Stormy Saturday

It was already raining when I got up at 5:30 in the morning. We have a CAT training today at 7am that's why I got up early even I still want top curl up in my bed and sleep.

The wind was so strong outside. When I got to school, Arpon told me that the training was suspended due to the storm. Well, it wasn't really raining that hard, but the wind was strong. May bagyo nga yata.

I stayed at the school for a while. When I went back home, I decided to watch DVD. I was really worried about the mass in the afternoon because it is PEAC's anniversary celebration and Ate Beth told me when we had a meeting that it would be a high mass. I forgot to remind Sir Bautista yesterday for that. I was also worried that only a few choir members would be coming because of the strong rain. Ayyah already PMed me in YM, telling me she won't be able to come because she had a sore throat and was feeling bad. Tan called me up and told me she couldn't come because Pacita was flooded. Tsk.

I still prepared to go to the school for the choir, though. Pumunta si Mama sa Metropolis para bumili ng ink para sa printer namin at sabi niya 'wag daw akong umalis hangga't wala pa yung pinsan ko dahil walang kasama yung kapatid ko. Pero nung nag-2 o'clock na, sumaglit muna ako sa school para sabihin sa mga ka-choir ko na male-late ako. Si Arbu lang ang nadatnan ko.

It was nearly 3pm when my cousin came. I don't usually bring umbrella, but I took one with me because it's raining really hard. Todo hawak nga ako sa payong dahil super lakas ng hangin.

Si Arbu pa rin lang ang nadatnan ko. Stranded ang mga second year na nag-recollection sa school. Sabi ni Ms. Rasdas, 'wag silang umuwi ng walang sundo, kahit sa school na sila matulog. We could see the droplets of the rain whirling around like a whirlpool because of the strong wind. At feeling din namin na wala nang makakadating. Tinawag pa nga namin si Jas na ang bahay ay nasa tabi lang ng school, pero hindi si makakapunta. Baha ang harap ng bahay nila. Eday was our last hope. He told me yesterday that he will come after doing his thesis. But when we text him, he replied to us that he can't probably come dahil baha sa United at walang masasakyan.

Sheda. Duet kami ni Arbu nito sa misa.

The second year students who were stranded were brought home by the teachers. Inuwi sila sa boarding house nila at nag-abiso na lang sa guard. Yung mga babae yata, kila Ms. Varcas at yung mga lalaki ay kila Sir Liwag. They were telling us to go home and not to attend mass because of the storm, but of course, we couldn't and we wouldn't.

Sabi rin ng guard na umuwi na kami at baha na sa tapat ng Liceo. And when we looked outside, true enough, the streets were flooded. We decided to go to the church. "We can do this, Arbu! We can do this!" I was chanting. We rolled our pants to our knees at lumusong kami sa baha. Grabe, first time kong ginawa yun! Malapit na sa tuhod namin yung baha. I was holding tightly on Arbu dahil baka matangay ako sa liit kong ito. I tried to shake away the thoughts of the kind of things we were probably stepping on. At nakaraos naman kami.

There are some people at the side of the church who we think are "evacuees" because they have bag of clothes with them. I asked the lay minister kung tuloy ang misa. Tuloy daw. Dalawang lay minister nga lang ang nandun, at dalawa kaming choir. I asked them if we could wash our feet dahil nga lumusong kami sa baha at tinuro nila yung gripo sa kumbento.

There are no lights inside the church because of the brown out, except on the altar part which is probably being run by the generator. Dun na lang kami puwesto sa baba.

"Tuloy ang misa; walang holiday sa simbahan." was what Arbu had said. Amidst the storm, I feel a warmth inside. Look, we are facing a calamity, and yet, we were at the church, going to celebrate the mass. God is our refuge. This is our devotion. And though I am not a really pious and good person, I am proud because I didn't not let the storm hinder me in singing for the mass, in serving God.

Only a few people were there. One lay minister was the one who read the first reading because there is only one lector. The church was quiet. But looking at those people who listen intently on the mass, I could see hope in their faces. Na para bang ipinagpapasa-Diyos na nila ang nagaganap.

Tig-isa pa kami ng mic ni Arbu. Break the record. Sa buong buhay ko sa choir, limang members lang ang pinaka-konting dumating, until now. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, kung wala siyang masakyan dahil taga-Langgam pa siya, kalampagin niya na lang ako sa bahay at sa'min na siya matulog.

Naidaos naman ang misa. Maaga pa ngang natapos. Hindi na baha sa labas at hindi na ganun kalakas ang ulan. At kahit bumabagyo na, nagkayayaan pa rin kami ni Arbu na mag-7eleven. Pero wala, sarado ang 7eleven at baha sa loob. Punta naman kami sa kwek-kwekan, pero wala din kahit isang nagtitinda sa tapat ng school. Punta kami sa Mini-Stop para mag-ice cream (ang lakas ng trip e), kaso wala daw silang ice cream. Kaya 'yon, umuwi na lang kami.

Brown out sa'min. Nung nagka-ilaw na, lumabas ako para alamin kung may masasakyan ba si Arbu. Pumunta ako sa may terminal ng jeep. Yung kalsada kila Eday, baha, pati na rin yung highway. Super lusong pa rin ako sa baha. Nung malapit na ako sa terminal, mali ang tapak ko at lumubog ako hanggang bewang. Sheda. Ang lambot pa naman ng natapakan ko. Kung hindi kanal yun, baka yung parang manhole. Kinilabutan ako dahil nag-flash bigla sa isip ko kung manhole yung natapakan ko, kaya balik ako sa may sidewalk. Hinintay ko na lang hanggang makasakay si Arbu.

Grabe. Super salanta ang ginawa ng bagyong Ondoy. The news is all about it. Kahit mga artsita nasalanta na.

Nang magka-kuryente na ulit, I opened the computer. I remember the movie that Arbu was telling me a while ago about the end of the world. 2012. And it somewhat gave me creeps.