By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
We had just returned from our trip down to the capital. Whole body ached and sighed with relief at the same time as we touched the hard cement. As comfortable as we were on the bus, being stuck in a cold moving box can be frustrating. Walking to our house at 3 in the morning would have been a peaceful one. But our body longed for a soft bed to lie down on, rather than having a peaceful walk.
But as tempting as the soft bed was, the need to take a bath won me over. After all, there is no way a person from Baguio can return from Manila and not feel sticky all over.
The bath was a relief, but in the middle of it, darkness took over. The blackout caught me in complete surprise. The situation itself made a good laugh. That is, until fear started to creep in, and the bath was quickly done.
Catching sleep wasn’t an issue that early morning. And for one day, I returned to my schedule during the pandemic. One where I let sleep catch me at 3 in the morning and wake up at 11 just in time for lunch.
The blackout wasn’t an issue for me at that time. Because the sweet embrace of my warm bed completely took over. Since I am not one to miss a schedule, I woke up just in time for lunch,11 in the morning. And the heavy meal was just as fulfilling as the sleep was. Although, one issue was still hanging around the house. It seemed the blackout was still around, and our phones were on their last legs.
Turns out, the estimated return of the electricity was late afternoon. Even worse, water has run out, and no generator to work the pump. Still, the situation could get worse, there were still company in the house, college students relieved by the holidays. And it is marvelous what bored children can talk about in their boredom. Add to that the 7 pets we have, and we suddenly had 7 more to talk with.
Separate children with their phones, and there would be chaos. Good thing, some sort of responsibility was etched in our bodies. Because the mess we had made would surprise even the cockroaches that would come later. And the lights turning on would not have helped with the situation, after all, getting your own mess pointed out can be no fun. It was easier to clean up in the dark, as you would be forced to focus on one little spot at a time.
Family can make any situation better, as I have experienced. They can lighten up a dark mood, or add more light into an already bright experience. Nevertheless, there is no need to lose our shine in a dark situation, after all, our family bonds are not that shallow.**
