My diary - December 23-25, 1972
- Susan Fisch Good
- Dec 5
- 4 min read
Dear Flowers:
What a nightmear I went through last night. We had biggest earthquakes than ever. I thought we would all die. After the 3d one we went outside. The front sliding windows are out. Beck’s chester drawers knocked over, dishes all broken & glasses. Thousands of people killed. We didnt get it to bad. We’re staying outside & not coming in to much. Loads of people came over & checked on us. Sleeping in the front yard.
BYE!!!
Note: I have been dreading coming to the earthquake as I worry about remembering the trauma, but I am putting it out there that this will be healing.
It was at 12:22 am when it hit. I slept next to the window with a chest between my bed and Becky’s. My collection of small dolls and stuffed animals all fell on me from the windowsill, which woke me. Everything was shaking, and it was so loud, like a train going through our house. It was dark, and I didn’t know if my parents were home yet from their party. I screamed and screamed, and no one answered. I thought I was the only one alive. I crawled over the fallen chest to my sister’s bed and hugged her. She was alive, but I guess too scared to answer me. We went to the adjoining room of my parents; they had just gotten home, and Dad had been thrown onto his bed. We huddled, and my brother joined us. After the third bad tremor, Dad told us to get outside to the front yard. We all scrambled out barefoot, and miraculously, none of us got cut with all the broken glass on the floor.
We had a big front yard in our Los Robles neighborhood, and Dad got shower curtains for us to lie on, since we were not allowed back in the house in case it might cave in.
We huddled together, and the earth continued to rumble. People came to check on us. I remember Arturo Moliere riding over on his motorcycle with a girl on the back. She was crying and scared.
We were all so grateful to be alive and not really sure how bad things were, other than we were hearing from people stopping by to see how we were. There were no phones or electricity to be able to verify what was going on.
December 24, 1972 Sun.
Dear Flowers:
Stayed outside all day. Dad came home for lunch so opened Xmas presents. Earthquakes all last night. I got 3 blouses (2 knit 1 smock) a diary, a belt, sandals, 3 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of gorgeous earring, underwear, housecoat, autograph book, a book, a necklage, a pair of fluffy bed shoes! PJ’s. If remember anything I’ll put it down. Doesn't seem like Xmas Eve.
BYE!
Note: Dad left early in the morning for the airport to help evacuate people and get the latest news. His downtown office was totally destroyed. We later found out that he had carried all the Pan American money in the trunk of his car, as it was the safest place at the time.
I found it interesting that I listed all my Christmas gifts. I guess I craved some normalcy.
We had no water or power, so we continued living in our front yard. The ground was still rumbling like it had a bad stomachache.
December 25, 1972 Mon.
Dear Flowers:
It Xmas but sure doesn’t seem like it. Last night I cried & I cried. I was so scared. Dad hadn’t gotten home till 11:00 & people came over (neighbors) to warn us about the poor people coming to Los Robles to take all & Dad wasn’t home. When he came I felt much better. We made friends with the Japannese. Echo is the girl 22 yrs. but seems real nice. Our turkey spoilt. Terrans sent some turkey over. We leave (Mom & us kids) to Miami till we get water & electricity.
BYE!!!
Note: Dad would leave at the crack of dawn and not come back until very late. He would bring ice from the airplane and sandwiches.
Before he left that morning, he said, “Susie, it is your job to defend our family if the looters attack our neighborhood.” He handed me a machete, and I said I would. I was a skinny 15-year-old, not sure what damage I could do. Why didn't he ask my brother or Mom? I found out years later that he had asked the Japanese ambassador who lived across the street from us to have his bodyguards look out for us.
The Terrans were neighbors also.
I never saw my Mom cry until she saw that the turkey had spoiled.
Terrifying time.
The water cart pulled by an ox brought water through the neighborhood once a day. I chased after it with my bucket and hollered at the neighbors so that they could get some too.
This was used for flushing toilets and for bathing. We still had large glass water jugs for drinking that we used before the earthquake.
Wow Susan. What shocking core memories you experienced. This was so riveting to read. You + a machete is quite a visual. Thank you for sharing your firsthand story!
So many observations and questions about this week's most important post. These brief 3 day entries say so much!
The first, on the 23rd shows the initial (psychological) shock, just giving "the facts". The second entry, on the 24th, with the security of your Dad there for at least part of the day, you strive for some degree of "normalcy", by describing your xmas gifts. By the 3rd day, with your Dad gone all day, and the threat of looters looming, true fear probably sets in. I can just imagine you thinking at the time "a machete? Jeez, everybody's got a machete!" (I assume y'all didn't own a firearm....firearms were practically unheard of in Costa Rica, but Colombia was a…
Oh Susie - hearing your first hand account of the earthquake is riveting! Ay ya yay! You were so brave and accepted Henry's commission for you to keep the family safe - with a machete no less!!
Our family left Nicaragua before both the earthquake and the revolution. Do know Paul Hoar went back to help - do not remember if it was for both events or only one.
Yes, we too grew up with "temblores," though always scary, they all pale in comparison to what you experienced. The Fisch family certainly proved their metal as creative survivors in real hardship.
Wow - thank you so much for your historic remembrances! Love, Tootsie
I think most of your readers can claim membership in the "Earthquake Club" of which we nominate you as President.
We had frequent "temblores" (even the worst one's were never called "terremotos") in San José, but never a serious one during our 4-1/2 year stay. The worst one was in '67 when I was 14, one night around bedtime. I remember a low rumble, then the shaking, stuff falling off shelves and breaking, lights went out, Dad walking around with a flashlight telling us to gather under a hallway arch. By then, the shaking had stopped, and I remember the flashlight beam illuminating my bedroom ceiling, where I had a dozen or so model airplanes hung from threads; they were…
It looks like you were very affected. I had been in 3 or 4 earthquakes in Chile, plus all the aftershocks. I think I'm used to them. We had "small earthquakes" every once in a while, and they helped me to react. We can talk about my experiences, sometimes it's fanny how I remember them. From my experience, of course. I don't forget how people die and lose everything. It is sad.