The Flood

Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, standing more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks. All the living things on earth died – birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all kinds of small animals, and all the people. Everything died that breathed and lived on dry land. Every living thing on the earth was wiped out – people, animals both large and small, and birds. They were all destroyed, and only Noah was left alive, along with those who were with him in the boat. (Genesis 7:19-23)

I remember asking God last Saturday, September 26, 2009 “God, is this the Great Flood? Kung eto man po un sana po makaligtas po kami”

Ondoy, this might sound like a little boy’s name but it’s not, it was one hell of a typhoon that killed a number of people and almost wiped out the entire NCR.

My family planned to spendthe weekend in Lagunabecause last Sunday was my lolo’s death anniversary. My mom planned to go there early Saturday morning together with my brother Tony whereas my sister andI planned to go there the next day. Early morning of Saturday, I saw my mom all dressed up, ready to go to Lagunawhile my brother was still lyingbeside me on the bed. I heard my brother saying “ Ma, mamya na lang tayo umalis pag humina na ang ulan” but the rain did not stop instead it even rained harder. Then they decided to go there the next day.

It was rainingvery hard that day .My brother tried to unclog the drainage near our place but he stopped when he realized that it was useless because the water kept on risinginstead of subsiding. I thought that the typhoon would not do any harm because it was only signal no. 1. I was very calm, doingmy usual stuff, surfing the net andthen I heard my brother shouting “Ate! Ate! Ate!” and I immediately went downstairs I asked what was it andthen I saw the water rushing inside the house like it was very welcome andlooking for its place to set in. “Kanina pa kita tinatawag, tanggalin mo mga nakasaksak tapos, patayin mo ungbreaker” I immediately unplugged the extension but I told my brother that I was afraid to turn off the main switch because I was afraid that I might do the wrong thing andso he did it himself. We then took everything that might get wet andcarried them upstairs, shoes, dirty clothes, our dogs, everythingthat we could carry. My mom decided to bring the TV and the stereo up with the help of my bro. The water continued to rise until it was knee-deep. There was no electricity, all that we had was a rechargeable lamp.

We were standing on the stairs when my brother was looking for things to save. He was even joking while holding the lamp, he said “Is there anyone out there? If you can hear me make a sound” that was the line from the movie titanic, he was so funny that we were laughing very hard amidst the flood.

We sat on the stairs then we noticed that the sofa started to float, followed by the gas stove, then the washing machine. Then the refrigerator started to float, we tied it with the railings of the stairs so that it would not go anywhere. We were all shocked because that was the first time that we actually saw and experienced those things. My siblings andI lived around Sampaloc for a shortwhile, we saw Espana filled with water but we never experienced flood inside our house. So it was really the first time that we, together with our mother, experienced our place to be inundated with muddy water.

It was almost 1 o’clock in the afternoon when we saw our neighbour bringing out their inflatable-pool-turned-boat. I even took photos of her enjoying it. It was used to help save children. We saw our nearby neighbours carrying their things and even the source of their livelihood like pigs. We decided to stay because we thought that the flood would not reach the 2nd floor and that we were safe there not until the time when my brother told us to leave.

It was 2 in the afternoon when my brother called my mom andsaid that the water was rising andthat we should leave the place. We sensed a very worried tone from my brother unlike the jokingmood that he was showingus earlier that’s why we hurriedly looked for a plastic bag for our clothes, I just took everything that I could from our closet, cellphone, money. I placed my books on the double deck, on a much higher place. Then I asked my mom, “ma, pano mga aso? Di natin cla pwedeng iwan?” We have 3 dogs, and 4 puppies. The three were inside the cage. My mom told me “dadalhin natin cla” then my brother shouted at us again saying “Ma, tumataas na ung tubig, daliaan nyo” I was very nervous, I did not know what to do, I just took the plastic bag that I prepared a while ago then I carried Kitchie, one of our dogs. My mom andmy niece (my cousin’s daughter) were already outside waitingfor me, I was the last one to leave. When I was goingdown the stairs I saw Sam sitting, lookingat me. I saw in his eyes that he was clueless of what was happening at that time. I looked at his puppy eyes andit broke my heart that I was not carrying him that time.

When I got down, I felt the cold flood water andit was the time that I finally felt the fear of drowning. The water was already chest-deep, I was so afraid that I started to cry. My mom saw me crying, and she told me to be brave and to stop crying and I told her that Sam was left inside. She said would ask Tony to get Sam. But without any word, I handed Kitchie to my mom then I went back for Sam. I even told Am that I will get him. I went up again and took Sam. He was very silent and very cooperative, though.

I was still crying while we were trying to get out of the flood. The current was very strong, I could not even make a step. Thank God our neighbours were there to help us. They were really angels in disguise. I was crying until I reached the place of the nuns. I did not enter the place until I saw my mom and my niece safe. When we entered the place one nun told me to be sure that our dogs would not cause any trouble because there were kids, so I decided to stay outside. I looked for my mom who happened to be outside with my brother who was very exhausted because he went back to get the three remaining puppies left in the cage. He placed the cage on top of a hollow plastic container so that it would be easier for him to transport them. After knowing that my family was safe, I decided to sit on the corner together with our dogs. I was there looking at nowhere, soaking wet and still shocked about everything. I stopped crying when I saw kids playing, a calm pregnant woman, elderly, and everyone who was trying to be brave at that time. I told myself to be strong like them.

I sent a message to my sister, who happened to be stranded in Manila, not to try to come home because of the situation in our place. My father called us and he was very worried but he was pacified by my mom when she told him that we are all safe. We stayed in the place of the nuns until the late afternoon. They gave us noodles to eat. It was very kind of them to accommodate us in their place. Then they asked us to move to the church because it was a bigger place. We stayed inside the church until the water subsided. Then my mom told us that we could go home already. The place was still flooded but the water level was way lower than the early afternoon flood.

When we went back, the place was totally different, the wall along the way collapsed, the street cracked and chipped off, everything was really different. We went inside the house and saw mud all over the place, everything was disarranged. But I did not mind them, we did not mind them. What was important for us was we were all safe.

It was a traumatic experience but we are still thankful that we are all alive. It was very sad to know though that 2 kids died of drowning in our place. We are very thankful that we were still able to save most of our things and even if we lost some of them it really does not matter at all because the most important thing is we are all safe and alive. Things can still be replaced but lives when taken are forever gone.

I thank those who prayed for our safety. I thank God for always being there for us. I pray to God that those who are badly damaged like Marikina, Rizal andother areas which are mostly affected will find ways to move on andstart over with their lives despite the effect of the catastrophe. I pray to him to bless those who are helping those who are in need even in their own little ways. I pray that people after this disaster will learn their lesson to love, take care and value mother nature more than ever. Lastly, I pray to him not to let another typhoon like Ondoy or any other calamity to hit our country again.