Taurus Hardy and sons, Malcolm, 13, and Didace Matthew Jr., 5, lost most of their belongings when the two-bedroom duplex at 2402 Valley Forge Ave., where they had lived for three years, was engulfed in flames.
On that night in May, Malcom said he left his babysitter’s home, where Didace and he were staying, to make himself french fries at his home located within walking distance. He said he fell asleep after making the fries and awoke to the fire alarm.
The Temple Fire & Rescue Department responded to the blaze with two engines at 3:21 a.m. early the next morning and had the fire under control within 20 minutes, spokesman Thomas Pechal said.
A separating wall protected the adjoining unit from severe damage, Pechal said.
Overwhelmed, Ms. Hardy said she arrived at the scene of her damaged home around 3:30 a.m. and immediately thought to call the insurance company.
“It was very, very bad,” Ms. Hardy said. “It was bad to where the front door was burned down.”
Hardy said she was just happy that when she arrived nothing was wrong with Malcolm. Corine Hardy, Taurus’s mother, said divine intervention allowed him to awake in time to avoid injury.
“He sleeps so hard,” Corine said. “It wasn’t the fire alarm that woke him up; it was Jesus.”
The family moved to a unit next door and is still waiting for a response from their insurance company, Ms. Hardy said.
“We had (saved) maybe a few clothing items,” she said. “But they were mainly damaged with smoke damage.”
Her faith made it easier for her to cope with the effects of the fire, she said.
“I knew I had worked hard for what I got,” Ms. Hardy said.
While working to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Tarleton State University-Central Texas, Ms. Hardy juggles two jobs.
Ms. Hardy is a part-time waitress at Denny’s restaurant and a part-time health-care attendant with Girling Health Care Home, Inc.
“I just figured that the Lord was going to make (all the things I lost) return back to my hands in some form in some fashion at some point,” she said.
Tonight’s benefit will help Ms. as she reconstructs her life.
Family friend Evelyn Henderson will host the benefit at 5:59 p.m. today at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 417 S. 13th St. in Temple.
--With questions or comments, email mwest@temple-telegram.com
