Sri Nindhita Rosianti, Writing 5A

The JW Marriot Bombing

It was on Friday morning, July 17^th 2009. I just woke up from my sleep and tried to see the outside of my room through the window. The sky was so bright and clear. I almost could see everything from the 18^th floor of the JW Marriot Hotel. I had never seen before that Jakarta looked so quiet in the morning. But today, it did. I felt so enthusiastic to step over this day. I could not be patient anymore. Two hours from now, I would be present at the international meeting of Asian novelists for the first time in my life. It took place in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta. At the first time, I thought that today would be a fantastic day. But in the fact, today was more than a fantastic day. The JW Marriot was going to be unforgotten place for me for a prolonged period.

I had prepared everything for this meeting. Start from the data of my research about literature and writing a novel, the work of the research it self, until the clothes that I would wear for this meeting. Everything was seemed almost perfect. At 07.30 o’clock I was ready to go to the meeting. But before that, I had a first meeting with all of the Asian novelists to have breakfast together. I started my day full of smiles, positive thinking, and pray to the God. I walked so smooth all along the corridor of 18^th floor of this hotel. I tried to be more relaxed before the meeting. I decided to use the lift at the corner of the corridor.

When I was in front of the lift, there was someone who was waiting for the lift too. He was looking good and still young. He brought a bag, but it was more looked like a small suitcase. We came in to the lift and I pushed the button which is written “lobby”. When we arrived at the lobby, we took separate ways. He walked as smooth as me and pointed his step to the restaurant. I still walked so smooth, but I went to the receptionist first. I left my room key to the receptionist.

Still with smooth, I continued my walk. I pointed my step to the restaurant of this hotel. I looked around the lobby. I mesmerized with the interior design of this lobby hotel. It was my first time to stay in this fantastic hotel. So, I really enjoyed it. I could see the restaurant door in the distance. It was not more than one meter from the restaurant door, I forgot something. I changed direction and walked to the receptionist back. I just step one of my feet when I heard something like the sound of shooting. “BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM “ .

I was shock and my body had sufficient time to fling away from the place I stand before. I was dizzy. My head beat around the bush. At the time I could not hear anything. I saw many people run helter-skelter in the distance. There were also two women who run every which way close to me. They looked so confuse. I still could not know what is happen here. I saw the restaurant door was pouring out smoke. It was so dark. I tried to think something. But I could not.

I raised my body which flings for a moment. I also tried to guess what is happen here. But I still could not. I just reminded the sound that I heard before this confusion. It was not just a sound of shooting. It was more like an explosion, an explosion weapon maybe. But I tried to remind again. It was not an explosion weapon. It was an explosion bomb. Yes, it was an explosion bomb. I realized about it.

When I tried to leave this lobby hotel, and joined with the others who also run every which way, I heard one more an explosion. But, it was more softly than the first. Suddenly, I really could not anything. I found out what is going on by saw every people who still run in the distance. I decided to follow what they were doing. I run as fast as them. I run to the street in front of this hotel. I confused that I could not hear anything. In fact, I saw many people tried to say something each other. Sometimes I saw them tried to say something louder. They looked like kept shouting for help. I could guess it by their mouth movements. Even I saw someone cried and panic. But I could not hear her crying.

I saw around me. I tried to find someone who I know in the briefing meeting. But it was impossible. The street was full of people. They did everything. But apart of people tried to find out what is happen to the JW Marriot Hotel. When I still confuse about this, I followed what other people did. I saw to the side of the hotel which was pouring out smoke, but there was no fire. I was shock. That side was the restaurant of the hotel. The place where I would having breakfast with the other Asian novelists.

I fell silent upon realizing that I was safe from that accident. I did not know, I could say this as an accident by what I saw around me. Every people felt scare. Suddenly, someone came close to me. He was one of the participants in the international meeting. He said something, but I could not hear anything. He brought me stay away from the hotel. He tried to know that I was okay by find out that there was no part of my body which was injured. He said something for the twice. But I still could not hear anything.

In the side of the street, the police came so quickly. After that the fireman and the fire engine also came to the hotel. They looked so confuse and busy to help people who injured. Now, I was surprised by a white person who was carried by other people to stay away from the hotel. He was injured. He was bleeding. I really saw the bloody white person.

I did not know that I am afraid or not. I just confused because I could not hear anything. It was almost twenty minutes after the accident. Ambulances came to bring the explosion victims to the closest hospital around here, including me. When I arrived in the hospital, I was handled by a nurse. She did an examination to me. She used stethoscope to know my heart beating. She said something, but I could not hear anything. She went out and came back with a man besides her. He was a doctor. I could know him from his clothes. He also tried to say something to me. But I still could not hear anything. He wrote something in the piece of paper, and gave it to me. I accepted the paper and read it. How surprised I was when I read the paper,

“You cannot hear anything, because your eardrum is injured and going to be broken because of the bombing.”

I was shock. I could not accept this. It was kind of mentality killing for me.

Bombing is not only an accident, but also something that could be happened anywhere and anytime. We never know what will happen to us later. Like me, I am one of the JW Marriot Bombing victims. Maybe we think that we are safe enough from the bombing, but actually we do not. We have to wary to the bombing every time in our life. We have to prepare ourselves if it happened to us. Try to be careful to go to anywhere is a good way to avoid ourselves from the bombing. We have to always remember that the bombing maybe still hunts us. But do not worry; keep on praying everywhere we are is the best way ever.