41. Northridge Earthquake

Until I bought the house in Lancaster, my parents helped me financially. When they sold the restaurant, they gave the buyer 7 years payment loan term. They gave me the monthly payments for 7 years. Once the payment ended, my salary was not enough to cover all my expenses.

 

Capitalistic society is very cruel and cold to the poor. They offer plenty of credit to those who make good money, but the banks are very hard on those who make less money. The first item I bought after I came to America was a stereo system with a turn table. I bought it from Radio Shack, which filed a bankruptcy and no longer in business, on credit. I opened the bank account, bought a car, and made timely payments. Once I bought a house, they offered me more credits.

 

I used the credit cards to pay for some of the expenses. I charged more than I was able to pay and debt was growing. Eventually, I ran out of the credit. I went to the consumer credit agency. They made deals with my debtors and negotiated payment plan for me. It took me several years to pay it off and rebuild my credit. I did not provide much to the kids while I was paying off the debts. I did not buy them good clothes or take them out for nice meals. I never took any vacations with them either. I picked up the habit of cutting coupons and looking for the sales then.

 

On weekends, I went grocery shopping. It was still pre on-line shopping era and Sunday paper was filled with manufacturers’ coupons. I armed myself with the coupons I clipped and went. Each market had difference specials. I went to, at least, two stores. Whatever were on sales would be on our table that week. 

 

After I sold the Lancaster home, I moved to a rental home in the Valley. The owner was moving to San Diego. We had a schedule conflict and two families had to share the house for a week. The owner was a few years older than me. He was a doctor and a pastor, and his wife was a nurse. He became a pastor first and his wife convinced him to become a doctor. He went back to Korea and studied medicine while his wife supported the family and paid for his education. They had three children.

 

His dream was to practice medical ministry. But he felt he had to pay back to his wife and the family. He put his dream aside and opened a practice in San Diego. Later, I heard he went back to Korea.

 

I lived in that rental home for next 10 years. Schools, elementary, middle and high school, were in walking distance and I did not have to drive them to schools. Michael and Brian used to walk Katherine to her elementary school before they walked to their middle school.

 

Northridge earthquake happened while we were in that house. We were very next to the epicenter. A ground level of the apartment building flattened, a parking structure collapsed, and fires broke out. 70 some people died. Freeway bridge from Lancaster to Los Angeles collapsed and a motorcycle policeman fell and got killed.

 

It happened on Martin Luther King’s birthday, holiday, early morning. Katherine was sleeping on the floor next to my bed. TV fell right next to her. Refrigerator, bookcases, and dressers fell and it was a huge mess. My parents drove from Ventura and helped us clean things up. After shocks continued all day long. Unlike flood or fire which we could see, after shocks came out of nowhere. I wanted to take a plane and just leave.

 

Bathroom wall cracked, tiles fell, toilet broke, and water heater pipe broke. Tenants of damaged apartment building got government grant money and moved. Property owners also got government grants and low interest loans to fix the damages. There weren’t any benefits for the single-family home renters.

 

The owner, Mr. Paik, provided minimal repairs. I did not complain fearing he might ask me to move out. The house had two bathrooms. After the earthquake, we could only use one. As time went, tiles started to fell and I had to duck taped them.

 

Readers might wonder why I don’t talk about my wife. Well, my wife is not in my life yet. I still have to write about additional 10 years before she shows up. I decided not to write about the mother of my children, my ex-wife. I felt it was not fair for me to tell my side of the story only. Let’s say I was 50% responsible for our divorce. I was a short-tempered and very angry man then. Probably I was not a good spouse to her.