Swept away by raging waters
By cdparazo
@cdparazo (5765)
Philippines
August 1, 2007 9:02pm CST
As a child I have always been afraid of being swept away by raging waters. As a 7-year old child until I graduated from high school, I had to cross a river everyday to get to school. During rainy season, I had to wait for hours until the waters subsides for me to pass through the river or walk for hours and make a detour away from the river so that I could get home safely though very tired and hungry. I still remember seeing houses swept away by the flood and remember some people who lost their lives when they were caught unawares while crossing the river by the raging waters that is coming so fast at them. As a child, I had nightmares and even now, I still have them though I no longer cross the said river.
NOw all those memories and fears were being brought back to life again as I read in the newspaper this morning of a mother who helplessly watched on the bank her 15 and 3 year old daughters swept away by the raging waters while they were crossing the river. Both girls lost their lives and I cried for those girls and for the mother. All I could offer is a few words of prayer. I now remember my worry too when my sister had to cross the river all by herself. I had worries and nightmares then. Now, I also ponder, as what the writer in the newspaper is pondering, of what raged inside the girl's frail frame as they were carried away and the struggle that they have to make and why the 15-year old child didn't let go of her 3-year old sister. This I could answer in all truth because I would have done the same, if I was caught with my sister with me during those years too. NO matter my fear, I would never ever let go of her. All I could pray for was that there was no struggle for the girls and that they lost consciousness right away when the water hit them. As a mother, that would have been my only consolation. May their souls now rest with their maker and I pray for strength for their mother to survive the profound pain and loss.
http://www2.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/08/02/oped/bong.o..wenceslao.candid.thoughts.html
2 people like this
3 responses
@mimatexas (1818)
• United States
2 Aug 07
I imagine how scary this was for you, that's why you still have nightmares. The story is very touching and you feel helpless when you hear about this.
1 person likes this
@cmsk2005 (1770)
• United States
2 Aug 07
Hi cdparazo, this is scary even to read it and I feel very very sorry for this. I never had this kind of experience only I read in books, today whe i read it in your discussion it seems more real than the story written in those books. It is of course the cause people will want to praise you,you are successful after this struggle, you continued your study. I realize your feeling and pray for all of their mother too!
1 person likes this
@cdparazo (5765)
• Philippines
5 Aug 07
I don't really see it as a cause for praise since all of us children who live in the area never ever thought to stop schooling because of it. It was never an issue. I guess we just accept it as one of the things in life that we have to contend with. Thanks for all your prayers.
@mari_skye (1637)
• Philippines
2 Aug 07
Oh my... That's so sad to hear. My prayers will be for their family too.
I never had to contend with this kind of hardship but I too remember the evacuations we had to make back then when there are strong typhoons that hit our country. Our house is located at the foot of the mountain, Baguio City being a mountainous place. My parents would always worry of landslides every time the rainy season is around. I've experienced a lot of landslides but the most damaging was when a part of the mountain collapsed. Our neighbor, whose house was located above us was hit and the force of the landslide divided their two-story house in two. The top level got separated from the first floor and landed precariously at the edge of the rip-rap built at the back of our house. Had the rip-rap not held, the neighbor's house would have slammed right to our house. We, my family and the neighbor's were lucky, but their only son did not make it because he was sleeping on the first level of their house. He was buried alive in the landslide. I remember there was a lot of mourning then. It's really sad when this kinds of disaster happen.
1 person likes this
@cdparazo (5765)
• Philippines
5 Aug 07
OMG! that is indeed scary. YOur story reminds me of my friend who lives in Baguio. She was on her way back to Baguio from our meeting in Manila but she got trapped together with her husband and son in her car and slept along the road. they were all wet, tired and hungry. There was a landslide and they could not pass through and got stranded on the road overnight. she thought they would die then. Good that nothing bad really happened and that there was really no casualty.
