Cyclone Basyang Part 2: Catwalking

Basyang knocked out power all over Metro Manila. The next day, we had to deal with the aftermath of her wrath. We saw an iron sheet precariously lying atop electricity wires. Rows of greens looked like they were run over by a bulldozer. On the streets, branches big and small were strewn about. Our yard, it was a mess: a couple of branches of the malunggay tree had broken off (and still remain on top of our neighbor's roof; nyak!), a branch from some unknown tree lay on top of our cable wire, bamboo sticks on top of our roof (where from, I do not know), leaves all over.

Everybody worked to put some semblance of order into our home. By the afternoon, we were powerless and waterless (yes, water both for drinking and bathing, had ran out). It felt like we were in the Middle Ages. But fortunately, there were no more rains. By nightfall, we found out that my sister, who lived a couple of villages away, already had power. It was only a matter of time, I thought, before we got ours back too.

I fell in and out of sleep; it was sticky hot. Suddenly, I heard a loud clanking in the kitchen. A cat had wandered into the house. We had left the living room window open and now the cat was climb-clawing its way on the screen, trying to find the opening, which it had stupidly closed on the way in. I grabbed an umbrella (What is it with me??!!) and started shooing it away. It gnarled at me!! And a really mean scary cat gnarl at that! I went to my son F, woke him up, and told him about the cat. This time, he didn't get up. What am I to do?!! I woke up my two boys, who were sleeping in the living room, and told them to go to my room. The gnarly cat had by this time posted itself near the television; with the umbrella, I opened the window, hoping the gnarly cat had enough smarts to know that it was the way out. I then went inside my room and prayed that the lights would go on soon, and scare the gnarly cat away.

It only took a couple of minutes before I heard the beautiful sound of the fan running. When I opened my door, the light were all lit up. And the gnarly cat was gone. Thank the Lord for answered prayers!