This anecdote was taken from my first diary. Pardon the short narrative below, for it was written apparently, when I was still in first year high school. (the entry has no date) After much thought, I decided not to edit it or flesh out the scenes hoping that it would gain credibility by opening the first paragraph using a kid's voice. Nevertheless, I still remember the dream, even if it happened more than a decade after it was first written.
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"(This dream occurred when I am in Grade VI)
Godzilla was on the front or I'll say I saw Godzilla w/ a puff of smoke destroying (buildings) in its path. I am in the fourth floor of the Grade School Building. (of St. Joseph's College, where I spent my elementary days) When I saw the left, I mean right view, it was so devastated so I ran down the building up to our lobby. I was fetched by Ate Pet. (my yaya) It was so traffic so I watched the news. They pictured the path of Godzilla in visual simulation. From St. Joseph's College to (Welcome) Rotonda. I was shocked that our community (neighborhood) was in the path. When I went home, I cannot recognize the place because of the devastation."
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Our elementary school building is four stories high and once you find yourself in the fourth floor's open-air corridor that faces the east side of the city, the entire Timog area from Roxas District to South Triangle is still covered by huge swath of trees. Development is unheard of, and on sunny late afternoons, one could still find the white-washed Quezon Memorial Circle proudly standing amidst an urban forest that was once Quezon City 14 years ago.
The sky was Ash Grey in my dream, I could still remember it exactly as it was. I could not hear any sounds; I could not even hear the dreadful groaning of a monster, which Godzilla was known for. In those days, it was my favorite pastime to scale the entire length of the fourth floor open-air corridor from one end to the other. Since I had been a loner throughout my elementary, I found great enjoyment seeing the view of Quezon City east of Manila.
However, that late cloudy afternoon, the sight I saw made me tremble to my knees. There it was, a jet black, sludge-colored dinosaur stomping the ground below it. Just behind the beast was a cloud of smoke and dust that obstructed my view of the beast's surrounding area. The towering monster was fast approaching and I had a feeling that the building - the ground where I remained frozen, would be trampled soon.
Before I was able to run down the stairs, I took one last look at the trail of devastation brought by the terrible beast. This time, I turned my head right, facing the direction of Quezon Avenue and Roosevelt area. What I saw was total destruction; building were toppled and obviously, the entire area was devoid of life. I didn't even remember hearing the sirens of ambulances and firetrucks heading towards that direction.
I ran as fast as I could to the lobby, where my sundo was waiting for me. Since the distance of the lobby from the Grade School Building was quite far, I was panting when my yaya, Ate Pet found me. We immediately boarded the first jeep that stopped in front of us. It was packed with people beyond its capacity and traffic was on standstill on the way home. Strangely, this jeep had a TV installed just above the driver's seat and it was tuned in to the news.
I remember the news anchor showing the projected path of destruction of the monster. My school will be trampled down, as well as the Welcome Rotonda area in Espana. What sowed deep fear and anxiety inside my juvenile heart was that my neighborhood would be hit as well before the monster crosses the Pasig River and into the oil depots of Pandacan.
We arrived home too late. Though, I cannot remember the image of destruction that took place, My mind still holds the last image of a place shrouded in pitch-black darkness and a once-lively neighborhood that was now beyond recognition.
The scene ends there, and perhaps I woke up still trembling from that nightmare.
---
Naalala ko itong panaginip na ito simula noong napanood ko ang trailer ng Cloverfield sa YouTube. Gaya ng marami, akala ko na isang love story/comedy ang nasabing palabas dahil sa napaka-unassuming na title nito. Noong isang linggo ko pa binalak panoorin ito sa sinehan, ngunit sa kasamaang palad, lagi akong nawawalan ng oras para dito. Bumili ako ng pirated copy nito sa Quiapo kagabi, ngunit nang mapanood ko ang unang bahagi nito sa DVD, na-bad trip ako dahil sa sobrang labo nito.
