helpless

At the wee hour of 6 AM, I was stirred awake from the sleep I’ve been trying to get hold of. A state of panic had enveloped our community as I woke up in a nightmare of a tragedy.

Yves Klein Fire Painting

With whatever I had on, I simply had to gather up my instincts and rush out of my room, turn off the main electrical switch and rush out of the house to see the dark smoke, three houses away, scorching the skies. Everyone was waking the immediate neighbors with all the fire precautions. Everyone was running around, with the men lined up in front of the burning house, pouring water in the hope of subduing the anger of the fire.

I was left in front our house, frozen, looking at the growing blaze as the water that was being thrown gave it more life. I was left staring and shouting my thoughts to the men that whatever they are doing is futile and they are just making it worse. But my thoughts were never heard.

Eventually, they realized that. They diverted their efforts to prevent the fire from spreading to the next house (2 houses from us), pouring water to every little daughter fire that escaped from the mother. At first, only one person was on the roof, eventually, it became three just so to control the spread.

It’s been an hour, and I felt so feeble, with only a simple prayer to say that it won’t reach our house. Panic had taken over my senses that I did not know what to do. I was not in control, as I witness the roof falling down to the ground. Several thoughts rushed through my mind. We all had the same electrical line. I thought it was only a matter of time before the fire will think of a way to use that as its path. We had only one telephone line and burning the nearest one will render us with only our cellphones for communication. 

Incidentally, the firefighters eventually found their way to doing their job. We all finally found out that it all started from a cellphone being charged. Funny how technology can be so accident-prone.

But I actually found myself afraid, wondering what kind of lottery is being made that the big house was the one involved and not ours. I know. It is only a matter of time before the hand of fate tags you at the back and tells you, you’re it.

November 29, 2003

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The most fortunate of us, in our journey through life, frequently meet with calamities and misfortunes which may greatly afflict us; and, to fortify our minds against the attacks of these calamities and misfortunes should be one of the principal studies and endeavors of our lives. The only method of doing this is to assume a perfect resignation to the Divine will, to consider that whatever does happen, must happen; and that, by our uneasiness, we cannot prevent the blow before it does fall, but we may add to its force after it has fallen. These considerations, and others such as these, may enable us in some measure to surmount the difficulties thrown in our way; to bear up with a tolerable degree of patience under the burden of life; and to proceed with a pious and unshaken resignation, till we arrive at our journey's end, when we may deliver up our trust into the hands of Him who gave it, and receive such reward as to him shall seem proportioned to our merit.

---THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to John Page, Jul. 15, 1763