The days and weeks after the storm are a whirlwind of busy work and strong resolve. Even though the Book Club is in ruins, we can’t afford to feel sorry for ourselves. There’s too much at stake — the safety of our animals, saving our records and archives, and, of course, the club itself.
We work ourselves to the bone, all of us. As soon as the winds and rain dissipate enough to let us back outside, we dive into rescue efforts and damage checks. Gia, Yuriko, Raj, Haru, and I scour every inch of the wrecked club, carefully pulling out each animal the rescue squad missed from their hiding spots and getting them into temporary quarters. Thankfully, they all made it through the storm, mostly due to the tarps the fire team secured on the roof. I’m beyond relieved.