Hindi ko alam kung hanggang sa Martes ay palabas pa rin ito sa mga malls. For the meantime, pagsasawaan ko muna ang trailer nito - na siyang nagpaalala sa akin na minsan sa aking kabataan, mayroon akong naging bangungot na hindi nalalayo sa trailer na ito.
---
"(This dream occurred when I am in Grade VI)
Godzilla was on the front or I'll say I saw Godzilla w/ a puff of smoke destroying (buildings) in its path. I am in the fourth floor of the Grade School Building. (of St. Joseph's College, where I spent my elementary days) When I saw the left, I mean right view, it was so devastated so I ran down the building up to our lobby. I was fetched by Ate Pet. (my yaya) It was so traffic so I watched the news. They pictured the path of Godzilla in visual simulation. From St. Joseph's College to (Welcome) Rotonda. I was shocked that our community (neighborhood) was in the path. When I went home, I cannot recognize the place because of the devastation."
---
Our elementary school building is four stories high and once you find yourself in the fourth floor's open-air corridor that faces the east side of the city, the entire Timog area from Roxas District to South Triangle is still covered by huge swath of trees. Development is unheard of, and on sunny late afternoons, one could still find the white-washed Quezon Memorial Circle proudly standing amidst an urban forest that was once Quezon City 14 years ago.
The sky was Ash Grey in my dream, I could still remember it exactly as it was. I could not hear any sounds; I could not even hear the dreadful groaning of a monster, which Godzilla was known for. In those days, it was my favorite pastime to scale the entire length of the fourth floor open-air corridor from one end to the other. Since I had been a loner throughout my elementary, I found great enjoyment seeing the view of Quezon City east of Manila.
However, that late cloudy afternoon, the sight I saw made me tremble to my knees. There it was, a jet black, sludge-colored dinosaur stomping the ground below it. Just behind the beast was a cloud of smoke and dust that obstructed my view of the beast's surrounding area. The towering monster was fast approaching and I had a feeling that the building - the ground where I remained frozen, would be trampled soon.
Before I was able to run down the stairs, I took one last look at the trail of devastation brought by the terrible beast. This time, I turned my head right, facing the direction of Quezon Avenue and Roosevelt area. What I saw was total destruction; building were toppled and obviously, the entire area was devoid of life. I didn't even remember hearing the sirens of ambulances and firetrucks heading towards that direction.
I ran as fast as I could to the lobby, where my sundo was waiting for me. Since the distance of the lobby from the Grade School Building was quite far, I was panting when my yaya, Ate Pet found me. We immediately boarded the first jeep that stopped in front of us. It was packed with people beyond its capacity and traffic was on standstill on the way home. Strangely, this jeep had a TV installed just above the driver's seat and it was tuned in to the news.
I remember the news anchor showing the projected path of destruction of the monster. My school will be trampled down, as well as the Welcome Rotonda area in Espana. What sowed deep fear and anxiety inside my juvenile heart was that my neighborhood would be hit as well before the monster crosses the Pasig River and into the oil depots of Pandacan.
We arrived home too late. Though, I cannot remember the image of destruction that took place, My mind still holds the last image of a place shrouded in pitch-black darkness and a once-lively neighborhood that was now beyond recognition.
The scene ends there, and perhaps I woke up still trembling from that nightmare.
---
Naalala ko itong panaginip na ito simula noong napanood ko ang trailer ng Cloverfield sa YouTube. Gaya ng marami, akala ko na isang love story/comedy ang nasabing palabas dahil sa napaka-unassuming na title nito. Noong isang linggo ko pa binalak panoorin ito sa sinehan, ngunit sa kasamaang palad, lagi akong nawawalan ng oras para dito. Bumili ako ng pirated copy nito sa Quiapo kagabi, ngunit nang mapanood ko ang unang bahagi nito sa DVD, na-bad trip ako dahil sa sobrang labo nito.
Hindi ko alam kung hanggang sa Martes ay palabas pa rin ito sa mga malls. For the meantime, pagsasawaan ko muna ang trailer nito - na siyang nagpaalala sa akin na minsan sa aking kabataan, mayroon akong naging bangungot na hindi nalalayo sa trailer na ito.
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