By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
Remembering Odette and her fury
December 15, 2021 was a day to remember for us people from the Central Visayas region because of Odette. Manghod lang gyud ang Odette ug gamay sa Yolanda. Along the shorelines of Leyte and Samar, houses were leveled to the ground when Odette rudely visited the region. You just imagine the whole crown of the coconut trees forcibly lifted by the strong wind. And now there is no more coconut industry to talk about in Leyte and Samar.
It was on that day of Dec. 15, when my husband’s 40th day of his passing was observed. My children were all here with some of my grandchildren. The prayer for the dead is usually done at 10 in the morning as it is the tradition. Isabak man gud kuno ang pamgadje sa alas 12 sa udto. Hangtud karon, wala pa pud nako matugkad kung nganong ipasabak man sa alas 12 sa udto ang maong mga pangaliya.
Anyway, I uphold this old time tradition of our ancestors but for us, it is the day of gathering and remembering the good times together with relatives and friends. As we went on with our prayers, rain poured unceasingly that night with constant reminders from the radio of the forthcoming super typhoon. All our househelpers left early that night and so with guests.
In the early evening of the 15th, rain never stopped and winds became more furious than ever. I could still remember the winds blowing, hurling, and howling. Yes, that was the fury of Odette. Odette was simply different. Having stayed in Leyte for 20 years, mura ug naanad na ug may bagyo. Ang atong mga katigulanang nagai-ngon nga kon dunay bagyo umaabot, walay bisay hoyohoy sa hangin ang imong mabati. Dili usab nato makita ang paglihok sa dahon unya alingi-ig kaayo ang panahon.
But Odette was different because before her fury, the rains fell like dogs and cats. But around 9 in the evening on the 15th, Odette’s fury was unimaginable.
Pagbali sa hangin, grabe kaayo ang tubig nga imong makita bisan asang dapita. My family and I were all huddled at the back of the piano with our umbrellas. Taga kiting na ang tubig. My son had oxygen ready for me, just in case I had panic attack. Praise God I never had any. God is good all the time.
The storm stopped at 3 in the morning. They had a warm bed for me and I woke up to see branches of trees all over the place and the roof of our garage landed on the roof of Aproniana – the business establishment across the street from ours.
This is the kind of situation where a strong sense of community is felt. Nagsobra ang tubig sa panahon sa bagyo tungod sa kakusog sa ulan, apan nagnihit ang tubig nga mainom paglurang sa bagyo.
And I take this opportunity to express our deep sense of gratitude to Ms. Connie Geonzon of Aproniana, who, with her generator gave water to the neighbors including the free charging of mobile phones.
In the afternoon of the 16th we dared to visit Tagbilaran to take a look at the condition of the place including the nearby towns. We passed by our church and was surprised to see the church doors open with all the lights aglow. And then I remember, the church was preparing for Misa de Gallo.
What a sight to see the ray of hope through the church activities. And then I remember, Miss Candida Vale and Luz Ibaya, our dear teachers in high school for English Literature. Both always reminded us that “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
Photos :
Panguha ug photos adtong panahon sa bagyo nga Odette.
Kinahanglan butangan ug “Photos from the internet”