Basa

May butas ang bubong, ngunit huli na ang lahat. Walang tigil ang buhos ng ulan sa labas. At nagsimula nang pumatak ang tubig sa gitna ng sahig. Kumuha siya ng tabo upang sahurin ang tumatagas mula sa itaas. Tak! Tak! Tak! Tunog ng kanyang pagbagsak, sabay sa pagpatak ng bawat segundo sa orasan.

Mahimbing ang mga bata at ang ibang kasambahay. Ngunit di siya makatulog. Malamig ang panahon, pero mula noong isang taon, hindi na niya nakuhang antukin pa sa hele ng ulan. Hindi siya nagsasalita. Parang may hinihintay. May kinatatakutan. Unti-unting napuno ang tabo, hanggang sa ito ay umapaw.

"Sandali, ibubuhos ko lang ang naipong tubig sa lababo."

Sinundan ko ng tingin ang umapaw na tubig. Dumausdos ito sa gilid ng tabo at dahan-dahang gumapang. Pilit tumatakas palabas. Hanggang sa mapansin ko ang mas mabilis na pagdaloy mula sa ilalim ng pinto. Nagmamadali. Mabilis na tinawid ang buong lawak ng sahig. Hanggang ang dalawa ay nagpang-abot.

"Huwag na. Gisingin na natin sila."


photo from here

Apocalypse

It was quiet. Maybe for a few seconds before the low humming started. And then the building let out a deep groan and everything started to convulse. Cracks appeared and quickly spread across the large glass panels, which then exploded into a hailstorm of shrapnel.

The incessant drone of the alarm interspersed with panicked screams. Everyone was on all fours, assaulted by undulating ripples on the floor. We watched as the chandelier swayed wildly like a pendulum counting down to apocalypse. And then everything went dark.

We clung to the carpet as the world gradually regained it's balance. The ground may have stopped shaking, but we could not. We followed the lighted signs out of the potential death trap, and the cold spring air and muted sunshine eased the claustrophobic feeling that was suffocating us.

The alarms continued blaring, but there was relief on the faces of the crowd on the street. Then a shroud of panic descended on everyone as realization set in. Worried voices competed with the drone of the speakers, but with our rudimentary local language skills, we could not understand a thing.

Until we heard a familiar word.

Tsunami.


Based on accounts, not personal experience. Glad to have finally confirmed that my partner's family and my friends in the affected areas are safe. Prayers for the country and its people.


photo credit: twitpic.com/48dazv