Locate Fad the essay: HOME OF THE ASHFALL. John Jack Wigley Pampanga The eruption of Mount Pinatubo wes recorded as the second largest terrestris! eruption of the 20" ‘century, and the largest eruption to affact a densely populated area. Ash fall which formed @ weighty ‘ain-drenched snow-ike fim, affected almost the entre sland of Luzon, and even reached the neigh boring countries of Malaysia and Visinam. twas futher aggravated because of Typhoon Yunya, which brought witht heavy rains and strong winds. To the Kapampangans and to he people affected by this tragedy, t would serve as a testament to ther imapressible atibute of rising above ther plight and predicament. as na longer ling in Angeles City when Mt. Pinatubo erupted on June 18, 1991.1 was promoted from being a crew member at Pizza Hut Dau to management trainee at Pizza Hut Harrison Plaza in December 1990. Ater being a sevice crew member for more than four years and graduating from College in 1989, had to say goodbye to my hometown where I ived for more than two decades. it was iy fist time to work in Manila. | asked the assistance of Ed Calupitan, a felow Pizza Hut Dau crow ‘member now based in Manila to help me find a place 0 stay. He was living in a two-bedroom apartment and gladly offered the other room to me. \Weeks before the eruption, I read several news and wamings about ML. Pialubo, Frankly, | never knew that there was a volcano in the Zambales mountain range. Nobody among my Kapampangen frends oid | quess we were all clueless about the Impending danger this wauld cause in our lives. Liter on, | realized thatthe summit ofthe volcano was just fourteen kiometers away ftom tha extent of ‘Clark AirBase. | tought that voleanoes were conspicuous mountains and had fetce-looking summits ‘ike Mayon’s and Halcons. But this one was desply hidden among the several mountains called the *Cabusilan mountains’ of Zambales, How a voloana had managed to hide emong te mountains and be covered witha dense forest was somathing | couldn’ comprehend. It was bound to erupt guess it would be just Ikea firecracker ‘Hel, | thought that if here was a mountain near us which | imagined would erupt anytime, ft would be the Arayat, hich was located atthe heart of Pampanga, wih is open mouth and forbidcing count ‘ance. Net ths abseure mountain whose native inhabitants the Aetas, never even knew about | paid no mare attention to the warrings. | had only been in Manila for barely six months and was enjaying my new-found independence. 1 ‘would sometimes go fo Angeles Cy 1 see Mother during days-tf, which usually fell on a weekday, ‘inc management people cid not have the luxury of day-of during weekends because twas the tme when more people would go out and eat Pizza Hut Harrison Plaza was a high-volume unt Thal fateful day, ater my opening shit, went to see afm. lt was “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit” afm ‘adaptation of Bront's "Watering Heights" directed by Carites Siguion Reyna, The fim stared erstwhile lovers played by Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta. | was feeling all mushy and melodtaratic after ‘watching the fim when, once outside, | saw parked cars covered with what seemed ie a whitsh-gray blanket. And s0 were the steels. sit fray snowing in Manila? | thought. as I felt some of the particles ‘on my hand and smudge my shirt When | loked clesely'and touched them, they were grany. twas lke ash from an ashiray Lussow's assur 23"What nas happened?” | asked the guard on duty. 'B) ko po alam, ser Paro kanina pa Van,” he apologeically said went oack to Piza Hut and asked my colleagues about Naku, pumutok na yung Pinatuba. Hanggang alta nakaraing yung astfall” ssc the assistant manager | got woried | wanted to go to Angeles Cy that instant but | realized that my day-of wouldnt be unt Monday. Glasses had only jusi begun and we were undermanned. Gasides, | didn't know the extent ‘ofthe eruption at that ime so presumed itwas not realy a big deal. We dint have eteleohone and so | didnt have any way of knowing how my family was doing, Mother ived wth my erether and his tras kids at that time. I planned to go ta Angeles City that Monday ‘But he monthly staltmesting ofthe pizza outlet was scheduled on that day, Thus, | failed tego tothe province again. Iwas in charge ofthe weekiy marketing actles ofthe store, We had a thorough back to-school promo forthe students 60 had ioreset my plan forthe following week I specialy requested the store manager that be excused the naxt weak I could ae my fami inthe province, That Monday morning, | went tothe Phippine Rab bus terminal station. | earned that thay dint have trips the past week because the roads wore covered with lahar and were therefore, impassable. | heard Kapampangan passengers converse with one anaiher about the graviy ofthe calamity, "Keng Bacolor, mengatabunan la kanu deng bale. Alang mitagan. Houses are said to be buried deep in Bacolor And ony the bel tower ofthe church is visible bocause tne whole eructure is eunk deep i the lahar Everything fad been washed out.” “Pity the residents, Makalunus a ugu dong tau. Unt now, thee sail no elect in many areas, fied the other ‘The third quy exclaimed, "A lot of them are now evacuated in elementary schools and public basket- ball courts, They are wating for food and assistance from the government, Pet asneng kabagal kana eng daratang @ Saup keng gubyerno, Makalikam" [wanted o but in and engage in their conversation too, but et iad nothing to share wth them, |}was guity for nat having responded