It was a rainy Saturday morning. I woke up at around 6am. Toni and I had a plan to go jogging in preparation for a marathon the next day. But it was raining. Jogging was not possible by then. So I decided to go to the gym instead. My nanay, before I left the house, said, “O bumabagyo aalis ka pa?” I answered her “hindi yan, babalik din po ako ng lunch time”. Then I’m off to gym with my gym stuffs, a jacket and an umbrella. I also opt to bring a cosmo mag with me. It was raining hard. But I managed my way finding a jeep going to Robinsons Metroeast. On my way, there were already some flooded areas especially along Imelda Avenue in front of Makro Cainta and Village East (where Camille Prats and her family are residing). I thought it was just an ordinary flood since this is a low area and always the first to be flooded even with a small rain. So I did not mind. It was raining all the time. I arrived at the gym and hurried up for a body combat at ten. Work out… work out… work out… I thought the rain outside is subsiding…but it was not. The gym is unusually empty. There were only 15 attendees of Body Combat which usually can really overload the studio. It was the weather that prevented them from going to the gym. In my mind, “Is it that serious?”
I finished my routine at around 2pm. I took a bath and prepare for a haircut in the nearby Bench Fix. Ian said my hair is already getting annoying. However, John, my stylist was not able to report to the saloon because of the weather. Again, a question popped in my mind “really? Is the rain that serious?” so instead I planned to go home instead. But when I saw the road outside MetroEast, all I could say was “Oh my God”. The road is already covered with chocolatey water and it was flowing, rushing, like rio grande rapids. Again, the situation did not sink in. I got back to the gym to make “tambay” while waiting for the rain and the flood to subside. I was still optimistic that I could go home that night.
5 o’clock, 6’o clock, 7’oclock. I spent my time reading the Cosmo I brought (whew! Buti nalang dinala ko ito kase if not, hello boredom!). The people inside the mall are not lessening but instead they are growing in numbers little by little. Most of them were seated on the floor, opportunistically charging their cell phones using the mall electricity outlets, and chatting with each other. Most of them were students, fresh from their class suspensions. Obviously they couldn’t go out the mall yet because of the flood outside. In short, we were all trapped-slash-stranded (we were “strandees”) in the mall. At around 8pm, the management of the mall decided to shoo away the strandees to the parking area, because the mall would be closing in any minute (turning off the lights and all). I thought we (fitness first members) were lucky enough we were comfortably staying inside the club but a guard soon told us that ALL people should go to the parking area for safety reasons too. So I got my stuffs. But before going to the parking lot Tirsh (a new found friend, she is an FF member too) and I went to the middle of the mall (where there is a hole for you to see the lowest floor) to make “usyoso” what’s happening on the ground floor. Again, all I could say was “Oh my God!” the chocolatey water I saw earlier outside is rushing into the ground floor of the mall and into the grocery area.
This is the time when the situation sank in to me. Kinilabutan ako sa nakita ko. Kinabahan ako. In my mind, “this is already serious.” The rushing water is destroying a carnival set-up in the ground floor and the stores in that level. I texted my mom and told I could not go home because of the flood and instead I would just stay in a “friend’s house” nearby. Yes I lied. I was getting scared by then.
It’s humid in the parking area. I got a chance to look at the outside world and saw that the whole area was covered with muddy water and the water is rushing. A lot of vehicles were being carried by the current. The scene is devastating. Max’s and Goldilocks I guessed are giving away foods but we were not able to get some. Kanya kanyang latag ng karton/dyaryo sa parking area. Some stayed in their car. The parking seemed to be a multilayered evacuation center. I texted my friends to know their situation.
Toni and Tina were staying in their neighbor’s house (with 2nd floor) because the water in Vista Verde was alarming. Toni’s house had chest-high water. Tina’s had waist-high.
Tirsh’s parents, who were living in Town and Country Subdivision along Marcos Hi-way, were already in their neighbor’s house too.
Karl who house is in Green park Cainta was already in their roof.
Well, me? I was staying in the parking area of Robinsons Metroeast with my co-strandees, nothing to eat (my last meal was an egg-stuffed pandesal before I left home) and drink and waiting for this rain and flood to subside. I just thought how lucky am I compared to these guys.
