After Disaster

Now, it’s about 3 o’clock in the morning. My mom, my older sister and her husband have gone down stairs to the shops on the first floor to check on all things. And I just crawled out of the covers.

Just a moment ago, mom took a call from my younger sister in another district, who told that the storm had caused flood flowing into her house and grocery store and asked mom if it was ok here. Mom ran to open the window, much to her surprise, she shouted, “Oh,my God, the street has become as a river.”

I know it’s raining cats and dogs outside, but when I was in the bed and heard mom’s shouts, I took no notice of it. She, I thought, was just kidding around.

I’m left in charge of home, or rather, I just want to sit in front of my desk and write something for rain always makes me think more and deeper.

“Soboma, So…bo……ma! Are you up? Come down here, come on.” Sorry, my mom is calling me now. I’ve got to get down, perhaps I can give a hand or something.

To be continued…

It’s 5:43 a.m now. Man, I’m back, with weariness and foulness of the flood. The storm may be one of the worst disasters in our city’s history. It’s unbelievable that the accumulated water in our shops has reached more than one meter in depth. Lots of medicine boxes, paper and something are flowing on the water. Quickly, we transferred the medicine and equipment in danger of being washed away to a safe and high place. The same with our neighbors, who were busy draining water out of their apartments during the time from two to five in the morning. Our street has become as a long river, and the yard has become a deep and dirty pond.

We have roughly estimated our loss caused by the flood at 500 dollars. But that’s not what I want to say. I mean my family and I unite together, help each other so that we ride out many difficulties confronting us. We have a population of 1.3 billion, if we unite together when one of us gets into trouble; then one’s difficulty divided by 1.3 billion no longer equals difficulty. Failure will never overtake us if we are closely united enough. I believe, anytime, anywhere, we could be better, and we will win.

The Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12

I’ve learned about some earthquakes from books and TV-shows, such as the Tangshan Earthquake of 1974 caused more than 240000 people to lose their life, the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and Japan Earthquake of 1923. All led a great loss of their own. So it is with the current quake of Wenchuan, on May 12, 2008. It was so strong that almost all of the country shook to some extent. Many people in different places, more or less, felt this shake.

That day, about 14:30, I was surfing on the net looking for informatin about the Philippines. All of sudden, a word was given to me that a violent earthquake just came about in Wenchuan. Oh, man! Would I believe it then? I didn’t regard it as a matter of any importance. After all, I never had a dream of any earthquake.

Until later the day, I’d not believed it. In my opinion, earthquake and volcano were just events in history and, far away from us so that we did not need to spend time to consider when and where them would happen. It was so incredible, but, in Wenchuan, it was true.

My eyes were moist when seeing the painful pictures on television. I was shocked and troubled for lots of buildings collapsed and pinned hundreds of thousands of people. More than five provinces and twenty cities got involved in this quake. some parts of these citis almost became ashes. The water system, power system and traffic system were entirely crippled. In some way, it seemed like the end of the world. You caught the sight of damaged shoes and clothes on the ruins, but no owers; you heard the cries for help from the victims, but it took time; life and death twirled round and round in your heart, but you couldnot get it straight. Maybe nothing left but black and white in mind.

Death and destruction caused by this powerful earthquake was like a dark hole devouring the souls of people. And sometimes we had to hopelessly watch them vanishing one by one from our side while nothing we could do. I’ve got to say, we lost so much, nor regarding whether it was life or porperties.

By all accounts, so far, the confirmed death toll of Wenchuan Earthquake has now reached 62664, 23775 people are missing and 358816 are hurt. And the numbers of loss will be still growing. In most cases, only do I shed tears for I’m touched deeply by man’s life but I do nothing. At the moment, in the melancholy music, I hope with all my heart that the loss caused by the quake could reduced to a minimum, that homestead rebuilding could be operated as soon as possible, that all of survivors could come back to the regular life and all of victims could sleep in peace. God bless you, my dear fellow-men. I will still pray for you, tear for you.

The Games between the Police and Others

I go across several blocks on my way to City Stadium everyday. I often meet some police patrolling there. In some cases, I would study them when they come into sight. One of dreams from my childhood was to be a soldier, maybe their presence wakes up my old dream on that account.

After a time of my observing, in general, I discover that there are two figures in police. One is too fat, the other is thin.

Generally speaking, more stripes and stars on the military uniform, higher ranks he wears, then richer and fatter he gets; nevertheless, compare to that, the ranks are thinner and poorer. Of course, most of them are better off than common people. It’s a wonder that, as police, in stature, they nearly have nothing but body fat and bones.

