Into The Blue; How This 20-Peso Blue Belt Saved Our Lives

It was 6:15 in the morning when we arrived at Ozamis City Airport. The flight was short, but because it was a connecting flight, thus, we spent hours in NIA waiting for the Manila-Ozamis flight. We hadn't slept for 24 hours, and that was draining and exhausting.

We immediately went out of the airport after we picked up our two backpacks from the baggage, and immediately went to the guardhouse where we left our motorcycle for four days. We used our motorcycle to go to the airport from home, with a two-hour of travel.

We left the airport as soon as I climbed onto the back of the motorcycle, with one of the backpacks strapped to my back while the other was secured on the front of my husband, who was driving the motorcycle. We had to take the two-hour motorcycle ride again to get home.

After 10 minutes of back riding, my eyelids began to drop and I couldn't control them. The whole night of no sleep was too much for me. I am not used to it. And my husband began to murmur, "Do not sleep, you might fall or we both fall together with the motorcycle!". I just nod my head and tried to control my eyes from dropping, but then again and again I fall asleep at his back.

We stopped many times when my body swayed because I slept, and the motorcycle swayed with me. We even waited for a bus so that I could transfer and have a good sleep, and we'll see each other at the bus terminal, but unfortunately, no bus appeared at that time.

We went on with our travel, we were almost halfway when again I slept and the motorcycle swayed, and we almost hit a truck coming on our way. My husband stopped and told me to get off the motorcycle. He also got off and opened the motorcycle's Ubox. He then pulled a blue belt that I remembered he bought from a Korean Surplus Store for 20 pesos without a purpose.

He then rode back to his motorcycle and told me to ride again. But this time, he tied the blue belt to my waist and to his waist and continued another hour of travel. Again, I couldn't control my eyelids from dropping, and after some time, he stopped. I thought that time he would drop me off on the road and wait for the bus alone, and that he was mad. But before I opened my eyes, I heard little voices calling "Mama! Papa!" And there they were, my kids and I realized we were home safe and sound.

I knew I was sleeping for that entire hour ride, but thanks to this 20-peso blue belt, it saved our lives.

Thank you for reading my story, and have a blessed day, Hivers.