#yolandian

“Ulan ka ba?” he asked. “bakit?” she questioned. “kasi lupa ako. Kahit anong gawin mo, saakin ang bagsak mo” he answered. She smiled sweetly and asked the same question back at him, “Bagyo ka ba?”

The week before Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the orient, social networking sites were as crazy as ever. Though it’s not really a new thing but every status, every tweet, every blog, and every post were all love, unicorns and rainbows. So many love struck people everywhere, especially in high school because really, during this time of our lives, it’s all about love, sex and romance. Okay, maybe I got overboard with sex but you get the point.

There was one girl who met a boy online on this same time. They knew each other outside facebook and somehow, personally too but haven’t really had the time to talk in person. That someone you know but only by their face, smiles at you but you don’t really call a friend? Yes, that’s what they are. They just started talking or chatting on facebook that week before thousands of lives ware taken. They were flirting and very happy too. Posting sweet pick up lines and tagging each other.

The day before Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the orient, social networking sites were as crazy as always. People knew that the strongest typhoon ever is about to hit our country but some continues on ranting and saying that maybe, PAGASA is once again wrong. Statuses and tweets that says “keep safe everyone” is the number one thing that’s on our newsfeed and home. Some even says “Ulan lang yan, Pilipino tayo” though at one point they’re right, we should have been very cautious with the given warning and while half of the Filipino cared, some were still overwhelmed with the fact that classes were suspended. The all-time-happy-high-school-students were still posting about love quotations and somehow assuming to find someone to love during the rainy days.

The two lovebirds finally came up with an idea to meet each other personally and have a date. Unaware of the big storm that was about to destroy their much awaited meet up. They planned the things they wanted to do like, to watch a movie, eat some ice cream, cuddle on their sofa and just plain stare at each other’s eyes the whole time – just a common first date they knew they wouldn’t forget. He promised to pick her up. They couldn’t sleep that night because of too much excitement of their hearts to feel each other’s embrace, flesh to flesh. If only they were warned by the biggest hindrance of their love – mother nature.

The day Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the orient, social networking sites were crazier and more active than ever was. People were panicking and shouting through all caps statuses and tweets. As if everyone cared and was really praying just like what they want their facebook friends and twitter followers to think but in reality, what are they really doing? Sitting in front of their computers, helpless and continues on flirting with someone they just met online. This was the day #Yolandian was on trend. Televisions and radios were all talking about the same thing. Yolanda finally reached the Philippines’ area of responsibility. The eye of the storm hit tacloban, people from there was scared to death while blessed people from manila sat in front of the TV as they watched the reports of the journalists until the signal was off.

They were awaken by the loud sound of the falling rain and the loud hum of the wind. They kept a straight face and stayed quiet for a minute or two. What to do? They looked at the window and there it was – the thick drops of rains that made the surroundings impossible to see through it. After half an hour of staring at nothingness, the sound of the fallen tree from a far somehow confirmed about their cancelled date. She was devastated. He was determined.

The day after Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the orient, social networking sites were loud and ear-splitting through their super long statuses about their sympathies on Yolanda victims with the undying all caps “KAYA NATIN ‘TO PILIPINAS” and the trending “#prayforthephilippines” on twitter that gained the world’s attention. People that was born in Visayas that was part where the storm hit, looked for their relatives on facebook and twitter – hoping someone will contact them and tell them they were alright. Some received the confirmation they wanted but sadly, some received verification of the death of their loved ones. Newspapers, Television news, Radio news, online news, they all talked about the same topic – same calamity. All you can see was how ruined Philippines were, how tragic their lives became after Yolanda happened.

The girl cried as she sat on their sofa, turned on their television and saw what is really happening. What she really needs to know and what is the real thing to be devastated about. She watched the news as the guilt in her heart grew for being so selfish and insensitive. The cancelled date was nothing compared to the thousands of lives taken. She heard people shouting outside their house and her heart was beating so fast but didn’t know why. She went to the crowd of people, circling something beside a fallen tree. She got closer and then she saw him – lying, with his legs under the big tree, dead.

 “Bakit?” he questioned. “Kasi the moment you left my area of responsibility, you left my heart in a state of calamity.”

<3 gen