Sunday, April 18, 1999

Ugly wall saved them, couple says

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BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Charlie and Jean Payne think the wall between their condo and I-71 saved their lives. (Michael E. Keating) | ZOOM |

        BLUE ASH — This is the story of a 49-year marriage, several recent split-seconds, and an eyesore of a wall. It is a wall Charlie and Jean Payne once loathed but now love.

        The Paynes' condo on Fallingston Court sustained only minor damage while the homes of several neighbors across the street were reduced to rubble by the force of the April 9 tornado.

        The Paynes say their thoughts since the tornado have overwhelmingly focused on their less-fortunate neighbors, but they catch themselves thinking about the sound-retaining wall that separates their back yard from the constant hum of Interstate-71.

        They're convinced the 20-foot wall might have saved their lives by diverting the direction of the tornado. The storm felled most of the tree stand that — mercifully — obscured the sound wall from the Paynes' sight.

        With those trees now torn and scattered, they have a clear view and a daily reminder.

        “I wanna go out and hug that wall,” Mrs. Payne said, pulling dirt-covered work gloves from her hands. “Every day. The engineer said it pushed up the winds (over their home).”

        Mr. Payne, a retired history teacher at Lockland High School, is 75, has a 16-year-old artificial right hip and walks with a cane. The couple awoke to the freight-train roar of the tornado and were hurrying down their stairs when three windows shattered, including one in their upstairs bedroom. They lost some siding, and their privacy fence was destroyed, but there was no serious structural damage.

        There was broken glass throughout the home, but their prized possessions, including photos of their grandchildren, were undamaged.

        “We were real close,” Mr. Payne said as he snapped his fingers. “So lucky.”

        The Paynes said the tornado brought back into perspective the things that truly matter most: family, friends, neighbors.

        “Our hearts go out to our neighbors,” Mrs. Payne said. “Over on Cornell, so sad. We really care about them and don't even know them.”

        On March 18, 2000, the Paynes will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, then start working on another half-century.

       

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