Arise

Chapter 6: Flashback

“Sir, sir! Sir, are you ok?” I slowly open my eyes when I felt someone shaking my shoulder.

“Huh?” Is the only response that I can utter.

“Are you ok, sir? We found you lying here on the bleacher.” And that’s when I remember what happened, I was look for my family, but until now, I don’t know where to find them.  Maybe they are with Kuya Dos--- Right! Kuya Dos, I should ask the receptionist about him—

“Sir?” The guy calls me again.

“I’m ok, I’m just tired.” I’m saying it while getting my bag to get water bottled, that’s when I realized that I got nothing left.

“Excuse me, do you know where can I get water?”

“We have on our station, come, I will give you some.”

When I tried to stand up, I felt my feet wobbled and I felt my head spinning. I close my eyes for a while to gain my composure.

The guy noticed what happened, “Sir? Do you want to go to the medics first? I will accompany you there.”

When we arrived there, I thank the guy who helped me before he go to his station again. The nurse made me sit on an empty bed and ask me questions. They made me rest again, and they also gave me food and water, I just realized that I’m hungry until I saw the food. They also advised me to finish my food first then I can go.

When I finally feel ok, I also bid my goodbye to the nurses and thank them.

I went to the main hall again to ask the receptionists.

“Good evening, is Kuya Dos on your list too? Did he report here already?” I immediately asked.

“Good evening, sir. Can you please tell us his full name?”

“It’s Ibarra DC. Pineda II and his wife is Gabriella T. Pineda.”

“Ok, sir. We will check their names on our lists. Sit there for a while.

I can’t seat still while waiting for the result, this time I’m hundred percent sure that they might see Kuya Dos records there. I know that he will be the one who will go outside to ask about or to look for me. My Dad can’t just live Mom, she has panic attack that’s why I had a hunch that Kuya Dos already ask around here.

When the receptionist called me again, she’s talking to someone on the telephone.

She covered the receiver and ask me, “Can you tell us your full name, please.”

“It’s Miguel T. Dela Cruz.” I respond

She talks to someone again on the telephone and said “Yes, sir. He’s here, I will give the phone to him.” Then the receptionist look at me and said, “Here’s your brother.  He’s here a while ago and left his number. You can talk to each other for a while.” Then she smiled.

“Kuya Dos? Kuya Dos! This is Migs! Where are you? Are you with Mom and Dad?”

“Migs! Migs, wait for me on the main gate I will go there. I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Thank God, you’re safe! Wait for me on the front gate ok?”

“Kuya, wait! Is Mom and Dad safe? Tell me first if they are with you!” My voice slightly rose because Kuya Dos didn’t answer me a while ago.

“Yes, Migs. They are safe! We are all safe. Let’s talk again when I arrived, ok?’

When Kuya Dos dropped the call, I return the phone to the receptionist and thank them. I started walking again to the main gate; I can’t wait for Kuya Dos to arrive. I had a lot of questions for my family and I can’t wait to find out the answers.

I waited for Kuya Dos for about ten minutes, and then he arrived with his car. I was surprise at first that he still has his car, knowing all the damages on our neighborhood, just the sight of it makes me think that he can’t pass there riding his car.

“Kuya—“ I was surprised because Kuya Dos suddenly embrace me tightly.

“Hey, Kuya. I’m fine, I’m safe.” I said while patting his back.

When he finally let go of me, he face me and the worries and reliefs is written all over his face. “We were so worried about you! As soon as the government finished the rescue operation, I went in your house. And you’re not there anymore, the rescue operation team didn’t see you as well.”

“I may already get out of the house when they arrived; I’m so terrified when I woke up alone!  Where are they? I checked every room and I didn’t find everyone.”

Kuya Dos look at me intently and sight after saying, “Let’s get going, I will tell you everything in our way to hospital.”

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12PM SAME DAY

Carmella woke up at the middle of hot afternoon; she can felt her cramps slowly building on her abdomen. With a heavy body, Carmella hesitantly stood up to go to the comfort room down stairs.

Carmella is still sleepy but she suddenly heard a glass shattering on the floor, it came on their kitchen. She walks fast to see what happened, when she arrived she saw her grandmother holding its head.

While catching her breath, her Lola told her, “I’m so dizzy and I can feel cramps all over my body.”

“La, wait for a while. I will just call Mom and Dad, I will be fast.”

Carmella run on the 2nd floor of their house, she bangs the bedroom door of her Mom and Dad.

“Ma, Pa, wake up, open the door. I think we need to bring Lola in the hospital!”

A few more knocking and her father finally open their door.

“What is it Carmella? We are sleep---“ My dad said irritably but I cut him off.

“I think lola is sick, we need to bring her to the hospital! She’s downstairs!”

With that, Mom and Dad run to assist my Lola downstairs.

“She looks pale, dad. Let’s go to the hospital now!”

“Carmella, stay here. I will call your Kuya Dos to look after you. I will call your grandpa, so he can come with us”

When their parents left, Carmella cleans the broken glasses on their kitchen. After that, she decided to take a bath first to clean her body up and to change her pads. After she took a bath, she hears their doorbell’s ringing.

“Mela, I heard what happened! Do you want to stay with us first? Your Ate Gab is already awake and she’s preparing a meal, you can eat with us if you want.”

“Ok Kuya Dos, I will just go there to your house. I will just brush my hair. I need to ask something to Ate Gab too.”

It’s already quarter to 2 (PM) when Carmella went to Dos’ house that’s just located on the left side of their house.

After they ate, Carmella asked her Ate Gab to give her medicine for dysmenorrhea while Dos is on their front porch looking at something.

“s**t!” They heard the loud bang of the door then they saw Dos running towards them.

“There’s a tornado!! I think it will go on our way.” They all run outside to look at the tornado.

“Hon, I think it’s already on Magdalena City, we still don’t know the direction of that tornado, but I think we need to go.” With that, Ate Gab and Kuya Dos hurriedly went inside, less than a minute and Kuya Dos is already on their garage starting their car.

Meanwhile, Carmella was still shock on what she saw, Dos was left with no choice to drag Carmella inside the car, while Gab guessing the situation volunteers to get their emergency kit, and because of the urgency she didn’t notice that there’s still another emergency kit near on the cabinet.

Once they are moving north, on the way to the hospital, they turned on the radio and they learned that the tornado is heading to their city.

Carmella totally forgot that her brother is still inside their house, peacefully sleeping.