9pm, the management let the strandees to enter the mall. Naawa siguro. So we went back to Fitness First. This time, all of us were tuned in one station to get news in the outside world. Marikina is already drowning (Kristine Reyes is already in their roof crying). Goodness. Good thing our place is at a higher location so no worries of getting flood inside the house. But still, I was worried and wished that I were with my family.
“So I will be staying my night at the gym”, I told myself.
A few more hours of watching the news then Tirsh and I decided to sleep already. We slept on a soft fitness first sofa foam at around 12mn, hoping that when I wake up the next day, everything would be okay. It is somewhat a comfortable sleep except for the snores of some co-fitness first strandees.
At around 5am, everybody were already up and were watching the news. I did my morning regimen – hilamos, and brush my teeth. The chismis was no more water so we could already go home but the traffic is super heavy daw. So I packed my things and went outside the mall to check the outside world. The sun was already shining but I could still see the thick clouds. Traffic is very heavy – bumper to bumper or rather a long parking lot along the road? I bid my goodbye to Tirsh and told her to take care while making “lusong” to the baha on her way. I decided to walk the direction of my home – hoping that the sidewalks were already dry. A lot of people were walking because there were no jeeps as well. But it was not a long walk because the road soon was replaced by a long chocolatey river. It was not passable yet. Chismis are, Karangalan area still had waist-deep water and at Junction, the water is up to the neck. There were trucks that take people but according to them, even trucks were not allowed to pass through the flood (tumitirik kahit truck!) so I opt to stay in the area…wait again for the flood to subside and the roads to be passable.
I told myself “okay, I cannot go home yet” so I look for a seat at Baang Coffee in Sta Lucia, which experienced a little damage too because of the flash flood the previous night. I distruct my boredom by listening and watching people.
One crowd is talking about an exam they had the previous day. Their professor told them “kahit anong mangyari tuloy ang exam”.
Yun naman isang crowd which is a group of call center agents managed their way from Ortigas by walking through the flood up to here.
Most of them still were students with their brownish uniforms signs of “paglusong sa baha”.
10am when I felt hunger. I thought of Ministop so I went back to Robinsons MetroEast. On my way I saw a Gardenia truck, a long line of people is following them. I told myself “This is already serious. I can only see this scene in TV during calamity but this time, I can see the scene with my two naked eye”
When I arrived at ministop, I was shocked (“Oh my God” again) to see a long line of people before the door. Apparently, the guard is already controlling the foot traffic inside the shop. Baka dinumog kanina ng mga strandees. I took a gulp of my laway and look for the ending of the line. I was damn hungry. 30mins of lining up, I was able to get my food. Thank goodness they had enough stocks of bottled beverages and Kariman. I bought two bottles of FAB (no more bottled water), one tuna kariman, one small Pringles, a pack of tissue and a facial cleanser (no more alcohol!). I supposed this was enough. I was still optimistic that I would have my dinner at home.
On my way going back to Baang Coffee (it was the most comfortable place I could find), the traffic was still heavy, and the Gardenia truck was still there but no more lines (I hope they were able to supplyenough bread for those who were in line). I found the same strandees as when I left the place. My chair was still there, available. I took a seat and eat the Tuna Kariman and a Fab (mango flavor, my favorite!).
5pm, 6 pm, 7pm (I’m done reading Cosmo, I was thinking to read it again), 8pm, 9pm, zzzzz
All in all, I had only 3 hours of sleep. It rained during the nights but Thank God it did not cause another flood. It was very cold but good thing I was with my jacket. When I woke up, I start walking to look for an open establishment to charge my phone. It was 6 am then. I was able to negotiate with Mcdo guys to let me use their electricity for charging.
This time, there were no more water and mud in the area, no more heavy traffic too. But still no jeeps and buses yet to take me home. I decided to walk. No more water. The road is continuous except for occasional think muds and a long pile of “abandoned” vehicles. Luckily, there I saw a jeep who just decided to make “pasada” and I immediately grab the handle and ride in it. On my way home, water was still present in some parts but it’s already manageable. The highest that I saw was ankle-deep.
When I got home, I immediately turned on the TV to get some news about the situation. I realized that I was still lucky as compared to those who lost their home and life. All I could say is “Oh my God, Thank you!”
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