WHEN Bohol experienced tropical depression “Verbena” the night of November 24 (Monday) to early morning of November 25, 2025 (Tuesday) with its characteristic unceasing rainfall for five to six hours Monday evening – one night after I arrived in my Bohol crib, I was restless. I just traveled from General Santos City via Cebu City Sunday morning, took the fast craft to Tagbilaran City in the afternoon, so perhaps, I was still readjusting myself to the environment. But earlier that Monday evening, as the moderate rain began to drop, I already saw the water collecting on our front lawn. Five to six hours later, at around 1:00 a.m., I was not prepared to see the waters rose overtaking the driveway up to the garage.
I was fearful the water would flood the car that I had to wake my son up to move the vehicle farther into the back where an elevated spot is available to keep it safe. And we prayed that the rain would stop—nothing is impossible with prayers; this has been proven time and time again—because if it won’t, it would be the first-time ever that floodwater would probably enter the house. That would be another scenario, and not a good one. Thank God, the rains ceased thereafter.
The red rainfall warning happened, and it caused flooding, not only around the house but elsewhere in the province.
By Tuesday morning, the waters had receded but dang, the front lawn was a picture of dirt, garbage, and mud! Again, I wonder why our fellow Filipinos and Boholanos find the roads their biggest garbage bins, throwing anything and everything on the road whether they are inside their vehicles or merely passing by.
Moving on.
I spent nearly a three-month hiatus in General Santos City which was totally a pleasant, nah, delightful break. The overall experience was restful, stress-free, and even musical. But like all beginnings, a break would require an end, so, off I flew back to Cebu City, enroute to my birth city. Thus, I am back for over a week now.
It’s ideal for everyone to deliberately take a break from time to time. It puts things in perspective, busts the stress, plus, in my case, the satisfaction of cleaning house – which I overdid, hence, hurting my lower back prompting me to decide to confine for better pain management, and rekindling friendships in a city where I had resided for most of my adult life. There were friends I didn’t meet though for one reason or another. Perhaps in another time.
I returned to my home city, and the issues are still the same, i.e., pricey fish, fruits, and vegetables; prohibitive cost of pork; recurring floodings in the city, added by quarrying concerns, and other environmental issues. Oh well, life’s like that in Bohol. I’m wondering how the regulatory powers of government are utilized in these parts.
Moving forward.
I read a novel during my stay in General Santos City, and the concept of “multiverse” was fascinatingly explored by the characters of the story. I found it interesting and entertaining. And being sentimental, it resonated with my old soul.
Cambridge Dictionary says, “A multiverse is a collection of different universes that are thought by some people to exist at the same time: What we think of as the universe could be just one of trillions of universes on an indescribably vast stage called the multiverse.”
My first taste of this multiverse jargon was upon seeing the film “Doctor Strange” which utterly confused me. But the book, even if fictional, in a way, broke the haze and I began to have an appreciation for it, for its entertainment value, so I began writing captions using it. Predictable.
But I believe this one captures it the most, “In my multiverse, you smile at me somewhat timidly although I knew for the longest time that you had a crush on me. But in your multiverse, that crush remains as such . . . because even if our multiverse intersects, there is simply no way to make the fantasy real. It is not wasted though because we remain in each other’s unreachable reality. Well, it is either tragic or dreamy. The choice is yours.”
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Woman Talk with Belinda Sales is taking a wellness break. You may send your email to belindabelsales@gmail.com. Follow us on X at @ShilohRuthie./PN
