My Typhoon Ondoy Story

September 26, 2009. 12:00 noon As usual I clocked out on time. This time I was really anxious to go home since I don't want to get stuck in a traffic. On my way home, I can't believe that some of the streets were already flooded. I knew that I'll have trouble on my way to Zapote. That place is so notorious during rainy season. And I was right. So damn right! No vehicles could pass by that part of Las Pinas. It was submerged!

I was starting to panic. I don't know what I'll do. I was contemplating on calling my niccolo, to go back to the office. I don't want to get stranded on my own. On the hand, I was thinking of braving the flood. Bahala na si Batman, lulusong ako sa baha! So I called my papa, who told me he was on the way to Zapote to get me. So there, I was feeling relieved.

But not too soon. When I saw my father, he told me that we'll have to walk from Zapote to our house since the streets were flooded at least waist-high. We needed to get home as soon as possible because my mama was home all alone and the flood was raising higher. I was scared to continue because some people were almost washed away due to the strong current. So hand in hand, we continue to set through the flooded street of Zapote, when a strong gush of flood almost washed me away! Pardon my cheesiness but all I could think was my niccolo. I don't want to die before we could get married. *Sniff* *Sniff* I will forever be thankful to the men who cross the flooded street until I was able to find a safer spot. I never though I'd feel grateful being passed around like a ball. At the back of my mind, I was cursing the city government of Las Pinas for failing to extend any help. Anyone could have died there!

5 hours later and dead tired, I was finally home. As expected it was also blackout. Our house is pretty much higher than most of our neighbors but it was also caught by the flood. First time it happened to us. Hanggang binti pa! When I got home I could still see the wheels of our car but less than an hour later, it was almost near the window.

Hay... of course we really can't do anything but pray that it'll be okay in the end. My parents also told my brother not to come home anymore for fear that he'll just get stranded. So after checking my dogs and helping my parents transfer things upstairs, I was able to listen to our battery-powered radio. I guess we were still lucky since most of Metro Manila were flooded up to their second floor. One just have to think of the other less fortunate to be able to still appreciate life.