Down to earth

Its 1030pm and I’m sitting on my bed watching TV my girlfriend is reading a book next to me. She starts shaking the bed not much but enough for me to notice. Very funny I think. I look at her and she looks at me. “Stop shaking the bed” she says. Something’s not right. The walls are almost moving. My god it’s an earthquake. Under most circumstances this is a harrowing experience but my apartment is on the 26th floor of an apartment block in Manila (Philippine constructed) so harrowing is an understatement Petrified for want of a better word would be closer to the truth.



I jumped up off the bed and headed out to the balcony overlooking Manila Bay. Great im outside, DUH im still 26 floors up what am I thinking? get it together. Get the Fek out of the building. “Go” I shout to my girlfriend as I head for the door leading to the hall. As I step outside I see that most of the other tenants are standing under the doorframes of there apartments. Not a bad Idea but, for me I have to get out. I’m calmer now, now that the shacking has stopped but who’s to say it want start again any second and the whole building could turn into a pile of rubble. Where is she? “Lets go” but my bag? “fek your bag “go” as we head out people are everywhere in the hall some are waiting for the lift not me I know better “the stairs it’s safer” Off we go. On the stairs people are everywhere some carrying bags some babies it’s a slow crawl down the stairs. After 5 floors I have had enough so we diverted to the lift and after what seemed like 3 hours in the lift we made it to the lobby. Buy now there are people everywhere (how can so many people live in one building) most are casual but some still frightened (like me). Finally we are on the street it’s over I’m safe. A great excuse for spending the rest of the night in the bar (worried about after shocks) I didn’t want to go near the place ever again. I now live in a bungalow just outside the city and feel safer for it.