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Friday, June 27, 2008

I Can Only Imagine

(A recollection of events from people I know who were affected by Typhoon Frank)

* The first thing that Hariet's sister packed were the shoes. She stashed everything in a garbage bag and brought them to the second floor level of the house.

*Gigi and her daughter were trying to save their television, when they saw a snake slither through the water. Plok! Down goes the tv under water, and up they run to the second level of their house.

*Nora spent three days on top their roof. She lived near Jaro CPU area. Saw her yesterday, puffy eyed and dead tired. She was able to save three backpacks of belongings and the rest were stuffed in two plastic bags.

*Jenny, along with her baby, run and sought shelter in a neighborring mini-grocery store. All she thought about was the safety of her child.

*July and her kids were staying with her brother's when it happened. They were safe. But she couldn't help but feel the lump on her throat imagining things happening to her own home, which, by the height of the storm, must have also been under water.

*The water was knee-deep when Mia crossed the street to settle her things (her dog, some groceries, a bag) on a higher location. After a minute, water rose to chest -level and she had to hurry back to fetch her father who was clinging by their door awaiting rescue.

*Charice's sister had to shake her back to her senses when she saw the water rushing inside their house. For a minute or so, she was stupefied.

*Aster spent Saturday night at SM City with many others who intended to do their last minute shopping. They got stranded when the water rose. She was just supposed to buy an emergency light.

*Jane's mom was able to save the charcoal they were selling in their tiyange. At least they still had something to sell after the storm.

There had been many storms in the past but nobody had predicted the flash floods. My colleagues, though some of them have already reported to work, recount their stories with an air of exhaustion. They might be physically present with us but you could tell that their thoughts go back to the labahan which still needed much attention, the silt inside the house, the appliances which they can't do anything about anymore, the lack of water supply, the bed which still needed to be aired so they could have a dry bed to sleep for the night.

I can only imagine and be grateful for myself that my family and I, though plagued with our share of trials and difficulties, were in a safer location. Water was only ankle deep in our yard and it subsided each time the rains stopped. We can't complain.


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