I’m wondering if they each would beat up a ruffian or thug single-handed; after all, some of criminals are big and muscular. Not all cats can catch mice; even some of cats dread to face mice without aid or fellows. Yet it’s a natural for a cat to catch mice. But in man’s world, in some cases, between the police and offenders or some people, there is a game, a show, a play or a deal. Certainly, it’s not a problem of just one nation, it’s a universal one. And the game is on every day.

Giving Me Some Personal Space

I was running at the City Stadium this morning. A man, about twenty four, was running with me shoulder to shoulder.

All of sudden he said: “Hi, man!

“Well, hi!” said I offhand.

You may think only of that as an average start for some conversation. The truth is, that was the start of my misfortune.

Have you ever been tired of someone who kept badgering you all day long to meet his requests? Have you ever been surrounded by a flock of wasps buzzing around and not able to get out of the way? Did you say: “Get out of here, buddy!”? If it just happened to you, how would you feel?

I stopped to stretch body and exercise, so did him, whom I was not bothered with so far. It seemed to me that it was normal for two strangers talking a little with each other. I mean I talked a little bit. Nothing was showing that we had some things in common. He was not the man, one of the soul mates I found.

I would not mind if I could have one more friend. To my disappointment, just like the shadow of mine, he followed me and sat close by my side when I was resting on the steps. How he was so dying to express himself that I seldom interrupted him out of politeness. But he  spoke too much, and too much is too much. It was really difficult to stand the loudspeaker broadcasting nonsense around your ears all the way.

As he was excitedly chattering on the world and his life without considering my feeling, I just continued on in silence. If I could speak some words came with disgust. I said, “Oh, yeah, come on, wow, gee, boy, goddddddd!”

I guess no people in their right mind could bear listening to his endless preaching. To make things worse, when he spoke to me, he reached his neck so close to me and, endlessly, squawking. Above all things, he was wearing some kind of perfume. I hated it. The mixed smell of perfume and sweat was so stifling that my respiration became difficult, which brought me to the edge of passing out.

Close your eyes and imagine you are in the situation, and you know how bad it is! Oops, it’s toooooooooo bad, indeed. So I’d got to get rid of it by cooking up a story. Yet, at the moment, I knew not what to say! I mean I never intended to put him on the spot by some sharp remarks.

With a faint smile, I rose to my feet before he finished his talk and said, “Oh, man, don’t you wanna walk around, I wanna do it for a while.” Without his permission, I went away!

He said, in stunned silence, “Oh, yeah! Well, see you next time!”

“You are about to leave! Ok, see you!” said I. And I dared not to say: “NEXT TIME.”

The golden and warm light of dawn seeped down from the leaves of trees above. I breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of my sight! Perhaps out of sight, out of mind. Now I was able to free my heart and enjoy the nature given by God.

Does it still make sense

The other day I received an email from the director of a newspaper of Hongkong who is in charge of affairs of Southwest China. I was told to phone him as soon as possible if I had read it. I had no idea of his aim, even was a bit shocked for I almost forgot him since I left and have engaged in my own things.

For a while, I hesitated, and the scenes when I was working for him came back to me completely. He was once familiar to me, and now strange. One way or another, I made him a call.

He told that he lost track of me since I went away. At last he managed to find a classmate of mine and got my email address. He asked me to go back to work for the newspaper in Hongkong or rather for him. For the first three-month, my salary was about three hundred dollars each month, and four hundred after that.

I refused his kindness. On the one hand, the pay was not very good for me. I would only be able to deposit some chicken feed after the cost of living had been taken out of my salary. On the other hand, I’ve been busy living my dream, if I gave it up by half to do other things, perhaps I would get regret for my whole life. I don’t wanna give up my big plans of my life for other stuff. I would like to listen to my inner voice so I know what I need the most for my future.

Above all things, I don’t wanna work for the boss like a viper who speaks sweet words and break his words.

One year ago, for a time I was working for the director with great passion and expectations. As a newspaper trainee, I tried so hard to start campaigns, write stories, interview the people involved in news and other stuff for the newspaper without pay, while he was in Hongkong. He told me that he would pay me a little for my work and gave me the certification of internship which was so important for me when I was going to leave college in the last year.

Well, he gave me nothing. And now he spoke to pay me more if I’m willing to go back to work, and he can give the certification of internship any time if I need. But does that work for me now; does it still make sense when the time and the dream are not there any more.