immediately hoped that nothing ike this had happened to my family. Inthe bus! prayed hard, harder than | ever ci before ‘The bus would have gone.as far as the Angeles Cy bus terminal but he criver sad that he Aacan bridge had collapsed a few days ago. "Hangga nam kenl ing saken, Deng blsang munia Angeles, ta yu keng sapa at iumakad na kayu karin. This sas far as we could take you. Those who are bound for ‘Angeles youhtave to go down the iver and cross tothe other side.” | got of the bus and my legs shook upon seeing the devastated city | had lived infor twenty one ‘years-he city Ihave always called my city of angels. Now, it was IKe-a chast town. Tha houses were ‘covered wit gray ash and the tr9s looked lke folded umbrellas a he onset of storm, The sreeis were ‘muddy all over and cars were abandoned everywhere very miuch ke in @ noror fm wnere people ‘were nowhere because the zombies ad taken aver the place. Asias and beggars with reqged clothes vappad around theic heads were halding out their hands for alm. | wanted to ery. | imagined have Scarlet ©'Hara! must have fl the ft time sha went heme to Ta after the war and sesing that her place was alli shambles. was painful to wiiness what had become af my cy “The strong Abacen bridge had relly colansed, some of is boulders blocking the rivers path. Two ofthe columns were stil mightily sianding but the rest had probably been washed away by the current. | shook n eset Ths mighty ridge hal een witness to some of my remarkable experiances inthe City: This was the bridge where Mether found me when Iwas lost at sx 8 all ane now: "Scat 0! Haas the harcne of the novelas inn Gone with the Wind by Marge Mitchel (1900-199), Te sve pushed in 1936 rece the Pulte riae far Fico In 1957. ‘ought be cacy I sate cone ena | thou sre makapun ofthe des Ashe ‘Sagul. Tho awhile. | Fs 2 si51 1 women Oh cir, to goth subject| saw farther down the riverbank that people wera lining up to crass the vr by stepping on coconut twunks and weaden poles atta 1 fom ene and tothe oer. The gaunt shirtless boy who was jugaing coins and walking and fo shouted, *Pesus mu: Deng bisang lumakad papunta Angeles, ken’ na Kayo bang all la mabase deny Dis yu. For one pesa, take this tall and your feet wont get wet in the ver” ‘was aboutto fallin ine but | realize that there was long quove of people already as faras the bend, waiting for thelr umn ta get across the rive Itwould fake me forever to get to other side fain ne, I thought. | taked to the person behing me *Malolam ya pu ing darum. Is the water deep?” “Tabelu. Bele mu, malalam pin, | dosit know. Its deep, | guess," he immediately rejoined, "Lawen me dang tau, angga ne Keng aiyan na Look atthe guy crossing, The water's upto his tummy.” be sad, pointing tothe man. ‘t was dep, | contemplated. | didnt want to take the risk of geting my clothes wet. | was also thinking thet perhaps the water tht lowed dou the river was contaminated because of the volearic ash and the eufurie content ofthe water Just then | saw about four barkers holding wooden chairs, inviting people to cross the river on these srs. They explained that psople would! siting on the chair andthe baikers themselves would carry the chalto the other side fora fee often pesos. Despite the hotibla sight before me, I forced a smile. ‘as thinking about how indestruetioie humans are. These people were sil stuggling to lve even if ccalastionhes lke typhoons and volcanic eruptions tad struck, Calastiopnes constantly plagued thei lives, felt Seep admiration for them ‘One barker thought my smile was an indication that! wanted to ride In the chai. “Bisa kang sake, ‘ould you tke to take @ ride?" he asked | was mening o say no bu wes speechless, sil taking everyning in. Besides, I wantedto see my family. nedced my head. “Koya, padagdag nak mu Keka ne. Kasi lypa kang mabeyat, Micharge you extra, You lookheavy" the berker smile fly, avealing he hed no teeth For @ moment, | wanted to pull his hair and drow his head in the vec This impertinent one, | thought He had fo subtly insult my chubby body But! surmised that he meant well. It was not going to be easy carving meto the aner side of he river just simpy agreed. | sat onthe chair and put the bag on my lap. The barker clasped an improvised rope seatbelt from tone end to the ether Yeah, ike {would experience a ferible accident by forgetting to use this seatbott ‘thought sarcastically “Just hold the cha's handles, st. I's good that you came this early. Potang gatganapun, all ana akepunta karin ulngthalalam ne ing lanum, Later inthe afternoon, we won'-be able to crass because of the cleep water the barkor enthusiastically said 'As ho started iting the cha | fl that | was slicing down. The fabric of my pants was slippery. Sagull Kal-kalal. Wat, careful Mananabu Kulm aling,” lr. Tha barker hated fora second and adjusted the weight on his arms, wiggled momentary anc ater auuil,linsructed him to carty on. He lacked at mo and then smi issfly Fist, it was my body weight. Then | sonsad that he was mocking me because he thought | was «a sissy. tumed back to the other barker and they were all carrying passengers. alla whom were women, One was carrying an older woman with @ cane. saw the men and they were braving the river Ch dear, now ll these barkers wauld regard me as the only man in the Abacan river who did not want to get his feet wet, Why hadnt | devised early on to just cross the river? Now, felt quiy that had to subject this eadaver-ooking barker to such pain and sufering by carrying me, the queen, all of my