The Night Manila Rattled and Rolled

August 21, 2007

Reflection of a Construction_erisac

I was roused from sleep by the sound of creaking wood, as well as by the gentle yet highly unusual swaying of the bedroom. It felt as if I were aboard an ageing wooden boat. The thought of my father who was buried only a day or two immediately came to mind. I suspected that he might have returned to haunt us. But why in such horrific manner?

Suddenly my eldest brother, Junior, came to turn on the light in the bedroom. And with alarming urgency, he ushered me and my visiting cousins out of the bedroom and into the living room. It was then I realized that this was something beyond some ghostly visitation.

Through the huge windows of the living room, what greeted me was an eerie sight: In the middle of the night, the whole neighborhood was up with their lights on; silently looking out their windows as if expecting a major parade about to pass.

And then suddenly, another tremor shook the earth. But this time, there were screams that echoed from every direction. We stood there terrified; others cried while crouched in a corner. My religious aunt repeatedly shrilled that the world was about to meet its apocalyptic end; heightening the already distressful situation. She finally stopped when Tia Inez hurled a rubber slipper at the back of her head.

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