Durban — Jeewon and Reshina Singh, live on Genazzano Road, just behind the Seatides Combined School, and have become accustomed to grief and hard times.
Just eight months ago, the couple lost their son, 22, in a hijacking.
“The only memory we have of our son is his car, but due to the tornado, the car has been damaged. All his memories and belongings in the house have also been damaged.
Singh was alone at home with her 5-year-old granddaughter when the tornado arrived and changed their lives and the lives of so many others.
“I just got back inside, turned the key on the door and latched it. If I were a little late, I wouldn't be here now. I can’t explain how it felt, it happened within seconds and just like that, everything was down. You could only hear the glass shattering, the things breaking.
“I put her on my back, that was the safest way and we stood in the corner between the kitchen and lounge as it felt like the safest and driest place. The glass was flying around and I refused to move, fearing my child’s life. It was devastating.
“And in seconds, it was over and done. It was terrifying. The water was pouring down the ceilings like a waterfall, there was nothing I could do.”
She said her older daughter suffered an injury from the fallen ceiling.
“The ceilings started coming down one by one after the storm, it was soaking from the rain. When my daughter came back from work, the ceiling fell on her. The paramedics took a while to get here because of the roads being blocked,” Reshina Singh said.
“We had to rush her to the doctor and he said she had concussion and needed to return for a follow-up.”
The family had only been renting the house for about a year.
They moved into Seatides after Jeewon found a job after he had been unemployed for more than three years.
“We thought we were turning a new leaf by living in this area – we went through a lot to get here. My husband was sick, he couldn’t work and our kids were still at school. My son decided to be a truck driver and unfortunately died. Now when we’re back on our feet, this happens.
“We are waiting for people to come by to help us. The community has been great, they have supplied us with roofing sheets to stop future damage from rain and helped us clean around the house.
“It’s sad because just last week we voted, yet those parties we voted for, have not been here.”
The family said they are trying to dry their essentials, like clothes and beds that they’ve moved into a single room.
“We are sorting the main things out, it took two days to get the water out and the glass pieces, and now we're dealing with the clothes. We hope not to have any more rain, we just want things to go back to normal,” said Singh.
Sunday Tribune