147 Isll Wai (1/2)

The men who patrolled closer to the cliff under the order to disperse in the area,heard Jia's cry for help. They could not see them from afar due to the thick foliage of the creek's

vegetation and to the messy tangles of the Dakit Tree vines hovering above the waters.

Yet,thanks to these vines. These were the tools that made the kids survive. If it were not for these wild,lush strands which offered as their life support to cling on,they would have been tossed miserably into the raging water flow.

Two men,tied with a rope, leapt into the waters to save each of them. The moment they were placed on a safe place,someone covered each of them with warm jackets until their chills subsided. Then,a group of medics came in and checked them.They found out that Koko sustained a bad and deep laceration in his back while Jia got only bruises and abrasions. It bled profusely and weakened him down.

After applying some antiseptics and packing the wound up,they hurriedly carried them on their backs since placing them in a stretcher would delay their transport due to the rough terrains.The wind was getting stronger and the rain got heavier. Until they had to stop and find a shelter while the typhoon made its landfall.

As Typhoon Ruping entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility,it packed a maximum winds of 185 kph to 285 kph as it made its landfall and brought about miserable and countless damages. It was also considered the worst typhoon to hit the country since  1984.

In Cebu City,88 ships sunk, the most ships ever sunk at the Cebu City harbor during a tropical cyclone. Power and phone lines were downed and the city lost access to drinking water for two days. Many buildings and houses were damaged leaving many families homeless. It had also claimed many lives and destroyed tons of crops and livestocks.

While Jia and Koko were taken care at the hospitals,one of the reported casualties of the typhoon was Koko's father. He was found lying dead beside an uprooted tree but a trusted source confessed that he was mauled by one of the money lenders he had owed with.

Koko cried when he learned about it but not out of pity but of anger. He was angry that he died of a disgraceful death and had never done anything good even in his last breath. Her mother left them and he would be left alone in raising up his siblings.

After his diagnostics and laboratory procedures, it was found out that he lost so much blood. His laceration was too big that it needed skin grafting. The problem was he had nobody to sponsor his hospitalization.

Jia's heart ached for him. What could an eight - year-old child like her do to help him?

Fortunately,his father had the same blood type as him so he was able to donate a blood for transfusion.

Two days after the day of their admission,some foreigners visited them and donated some supplements and medicine.A certain womanin her late forties who was one of them,sat down down beside her and began asking questions.

”Darling,what happened to you? ” She looked into her eyes pitifully.

Jia's eyes beamed with hope. This was the chance she was wating for.

She looked back at the kind- looking woman beside her. Her hair was partly gold and partly bronze.Her tender,blue eyes captivated her heart with a sense of fulfillment.

”I and my bestfriend were swept out by the water current in a creek.”

Her blue eyes widened. ”Really,dear? How did it happen?”

Jia narrated their whole story to her. She even included Koko's situationat home and how he fended for his brothers who were only two and four years old. She told her about his performance in school and how he dreamed to be successful one day.

The woman's eyes got misty. Her heart was crushed to hear about his story,his struggles and his sense of responsibility even at such a tender age.

”Darling,show me your bestfriend.I amDr. Sphere who works for a certain children's foundation as a missionary.”

”He's at the far corner. Dr. Sphere,please help him have his skin repair as well. ” Her wide eye looked at hers pitifully.

She, then,went over Koko's bedside. ”Boy,how are you? ”

Koko's eyes were already swelling. He had been crying hard lately. A sense of loneliness crept up into his heart. He was now left alone to look after his brothers...except Anna.How long would she stick by him?

”My brothers must be crying now.”

His tears fell silently once more. He was thinking again about how would he be able to support the three of them.