A Post Laced with Anger and Dripping with Bitterness

You.

Yes, you.

This post has been sitting in my draft for a month or two already. I would've posted it, save for the fact that I was on blog hiatus in the interim. But for what's it worth, here it goes.

Fuck you.

Channeling Maricel Soriano

Ayoko ng madumi.

Ayoko ng masikip.

Ayoko ng mabaho.


AYOKO NG MAG-COMMUTE SA MRT!!!

*taena, define siksikan dahil sa ulan grrrrrrr*

One Hundred Fifty Pesos

It was past noon.  I was tired and light-headed from pulling an all-nighter.  If I had my way, I'd rather be in bed, sleeping away. But I had no other time to do it.  I had three days to compile my  documents out of thin air.  Time was running against me as there was a holiday looming.  It was now or never.

The Homecoming

"Eternal Wanderer, asan ka na?", our helper texted me at around 12:30 p.m. I was still safely ensconced in Cubao Boy's room after the previous day's harrowing experience. Truth be told, I was loathe to go home. I just wanted to stay in the room, cocooned from all the cares and troubles that I just went through. The thought of the house ruined was too much to bear. After all, it was more than a roof over my head and a place I go to at the end of a weary day. The house was my home. It was where I grew up, and bar-none future disasters, will be the place where I would live out the rest of my life. My heart was wrenching at the thought of having to face the reality of the disaster.

The skies were still overcast as I trudged my way home. Then it started to drizzle slightly. I couldn't help but think that the heavens were gently weeping for what it was seeing. On the streets, I saw the lives of the people out for the whole world to witness: ruined furniture, wet books and papers, dirtied pieces of clothes, slippers, and shoes. It was painful to look at; much more torturous to think that the same scene would greet me when I would get back home.

-----

"Ingat ka. Madulas ang sahig.", I was warned by our helper as I went through the gate.

The aluminum door was propped open, and I entered the house with breath abated.

I almost choked at the sight. It was worse than I imagined it to be.

The old, solid wooden furniture were overturned. Everywhere, the various knick knacks my Dad, Mom, and I collected through the years were strewn about. All the things that we weren't able to put above the water-line were clogged with flood water. Silted mud was on the floor, and there was a reek of stagnating dampness all over.

I carefully tried going around to examine the water damage.

It was pretty much extensive.

For a moment, I was overwhelmed. I didn't know where to start cleaning. Faced with the thought that I only had our helper, her husband, and her nephew for manpower, I almost wanted to give up right there and then. But of course I knew I couldn't.

I looked at my feet. There was a torn comic book lying in the mud. I sighed and slowly picked it up.

One at a time, I told myself.

One at a time.

The Deluge

Our house, the house that I grew up in the whole of my life, had to be abandoned due the flood waters that was fast rising to the roof. My dad and I decided to flee while the waters were waist high inside the living room. The whole household, starting with the kids, perilously climbed the roof to be able to reach higher grounds. I divested myself of the things that were unnecessary, grabbing just my laptop, external hard disc, Itouch, cell phone, chargers, and a change of clothes. The other things, after all, were expendable.

But the one important thing I couldn't bring was Musa, my beloved Rhodesian ridgeback. At one point, I had to go back to my room deep in flood waters because I forgot my wallet. Musa was there on my bed. He was already freaking out because of the rising waters. I had to do something. I grabbed him by the collar and forced him to swim in the abdomen-high waters in the house and brought him outside in the backyard. At least he'd have a better chance of finding a higher spot there.

As I climbed the makeshift ladder to the roof, I looked back at him.

My heart broke as he was barking at me frantically. All I wanted to do was bring him with me up the ladder. But with his size and state, it was all but impossible.

I just prayed to that Person Above to keep Musa in the palm of His hands.