After the Blaze
After the Blaze 1: Jessica's Nails and Spa
The first story in the After the Blaze series looks at Jessica Xiong, who lost both her business and her apartment in the March 1 blaze that destroyed the Gateway Building.
A month after the fire, Jessica Xiong knew she would reopen her business. Until then survival — food, shelter and work — was her focus. The March 1 fire had destroyed her Humphrey Street workplace, Jessica's Nails and Spa, and her upstairs apartment. She lost money, jewelry, family heirlooms and photographs, clothes. Everything. Starting March 2, her customers and friends arrived. They saw to it that she survived. They gave her checks and gift cards for food and clothes. A friend found her space to work at Artistic Nails, in Swampscott. The help continued for weeks after the fire. All the help brought a realization. "I knew I would open the business," she said. "People backed me up with their hearts." Xiong has a list that she carries …
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Drs. Rogers & Rogers
12:24 pm on Friday, August 26, 2011
Jessica's the best! So glad she's back more ›