Last week a colleague asked me, "Where were you when the Taal Volcano erupted?" I stopped. I thought about it for a moment and laughed a little. I thought it was weird not being home at the time. I still remember everything. "On my way back to my home in silang, in the suburban van of Alabang." I answered.
Then all the memories of that night filled my memory. "It's a little dark here, kid. Then the sky is yellow. It looks like someone is peering in the clouds." I texted my wife on the trip. This is where it all started. It's Sunday. He was left in Manila. I, on the other hand, go to Cavite's rented house.
I was driving in the van with my traveling companions on the way back to Laguna. It is true that someone was pissing in the clouds, as the San Pedro sky was already yellow at the time, like the opening fire of an impending flood. I saw the news on social media. The volcano erupted earlier but almost everyone in my car didn't seem to care.
I was on Splash Island when the ashes came and got on the SLX route. In Selangor, my father-in-law told me that there was no electricity because of the fly ash, which went into a power pole transformer. Hold on to the fuse or insulator. do not know. There is no electricity and I have to go home soon.
As we were crossing the length of the Mampalasan, a colleague from Batangas told me that the quake was completely there. a lot. Many times I even look around, and get restless. I feel restless The journey is fast but why does it seem to take time? I saw my colleagues in the van, all with scars of fear and anxiety on their faces. I turned again. When we reached Greenfield, Santa Rosa, the ashes were spread out on the road. It was as if someone had sprinkled confetti in preparation for a great feast that everyone would attend today.
The sun was sinking as I descended into the Santa Rosa Passio. The boldness of the smell of sulfur everywhere is remarkable. Pouring ashes. I don't have a face mask. My cell phone battery is also dying. In social media, it is common for people to explain why the ashes are a threat to human health, with stories that overtake Noli de Castro every time. I called my mother while praying that she would not say goodbye to my phone asking for help. My older brother came out and I was going home after shopping in Balibago. "They're just going to pass me by and take me home," he said. I told my location. "Okay, about 15 minutes, wait until it's good",. He said in a tone that he could not believe what he was saying.
I waited a while at 7-Eleven next to the South supermarket and had a charging station. Bokya. No signal yet.
I went back and waited for the side. I sent the last text to my wife, to make sure I was safe: “When I get home, write later. He said he would take me here. ”
He chopped me in response.
Is there a car there?
"Take care of yourself."
Do not leave the 7/11 to avoid inhaling ashes.
"Send the text as soon as you get home. There is a power bank there. Please charge immediately. And write to me ".
If it happens, I'll send all the work to Messenger. Read it!
*BLACK SCREEN*
I sat on the steps of the adjoining 7-Eleven restaurant and saw ashes falling from the dark sky. I took a handkerchief out of my pocket, rolled it in half, tied both ends, and covered my mouth and nose and asked them to keep the ashes out. I still can't believe it's happening. It's like I'm in a movie.
I looked around as if I was watching a movie. People don't dance about what they should do. Every basement where there is a shelter. Suddenly, the tricycle driver was doing a special ride for Santa Rosa.
Slowly the ashes covered the cars parked around the restaurant, everything looking black. The smell of sulfur in the air was still strong.
Some ashes were blown away by the wind and touched my hand. Wet but whole, a million pieces like mud. That’s what it sounds like, I thought. I just gasped, like I was waiting for help from a lot of people who didn't even know how to get back home tonight. "Oh, why didn't he go with the passenger? It's a shame too". I heard a man ask his tricycle companion. "Co, the traffic is going to be in White Wood! The vehicles are motionless! You can't afford a tricycle. "
I saw the people around me. Most of them are waiting for a ride in the ceiling. There is also no jeep in the terminal as almost everyone is stuck in traffic. We, who live close to Tagaytay, are really lost in this situation, whether it is a disaster or not. After a while, the red Kia Rio stopped in front of me, which was going to turn black from the ashes. Help came. I walked inside and sat in the seat next to my mother. He wiped the ashes on my face until I saw that we were still not going when he gave me a face mask.
