I was sitting quietly and thinking of something to write last night, some time between 6:40-6:45 pm. There's bottled water on top of my side table where I stack up some of my books. I thought I was imagining things as I saw the table sway a bit and the water was moving like something bumped the table but I remember not touching the table at all. I stood up right away, trying to see if I would get dizzy or feel the floor buckle up under my feet. Nothing....but being the paranoid that I am sometimes, I dressed up and readied myself if I needed to make a run for it. Was I in panic? Had the quake been more intense and longer, I probably would have. It just registered an intensity level of 3. I would have felt it more since I was renting a place on the third floor. But since everything is made of cement and stone, I didn't feel the vibration much. Had the floors been made of wood and the foundation not that rigid, I'd feel the shaking even more.
After that, I had a hard time going to sleep and I finally dozed off just before midnight. I was waiting for some aftershock. I also thought of the safest part of the small house where I could go to. I realize, I don't have a sturdy table to go under. I have one that is collapsible and it just might fold up crushing me underneath. The safest place was an inside wall I could get beside to, that is if I can walk over there. If not, my best option is to stay where I am and cover my head and neck with a pillow. There's not much heavy frames that could fall on me. I was a bit afraid that the floor might give way. I was afraid to fall. But I read also that is is better to fall down than be crushed underneath.
My best bet...and one that made me fall asleep finally....I prayed. Because when my time is up, no matter where I run to, there's no escaping. I prayed also for my family and friends' safety before I closed my eyes.
Well, here I am, alive and writing this. I survived the night. We live one day at a time.
