I was seating awed and worried at home in Malolos while watching the news on TV of storm Ondoy’s wrath as it ploughed thru Manila. It was a nightmare for a good part of Manila and suburbs residents especially in the eastern side of Manila where flood waters rose up to six (6) meters high. The storm dumped what could have been the highest in forty (40) years of rainfall history in the Philippines. It really brought havoc as villages were inundated, streets were made impassable, and watercraft sometimes rendered unusable due to the current. Hundreds of lives were lost, millions in damages were brought about by nature’s wrath.
Water was slowly inching as well in our village but it was not as bad as what we see on TV. We were used to this anyway having dealt with floods even in my younger years. I was worried though for my daughter. She works on graveyard shift in one of the Call Canters in Makati. She sent me a message thru SMS, at 8am, after she left the office, that she was ok and will likely be late for home after she had to see friends. It was her weekend off.
Wrong decision! Daichelle thought she could go thru the mess of traffic and deluge amidst the storm. Unfortunately again, her cell phone was now running out of battery. Last SMS I got was around 5pm and she was somewhere in Cubao, on her way to MRT, hoping she will not end up stranded. Well – she got stranded! The train was running but the train office was out of power – free fare for everyone. Luckily, she was with a friend who gave her shelter that night. She and her friend took a pedicab to a nearby safe area on their way to her friend’s house . I spent the whole nigh awake waiting for her.
At 8am the following day, she again sent me a message – thank God! She was okay. It was the only time I felt relieved and remembered I have yet to sleep. while that may not be anything compared to what others may have felt or had to deal with, it was nonetheless something to surely worry any parent.
