My eyes opened to total darkness in the room. Instinctively, I ran my hands around my bed until I found my Android phone. I pressed the power button — 3:15 AM. I put on the flashlight as I sat on the bed, stretching. I needed to use the restroom.
Image source: ChatGPT
I thought my brain was still booting until I stepped a foot on the ground and a cold sensation tickled my skin. My heart skipped. Water? I dipped the next foot. How did water get into my room? My seemingly heavy eyes grew wide in shock at the sight of the pool of water in my room. That was when it dawned on me. Something tragic was going on.
I continued my way, walking through the water, my torch in hand, trying to understand the situation. The entrance was filled with water, so was my bathroom, and the route that led to my parents’ room. The parlour was covered with water. Muddy. Dirty. And the store? Almost covered. I could not run. Yet, I wanted to scream. How did our house get flooded?
I pushed forward to their room and banged heavily.
“Daddy! Mummy! There's water everywhere!”
I heard a sudden splash, as though something landed in the water. And in a split second, the door tore open. Daddy almost grabbed me, but relaxed when he saw that I was fine. My phone's torch was the only light available. Theirs had been plugged into the socket overnight and left on the floor. Mommy came to the door. We heard screams from different corners.
Our neighbors.
How did this happen? Everywhere had been peaceful a few hours ago. In fact, we were more elated about the heavy downpour. At least, we would have the best sleep curled under the duvet. And maybe with cuddling for the marrieds. But only a few hours later, the light had gone off, and water had overwhelmed the entire house.
My room was the safest — I mean, the water hadn't risen to one's thighs. So Mommy and Daddy brought my young siblings of six and four, Blossom and Triumph into my room. We opened the window, and there were our neighbours, speaking with loud voices as though the crashing waves were trying to steal their words away.
Image source: ChatGPT
Daddy called out, his voice cutting through the waves.
“Daddy Erica! Are you guys safe?”
It was when I flashed my light outside that Daddy Erica realised there was a call from our direction. He shouted a reply, but none of us heard clearly.
A loud sound followed. I held onto Daddy. Mommy screamed out of fear, pulling my siblings tighter.
“Another fence has fallen,” Daddy said.
“Ah, God! Please help us. Don't let this flood swallow us all.” Mommy prayed with tears in her eyes.
Soon, Daddy Erica was at our window side, calling for help. He narrated that the water was increasing on their side.
If the water was increasing on their side which was a bit closer to ours, does that mean we would not be safe anytime soon? I thought quietly. Then Mommy asked another question that ruminated my mind.
“Where is Daddy Bernard and his family?”
“I called them,” Daddy Erica began. “He said they are up on the roof. All of them.”
My parents exchanged glances. Daddy sighed. He looked at a helpless Daddy Erica and instructed him to bring his family over. Our landlord and his family were also at Daddy Erica's place. They had fled their house when they realised the water was not going down.
The only way they could get into my room was to tear the window net and remove some rods. Thank God Daddy could find something from the kitchen.
In another twenty minutes, my window was bare, and both young and old were led in. My bed was the rescue point for all the children. The teens and adults remained standing, with their legs deep in the cold, muddy water.
But who cared about the water? Safety, to us, was more important than the discomfort.
In that instance, we began to hear a sound from afar. At first, it was distant, but then it grew. A masculine voice booming through a microphone.
“If you can hear me, get your family out and come for safety.”
Some rescue agents, I perceived. Maybe the government had sent them.
But how could we, when a river separated those people from us?
“Leave your property, life first.”
Daddy was pissed. He said my thoughts exactly.
“Do these people know we can't cross over?”
Our landlord asked us to ignore them.
Image source: Google Gemini AI
Shortly after, the house was filled with various noises, children laughing, and the adults discussing and narrating their own side of the shocking experience.
And when the water went down totally, everyone stepped out of my room. After taking a walk through the house, we knew we had lost some possessions.
But beyond that, a thorough cleaning awaited us.
