Collection of Short Stories

A Disaster To Remember

A DISASTER TO REMEMBER

Written by: Julius Denn Mikell P. Suazo, R.N.

ONCE in our lives, a piece of disaster happened as if it is in our minds that it was a challenge that once God has given to us. Though seems we almost gave up and blame it to the Lord but we always remember that there's no problem that God has given to us that we cannot resolve.

I can't forget the night that made me realized that life and death was almost there. Halfway of it is a very cold experience that once shivers my spine and blocks some of the memories I had. It's been years but I can still smell the fresh mud, heard the agony of the people involved, and saw the dim light of disaster.

2011

"KING, I'm almost late. Please take care of your brother. I'll be home later.", my mama told me. I saw her wearing her office uniform and is now ready to go to work. It was 16th of December. I'm just wondering if when will be their Christmas Party since that time was Christmas season. My mama is a workaholic person so I guess Christmas Party is not yet conquering her mind.

I am wide awake since 3:30 am because I attended the first day of Misa de Gallo so I am so sleepy then. She went away and I was left home, to be exact, I'm with my little brother, Johnny, who is 4 years old that time. What I did? I let him play with his toys since he's a good boy and behaves well. I'm doing my works in my notebook but keeps an eye on him. My father, he's in U.S to work there for us. I missed him already.

It's almost 10 o'clock when I turned on the television to watch my favorite series when I saw the news about the weather today. I'm curious because today is a very cold day. The sun never showed up and there is little rain. The news said there will be a typhoon that will going to landfall in our place. I was thinking, why in our place? Here in the Philippines, almost all the typhoons will landfall most in Luzon areas and rarely in Visayas areas. It is very rare to landfall here in Mindanao areas. I nagged and turned the channel to my favorite series.

I'm done eating and so I 'm done feeding Johnny so it's time for me to get relax for a while.

"Wew! So cold!", I almost blast. What happened today? Grrr!

I have no classes since yesterday as it was our Christmas Party the other day. So classes will resume on January next year.

IT'S 7:00 pm in the evening. My mama is already home and we're about to cook for our dinner. The weather is still the same just like a while ago and I think there is a coming typhoon.

After serving our dinner, I went to my three closest friends and make conversations.

"King, please wake me up tomorrow at 3:30 please. I'll join you tomorrow for the second day of Misa de Gallo", one of closest friend, Jenny told me.

"Nah! I tried to wake you up kanina but you are so tulog-mantika!", I laughed out loud.

"Ay grabe siya! I don't know that you really wake me up.", Jenny laughed.

"As I said, you are tulog-mantika so I'm having a hard time of waking you up. Oh come on Jen! Make the tone of your alarm clock louder or put some pamalo in it so that you'll gonna wake up. I almost want to pour some cold water on you.", I said to her while laughing. She's so fun to be with.

"Yeah, that's why Jen you have to wake up or else, we'll going to leave you.", it's Aries, also one of my closest friend.

It's 9:00 pm already and there is a brownout.