24-Hour SkyWatch: Santi

On the week of Typhoon Santi (Mirinae), I knew that this one must surely pass. No amount of praying and invoking the skies, its powerful wind and water, to swerve or go on detour. I did that before. If I did it again, it will return, again and again. This violent form of healing must happen. My dogs gave me that look, the one that said that the storm is going to pass our house Heaven. Dogs, and most animals, can 'hear' and feel calamities hours before it happens. I told everybody to prepare for the worst.

A powerful wind of 150 kph and up can easily blow our roof away! I looked at our young avocado tree Yvon and knew that Chicky, the older chico tree beside her, will have to watch over her. Troy the lizards must grouped together. The maya birds remained singing in the trees as I went around assuring everybody in vain. "Go somewhere safe" I whispered to the birds. I was practically in tears. It is brought about by that helpless feeling of knowing you can only do so much. After Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Peping (which did not pass Heaven) I knew Santi will pass. Santi must pass. A storm is not just a gathering of wind and water. A storm and typhoon is also nature's biggest neutralizer. They need to pass to clear and clean the air. Like some pending work that piles on our desk that accepts no excuses. Typhoon Santi must pass . . .

And he did. I woke up at 3 AM, Saturday dawn (Oct. 30), when the lights went out. Meralco, the electric company, had already shut off power for safety. The winds outside my window were quietly howling, like restless spirits roaming the skies. With no electric power, I went to check on my dogs and they were walking around in the dark whining for me. I lighted a candle and stayed with them, huddled in their kennels as they slept in their pillows, trusting their "keeper" unmindful of the worry etched on my face as I glanced at the howling dark. I started my vigil. By 5 AM, the dogs awakened. The animals around me started howling. The cats, the chickens, the frogs started leaping out and I knew that the eye of the storm is coming. The winds were getting strong and I stood to face it, my arms were barely steady and I closed my eyes in complete surrender. . .

Oh, element of air and water,
let your purifying being
enveloped us in loving surrender.
Embrace us as you sweep
the stale energy in our land
our hearts, our mind . . .
Heal, heal, . . . but keep us safe . . .

I felt my stretched arms became limp. I heard the angry winds but it left me! I opened my eyes and saw the wind circling around Heaven, bending trees, hurling objects in the air, but not in Heaven! I found my dogs beside me watching me, their eyes alert. I patted their heads and started my lullaby song as I walked around Heaven, watching Yvon and Chicky dancing in the wind. It was quite an exhilarating experience! It was total surrender and trust in the power of nature and a Supreme Being. By 5:30 AM, the early light started to creep and the winds started to say goodbye. I was tired and sleepy. I put out the candle and went to bed at 6 AM. The silence was just the eye of the storm! After one hour, the winds returned and in complete surrender, I went to sleep. By 7 AM, the skies cleared and I awakened to a clear, blue skies!

Typhoon Santi passed and cleared the air. I felt its clean, fresh energy as I went about to survey Heaven. All the plants are OK. The dogs were happy. My sisters woke up not knowing and feeling the scary storm. I prayed for it. It is enough that I am awake to keep watch . . . .