I
was assisting my mother in preparing for her appointment at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Honolulu when I received a text message. The official alert informed us of a “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII” and urged us to seek immediate shelter as it was not a drill. Tensions between the US and North Korea had already put the islands on edge. Feeling cautious and agitated, I struggled to make sense of the situation.
Looking back at that moment in 2018, the thing that stands out most vividly in my memory is the heightened awareness of my scalp. It had never crossed my mind before, but suddenly, I became acutely conscious of its presence and the peculiar nature of hair follicles. In those final, precious moments, I asked my mother what she wanted to do next in the face of our impending death. Surprisingly, she insisted on going to the DMV. In her mind, we could either be easy targets or brave through it.
Emergency text alerts were not unfamiliar to me. Just eight days prior, while returning from picking up some milk at a corner shop during my visit to Tokyo with my grandmother, I received a similar text warning of an imminent earthquake in the Kanto region.
Startled, I hastily ducked into a nearby bush, futilely attempting to protect myself. It turned out to be a false alarm. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice… At that point, I had convinced myself that some higher power had it out for me, and I couldn’t avoid this crisis twice.
In response to the missile threat, residents of Honolulu sought refuge in storm drains, leaving their homes unsecured. An air force friend of mine abandoned a car with its keys still in the ignition, opting to escape in their 4×4. Others sought shelter in their bathtubs, praying for safety. Meanwhile, I anxiously paced the floor, replaying every decision I had ever made. I sent messages to my friends, declaring my love for them, messages that still haunt my memory and the group chat to this day. Eventually, the danger subsided, attributed to human error, but the experience had a lasting impact on me.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
