The night began normally. The residents of Lake View eagerly anticipated the arrival of the new year. But, upon the strike of midnight, darkness descended upon the inhabitants. Everyone was suddenly plunged into a sea of blackness, rendering all of us blind. Confusion and chaos came to life. People screamed. Explosions echoed down the street. I peered out of my window and gazed upon the darkest night in my life. Then, the lights appeared. Tiny pinpricks from hand-held cellphones started filling the windows of my neighbours' respective abodes. Everyone had the same thought; "What the hell is happening to us?"
The phone lines were broken so we couldn't call for help. In moments of fear like this, people started showing their strongest quality. We banded together on the streets, racking our minds to see what could be done to our predicament. Everyone offered ideas, but we were getting increasingly agitated. The night was a hot one, humid too. Drops of sweat hung from our visages, they dampened our clothes, giving us the impression of having recently ran a marathon.
After a while, those who couldn't stand the heat got into their car and drove away, presumably heading for the nearest hotel. More and more followed suit, but I kept my vigil. "The light will return again," I said to myself. And it did. Two hours later, just when all of us were despairing the possible absence of electricity during our Chinese New Year celebration, the first of the bulbs flickered back to life. As light illuminated our lives again, I couldn't help but let out a small cheer. Yahoo!
In those couple of hours of darkness, people changed. Those who rarely ventured out of their homes could be seen talking to their neighbors for the very first time. I wondered if only catastrophes like this had the power to unite people. Hopefully not. People also realized the importance of certain amenities that we have taken for granted for so long. Those who have air-conds have long forgotten their hand fans, but just then, in the middle of it all, I'm sure that all of us would kill for one. Yes, we were desparate. Something we have ignored for so long has finally come back to poke fun in our faces; "Ha, you never wanted us before, so why do you need us now?"
My friends, realize this. Last night's events has been a great lesson for us to learn. Talk to our neighbors. Don't spend too much time cooped up in our respective worlds. And one more, never underestimate the power of the hand fan. Who knows, it might even be our savior in the end.
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