Weathering Ondoy

A month and a half ago, I succumbed to the pressure of my children to set me up in a condo near my office. Let me tell you what a great relief it is to wake up two hours before shift to prepare my packed “lunch,” workout a bit, shower and get dressed. After shift, I walk home leisurely and have about four hours for household chores and to catch up either on reading or email or both, before I hit the sack.

My sons and daughters were right about moving to a condo to spare me from the hassles of living in Antipolo. It was like going to war everyday that I had to come to work. My battle gear consisted of a flashlight, an umbrella, a raincoat, a jacket, a foot towel, my trusty slippers and food contingency.

On the day Ondoy struck, my mind was preoccupied with how to end the month with better metrics, that is, what to push some more, urgh! I wasn’t paying attention to weather reports either, and who ever did take those seriously?

Many hours into sleep, I roused from bed having felt suddenly warm. I first wondered if I hadn’t turned the air conditioner on but then, my electric fan was off too. Outside my unit, there were just the emergency lights in the corners of the corridors. My neighbors were apparently prepared; some had their doors opened, some had candles lit, others had rechargeable lamps. All I had was half of a 6-inch candle and a newly bought scented one which I reluctantly had to use. And four hours more till sunrise!!

As I now keep thinking how lucky I am to be on the 12th floor of a condominium building and thankful to my children for this endowment, I owe some people prayers that they may be able to recover from the onslaught of another cruel typhoon.
I’ve had my share of typhoon-related misfortunes – wading in murky water, car submerged in the flood (somewhere in Mandaluyong), waking up into 2 inches of rain water from a leak in the ceiling (somewhere in UP Village), and such.

For the meantime, God must really know how much of a calamity I’ve been through. May I hasten to add, He keeps watch over me for sure, as He does everybody. Not that I am not a sinner, thus exempt from Ondoy’s wrath. Keep the Faith burning…. perhaps one day, we will all get used to having amphibians for cars.