"Why? Are we still waiting for something?". I ask, " Your brother's car is overheating". My mother answered. My brother and wife got out of the car. They opened the bar and filled the locomotive and radiator. "Then? I thought it was okay? ". "Not yet!" the daughter-in-law replied, advising the older brother and making sure he was not taking ashes.
The two returned to the car after a few minutes. "Let's wait a moment, maybe the coolant can handle it as long as we calm him down first." he ordered, wiping the ashes with damp cloths. "The traffic would increase sooner," he said. I responded by plugging my cell phone into the car's USB port.
"You can recharge later, I'll just turn the engine off for a while". It was probably one of the longest five minutes I've ever had. We drove past, but I had the. We felt that we were going to withdraw because in time we knew the traffic we were going to take , would get longer and longer. All we could do was wait and see how the rain ash was still intact. One of the tragedies in life is that when you know how to fix something, all you can do is look at it and hope it's all right.
After a long wait, my brother sprinkled water on the front shield of the car to remove the clogged ash and started the car. We are at the end of a hundred, less than 500 meters away. It seems that my brother took a deep breath, stroked the steering wheel and begged the car to fight us tonight. There is no movement. There are also parked cars from Tagaytay to Laguna and Manila. Most cars have the air conditioner turned off, but people can't open the car windows, so they just withstand the heat inside. All will stop. At that time, only the front wipers of all cars were working, and I was busy removing the ash.
we Move around a little. Wait a few minutes. It's Traffic because the left and right poles are knocked over, vehicles overheat, crashes because drivers crawl in the dark and run out of water to remove ash from the windshield. Those with hoses clean the windshields of vehicles. Every time a part is achieved, decline. "We're fine as long as it helps!" I heard the scream of a man who was busy lifting a bucket and pouring it into vehicles that couldn't reach the pipe.
The four of us sat in the car and were very grateful to these people. From time to time, you will see the face of God among those you do not know and do not expect time. The expected 10 minute drive will take 2 hours. After charging my cell phone that was previously buried in the pit, it came back to life again. Also, four people loaded the batteries into the USB port in turn, so it didn't last long. I immediately informed my wife. You will also receive regular messages and some advertisements from some friends and colleagues.
No more work tomorrow.
How are you brother are you okay stay safe.
Please note that the mayor has already stated that there will be no classes tomorrow.
Serrrrr, dig lots of water when you're out and about.
Many are now stranded at gas stations because they ran out of water.
"Oh, what is this? Is the temperature sensor rising again?". My sister-in-law asked. "Yes.". My brother replied holding the steering wheel titer. We were far away from our house. "No, let's stop". - I said, and the four of us nodded. My mother added, "It's a matter of the power outage." As long as there was water, my older brother fixed it, and I guess. The machine agreed to the answer. A few minutes later, we entered the seemingly abandoned morning scene quarters.
When we returned home, my father-in-law greeted us with candles alone. Immediately ran to the bathroom and took a bucket of water and handed it over to his brother, who in turn put it in the car regulator while my sister-in-law advised: more ash is yet to come, and even Despite the umbrella, we are not safe from ashes.
We stayed for a while and when my brother was sure he could do it again, he left. I went back to the bathroom to take a shower while crawling in the dark. "Eat it," said my mother-in-law. "Yes, I want to borrow its external battery for a while so I can charge." There was no electricity here before. I didn't even charge because it was sudden. My cell phone battery still has 10%. I wish I could call my wife to tell her everything that happened, but I don't think it will happen tonight. After dinner I texted him and told him everything briefly before there.
"Okay. Watch out for that mom. Save the battery first. Send me the text again tomorrow. Good night. I love you."
"I love you too."
The next day , My father-in-law and I helped with weeds. There is no electricity yet. And the subdivision has already announced that it will lose water. I decided to return to Manila in the afternoon. I rushed to the nearest pharmacy and bought a face mask. "Oh, I ran fast." Said the young pharmacist. I got the same answer when I went to other stores and pharmacies. Fortunately, we have two spare face masks at home, which we all use. Then when I saw the news in Manila, I heard about everything that happened just somewhere. On my way home, my friend sent me a text message saying "2020'No". I said, "Yes, it looks like a bag surrounded by a drawstring."
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