Earthquake Number One

I was teaching a private class when my student looked up and said, "It is an earthquake." I didn't know what was happening before she said anything. For a second I might have thought people were causing a ruckus in the hall, but literally after a second there was no mistaking it for an earthquake. Seconds ticked by and I asked my student what we should do. We were on the second floor and she said we could go downstairs but we needed to do it slowly and calmly. I think the quake lasted a good 30 seconds. Long enough for my student's son to call her during it. We ended class early and I walked home. Some people were hanging out on the sidewalks but not many. My roommate told me, "Welcome to Chile" when I got home. We watched the news and had a drink and felt a few aftershocks hours afterward.