Light Amidst the Darkness of Despair: My Encounter With Reming

The day started out calmly like any other day with no indication whatsoever of a looming disaster. This seemingly surreal tranquillity felt like a “deep breath before the plunge” as what Gandalf has said in the movie Lord of The Rings before the decisive battle against the Orcs. But this quiet is soon to be broken.

We’ve done packing everything in the house stacking them high enough to avoid the flood that is sure to come. The lesson from Milenyo is still fresh in our memories with the waist-deep water that soaked almost everything and we are not about to let that happen. Again. Or so we thought.

Reming came and furious was he. The torrential rains poured all its rage against our house while we closely watched the water level slowly rise. Protecting the appliances and clothes was foremost in our minds wary of the flood although we expected it not to exceed the level of the previous one brought by Milenyo. Little did we know that trouble was brewing.

The continuous outpour brought with it insane amounts of rainfall and the rising water was more than what we expected. It rose at such an unexpected speed that left us dumbstruck. I saw the plastic closet slowly wobble and crash with a mighty bang to be followed by another. The heavy cabinet housing the television set and the component would then follow. We frantically held on to it as it was slowly being lifted by the still growing flood. Try we did but nature proved to be far stronger and we were left to watch the component on top slowly take a dive with the TV following closely behind. The refrigerator would not be left out and crashed noisily a few minutes later. We were too busy minding the things floating that we failed to notice the rapid rise of the water until it was neck deep. Only then did the danger of drowning in the freezing water sink in.

After seeing the desolation, we decided to abandon all hopes of saving anything and try to go to a safer place. A dry place if you please. We tried to open the front door only to find out that it won’t budge. The lock has been busted and the water is still rising. Shivering from the frigid flood water, we tried everything to pry open the door. Knives, pieces of wood and even bare hands had their share of attempts but to no avail.

The kitchen door was working but using it was dangerous due to the strong current and swimming was not an option. More so on my part since I have the swimming skills of a two-year old. I had the crazy notion of using my mattress as a sort of a boat for us three but pushed the thought aside with the rapid gush of water outside.

Still shivering and harder this time, we were left to think of a way out of the house fast. My brother-in-law shouted for help outside when we saw the landlord and his wife calling for us. They were lucky enough to have a 2nd storey where they were safely tucked. Our shouts were barely heard due to the noise of the combined might of the howling wind and furious rain. And then a saviour came.

The sound of someone shouting from the front door was sweet. Our next-door neighbour was yelling for us to open the door and we replied that we can’t and he would have to pry it open. After using a piece of wood as a battering ram, we saw the door slowly nudge and finally open. Relieved and at the same time exhausted, we got out of the house bringing with us a few change of dry clothes and proceeded to leave the deluged house. A line of clothes tied up was given to us to serve as a rope for us to hold on to due to the still overwhelming water current. Slowly but surely we trod the few meters to safety ignoring the thorny touch of the bougainvilleas.

We were finally on the second floor of the apartment complex and were served steaming coffee. It was the best drink I’ve ever had after enduring such harrowing experience and I was very glad to be on safer ground again. Our hosts were neighbours who until that time were total strangers whom we never had a chance to share smiles with.

In retrospect, I was able to reflect on many things that have transpired since then. I realized that we were too concerned with the things we wanted to save that we failed to give enough recognition to our personal safety. Too focused were we on our material possessions that our very lives were put in jeopardy. Had we evacuated as soon as the typhoon hit, we would have never experienced the horror we faced foolishly.

It was a refreshing feeling to know that people who we consider as total strangers whom we ignore for the most part would be the first to lend a helping hand without asking any questions. They simply chose to risk themselves to help us out of the predicament we are in. In sum, that experience has taught me that in the end all that matters is life and one that is lived with the spirit of sharing.