Its been a long while since I was able to write. Along with it so many things have happened. The last weeks have been fateful. If it’s a novel it was the time that the crises of the plot are being laid out.
Ondoy
Saturday. September 26 2009.
I woke up late that day because I was very tired the night before. I had a hard time going home. Makati Avenue was full pack. Aside from the usual Friday night build up there was a heavy downpour to make the traffic worse. The tricycle ride I had from Kalayaan Ave. to the Mandaluyong bridge was more than enough to give me a heart attack. The driver would make sudden turns as it searched for alternate routes. Aside from that there were several times that it seemed like the tricycle would collide to another vehicle or the driver would pick a fight with another driver or a security guard.
After several hours I got home that night, so thankful I was well and intact and could greet my father well who’s been waiting and worrying for me.
Saturday morning came. Never had I imagined that it would be immensely disastrous for my countrymen, especially. I was having a late breakfast. The weather was still no any better. Its raining really hard. I, Tatay and our househelp were the only ones at home. Kuya and the family went off because the kids were having a family day as an activity in their school.
I haven’t finished my meal when we have noticed that the water started to get in the living room. Slowly at first. I continued eating, didn’t panic. But after a while the water got in faster. In minutes the water in the living room got ankle deep. Ate started to panic and to talk in her extra high pitched voice. We started to bring up the things. We put the couches on top of the chairs. We disassembled the tv and the computer and brought upstairs.
Then I saw the water came in stronger, with a current. The driveway seemed like a river whose current flowed heavily upon our living room window.
If I was not mistaken it took only 10 minutes for our house to be submerged in a waist deep flood. When the water got extra high I already went upstairs and wouldn’t like to wade through the murky water. I let my father to take care of the rest. Ate panicked a lot. I told her there’s nothing we can do about it,we may panic to the max but it won’t make the flood come down, instead we must be alert.
She somehow listened. She kept on staring outside the window and watched the situation get worse. Tatay was silent but in deep thought. He listened for the weather reports on my flanking radio whose batteries were almost dead. After a while the electricity was cut down, the radio was dead and the cellphone signal was failing. But still I remained calm. I thought this is just one of the nature’s wrath. It will pass real soon.
The day became night but the situation were still the same or should I say worse. Our living room, kitchen and bathroom were in complete disarray. I refrained to think of what my kuya and his wife’s reaction would be when they see what happened.
We ate the food left from our breakfast. Fortunately there were still bread, coffee and ample drinking water.
Before the darkness completely covered our view I saw the children in the apartments in front of us being put in a banca. Many of our neighbors were already evacuating. The cars were already afloat.
Despite the terrible situation I slept well, didn’t let anything get me down.
The next morning the flood in the first floor was still the same. When the water subsided in the driveway by 11 am we told Kuya that they may come home already.
When they arrived they were glad that the car was spared from swimming in flood. When they saw what happened to the things reached by the water they could do nothing but sigh. Only then that we, the ones left home knew how immense and how serious the flood was in the other areas.
Kuya said the flood claimed many lives and that we were still lucky. By that time the the electricity was already restored. We watched the news and confirmed how awful things happened. We were terribly saddened with what happened to the others especially to those residing in Marikina.
Many said that the flood was an equalizer. Rich and poor, exclusive village residents and slum dwellers alike tasted the fury. It was simply awful. We certainly hope nothing like these ever happen again.
We started to clean up and to restore what we can. The couches were drenced in very dirty water. The furnitures which were made from coated soft wood has expanded and disintegrated. The kitchen appliances like turbo broiler and sandwich maker can’t function anymore. Same with the washing machine. Fortunately the refrigerator was ok.
On Monday I didn’t report to work. There was still so much thing to do at home. When I went to work on Tuesday I gathered that many of the other office personnel were severely damaged. Muddy flood washed out their houses.
On Wednesday our assistant manager inquired on me further what exactly happened. I told her how things went. In a little while she asked for my guy office mate to hand me a basketful of groceries and new blankets. I was totally overwhelmed. I felt that there were many others who suffered much than we did but I thought it would be inappropriate if I would refuse their good deed. I was absolutely thankful. In that instance once again the BDO superiors showed me a very good example. They were compassionate. I saw that they genuinely felt for those who were strucked by a rather sad event.
