A year after

Ondoy was a traumatic experience for many Filipino families. Mine was no exception. I was not able to write about it right after it happened because of the shock and disbelief; I was not even able to take photos for remembrance or for evidence, because everything happened so fast.

For us, it was just another typhoon, because we have grown quite used to the idea that nonstop rains meant that floodwaters would again be entering our house. As far as I can recall the events of that fateful Saturday morning of September 27, 2009:

· We had started to move our things up to the second floor when the rains fell; at 10am the floodwaters started coming into the house; the power was cut off when the waters reached the sockets.
· I wore then 8-month-old Aren in a carrier while I arranged things in the bedrooms to accommodate bigger items, and as my mom and our helper brought them up. We left the living and dining sets, heavy tables, the ref, and other stuff that were ok to sink in floodwaters.
· The waters steadily rose as the rains fell throughout the afternoon; we helplessly looked out the window at how high the floods in the streets were; good thing my phone was fully charged enough to be able to reply to calls and texts from tatay and concerned friends.
· Good thing we had a few supplies of biscuits and bread. We ate from paper plates on the second floor. Good thing, too, we have just sterilized Aren’s bottles the night before. I peed in his used diapers.
· When I scanned the first floor with a flashlight once, among the things I saw above the water were the LPG tank floating among other plastics, the top half of the main switch, part of the cupboards where I kept two big cans of Aren’s milk, top half of our framed decors.
· Good thing Aren was not walking then yet, or he would have insisted on going down! However, it was also hard to play with him on the bed the whole day to keep his attention, and stay awake just to fan him the whole night.
· By nightfall, the rains had slowed down but had not stopped completely. Our terrified neighbor was calling through the window for us not to leave her and her year-old grandson and helper behind.
· We heard people from the back apartment packing food and clothes and getting “picked up” with a large salbabida. Our other neighbor had also called for help and was picked up at around 7pm. It was then that we realized that if the rains did not stop, we could be trapped too. I had also started packing Aren’s bag, and my bag, and talking with my mother about our options for rescue.
· Luckily, the rains stopped at around 8pm, and the floodwaters started to subside shortly after. We just picked up the main furniture and gave the first floor a quick rinse and sweep, but we had to sleep to regain our energy for cleaning the next day.

Aren had no choice but to stay in the second floor with my mom for another day while we were cleaning. When the electricity was safe to use, we turned on the tv and saw telethons! It was then that I realized that it was a nationwide disaster! Not just a thing that we considered normal.

It took us days to clean up entirely. We had to throw away many items, as many other victims were forced to. Many of our sockets got busted. Our relatives in other parts of Quezon City were luckier than we were; some of them did not see a single inch of water inside their house. We started to develop a contingency plan; my mom said in another impending typhoon, she would take my baby and his bag to my sister’s in Tandang Sora. She did not want another Ondoy.

Neither did I. It was the main reason why we decided to leave the comfortable, ideally-located apartment that we stayed in for 35 years. I had a baby and my parents were not getting any younger. We can no longer afford to move our things from the first floor to the second floor everytime rains would start pouring. Our peace of mind was far more valuable. Despite the slightly more expensive rent, I have no regrets.

The sweetest sound

I got a ym the other day while I was at work...

Rands: matutuwa ka kay Aren pag-uwi mo
Nades: bakit?
Rands: buo nya na yung “ma-mi”

(in my previous posts I have been open in saying that Aren has not been talking clearly yet, and that I am not worried [yet]. Since he was about 15 months, he has been saying “ma” to refer to me.)

Needless to say, it made my day. Early as it was, I was excited to go home. Finally, it was the moment... Rands asked Aren that night, “sino daw ‘to?" (pointing to me)...

...Aren: “Di yan” (scuttles away)

Yes, the bubble was burst... Aren has learned to say “di yan” earlier than the other words, so he uses that expression often, but it’s cute sometimes. Just not when he is being asked to say “mommy” though. So we didn’t push it. We know him better.

Two nights later, when I came home, he digs into my bag and finds my ID. We were all watching the news, when suddenly i heard it, “Ma-mee.”

My heart leapt!

It took a second for me to realize it, but I’m sure I heard it. He was looking at my picture and recognized me. All I was able to say was “woooooow!” and I hugged him.

It was the sweetest sound I have ever heard in years. Wow, so that was what it felt like...

Since then, he has said it a couple or so times a day. Not really to call me, but when Rands points to my picture and asks him who that is.

No matter... he doesn’t have to call me because my attention is all his every day that I am home.

When my sister heard it, she said, “naku once nagstart na yan marunong magsabi ng mommy...”

I know what she means. I’m not sure I’m ready for that, but so far, I’m loving this new development.