The Worst Day of My Life

December 26^th, 2004 was the worst day of my life because I lost my big family in a big disaster of Tsunami in Aceh. Meanwhile, based on http://osdir.com/ml/culture.region.indonesia.ppi-india/2005-02/msg00206.html, Tsunami is a huge sea wave that is caused because the iron plate in the bottom of the sea is moving or crush. It causes underwater earthquake and then creates a big Tsunami.

My story began when I went holiday with my family to celebrate the New Year’s Eve in Aceh, which is my father’s hometown. At the first, I was really happy because I have never visited his hometown before, and I have never met all of my relatives who lived in Aceh, including my grandmother and my grandfather. So, I did not recognize them for 14 years. I arrived at Sultan Iskandar Muda airport on December 25^th, 2004 at 2 pm, and then I went to my grandmother’s house in Sigli to stay there during the holiday.

I really surprised when I arrived at my grandmother’s house, there were so many relatives assembled and received us warmly. They were really kind to us. Some of my relatives, maybe my cousins, asked me to go out that night. I agreed because I did not want to miss the moment with them even tough I was really tired. The situation in Aceh is quieter than Jakarta, and it is colder than Jakarta too. I thought I liked to stay in Aceh for a long time. We walked surroundings Sigli until midnight, and then I fell asleep because I really felt exhausted, and did not take a rest yet since I arrived.

On the next day at 4 o’clock in the morning, my mother wakened me up to take a bath and pray together. After that, we prepared ourselves because we wanted to visit my aunt’s house in Banda Aceh. The distance from Sigli to Banda Aceh is far enough, so we arrived at my aunt’s house around 8 am. Because I still felt tired, I slept during the trip. When we arrived, I felt my body was shaking. I thought it was just my feeling because maybe I slept in the car too long, but I saw people came out from their house, they ran everywhere and shouted the name of God. I was panic to see them, and the jolt was getting higher.

After that, I heard something strange, it sounded like an aero plane in front of me, and it was very noisy. My parents and I were confused with this event, and we just saw people who ran with panic. Suddenly, someone ran toward me and informed that there was a very big wave would attack the town. Based on http://osdir.com/ml/culture.region.indonesia.ppi-india/2005-02/msg00206.html, the wave was approximately 8-9 meter. I thought the trouble would start.

I started to run and panic, and then someone pulled and brought me to the big house. I followed him because I did not know what I had to do. I ascended the stairs to the 2^nd floor, and I ran to the balcony to see the situation out there. I could not believe what I saw; the huge wave came into us and the road looked like a wide river that flowed very fast. Suddenly, I remembered that I was separated with my parents. I searched for them in the whole house, but they were not there. I started to cry and surrender to God if they could not be safe. I could not do anything anymore except pray to God.

The water flowed really fast, and I saw people, houses, cars, trees, were washed away by the huge waves. I had already thought that maybe my parents were dragged by the water which I did not know where they were. I also thought how were my grandmother, my grandfather, and my other relatives’ condition in Sigli. My mind was confused and could not think well, and I just could see the greatness of God.

When I was gazing the water, that house was shaken because it was hurled by the giant wave, even the houses around that house were washed away by the waves. I wasn’t brave to see that moment, and I did hope that it was just really a dream. I entered the house, sat and prayed continuously to the God hoped that this disaster would pass rapidly and my parents would be saved. I did not know how long this event happened, until some of the men around me went downstairs and helped the people who were nipped and hooked by the scattered ruins. I had just realized that the water had already ebbed, and then I went down to find my parents.

I walked on the road; I saw the buildings and the trees which stand strong before Tsunami were already collapsed to the ground, the situation was very quiet and dreadful, there was no voice at all except the voice of crying and the people who shouted the name of God. I was very sad to see so many corpses on the ground, even some of them were pinned down by the ruins and the fallen trees. I did not know anymore where I had to go and what to do; I just could walk without any direction and searched for my parents.

The day turned into the night, I still could not find my parents, the things that I found were just the scattered ruins, and a hundred corpse. I was like a girl who lived alone in here, no one that I knew, and no place to spend the night. Finally, I found a mosque which its building was not really broken, and there were also many people who wanted to spend the night there. I could not sleep because the situation there was very horrible, many people had serious injured, and beside that I always thought about my parents’ existence until the sun rises.

In the morning on the following day, I kept on walking again to find my parents. In the near of that mosque, there were shelter for the Tsunami victims with the volunteers from various area. I was heading there directly and saw the list of the victims’ name which was safe, but there were no names of my parents. I was hopeless and could not think anything, I just could be pensive and paid attention to the victims who cried because of the pain or lost their family, who were just liked me. Suddenly, there was a volunteer came approaching me, and then she called my name. I wondered how she knew my name. In fact, she is my old friend when I was in Elementary school, she is a volunteer from Jakarta.

I was sad as well as happy because that in fact, there was a person who I knew here. I told her about Tsunami that happened as chronological which caused I lost my parents, and then she was willing to help me to find my mother. While I was waiting the news about my parents, I joined to be a volunteer although I was a victim. My friend got the news from Jakarta; she said that Tsunami victims who died were around 200.000. Hearing that news, I became hopeless again. But my friend said that never give up and keep praying to God.

In the next day, my friend told me to go back to Jakarta to calm my mind, let her taking care to find the news about my parents. When I arrived in Jakarta, I was confused because my house was filled with my relatives. When I entered, I was amazed because in fact my parents were there safely. I was happy as well as sad because I can meet my parents and get together again with them. But, they said that my grandmother and grandfather died because of the incident, and many of my relatives were missing.

Tsunami in Aceh was a disaster which was very terrible because it could destroy everything, such as houses, trees, cars, even people. It was the most horrible disaster that I got in my life so far, and for this country. Although I lost my grandmother, grandfather, and my other relatives because of that disaster, I could be happy because finally I could meet my parents and get together again with them.