Last Minute Answer

Joani and I were watching the proceedings of the news last night. Huddled  up against my chest, she stared at the tube with rapt attention as images of the devastating earthquake that hit Japan came into view. The destruction was appalling. The last time I felt a strong earthquake was during my sophomore year in high school during the time when Mama and Papa were still living together with me and Anita.  

Anita and I were studying in the same exclusive girls' school run by nuns when it happened. Shocked, the first thought that came to my mind the moment the ground started rocking was our home and my sister. This time, though the fear wasn't as palpable, Joani took over my thoughts.

I was torn between instinctively wanting to cover her eyes and switching channels. Unlike other kids, Joani has shown an unusual interest in the news at the age of 5. Since then, she has made it part of her daily routine to watch the early evening news before going to bed. I for one hated the news. Nor do I read the newspaper. The only reason I got into the habit of watching it was because of Joani. If not for the need to protect her young mind from getting dragged down by the dismal reality often presented in the news, I would not bother at all.

But the images of devastation has got me frozen in place. I felt Joani huddle closer without taking her eyes off the screen. Stunned, neither of us hardly touched the bowl of unbuttered popcorn we habitually nosh on when watching TV. 

At 8.9, the earthquake that hit Japan really caused massive destruction. Though we are thousands of miles away from the Far East, hence making threats of an oncoming earthquake remote, it does not ensure that the same tragedy would not befall us. The damage to civilization is nothing compared to the number of lives that would be lost. Although no casualties were shown, I feared more for the Japanese people and the lives of those living in nearby countries than the loss of   technology or civilization itself.

"Tia, why did God create earthquakes?"

Joani's question caught me off-guard. My mind grappled with any plausible answer. It would be no use to discuss scientific data to a 9-year-old kid. Looking at her cherubic face, I could see grief and wonder written all over it. The sincerity and concern in her eyes crushed me. I was chagrined because I knew not how I could answer her question without breaking her innocence or my resolve. 

Earthquakes, like diseases, are part and parcel of human existence. Asking why earthquakes happen is no different from asking why Joani had to have diabetes, or why cancer claims millions of lives yearly, or why Anita and Jonathan had to die so soon, leaving their infant daughter alone in the world. I was at a loss for an explanation because I myself had searched for answers to these questions but to no avail.

Before I could come up with anything to say, Joani interrupted my thoughts with another heart-wrenching query, " If the ground would shake right now, what are you going to do?"

Though my mind was confounded, my heart had the definite answer: "I would hug you tight, kiss you, and tell you how much I love you."