A "THIEF" FROM ROME

By: Danny S. Villanueva

(September 1992 Diary) Bamban, Tarlac was indeed a desolate town as a result of the devastation caused by the lahar from Mt. Pinatubo's eruption. The continuous rain further worsens the situation. That was we saw with Sabrie, the 2 Rotary Anns- Betty and May and Fr. Dodje, who came to town the other Sunday from Rome to have a closer look at the worsening condition of our home province. We saw the continuous evacuation of families along the lahar and flooded paths to save their lives and remaining properties.

The Trek to Bamban that day was not that easy because of the flood and the soft and thick lahar that cascaded through the town's main roads. The worst that could happen in going through these risky courses was to get stuck in the mad, and boy did we, not only once but twice in a row. That's how persistent the group was to get closer to the "once upon a river" which was filled up with lahar now, that towers over the village. Thanks to the villagers who came to the rescue and pushed Betty's gutsy L200 pickup to safety.

Everyone was barefoot, save for May, who stuck with her white socks and sneakers, waded through the flood up to the famous "river." Betty provided Fr. Dodje with interesting backgrounder on Pinatubo's aftermath while Sabrie and May roamed the great dessert-like "river." After awhile, overwhelmed with what we saw, we went back to our vehicle only to be faced with another real serious problem. Of the real and imagined carelessness a driver, that was me, could do was to leave the car inside a locked car. Betty got no spare key. Everybody looked real worried. "Pahiya si ako." Betty started to mill around asking for locksmith among the villagers while our good missionary priest tinkered his way trying to unlock the car door. Soon enough, as May jokingly declared, "It takes a 'thief' from Rome to open the lock!" How Dodje did it? That's another story, a proprietary one.

Very relieved, our group hit the flooded road for home. On our way, we met with our friends from the Red Cross and said to me, "So you see what we have here." "Yes, we did, with a little help from our friendly 'thief' from Rome." DSV