The First Snow

It's another day to play with my friends, I am so excited because after school, we will visit the Cagsawa Ruins and admire closely the beauty of Mayon Volcano. Together with our parents and teachers, we will explore and spend our afternoon there.

I packed all my things to get ready for school. Mom usually wakes me up at 5:30 am to have a breakfast, take a bath, and walk to school so I will not be late for our 7:30 am Flag ceremony. I am a Grade 4 student but I can go to school on my own. My mom is busy doing house works so I really wanted to be independent so I will not be a burden to her. It takes a lot of effort before I made my mom agreed to come with me for our visit later at one of the prettiest volcanoes in the Philippines so I will treasure this moment. I excitedly walk towards our school and got there at 7:15 am. I can't contain my happiness and all of my classmates are also happy talking about our trip later. We are just near the Cagsawa Ruins so it will take a short time to get there. At 7:25 am, the school bell rang telling us to get in line and prepare for our flag ceremony.

All students started to line up when we felt a little shake on the ground. Most of us shrugged if off and silently wait for the music to start. After the National Anthem, Panatang Makabayan, and exercise we prepare to go back to our classroom to start our first class. As we walk towards our own classroom, I saw a falling white light material. I look up the sky and more of it are falling down. Is this snow? Are we experiencing the first snow in our country? Wow!!! I am amazed. It never snowed here but look at--what are these? The white light materials appear to be gray, shouts and cries covered the whole school. Everyone is running while I was stuck, my feet on the ground, I can't think clear.

The snow-like material was replaced by a hard burning rocks. The school is bombarded by hot molten rocks. It's raining with rocks and I realized it's not a snow that I thought it is. It will never snow in our country. Mom, I am sorry. I think I can't go home to you anymore, I love you please don't be too sad.

Tears fall down as I close my eyes and the ash and molten rocks covered my whole body.

Mayon Volcano Eruption [February 1, 1814]

"The volcano abruptly erupted into a thick column of boulders, sand, and ashes, rising to vast heights, the volcano's slopes were covered and vanished from view about 8 a.m. that morning. We were about to be engulfed by a river of fire that appeared below us. People fled in quest of a better place to live. The fugitives were subjected to falling pebbles as the darkness grew.... Because the hot rocks sparked fire in the dwellings, there was no security. The richest settlements in Daraga, Albay, were smashed to ashes as a result." - testimony of one of the eyewitness.

A dense column of stones, sand, and ash soared high into the air after a series of seismic waves. Veils of ash, smoke, and mist obscured the mountain's flanks. The sky darkened as a flaming stream of lava rushed down the mountain's edge. After that, numerous individuals were killed when stones fell to the ground. Because the stones were so hot that they set fire to buildings, even dwellings gave little protection.

There were a lot of dead and injured individuals all over the place when the eruption had stopped (1200 were reportedly killed). Cagsawa's whole population was buried. The debris only protruded from the tops of buildings and coconut trees. Mt. Mayon's once attractive cultivated slopes were covered in sand and ash.

This is one of the most destructive eruption in the Philippines and in Bicol Region. This is not the first eruption of Mayon but it resulted to a lot of loss be it lives or property. The above story was inspired by the said event but just a product of the author's imagination, and not based on the true characters and story.

with love and curiosity,

curiouscath, Charlotte