When Friends Wed

A good friend got married and it was the first wedding I have been to in 2012. I have a feeling it is not going to be my last.

I guess I’m always a big fan of last minute decisions because I knew about my friend’s birthday a year ago when he called me looking for places to shop for feather boas. What for — ? Until he revelaed that his theme was all Sopranos, Mafioso and The Godfather that I understood that he might be needing fedoras, suits and vests in the future.

The future was January in 2012 and well, I wasn’t really prepared for another homecoming just when we were recently back in Cagayan during the holidays. Yep, it was depressing post-Sendong so I wasn’t really sure about reliving another depressing homecoming (not to mention a homeless family to go home to).

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Post-Sendong

Ugh. You cannot believe how much of a bad word “Sendong” has been to any of us. No, it has not become a “household name” nor it will ever be because we might look okay but the family has a lot of adjustments in 2012 to make up for whatever was lost in 2011 when The-Calamity-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came.

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What Goes First This Time

Disregard the horrible asthma attack in 1999 that made me promise to live each day like it was my last. This is no longer about me especially when the blasted typhoon could almost wipe an entire city in one hour. Or your entire family.

December 17, 2011 – 1:00 a.m
Text message from Pau: Did you talk to your mom yet? Major flood in CDO. City wiped out. I’m calling my mom now. Nobody is answering.
Checked Facebook. Nothing from friends.

December 17, 2011 – 1:30 a.m
Talked to mom who narrated the story. She drove our SUV while Dad locked the doors. Water was waist-high. Everyone was asleep was she can’t still shake off the feeling that what if my dad had a heart attack and got stuck in the middle of it all.
Mom rested. Glad everyone is safe. House is submerged in water though.

December 17, 2011 – 3:00 a.m.
Refreshed Facebook and Twitter for news. Horrified at others’ plight. Frustrating that no news came out from the TV Stations. Being helpless does not begin to describe it. Friends and people from all over the world who somehow have a connection in Cagayan show signs of solidarity. Very overwhelming.

Just glad that friends are okay. Our dog Hugo was gone though. He was a gift from my friend Jeff and because he was my first pet, he trained me well – to become a good mom. I hope he still thinks so – wherever he is now. My mom said when the water rose up, he probably floated from his cage and went somewhere else. Bye Hugo. Thank you for the memories.

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