Traditionally, as many families
do, we gathered on Christmas Eve in our parent's home to celebrate. This particular year, talk of Y2K* was ever present in the media, in
stores, and wherever you happened to be, warnings were issued and people stockpiled
items to "survive". We were ready to celebrate Christmas Eve at mom and
dad's when the bottom fell out from below my family. I wrote this poem during
that sleepless night and had as many as I could track down write what their first
thoughts were. Their stories are written, following the poem, exactly as penned
that Christmas of 1999.
The Fright
Before Christmas – 1999 (The year of Y2K)
On a freezing Christmas Eve in
the year ‘99
Thirty-four Olsen’s were gathered
and all lookin’ fine.
The food was prepared at Mom
Olsen’s with care,
The table was filled for this
festive affair.
We crowded the back room for a right solemn prayer
As the aroma of food lightened
the air.
When what to our wondering ears
did we hear?
But the cracking of floorboards
so loud and so clear!
The scrambling, the screaming,
the rushing to exit
Gave peace a good-bye as the floor
fell just a bit.
My God! What is happening? Is
this how we end?
Our separate thoughts shaking,
the floor continued to descend.
Out Marcus, out Zhenya, find
Elyse, where’s the baby?
Grab Alaina, Rebecka, Sam,
Claire, Ksusha and Addie.
All out of the room we scrambled
with a clatter
As none of us knew just what
was the matter.
Mom’s heart it did flutter and
flip with fast beats
As an assembly line rescued the
lit candles, and good eats.
Dust settled, screams ceased,
and the men they did check
The back room for problems. Was
the house still erect?
The floor did give way – two
feet in some places!
And left a good hole … and some
awe-stricken faces.
No one hurt, no one lost, just
nerves jangled and blind.
On this strangest of nights, the
year of Y2K on our mind.
Even though this dreadful event
gave such a fright
We still wish all a Merry Christmas,
and to all a safe night.
Notes written in my journal by family, verbatim, after the floor fell in
“We were just about to eat
supper. Lester said a prayer and we started to sit down around the table when
we heard a loud bang – floor began to sink and furniture sliding. Connie called
insurance company, expecting them in for estimate.” Mom Olsen
“I can’t explain exactly what I
thought. I know I thought it might be the end of the world. When I got a chance
to think, I had to figure out where my son Marcus was. Someone told me
Alainamae had him and then I was okay. I think Terreal grabbed my hand and we
ran into the kitchen and to the hallway. I still didn’t know what was actually
happening. It was crazy – that’s how I would explain it!" Monica Miller
“Well, I had a splitting
headache and all of the sudden the table & china cabinet is moving. I
thought for a minute that a car ran into the back of the house and that the entire
room was going to colaps. Then I couldn’t find Sammy so I was into the kitchen.
Everyone was shooken up for a few, but then it was calm again.” Kim Franco
“I was in a different room and
heard what sounded like gun shots.” Judy Ly
“I was sitting next to my brother
Corey talking. All of the sudden I felt a rumble. I thought it was a large
object falling or like Uncle Jim fell. Then I realized it was the floor. I didn’t
run into the kitchen. I just stood there.” Tony Franco
“We just got done saying prayer
and was about to eat when all of a sudden we heard a cracking sound. I couldn’t
figure out what was going on until I looked down at the floor and realized we
were sinking. Everybody started screaming and running into the kitchen. After
we realized that the floor didn’t go far, we all ate and ended up having a good
time.” Kacee Franco
“I did not know what to think.
My mind was going in so many directions. At first I thought it was an
earthquake, then I thought Y2K came a little early.” Corey Franco
“At first I thought it was an
earthquake, but there could not be an earthquake in Michigan, because nothing
was shaking. Then I did not know what it was. So I just ran.” Addie Geissel
“At first I thought that was a
earthquake was in Michigan bot then vremgmbr the earthquake was not earthquake the
hause prokt down it was the flore. it skerod me I run to the kichene.” Zhenya Geissel, written as Zhenya wrote the comment
“Floor Collapses due to
multiple Grand Kids at Grandmas. Due to the love and affection at the Olsen
family Christmas Eve Party we all pulled through a disaster of sinking proportion.
Everyone survived a drop in holiday spirits at Christmas by pulling together
and heading to the living room.” Mark Miller
“My fist thought that it was an
earthquake. But there was no earthquake this is Michigan. And plus there
is no earthquakes in Michigan. I was realy scared because I was sitting by the
part where it was a big hole. It was scary.” 12/31/99 10:37
pm Ксюша (Ksusha) Geissel, written as Ksusha wrote the comment
*“The
Year 2000 problem, also known as the Y2K problem, the Millennium bug, the Y2K
bug, or Y2K, is a class of computer-bugs
related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for
dates beginning in the year 2000. Problems were anticipated, and arose, because
twentieth-century software often represented the four-digit year with only the
final two digits—making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. The assumption
of a twentieth-century date in such programs caused various errors, such as the
incorrect display of dates and the inaccurate ordering of automated dated
records or real-time events.” (from online Wikipedia)
