It came swift and sudden, like a flash of lightning. All the lights went off abruptly, save for the scant streetlamps outside our house.
A blackout. Mum and I lighted some candles to dispel the gloom, while Dad looked for our latest electricity bill. In a pool of light cast by the candles, we huddled close like scouts around a campfire, seeking out a particularly crucial string of numbers from amongst the fine print on the bill. 15454. Dad tried dialing it a few times, before finally getting through to an operator.
Dad succinctly described our situation, first in English, then in Malay. He then asked whether there was any complaints made before his. None, according to our operator.
Boisterous kids spilled out into the street, playing and shrieking and laughing like nobody's business. I wonder why children can still play and find joy during a power outage or in the midst of floods, for that matter.
In the dim darkness, even the soft orange glow coming from a nearby streetlamp was a spotlight, highlighting the rainwashed blades of leaves and grass. Every passing headlight brought us a faint glimmer of hope that some repair and maintenance crew would come and save us from this darkness. As if!
My parents retired themselves to bed, seeing as there was nothing to do but to wait endlessly. I contented myself with idle musings, and put them to paper occasionally. I could have slept earlier, but decided not to.
Random shouts and snatches of conversation floated through the open door, each of them bearing interesting tidbits.
"... power shortage earlier, in the afternoon and a telephone report was made..."
"...smaller crew came, but they failed to restore the power ... could've been their mistake, who knows for sure ..."
"Actually, only half of the houses on the street were without current. "
"A coconut tree..."
"... leaves got entangled with the substation's cables.."
"The crew will come in two hours."
Light me from within, my blog's title read, how apt. I'd never given it much thought until now. When I saw halos around the candlelight, I figured that I should sleep instead of wait.
As I tried to drift off to sleep, I thought, light me from without, too.
***
A noise somewhere nearby roused me. Sound of a generator, perhaps?
As I crept down the stairs, more noises and light greeted me. The television set was on (mumbling to itself), as well as the lights in the kitchen. For half a heartbeat I thought somebody had broken into our house, then I reminded myself that we 'd left the TV set and the lights on, before the blackout.
The children had finally returned to their own homes, leaving only a stretch of silence.
