Fire Alarm

With 30 minutes left to go in Ian's class, the fire alarm went off at the place where he takes gymnastics.  The entire place had to clear out.  I get a call on my cell phone with a South Florida number.  I think it is The Crazy Man and intentionally don't answer it because I am on the house phone line with my sister-in-law.  After finishing my conversation, I listen to my voicemail and come to realize it was Ian.  He borrowed someone's cell phone to call and say that everyone is outside due to the fire alarm going off and to come pick him up early.  Oh my!  I throw my jacket on and as I am running out the door, I yell to Jeff and Sam "Fire alarm at Capital. Need to get Ian NOW!"

 

I arrive and can't find Ian. For those who know this place, it is already organized chaos with bodies flying back and forth everywhere on the inside.  This training facility is always jam packed with action.  Imagine it late at night (with very little lighting) and everyone having to be outside. And to add to the scene, it has started snowing big, wet heavy flakes.

I park the car and start my search for Ian. There are too many kids all in the same patch of field.  Kudos to Capital for keeping them contained in one place.  A girl I don't know comes over to me and asks if I am looking for Ian's coaches group.  I say yes and she takes me to where the boys are.  A father of one of Ian's teammates opened his Suburban to the group and had them all wait inside his car.  Ian's Coach is standing outside of the car and sees me.  She opens the door and tells Ian I've arrived. At this point the snow is really starting to come down.  As Ian climbs out, he says, "So nice to have heated leather seats."  I had to chuckle; all the other kids are standing out in the cold getting snowed on with most of them only wearing a leotard and flip flops.  Ian is waiting for me to arrive sitting on heated leather seats while watching a video.  How wonderful this father was to his son's teammates. 

Ian thinks a fuse blew and that is why the fire alarm went off.  The fire engines were still checking things out by the time we left to go home.  Ian said it was nutzo with everyone trying to get their stuff and leave all at the same time.  Initially his group lost track of their coach.  Ian said they all huddled together outside and stayed as a team until she found them. 

It's crazy how you don't even think this stuff could happen until it does.  I am so proud of Ian for not panicking or freaking out that I wasn't there when the alarm went off.  And he used his head to borrow a cell phone to call me.

Whew!  What a way to get the heart pumping when you least expect it.