Waiting Game

Steven drove back to Arlington on Thursday night. He’d exhausted himself running around League City, talking to the insurance agents, harassing FEMA, digging through the wreckage and putting salvageable things in storage. He drove all the way back to Arlington in his un-air-conditioned car (of all the things I wanted destroyed in Hurricane Ike, it was that idiot car. Of course, it survived with just some minor damage).

But he just found out around noon today that he’ll be expected back at work tomorrow! He’s homeless, with a wife and two small children, but they want him there bright and early, regardless of whether or not he slept in his car. I know for a fact that other people in his department, who incidentally still have habitable houses, have been allowed to work at home via remote access. So why is my husband, who just started this idiot job 3 months ago, an absolutely indispensable employee all the sudden? Oh well…they have a company to run, and I guess someone has to be there.

So I will stay here in Arlington with my brother and Steven will drive back to League City and stay with friends. There are just no hotels or apartments to be found down there. EVERYONE’S been displaced, and so all temporary living spaces have been filled. We don’t know what else to do. I guess it will be sort of romantic…. having a long-distance relationship for awhile. Thank goodness for our friends at church who’ve been willing to house a refugee or two.

We’re just waiting for the Emergency Rental Locator person (who will be helping us find a temporary apartment to stay in until we can find a house) to call us up.

All this waiting is turning my hair gray.