Ondoy Chronicles
September 25, Friday.
It rained the whole day. I was thinking that there’d be flooding in our streets tomorrow and I might just cancel the meeting with Ruel. I was online the whole night from 9pm onwards, checking on my Facebook account, my Multiply account, my emails, etc. I only realized that it was 2am already when the subdivision guard hollered that the creek has already overflowed.
September 26, Saturday.
I got the car keys and transferred the car to higher ground, at the back of DMC Building
I was still online and posting on my Facebook account. But I had to turn the computer off since the flood water was beginning to rise. I disconnected all peripherals and put them on a higher place. The CPU went on top of papa’s bookshelf, the rest were on the topmost shelf of the computer table where the printer was.
Come lunchtime, the rain hasn’t stopped yet. So my dad, our maid, and I began putting stuff up where the flood water won’t reach them. We put up our furniture on top of the table. Two comicboxes went up on top of the cabinet (which was fastened to the wall), another two comicboxes on top of the refrigerator then two more on top of the entertainment shelf (where the dvd players, the tv, the dvds were). My books and other stuff went on top of my bed which is like 7 or 8 feet above ground, and on top of the clothes cabinets inside my room.
All throughout this exercise, I realized that the floodwater was rushing in fast. After putting up one comicbox on top of the cabinet (which was fastened to the wall), the water began flooding the space left by my box on the rolling table. So I immediately picked up another box to transfer before all of the boxes got wet.
I asked Emily to shutdown the main electrical switch. I secured my essentials inside my knapsack (cellphones, wallet, money) and we all gathered in the computer area to see the floodwater rise outside the streets. I was getting antsy and asked my father if we have to go out and seek higher ground. The water level has already entered our porch. I told my father to remove all the dogs’ chains so that they will have a chance of surviving the flood if they need to swim out of the house.
When my father saw that I was carrying my bag, he asked me what was inside it. He got mad and said that I would drown if I have to carry my bag with all the essentials in it. I told him, communication is essential. I believe that we would need all the communication lines we can have. I wouldn’t leave my cell phones behind, especially during this deluge. So I grabbed a plastic bag and put all my cellphones, ipod and wallet inside it, tied it tight and braced myself to face the rain and brave the floodwater (which was now waist-deep inside our house, and over my head outside) to reach a higher ground.
oOo
My father recently had an appendectomy and his wounds aren’t all that healed yet. Emily is around 5 feet. So definitely she’d drown immediately if she can’t swim. I, on the other hand, might just make it (although I don’t know how to swim). It was a matter of survival, as the floodwater continued to rise.
My father said that I should cling to a floating ottoman so that I can float toward safety. But when I tried that, the furniture slipped and I had to let it go. I immediately got an idea! Why not cling to the fences and move from fence to fence until I reach safety? That way, I wouldn’t risk myself drowning.
My father saw what I did and he too was somewhat inspired to do it since it’s safer than swimming through the flood. And it would sure be convenient for Emily, too.
My hands, arms and legs were bruised by the plants and thorns that I had to go through as I inched my way to safety by moving from fence to fence. I saw there were ropes and water hoses that were tied from one side of the street to the other. I also saw a big guy in front of the Inacay residence and he asked me if I needed help or if I could swim. There was a hose tied from his gate to the Inacay’s gate. I told him I can’t swim and he said that he’d help me reach the hose so I can get to safety (which turned out to be the Inacay’s residence, they have a second floor.). By this time, I tried to grab the hose by clutching at the dalandan tree. My mistake! The dalandan tree had long thorns and my hand was badly pricked. I had to let go and pushed myself to swim and grab the hose. The big guy yelled his assurance that I’m almost there and he grabbed my hand and I was able to grasp the rubber hose. As soon as I got my bearings, the big guy said that I should get inside the Inacay residence. Ryan was there to welcome me. The big guy’s wife was also there, along with Ryan’s wife and three kids. There was also Henry and his household composed of two girls and a boy). All in all, fourteen people occupied the Inacay residence.
It’s going to be a long night.
oOo
When my father and Emily arrived at Ryan Inacay’s house, Papa was full of stories about how Emily almost drowned. He had to tell it again and again at some point. There was some food, a leftover mechado that’s about to spoil the following day. We took part of it. There was some sliced bread, too. It was shared by all.
Early that night, when the big guy whose name was El Rey (we now call each other Tuks as Tukayo or namesake), and I were at the porch, my neighbor sought our help if they can transfer their mother, who’s paralyzed from waist below, to Ryan’s place. I told them that they better do it now since the rain has stopped. And it would be difficult for them once the rain starts and when the current begins to flow. To which El Rey agreed with me.
