Getting stuck in the office for two days without fresh clothes to change into wasn’t something I relished. But choosing between the deluge outside, the torrential rains, my flooded apartment and the uncertain fate that awaited me if I braved the equally uncertain circumstances at NLEX to go home to my family in the province, it was a no-contest.
Staying at the office was still the logical choice.
At least, there was electricity, a ready comfort room, a couch to sleep on, continuous supply of clean drinking water, coffee and chocolate drinks. Plus, 7-11 and Mini Stop were living up to their 24-hour convenience promise. There were several of us stranded for the same reason, and boy, the feeling of helplessness was palpable.
One colleague asked how I was doing, and when I told her about my inability to properly clean up, I felt bad. There I was irked by the mundane when people were in much worse situations outside.
I am an Ondoy survivor, and my Typhoon Ondoy story was far worse than this one. Then again, I can’t say the same for the good old neighbors we left behind when my husband and I decided to relocate the family some place else. Last I heard, the flood in our former neighborhood had gotten chest-deep that people in houses without upper floors had been forced to evacuate.
I had been there and done that, and it’s a scenario I’d rather not relive.
I’ve made it safely home. I was tuned in to Twitter the whole time, and the moment @NLEXTraffic confirmed that NLEX was passable to all types of vehicles, after almost 36 hours of stay in the office, I was aboard a taxi and on the way to the bus terminal.
I was mentally prepared to get stuck somewhere along the expressway considering there were still flooded areas, especially in the Balagtas area of Bulacan, but the ride sailed on smoothly. Thank God for small favors.
My heart goes out to those whose lives have been upended by this calamity, those who had been worrying long enough, waiting for their loved ones to come home, those away from their homes, bailing water out of their homes, those whose properties had been destroyed, those now wondering what the future holds.
Stay safe, everyone.
Image courtesy of Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
OMG! I couldn’t imagine the same thing happening to me. But kudos to you for braving Ondoy last year and for being sensible enough to relocate. You’ve survived two days in the office without going home. I’m sure you’ll survive the meditation retreat too that I blogged about.
Right after Ondoy, relocating had been foremost in my mind. If we can help it, there just is no way my husband and I are going to subject the kids to the same situation.
And yes, now that you’ve mentioned it, the meditation should be a breeze compared to my being stranded in the office!
OMG too! you’ve been stuck in the office and worried about yourself but most especially your home.But your decision of just staying in the office is the best thing you did.We experienced the flood when we were still living in Pasay, good thing we had the second floor and then I still remember all of us bailing water to get rid of the dirty water stocked in our ground floor. But those were the days, flood was not worst and much better than nowadays.
Yes, Mami Tess. It was torture thinking about what’s going on outside and being helpless because there wasn’t much I could do. And yes, how times have changed. When I was little, flooding was alien to me. Now that I have my own little ones, flooding has become a common occurrence, especially during the rainy season.
This year’s is really surprising! Yung mga dito sa amin na di dating binabaha eh nabiktima kaya nakakatakot. It’s really something!
I agree, Mitch. Everyone’s caught by surprise. And mind you, there isn’t any storm yet. Thanks for dropping by!
Surprisingly, that kind of weather is not much worst like storms but still it drops like a bomb on the Philippine area. I think the government need to work harder on giving more updates about the sudden calamity like that. Be safe everyone!.
Aside from updates, something has to be done about clogged waterways as well. Thanks for dropping by, Brian!
What the future holds? It is what we’re doing the present time that determines what will be the future. Experiences in any kind are the best sources on what to do and what to expect in the future.
I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks for dropping by, Sir Gil!
interesting story.
Thanks for visiting, Fifi!