The October 15, 2013 Earthquake
To some people, October 15, 2013 was just a normal day.
It was normal enough for me. It was announced by the Department of Education that all classes were cancelled because of Eid ul Adha. Eid ul Adha is a public holiday in all Muslim countries. Even though I go to a Catholic school, we still respect the holiday for my other Muslim schoolmates. I was happy, that there were no classes because even though it was only a Tuesday, we get to rest from all those tiresome events in school.
Unfortunately, I was unable to rest at home because one of my classmates wanted to practice for our project. The next day, October 16, 2013, was supposed to be the assigned date that we were going to perform our play. It was a play that I co-wrote with the director and I had a supporting role. We practiced a lot because we wanted this to be perfect for our audience the next day.
Normally, I wake up at four in the morning to prepare for school. Since the practice was going to be held in my classmate's house that was near my apartment that we used to rent, I decided to wake up at around six in the morning. I took a bath at around six-thirty and ate breakfast at seven-thirty. I thought it was just a normal day. Nothing bad or major was going to happen.
While I was finishing my breakfast at around eight in the morning, the ground suddenly shook. I panicked momentarily, because I wasn't really used to react with earthquakes. My mother quickly told my brother and I to grab our phones and go outside in case something falls. It wasn't just a normal earthquake that we sometimes encounter. This one was quite strong. When we were sure that the earthquake had stopped, we went in back to the apartment and checked the news for anything. Because the earthquake only happened just two minutes ago, the news didn't immediately report it.
My mother was the type of person who worries a lot, and so she told me that I shouldn't really go to the practice anymore because I might be harmed. I reassured that it was going to be fine, and that I'll just go home early. I needed to be in that practice because even though I only had a supporting role, I wrote the script and I sometimes help the director with the actions of the actors. Eventually, my mother agreed to let me go. I didn't wait for the news about the earthquake in the TV and left the first chance I got.
When I arrived at the house of my classmate, everyone of them were talking about the earthquake that just occurred. I also joined in, recalling to them about my experience while I ate my breakfast. One even joked that he was in the toilet while it happened. We laughed because we knew everything was just fine and it was only an earthquake and no one got hurt. But when one of my classmates turned on the TV and went to the ABS-CBN channel, we were shocked to learn about the damage the earthquake caused.
No one might have got hurt here in Davao, but not in Bohol and Cebu. According to the news, ninety-nine people were reported dead and two hundred seventy-six people were injured because of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. It was also the deadliest earthquake recorded in the Philippines in twenty-three years. It was also compared to the Hiroshima bombings during the World War II, saying that the earthquake was equivalent to thirty-two Hiroshima bombs. Many people lost their family members, their houses, and most of their properties because of this October 15, 2013 Philippine earthquake.
My classmates and I were immediately guilty because we were making jokes earlier. We soon realized that it was no laughing matter. My mother's family in Cebu called and told her about the house creaking and some of the floor boards cracking. It was just another day for me, but it wasn't for many people that was affected.
Some pictures taken from the Internet resulting from the deadly earthquake
© Lovella Mole | SY 2015-2016 |
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