The Machine is Here

"We can't go out tomorrow. The road is blocked, and only motorbikes can pass through right now," the hubby said late afternoon yesterday. He was on his way to the town center for an errand. "The machine is here," he continued. The words make me shudder.

Just a few minutes before that, I was on the phone with my father, telling him we would be home Saturday. But we can't push through with that, it seems. The husband suggested we wait until the morning and see how things go, and we would call Dad by then.

Within that same hour, however, my father sent me a text message saying he had forgotten that he would be at my sister's tomorrow and would stay there until Sunday, so if we can postpone the visit on Monday, it would be great. Aah, the universe heard my dilemma. Thank you.

Anyway, the rich deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals in the land make large-scale mining companies salivate, and one whose eyes had been set here for almost three decades has brought its drilling machine. Thankfully, the residents near the entrance were swift and did what they could to prevent it by blocking the narrow street with their trucks.

The info from the hubby prompted me to do some digging. I started to read not only history, legalities, and the news but also people's reactions and opinions or say on the matter. Some were sympathetic to the residents, condemning the company's objective, questioning how it obtained permits, etc. And as expected, some took the other side.

Then suddenly, in the middle of my little research, my eyes welled up, my face started twitching, and I felt as though my skin was being pricked with tiny needles. Realizing I was getting overly stressed, I closed all the tabs in my browser, switched off the computer, and took my lil boy outside for a breather.

But the battle is real.

The future of this little space and its inhabitants is truly at stake, so we are taking part in the peaceful fight. We will stand resolute against all the odds, and may the divine favor be on our side.🙏