It was just another rainy day but there was an ominous foreboding in the atmosphere. The road we had taken five minutes earlier was gushing with water. The nearby paddy fields were a white sheet of shimmering expanse resembling an ocean. A few houses that were among the fields could not be seen at all. Our confidence that water would not come to our road as it had never happened in recent history was mistaken. By evening, the road became a gushing river with water reaching a height of about six feet at our gate and straining to enter our sloping driveway, succeeding only to come up to around 11 feet.
The people living on the other side of the road, mostly belonging to the economically weaker sections and living in low-lying areas, had fled in time. Our home was an open house for the nearly 35 flood-affected neighbours, who ranged from the age of two-and-a-half to 87. A makeshift community kitchen was put together. The energetic women made food for all, so much so it was passed on to people in neighbouring houses too. The spirit of oneness during the calamity had to be seen to be believed.
As night fell, spirited discussions took place. While some Hindus said it was the ire of Lord Ayyappa, for young women wanting to go to Sabarimala, which made the Pamba river spew so much fury, the Christians were a divided lot. One group said God was angry because priests and bishops were falling in morals while some maintained it was a punishment for maligning the name of priests and bishops.
Two days passed with boats and rafts plying on roads. We were cut off from the rest of the world—no electricity, internet, mobile network or newspapers. Our church youth wing did yeoman service delivering food packets. Government agencies provided us with everything from medicines to soaps, nighties and whatever one could think of. Even doctors made their rounds periodically. After two days, the water receded a bit. We sent one of the more enterprising of the lot with our mobiles to charge them. He came back successful in the evening, though a little haggard. We were relieved the worst was over and later realised how lucky we were.
During this floods, enemies became friends, the rich and the poor rubbed shoulders with each other and ate from the same pot, the youth became socially responsible and the inherent goodness of man came forth. Let this calamity unite us in showing greater respect for our natural resources and help us rise from the ashes, nay, debris and build a new Kerala.