Friday, March 11 – Yes

We continued working our computers and cell phones. I called her phone over and over and got nothing. No busy signal. No ring. Just an unsettling, empty sound.

Text 12:37 a.m.: Yes

Never before did one word communicate so much and so little simultaneously. Yes. She was still able to text. I knew she was alright. What I didn’t know is which one of my many questions she was answering.

Response 12:37 a.m.: Are U with your mom? Are U OK?

For weeks, her mom has been in a hospital in Sendai City, about 7 miles away from her home. They would both be frantic if they were not together when the quake hit. Again, we waited for a reply and there was none. Shortly after 1 a.m., I sent my new business partner, Ian, to bed. Our initial mission was simple. Get mom help. I stayed up doing what I could to reach people. I had one eye on the tsunami that began hitting Hawaii and one eye on the total devastation in Japan.

Text 3:10 a.m.: Yes. I will walk home tomorrow. It is 10KM. I want to get things, money. Cannot contact neighbors.

Walk home? Is she in shock? Is she nuts? Who in their right mind would leave a safe, secure building to walk nearly 7 miles one way to a home that might not even be there on a road that might not exist? (Only later would it dawn on me. She does not have access to news. There is no electricity, no TV, no radio, no newspapers. She had no idea the extent of the devastation.)

Response 3:14 a.m.: No. Do not walk home. It is not safe. You are in a safe bldg with mom. Stay there. People are fleeing trying to get there. Do NOT leave there. How much $$ do you have?

Text 6:08 a.m.: 3000 yen

About $30. Not much, but it could be worse. She could get a couple of meals, maybe less. I texted her that we would send her more money. Yeah, right. If only it were that easy.

I left for work knowing that we were far luckier than most. She was safe. She was with her mom. Somehow, we were able to text now and then. Sure, there were painful delays but those were inconsequential to what hundreds of thousands of other people in Tohoku were going through.

Text 7:31 a.m.: I have 100,000 yen [about $1,000] at that house. That is why I need to go.

I emphatically told her not to go. I explained it wasn’t safe without going into too much detail on the devastation we had seen on TV. She had enough to worry about. I went to work in part to give me something else to focus on and to check on our employees, many of whom had been up all night evacuating with their families, watching the TV or, like me, frantically trying to make contact with family and friends in Japan. Throughout the morning, I would text Yasue or try calling even though it was very early in the morning in Japan. I told her we would get her whatever she needed. I asked how her mom was doing as she was quite ill even before the quake.

Text 3:25 pm.: Mom is OK. Hospital giving patients emergency food but no food for me. Stores are closed.

Food. We need food. Blessedly, she had shelter. She had water. We need food. I drove home and told Ian we need to get his mom some food and we began exploring how we could make that happen. He had a school event that evening and while he was away, the phone rang. It had been ringing often as concerned family and friends wanted to know if Yasue and her mom were OK. I was stunned when I heard Yasue’s voice on the other end. Somehow, she got a call to go through. Once again, I couldn’t believe how blessed we were. We talked briefly, careful to not drain her cell battery. Even though she had her charger with her, she did not have access to electricity. We discussed her situation which was dire, but not as bad as I feared having seen spent much of the past 24 hours watching TV or combing the internet.

To make a call or look for food, she first has to walk down 14 flights of stairs to get outside. Of course, the trip ends with climbing the 14 flights back up to her mom. Outside was cold. There were many strong aftershocks. People were tired, hungry, in shock.