I dialed the car rental company's number. A lady answered the phone.
"Hi. I would like to hire a car to take me to Baguio today."
As I said that, I held on to the Ammonite pendant that I wore. It is the crystal that clears the way to one's intentions.
The lady from the car rental company gave me their e-mail address and requested that I document the details of my request through that channel.
It occurred to me that the spread of the disease worldwide had a seeming Middle-ages ring to it. Pandemics did not come often in mankind's history. Our collective consciousness could only bring up the Bubonic plague in the middle ages when one thought of an epidemic. Most of us were not even aware of the Spanish Flu which occurred just a century ago. I recognized that the scene of a pandemic placed in contrast with our modern technology of e-mail, smart phones and social media was a bit confusing for my mind.
"This could not be happening," was a thought that would visit me whenever we faced a new situation throughout the lock down.
After a series of e-mail exchanges, I got the plate number and the make of the car that would take me home. They also gave me the name of the driver. I held onto my ammonite crystal once again and wished the driver to be well, for both our sake.
I texted my friends and family, "Got a car. I'm going home to Baguio. Estimated time of departure: 12:30".