The Blackout

The absence of power last night brought back memories of the time a cyclone struck in December, leaving us without power for a full day and a half. The room was quite bright throughout the day when there was some natural light, but it gradually became darker as time passed.

Since no one in the building had access to the internet or even a phone charger, everyone was lounging around doing nothing. Up until that point, I was aware that phones are a necessary part of our everyday lives, but the whole extent of the addiction hit home to me in that instant. 

People began to slowly emerge from their rooms and congregate in clusters, huddled close to one another. In a very short time, from never having spoken to one another, everyone becomes amiable and at ease around each other.

We five got together in one room and gradually got to know one another. Without any electronic disruption, the atmosphere in the room quickly became lively. We switched to oil lamps as the emergency lights went out, which had an aesthetic effect.

Dinnertime arrived, so we assembled all the ingredients we could find in our room and began preparing several dishes as a group. The room came alive with the sound of the ukulele mixed with voices after a lavish meal. Numerous songs that were sung both solo and in chorus uplifted our spirits.

We are no longer strangers because of the deeper memory that unites us all, notwithstanding the consolation that that modest union of strangers brought.