|| m a n o k c h i c k e n ||

of sirens and fire trucks

it's been almost 30 minutes now since i've heard the fire trucks' sirens going on and off. i've just come from the terrace and in just a minute, i think there were 8 fire trucks running along the main street just a block away from my house. fire trucks and ambulances. all honking and sounding their sirens.

with the auditory overload of sirens going on and the continuous revving of fire trucks on the streets, i feel as if there is an impending danger - a danger that is devoid of any sense other than what i am hearing. i can't help but be nervous and a bit terrified. and there's another army of firetrucks again flying down the streets.

i prayed that there will be no one hurt. i prayed that if there were people hurt, recovery will be upon them in no time. i prayed that should there be houses burnt, there will somewhere that they can stay in until the time they get their lives on track.

i can still remember the weeks just after my father died. there were no ambulances present when he was rushed to the hospital. or if there were, i did not know because i was in school. it's the ugly thought that whenever i hear sirens at night, i prayed so hard that it will never be my mother in that ambulance who was often out at night. out not to have a good time. rather, to forget everything. i can still remember the feeling of the cold slowly going up my spine whenever i lay at night trying to disregard that ugly thought. i can still feel the foreboding terror. and all i do is pray, pray, pray.

i still hear the sirens. people are now on the streets with their night shirts on trying to see and talk about what is happenning. dogs are barking still at the seemingly annoying sounds. it's been over 40 minutes now.