It started slow, woke with a sweet sound of weak rain. The rythmic sound of it was soothing to my ear. Okay, got to get up. It's Saturday morning, enopi day for Kyle. After a few hours, we got into the car. My wife Glenda will just drop us there and will just get us after lunch. Going there, we can see that the streets were already flooded but we did not think it will get any worse. It usually floods during rainy days anayways and this is just like one of those days.
We got there and a few more minutes, I got a text from Glenda saying it was already like knee deep near the entrance of our subdivision. They were parked just near that location. Good thing, there was a back gate the the subdivision only uses for emergency, so they got of the car and walked just to get home, the water was now above their knees. Our nanny carrying my two and a half years old baby Shawn. It was a good thing that they did. After an hour they'll be stranded for good because that place got flood, neck high.
While all that was happening, a few more hours and the rain just kept on pouring and the water kept rising. We heard news that they had to open dams because the water level is already too much. With that, I knew I'll be stranded with my five year old kid. I was hoping that the situation would change for the better. We went to a mini-mall bought some stuffs at the supermarket and stayed dry as long as we could. I decided to go to the computer shop so that my kid could play some online games while I think. I have always been like this, I need to plan things through before doing what know I had to do. Observing and planning over 5 options before time runs out. Around 5pm, the mall closed so we had to go out to look for possible transportation to anywhere. At this point there is no way for us to go home, it was already neck high of water outside our subdivision, it was already flooded inside our house and my wife texted me to go find shelter for kyle. That is the prime objective. Keeping my boy safe.
People outside the mall are all worried and wet. There are people offering rides using their carts and asking for 70pesos for the ride. I remembered that there was an inn near by. By this time it was already dark we have to move fast. Kyle was reluctant at first to go into the water, I told him it was like at the beach, remembering that he agreed to walk with me, the water was up to his knees, unfortunately, that inn was darn closed and with no lights. so we walked some more. I think we took the right road since at the end of it was on higher grounds. There, we took a taxi that was lucky to pass by and decided to take a u-turn. Thankfully he agreed to take us to the nearest motel. Yes, the sleazy type. I know it had to be done because my boy was wet and I had to get him dry soon before he could get sick. At this point when he grows up this will be a funny tale to tell. Already checked in at age five.
So, we got there. It has a nice set up with lots of mirrors, Kyle would go counting himself and after told me there are 11 kyles inside the room. He's a brave and funny boy. Then after cleaning up, and fortunately Kyle's yaya made me bring his red backpack. It has kyle's clothes, snacks and water. We watched TV, he basically wanted to watch the racing car channel and the cartoons but when we finallyn watched the new, he screamed " Sa Atin yan!" That were we live!. He was right, the most famous image on the news was at ortigas bridge. That is the starting point of where people sends in help towards the worst affected area where houses are literally under water.
We stayed there until monday morning. He wants to go home, my cel died. My wife called us up using the only living celphone in the house which is my mother in law's. Imagine that phones lasted 2days? What a battery and to think she was texting people left and right, I even sent her 100 pesos worth of load before my celphone went braindead :)
Finally, we got home. Fortunately, everyone's safe. The flooded destroyed a lot of stuffs including hundred copies of komiks we are selling. Fortunately not all of them, so I figured we could still get up to break even.
It will take another few days for things gets back to normal. Electricity is back on, phone lines too, just waiting for our DSL to finally kick in. I heard there is another storm coming. I pray it won't be as bad as this one.
Oh how I pray...
