Summer of Unbreakable Bond

Our tent became wide-awake with cries of relief and gratitude. Mr. Huang apologized to us for taking his team several hours to find us. Assembling a rescue team was easy according to him. It was the horrendous traffic that delayed them. Gary came with Mr. Huang. Our gang crowded on him. He gave each of us a neon orange bag that contained a flashlight with extra batteries, two bottles of water, protein bars, chocolates, wet ones, first-aid kit, raincoat and a whistle. He kept saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Mr. Huang was talking on what looked like a radio. It turned out to be a satellite phone. He motioned for Justine to come near.

"Sir Anton, here is Justine," Mr. Huang said over the phone. He handed over the unit to Justine.

"Hello, Grandpa? Are you okay? Yes, I'm okay. All of us are. Except…" Justine said, fighting his tears. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I'm sorry for losing Alex. Yes, Grandpa. Yes…" Justine sounded so desperate my heart ached for him. The gang took turns speaking to their parents. Apparently, Grandpa Anton gathered all the parents in the White House. I could imagine them huddled in the kitchen, while Auntie Anita served them coffee and her famous sandwiches, telling them not to worry because she had trained her wards (meaning the gang) very well. I knew how worried she must be for us but she wouldn't show it to our parents. She knew they depended on her for strength.

I volunteered to take the last turn. By that time, I was sure that my father would have deduced that I was safe.

"Hi Father, " I began softly.

"Are you sure you are okay? Does your wound hurt? Take care of yourself, okay? Don't worry about us and the farm. We are okay. As soon as day breaks, we are going there to fetch you. Listen to Mr. Huang, okay?"

That was my father. Practical but sweet. I knew he was just hiding how worried he was because he didn't want me to worry. We all did a group hug when everyone spoke to his/her loved ones at home. We were safe now. If only Alexis was with us…

The crew brought by Mr. Huang set up a calling station. There was also a table for the pots of hot soup and boiled eggs that they brought with them. People lined up to call or to have a ration of the food. Auntie Aida told us to eat first so we could help in serving our fellow survivors. Yes, we had just survived a powerful earthquake.

Our gang took care of manning the food table. People were so thankful of the food. Some of them told us that they had not eaten since lunchtime. I was impressed with how prepared Mr. Huang's company for calamities such as this. I told Mr. Huang my observation. He said that disaster-preparedness was an essential area of focus in his company. According to him it is more financially viable to be disaster-prepared than the costly work of rebuilding. I didn't really understand the financials of what he was saying but I got what Mr. Huang meant. I made a mental note to ask my father if the farm was also disaster-prepared. I thanked Mr. Huang for entertaining my question. He ruffled my hair and went to check on his crew.

When the last bowl was shared, Mr. Huang told us to prepare to leave. This confused Justine. Mr. Huang explained that it would be safer for us to stay in his house. His crew can concentrate on finding Alexis. Justine protested. He said he would wait for his brother. He was prevailed upon by Auntie Aida and Uncle Danny. They told him he would greatly help the search by being safe himself. He eventually agreed but I could tell how agonizing it was for him to make the decision.

The traffic was terrible but according to Gary it had improved so much compared to what they had experienced earlier. Power was still down but once in a while the vehicles' headlights would shine on something and we would gasp at the sight of damage. It was indeed a powerful earthquake.

The Huang's residence was just around 3 kilometers from the mall. The bad traffic made it seem so far. The Huang's compound was sprawling. We were greeted by bright lights and the sound of a running generator. Gary led us in the backyard. It was a mini-evacuation site. A number of tents were erected. A makeshift dirty kitchen was running. We saw some people preparing sandwiches. Mrs. Huang ran to meet us. She prompted us for a group hug. We indulged her. We must have worried her a lot. She gasped when he saw my wounded thigh. She repeatedly asked if I was okay. She thanked us for staying safe. She apologized for just letting her EA accompany us instead of her. We just stayed silent politely. We let her fuss over us. It was comforting actually.

The Huang's home was a one-story building designed beautifully. I noticed it had no corners. The walls curved fluidly. It had so much space but didn't feel empty. It had a very high ceiling. The furniture were carefully selected and were placed strategically. The art pieces were few and in between. You couldn't see a piece and not spend some time with it. That was how beautiful they were. I saw Justine admiring the house. He whispered in my ear, "Gaudi." I was glad that for a moment he forgot his worries. I took his hand while we both admired the art pieces.

Except for some ornaments that were displaced, the house seemed to have withstood the earthquake. That was why we were ushered inside. Mrs. Huang handed us fresh clothes herself. She said they were understaffed. Her household crew went home to check on their families too. Some are manning the mini-evacuation site we saw earlier. Mrs. Huang explained that those were the families and relatives of some of their housekeepers and drivers. They lived in the villages near the exclusive gated community where the Huangs lived. According to her, it was actually Gary's suggestion to let them camp-out in their backyard temporarily until the safety of their houses are ascertained. Mrs. Huang said that Gary had made her do things she wouldn't otherwise do. There was so much pride in her voice when she said this. She excused herself from the group to attend to Mr. Huang. Gary continued his mom's story about the mini-evacuation site in their backyard. He said the housekeeping staff went on to check their families by foot. When they came back, Mr. Huang had to fetch them in the subdivision gate because the guards wouldn't let them in until he called the homeowners association president in front of the guards. There are more or less 30 people in their backyard. Thankfully, they had an open gazebo with a tiny kitchen. The Huangs used this for intimate barbecue and cocktails with friends. It was now used as a makeshift dirty kitchen and mess hall. There were ample toilet units too. The gang checked the site. It was quieter than when we arrived. The people must have been exhausted and decided to sleep. The kitchen was quiet too. Gary asked us if we'd like to rest too.

"Auntie Aida, can we all stay in one room please?" pleaded Karlo. Auntie nodded her approval.

"We can all stay in my room," Gary said. He led all us to his room.

Gary's room was 3 times bigger than the bedrooms in the White House. There was a side dedicated to gaming and entertainment. It had a sofa and a dining table for 4. The furniture and fixtures were pushed to the wall to make way for futons, pillows and blankets. Gary had obviously anticipated this scenario and prepared his room. We all looked at him, thankful. He told us to wash up first. He told the boys to use the bathroom in the hall outside his room. His bathroom would be used by the girls. The ensuite bathroom was huge too. Clean towels and toiletries were already waiting for us to be used. We took turns washing up. We finally had our much needed shower.

Gary assigned his huge bed to the girls. Auntie Aida, Marion, Via and Melody settled on it. I was about to join them when Justine took my hand and led me to one of the futons. I anticipated some teasing but there was none. Soon the boys settled on their own futons too. One was left empty. Karlo started to fold it when Justine told him to leave it. His brother might join them later, he said. The air became heavy with unspoken pain and worry. I settled on Justine's chest and hugged him. He gently stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

I woke up with Justine's arms still around me. I surveyed my sleeping friends. I smiled when I saw that Mel had joined Karlo in his futon. Their hands were joined on top of Karlo's heart. This would have been a lovely sleep-over party if not of the worrisome circumstance that led to it. I noticed Auntie Aida was not on the bed. She must have gone to help Mrs. Huang manage the household. I thought I should help too and started to get up but Justine hugged me tighter. Then he woke up with a start.