阅读理解
NO matter what happens,I'll always be there for you!
In 1989, an8.2earthquake almost destroyed America, killing over 30,000 people in less thanfour minutes. In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left hiswife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be,only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.
After the unforgettablyscare, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what,I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As helooked at the badly damaged building that once was the school, it lookedhopeless, but he kept remembering his promise to his son
He began to direct hisattention to where he walked his son to class at school each morning.Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right comer of thebuilding, he rushed there and started digging through the ruins, As he wasdigging, other helpless parents tried to pull him off what was left of theschool, saying," It's too late! They're all dead! You can't help! Co home!Come on! Face reality. Here's nothing you can do!
To each parent hereplied with one line, "Are you going to help me now?" And then hecontinued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The firefighter leader showed upand tried to pull him off the school's ruins saying, "Fires are breakingout. Explosions are happening everywhere. You are in danger. We'll take care ofit. Go home." To which this loving, caring American father asked,"Are you going to help me now?" The police came and said, "You'reangry, worried and it's over. You're making others in danger. Go home. We'llhandle it!" To which he replied, "Are you going to help me now?"No one replied.
He went on alone becausehe needed to know for himself "is my boy alive or is he dead?" He dugfor eight hours … 12 hours ... 24 hours … 36 hours … then, in the 38th hour, hepulled back a large stone and heard his son's voice. He screamed his son'sname, "Armand!" He heard back, "Dad? It's me, Dad! I told theother kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you would save meand when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, no matter what happens,you'll always be there for me. You did it, Dad!" "What's going on inthere? How is it?" the father asked, "There are 14 of us left out of33, Dad. We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When thebuilding fell down, it made a triangle, and it saved us."
"Come out,boy!" "No, Dad! Let the other kids out first because I know you'llget me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me!"