that I, I went and uhh, they got out. They got out with me, or they, well, they followed me out.”
The reporter waved over the rest of his crew.
Reporter: “That’s incredible sir. So you actually led the kids out? Where are they now?
At this time the rest of the news crews were gathered around three firemen, a mother, and her 3-month-old baby. Joe was inching his head over the reporter interviewing him to get a good look at the action. Joe walked around the reporters in the direction of his local grocery and waved goodbye.
Joe: “I’m sorry, but I have to go now.”
The news crew that had circled around Joe finally set their gaze upon the crowd of cameras and firemen 50 feet away.
Reporter: “Shit! Goddamn it!”
Joe walked faster, never turning his head.
Reporter: “Thanks a lot, ASSHOLE!”
When Joe had returned home that day, he checked the station to see if he would make it onto the news. There was a brief mention of “an uncooperative neighbor,” but nothing more. Joe did not consider himself a neighbor, so he figured the snub was probably not directed at him.
The financial stories had ended on the news program he was currently but passively watching, so when the issue of Iraq came up, he decided to stop daydreaming, and really focus on the stories being given to him. The reporter mentioned five more U.S. soldiers that had died in a rescue attempt. The five soldiers had gone into a burning building to try and save the few surviving Iraqi citizens that were stuck under ruble. A bomb had gone off in a small hotel. Joe thought about his sister. She had been a nurse in Kabul right after the invasion in 2001. Their father had been so proud of her. Having been a serviceman himself, his heartache over the risk involved was overshadowed by his pride in his daughter. Gloria served as a nurse for two years in Afghanistan, but never told stories about Afghani children. They were usually about soldiers that needed tourniquets and lots of morphine. Joe figured that things must be different in Afghanistan than in Iraq. Also, the war was different now than it was when Gloria was there. The U.S. soldiers were good guys helping people stay safe from the bad guys. He was sure that his sister would have saved Afghani babies if given the opportunity. Joe remembered his sister’s first dinner, back home with her family.
Joe: “So sis, how many people do you think you saved over there? A hundred? A thousand? I bet that’s gotta feel pretty awesome, huh?”
Joe’s father stared at his plate and cut his steak.
Dad: “Joe, don’t ask your sister questions like that. She barely got home. I’m sure she did her job just fine. Now let’s talk about something else.”
Gloria looked at Dave who had excused himself to take a phone call in the kitchen.
Gloria: “No, it’s alright. I don’t know if I could answer that Joe. I mean, Dad’s right. I just kinda did a job and didn’t really keep track of how many people came in there. I only did ER stuff for a couple months but it was real busy most of the time. Some of it was pretty bad, and sometimes it was just the occasional ankle sprain.”
Joe looked disappointed at her answer. Joe’s father looked up at his children.
Dad: “Dave, get in here. Your sister is talking and you haven’t seen her in two years. So, what would you say you missed most about the U.S., honey? Your brother doesn’t seem to know how good he has it here.”
Gloria perked up at this question.
Gloria: “To tell you the truth, I missed McDonald’s the most.”
Everyone excluding Dave had laughed hysterically at her pun on the restaurant and the family name.
Dad: “No doubt you mean your family and not the burger joint?”
Gloria and her father laughed together as Joe watched in content.
Gloria: “I have to confess. I thought about that joke for months before I got home, and I was just waiting for the right moment. But yeah, I missed both. I never even really liked McDonald’s, the burger joint, until I was neck deep in sand. Then I couldn’t wait to have a Big Mac.”
The report on Iraq that Joe had promised himself to focus on had come and gone. The report didn’t interest him because the reporter never interviewed the heroic soldiers. Unfortunately, that is what Joe was so eager to watch. ‘What were these reporters thinking, if not to get the heroes on TV?’ Joe thought.
After the national and world news stories concluded, the local stories began with a news update. A story had been in progress in Joe’s neighborhood. The reporters had just arrived on the scene.
Reporter: “Jill, we just arrived at the scene of a terrible blaze on Cordial Avenue, at the Prestige apartment complex. We have been told that fire fighters are on their way and that most of the residents have left the building. Others are concerned that some could still be inside. Witnesses we spoke to say that older residents were lagging behind to save their most prized possessions.”
Anchor Woman: “Can you tell us if any children might still be inside, Chuck?”
Reporter: “At his time, Jill, no one can be sure.”
Joe had already leapt from his chair and covered his body in his largest orange coat, a pair of leather gardening gloves, and a baseball cap given to him by his brother Dave.
Joe: “I’m comin’ babies. Joe’s comin’.”
With that, Joe left the building.