Another super typhoon dubbed as “Mina” is expected to have its landfall in Bicol today. And I can only
imagine how much fear is gripping again the “Albayanos”. Even if
I am miles away, I am also incredibly worried. I wasn’t already there when the wrath of “Milenyo” a year ago devastated my hometown. Yet, I wasn’t spared by the feeling of grief knowing that
my “kababayan’s” suffered tremendously. They say that “Albayanos” are
experts with typhoons being hit several times in a year and the most prone area
to bad weather conditions.
Twenty years ago, I was just in grade3 then
when the strongest I’ve
experienced so far, hit Bicol. Typhoon Sisang, November 25, 1987. It was kinda’ traumatic for me and it caused a major change
in our lives. My parents were just slowly inching their way to fulfill their
dreams for the family. They were in the process of building their dream house
when it occurred. In fact, during that day, they had the main door installed
and the house was almost finished. But when night came and Sisang strengthened,
we were forced to leave the house as the structures were shaking. My younger
siblings and I could barely walk in panic that we were just carried and
transferred to our Lola’s house.
At midnight, all of us were very much awake. When all of a sudden mommy cried,
I knew it…our house
was downed along with those of our neighbors. At the break of dawn, I could
count with my fingers the houses that remain standing within our neighborhood.
“back to
zero” was the
phrase I would hear among the olds. And yes, young as I am, I already felt the impact
it brought to my family. For months we lived in my uncle’s house until such time our parents managed to
build again our own house. It was the typical bamboo house and it is where I
grew up. It became too hard for my parents to construct a nicer one since the
six of us was growing so fast and studying. As a child, I would often dream too
about living in a big house where I could have my own room and those pesky
mosquitoes wouldn’t be
around.
I was already in my teens when I accepted the
fact that it was only what we can afford to live. And begin to be thankful that
even if we don’t live in
a dream house, we are still blessed that we are together, we are all healthy
and loved. When my sisters would bring the topic about that house destroyed, I
would just tell them, “Kung
hindi siguro nagiba ‘yong
bahay na ‘yon baka
lumaki tayong maaarte”. True
enough because what we went through taught us to keep our feet on the ground
and struggle with life.
Despite all the hardships we all went through,
my parents never cease to dream that someday they can have that house wherein
they could provide us with our own rooms. Even if my siblings and I got a
family of our own, they often think of a house where we could all live together
comfortably at some point. I never asked my big brother what his driving force
to become an architect was. But maybe like me, when he was young he crave too
for that “dream
house”. And he
made his dream larger by dreaming too of houses for his would be clients.
After we finished our studies, my parents
started to pave the way again for their dream. Unfortunately, we still don’t have the capacity to give them what they
always wanted. But with their sweat and tears, it’s now slowly being realized.
I can only pray that “oh no, dear God, please not again!” Not a typhoon again would take away their
cherised dream.
Rainbows, Laughter and
Tears May you find
Rainbows after every storm,
May you remember the laughter
Smiles in the tears
Rainbows after Storms
May God grant you
For every storm, a rainbow
for every tear, a smile
for every care, a promise
and His blessings all the while
May God grant you
For every storm, a rainbow
for every tear, a smile
for every care, a promise
and His blessings all the while
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