Around the same time, we heard a girl on the other side of the street. Her house was adjacent to the Inacay’s. She was starting to panic because the flood was beginning to rise in her place. And she hollered for help to which El Rey responded.
Soon enough, our neighbor whose old mother was paralyzed from waist down was brought in by her grandson on a cabinet that was made into a boat. There were two dogs in it, too. Moments later, the panicky girl from the adjacent house (her name was Venus), came in with her grandma and her maid.
As soon as everyone was settled on the second floor (which is actually the master’s bedroom), we waited for the rain to subside. We also waited for some signs if the floodwater would start to flow to the river. But something else happened. Even though the rain has stopped, the level of flood water kept on rising.
Panic time!
oOo
There was one window in the master’s bedroom leading to the roof of the garage and up to the roof of the house. I asked Ryan if it was okay to tear down the window grill that blocked our entry to the roof. Ryan said he’s okay with it. El Rey asked Ryan to get the jack from the car so they can start jacking up the window to loosen the grills. Ryan went down to the garage that was already flooded up to his neck. He felt with his foot and he almost gave up if not for the words of encouragement from El Rey that he can find it.
Ryan went back to the second floor and handed the jack to Henry and El Rey’s wife. Henry was holding the jack while the wife was the one turning the lever. I was shining a light on them since it’s become dark already. El Rey told us that the water was almost an inch to the second floor.
As soon as they were able to loosen three steel bars, it was up to me and Henry to bend the steel bars so that we may all be able to pass through. I ended up doing the steel bending myself. And we all breathed a sigh of relief that we already have a way up to the roof.
The flood water didn’t rise up anymore.
oOo
There was a mattress on the roof being left to dry. Half of it was already dry. And I ended up sleeping on the dry part. Three people from Henry’s party were also on the roof sleeping. While the rest were on the second floor trying their best to rest.
September 27, Sunday.
Papa was fidgety. He really wanted to go back to the house as soon as he can. I told him that the streets are still flooded and the water level was still way up our heads. Besides, his wound from his recent appendectomy isn’t completely healed yet. It might get infected.
He was bugging me every hour that he should go back to our house. He wanted to check on our dogs. And as soon as the water level went down to chest level, he started his way back to our house.
Papa went up the fence much to my protest. He didn’t listen to my protests that what he was doing was bad for his condition. His shorts got stuck on one of the fence’s steel. And he almost slipped but did not. I was really fuming but kept myself in check. I went out of the gate to see if I can stop him but he was already on the second house’s fence. I almost slipped and grabbed onto the dalandan tree (which was full of thorns). I was able to grab the rubber hose and steady myself. I was already neck-deep in the water and all I can do was watch my father inch his way, fence by fence, to our house.
I had no choice but to wait it out till the streets are passable for me and Emily. So we still stayed in Ryan’s house for the night.
September 28, Monday.
I texted my boss that I will be absent for the whole week and told him that if Sasa can deposit my salary through ATM. I also asked if he can pay me the remaining balance of his loan from me. He didn’t text back.
Around after lunch, there was still flood on the streets, up to the waist. But it was enough for me and Emily to go back to our house and check what Typhoon Ondoy has done to our property. Papa was there to receive us and told me how Bogart almost drowned (the dog’s chains got caught somewhere. It was a good thing that he insisted on going home to free Bogart before he drowned).
There was still flood inside the house. But I can see all the damage. And it was really, really heart breaking. The entertainment center was face down on the flooded floor, scattering all my dvd and cd collection. The dvd players were hanging out. The tv was turned over, submerged on the flood. The two boxes of comicbooks which I put on top of it were gone. The ref was on the floor. And the two boxes of comicbooks that I put on top of the ref were also gone. The computer table was upturned. The monitor destroyed. The rest of the computer peripherals were all submerged. Good thing the CPU was still intact atop the bookshelf. The gas stove was wet. Its burner parts were somewhere under water. The thermos was wet... The flat iron... The coffee maker...
Inside my room, my whole bookshelf was submerged in the flood. My toys inside the shelf are all swimming in mud. The books! Ohhh… they’re all wet and thick that you won’t be able to get them out of the shelf! And they’re my collection.
I saw my knapsack. It was soaked through and through. And inside it were my PSP and my two USB drives.
Oh well. I guess I just have to let go of it all…
POSTSCRIPT
My uncle came to help us clean up. Even my aunt and my cousin Neneng dropped by. My cousin Mer and Michel brought food with them. And in the coming days, they all brought extra hands to help us clean the house. Even my Kumpareng Joseph helped me clean up the house. Friends from GCF Center
I got clothes from my best friend Ruel. Met him at Coffee Bean in Makati
Papa has been staying with my cousins Mer and Michel since October 2. He has gained weight and his wounds from the appendectomy are beginning to heal, the infection was averted.
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