Ondoy

I woke up to a rainy Saturday. We had plans for that day - a birthday party to attend to, a birthday treat to go to, Singapore Grand Prix to watch.

My mother started texting me around 11am. She was going back home because their househelp told her water was going inside the house. A cousin helped the maid get some things inside their room but that was it. I think they only got some important documents and immediately left the house because the water was waist-deep. They went to my Tita's house. My mother never got to our house. The jeepney she was riding got them off a nearby intersection. She waited for a few hours then realized she had to check-in in a nearby hotel/motel. She was panicking a bit because my brother was not replying. We were texting back and forth the whole time. While she was worrying about my brother, I was wondering where my husband was. His last message said he can't ride a tricycle because the water was flooded and he was going back to wait for a cab. After an hour there was a knock on our door. My husband braved the flooded streets because he wanted to go home. I immediately told him to have a quick shower and we ate our late lunch afterwards. I wasn't at all worried about everyone else outside our little nook. Later on, my mother texted me that my father and brother are both OK. But that night they slept separately, mother in a motel, my brother with my cousins and my father inside his car parked in a supermarket. My husband and I were able to watch the Singapore qualifying around 12 midnight. The birthday hooplas were all cancelled.

The next day the sun was shining. I thought everything will be OK. My cousin called me asking me if he can go home. He slept with a classmate but I told him not to go home already. They didn't have electricity and the roads weren't cleared yet that morning. So I told him to stay put because he will be safer there. It was only last night when the impact of the typhoon really hit me after I talked to my brother. He was in a panic asking me where our parents where. It was then that I realized it was me who was connecting all of them. My mom was texting me, he was texting me, even my cousin was texting me. But they weren't able to contact each other. My brother told me our little chow-chow didn't survive the floods. Mini was gone. The other dogs were safe. He said the water inside our house was neck-deep, and nothing was salvaged. It was only then that I started to worry. I guess I'm sad for my family. I'm not sure if I could have done something for them. I couldn't even go to them because most roads were not passable. I could only pray that everyone will be safe.

It was also yesterday when friends started texting me how my family was. I think they saw it on the news. I wasn't even aware how they knew or what they've seen on the news. Thanks so much for the concern. It felt like you were more concerned with my family than I was. And for that...thank you! I am so so grateful my family's safe. Even though we lost every thing in our house, I know nothing will compare to the loss of a love one. I am grateful my family was spared from this disaster. No one was harmed.