It is very interesting story. It is all about how my mom survived in the river together with her little brother and her cousins. Imagine, in a very young age. Without knowing something. They tried to save there selves. And I can't imagine there shouting and crying...
" Hey, hold on!!". "Maaaaaa!!! Help us!"". "Lorddd Help us".. "Kapit langg!!"... While crying and panicking.
So, I asked my mom to narrate it to me. And yeah, I do write it down.She narrate to me the whole flow of that situation they encountered and her eyes are full of tears every words she uttered. I do cry also. :(
-----"When I was young we lived in the mountain. There was no connection of water and light or internet. When we go to school, we have galloons with us and we will keep them in the thick part that is also close to our school. When our afternoon class is over, we'll go to where we hid the containers. And we will continue in the spring that the whole barangay has been waiting for, a few of us will be there.
On the way home we were already passing the "dead river" which was the only one we were crossing. My constant companions were my two cousins and one younger brother. While we were walking, we talked happily and because children can't help but play. We didn't even bear the weight of our two -handed water galloons with a bag full of notebooks and a few books. As we happily walked, we also happily played in the shallow water along our path.
At a young age, we didn't even think that there might be rain up there or in front so there was very little water flowing in our path. We didn't even think that it might suddenly grow up. We continued to walk and were just a few feet before our house. But I was alarmed and shocked because the water was suddenly reached my knees and there was no rain. And suddenly I looked ahead. And I yelled, Occupied! At my brother to my two cousins “Let’s go up to the side!" .
But it was too late for everything to float on the water at my feet. And my cousin, who was about my brother's age, they clung to the side of the mountain that was outstretched so that their hands had the force of clinging. While my cousin and I climbed the other side of the mountain but, every land or rocks that we step on with our feet are washed away by the water. So we clung to the branches of the trees to climb to the higher part of the mountain.
But even in that case, I was still holding a galloon of water in my hand. I didn't even think to let go. When I suddenly let go of the branch I was clinging to, I was "swept away" by the very strong current of the flood water! I shouted “Niiiiiittttt” my cousin’s name with me trying to save ourselves. When she saw me she "drifted" in the flood of water and tried to reach part of my body and she grabbed my hair and she pulled with force at the same time looking for our parents. And I climbed the high white rock that was very rough. Because of its roughness our hands do not slip. And we were sitting there on that rock that we were exhausted in saving ourselves.
We watched the river we passed. Waiting for the floodwaters to disappear. Meanwhile, we shouted at my brother and at my other cousin because we were a bit far from them and I was the one who drifted away. I shouted "Hold on tight !!! don't let go !!!" Soon the water will turn dip down". We are shocked, because of the duration of the event.
My cousin Nita said "let's go down. .let's go home". I was afraid to get off the rock we were stepping on. While one of my cousins and brother slowly approached us because the water was only a foot away. At the same time, they said let's go home, Ate, and it's already night. I slowly descended and a rough kind of rocking we climbed. And I couldn't stop crying as I hugged my sister. Because I never thought my cousin would save me in such a situation.
It seems like nothing happened at that time. As we made our way home we did not lose our fear that the water might suddenly rise again. We went home with our muddy clothes soaking wet. Because of the excessive dirt of flood water and muddy water type. My brother and my cousin who were just there on the edge of the ground or the shore clinging. The skins of their thighs and feet were scratched. Because of the pebbles and branches along with the flood drift.
We arrived home without even a galloon of water. When we got home almost at the same time the four of us were roaring and crying. We can't even speak in our grief. Our parents made us drink water as well as my cousins and their parents. Then they gave us a drink. They question our parents what is happening to us. They can't even believe it because, there's no rain at all. Our crying parents hugged us.
What if we didn't survive in that tragedy? What if my cousin Nita didn't save me? So that night our parents talked about “let’s leave that place”. Place far from civilization. Neither light nor water. I didn't quite understand then what kind of life we had. Because, I was only in grade 3 then. But I will never forget what happened in my life.
As time went on, our lives became better and better. That even despite the hardship we can feel comfort and we have many relatives around us. Unlike before when we lived in the mountains there was no other family and we were just my mother's brother's family. So far, even a few years have passed I will never forget. We studied and somehow we even finished Vocational because at that time life was really difficult. Unlike today there are many Scholarship grant aid opportunities. I can say the time was different then and now. "
"So now that I am a parent I try to make them aware of “Education” which is the only way for human life to be transformed towards comfort. " That no one will do it but you for the good of your own life. "
---Enddd---
I can't believe that they suvive with that very tragedic situation. God never leaves them.
Lessons I learned:
1.) Don't wait for something to happen before you can think of something good for yourself.
2.) Helping others is not bad but it is a heroic deed. That you have to be thankful and look back on as you live here on earth.
3.) Don't ever pass in the river. Because, we don't know what will happened next.
4.) Pray and trust the Lord always.
Thank you fof reading.
I can't imagine how scary it would be. Thank God they escaped that near death experience. God is good🙏