LORENZO P. NIÑAL:

Wow, jet fighters, of course I’m proud. I didn’t know we had one. Although I doubt if it would make an impact. If all of China’s population will as much as whistle simultaneously in Cebu City’s direction, our heads would explode from the sonic boom. “Relax, dad, it’s just airplanes,” the boys said after the jet fighters were gone. I stood up from my crouch, slapped the dirt off my pants, held my head up and said, “Yes, I know, let’s go.” And I swear they gave me that look again that said, “What an idiot.”

Iread the warning on my news feed a little too late. I only found what the whole thing was about when I logged on later that day. So when heard the noise, I was sure my time had come.

I said my prayers, thanked God for my life here on earth and asked Him to receive me and my kids into His loving arms in heaven.

This is what happened. I was walking home with my two boys after fetching them from school last week. They were telling me how school went, who bullied them, who they bullied, and if one plus one was still two like yesterday.

“Yes, dad, one plus one will always be two,” said the five-year-old, while the three-year-old gave me a look that said, “What an idiot.”

We were laughing as we walked, a picture of a happy friendship between a father and his sons, when suddenly we heard a loud, scary noise, the kind of which I had never heard in my entire life.

It came from the sky, but it was so low and deep it might as well have come from the bowels of the earth. I knew something as big as the island of Mactan was going to crash on us and would leave us so pulverized my wife wouldn’t have to worry about burial.

I knew there was no use taking cover, but it’s a father’s duty to protect his children from harm no matter how futile the effort will be. So I grabbed my kids toward a fence and held them close as I crouched for dear life.

While waiting for the impact, scenes from my life flashed before me like a movie – me drawing my first elephant in kindergarten, me kissing a girl for the first time in high school, a drunk me pissing on my pants in college, all these made more dramatic by the background noise getting closer and closer and closer...Lord I’m yours.

“Look dad, airplanes!” my kids screamed. I looked up and saw two jet fighters flying low on synchronized maneuver and so fast I didn’t blink lest I miss them. My kids wriggled free from my hold and started jumping and clapping and cheering the planes on.

“Attention, residents of Cebu City,” I would read the advisory later on Facebook. “Do not fear or panic when you hear and see screaming jet fighters overhead or hear and feel sonic booms, these are just your FA-50PH Fighting Eagle LIFT/ LCA on familiarization/overflight missions...”

Wow, jet fighters, of course I’m proud. I didn’t know we had one. Although I doubt if it will make an impact. If all of China’s population will as much as whistle simultaneously at Cebu City’s direction, our heads will explode from the sonic boom.

“Relax, dad, it’s just airplanes,” the boys said after the jet fighters were gone. I stood up from my crouch, slapped the dirt off my pants, held my head up and said, “Yes, I know, let’s go.” And I swear they gave me that look again that said, “What an idiot.”