Our faculty group in St. Scholastica's started contacting each other the minute the flood hit. Some of us were in school, others were at home, still some others were at home. But thanks to mobile technology and mass communication, we were able to keep in touch as if we were beside each other.
Now, 2 days after the flood, we once again shared each other's stories via email. Most of the stories were those of flooded houses, floating furniture and frantic calls. I had my own "surreal and first-of-its-kind" experience during this flood. Rose and I promised to write about it as soon as we had the opportunity, and this is the story I shared with the faculty.
=============================================
Saturday started out like any ordinary day. It was raining since the night before, but when I got to Taft around 7am, the roads were normal. I asked Evelyn if there was any word of classes being suspended, and she said no and that things were pretty normal outside. My first class ended and at around 10:30am, I went to Mini-Stop to buy a drink, again, normal and clear outside.
At 11:30am, my class was interrupted by the news that classes are suspended by 12 noon. By the time my classes ended, the walkway to the faculty room was already filled with water. My things were still up on the 2nd floor, and thankfully the guy in charge of locking all the doors was able to get my bag and umbrella.
Upon arrival at Pergola, the place was already swarming with people who couldn't go out because Leon Guinto was already flooded. Pedicabs were offering to shuttle people to Taft for P50/person. Students were wading across the street to Mini Stop hoping the water would subside soon. Rose and I were waiting along with students, parents, staff and co-faculty, still hoping to go home.
By 1 pm, the water found its way from Leon Guinto into Pergola. People had to move farther and farther away as the water went higher and higher. The parking lot was already flooded and covered half of the tires. Water reached the information office and Amrhein gallery had puddles inside. Because of the rising water levels, creatures of every phylum and class were crawling out. Shrieks from students could be heard as centipedes started swimming about. A cockroach even found its way into my pants! It was already on my knee by the time I realized it was there. Thank goodness I'm not squeamish.
At around 1:30pm, the nuns started giving out crackers and candies, and a few minutes later, started serving lunch. This was when it hit us that we might be there longer than we would've wanted to. But like everyone in Pergola, we were still hoping that the water would subside and we'd get to go home.
Thankfully, Ellen was there and she gave us updates as they came. She was tirelessly coordinating with Sr. Tammy and bracing for what looked like a massive evacuation.
By 4 pm, our open field officially became an Olympic sized swimming pool. The canteen became an island and could only be reached through makeshift bridges(made of benches), and everyone had to be evacuated to the 2nd floor of the high building. At that point, Rose and I accepted the fact that we'd be spending the night in school.
We were all assigned rooms: two for female students, one for the male students, another one for the faculty and another for the staff. Some of the male faculty - including myself - were staying with the boys. They were gregarious, very noisy, and constantly hungry.
Night fell and it was still raining, the water was still rising, and everyone was talking about how a flood of this magnitude has never happened in SSC. While the "adults" were busy contacting family and trying to find a way to watch the news, the "kids" were happily walking around the corridors, meeting up with their friends and treating the entire thing as if it were a "retreat-meets- soiree."
According the the guards, there were around 800 people in SSC that time. Aside from the college unit, there were students and teachers from the HS unit, some night school students, and some kids who were there for the entrance exam. Even after "lights out", the school was still buzzing with activity.
I woke up at 4am and saw that the rain finally stopped, and the water inside SSC already subsided. Leon Guinto was still knee-deep in water, though.
The sun rose at around 6am and everyone saw the school grounds were finally dry. When I opened the window to look at this sight, I thought to myself: "So, this must've been how Noah felt when he saw dry land." It was a feeling of relief, happiness - and of course - thankfulness that the entire episode was over.
While hearing about the devastation that Ondoy created in Marikina and Pasig, it made me realize how we were blessed by being in the situation we found ourselves in. We had a secure shelter, we were dry, and we were being fed regularly. We were given a dry (albeit hard) and airconditioned space to sleep in, and supplies to get us through the night.
Another "blessing" that night was Ellen herself. Apparently, she wasn't scheduled to go to SSC that Saturday, but decided to drop by. Rose and I were saying that she was "sent" to SSC because there was a mission waiting for her there. She really made the "evacuation" process very efficient and orderly - along with all the nuns and staff who tirelessly cooked and arranged everything for us.
In the morning, Ellen asked me if I know the story of Sts. Scholastica and Benedict, and my reply was I didn't. Apparently, St. Benedict was scheduled to leave and St. Scholastica was convincing him to stay, but to no avail. So St. Scholastica prayed and asked for a way for St. Benedict to say. The rains came and kept St. Benedict from leaving and he was able to spend more time with his sister.
This was probably St. Scholastica' s way of taking care of us. If I stubbornly pushed through with my plan to try and go home - I would've probably spent the night in the middle of the street: trapped, drenched and hungry. But because it rained hard, and I stayed, I was in a better situation.
As everything starts to "sink in" (pun intended), I'm thankful to hear that all of us are safe. We each have our own stories to tell, and the fact that we're here telling our stories is already a huge blessing from above.
No comments:
Post a Comment