June 11, 2010

The Morning of 27th May


Four years ago, I still on my sweet dream sleeping - even it was already 6 am - when I finally woken up by huge trill felt like tens of giant elephants running through my side yard. I didn’t realize what happened yet until I felt dusts falling me from the upstairs, when I looked up I saw clearly the high wall of my room was terribly shakes forward and backward. My eyes suddenly wide open and my body forced to moving fast, jump from my bed, I run and run as fast as I could like crazy. Like something going to kill me. My house is typical large old fashioned Javanese house, and with the condition of such urgent situation it felt really took long time for me to reach the door to get outside. I swear. When I run on the hall, I saw all goods were messed up and mussy so I jump over the goods. The hall was very bright and full of sun light since it no longer had roof attached. The roof was fly over everywhere due to the shake of the earthquacke. Then, I got to pass the kitchen to get outside. When I was there I found no one, and stupidly I thought “Where’s everyone? Am I actually the only one who live on earth?”, hah, I was so insane. I don’t know how to explain but the situation in the house was very very silence eventhough the sound of the trill was like a trucks parade. Then, finally I could get out after hearthstopping minutes of struggle to stay survive. Apparently everyone has got out before me, my family forgot that I was still inside when everybody already outside. My nighbours especially the mothers were crying and hugging each other and said “Allahuakbar” many times. They put their worth goods like electronics outside the house.

In that point, I still unrealize how big the earthquacke was. I thought it was just the same as before. Until I decide to went inside again to find some drink or maybe continue my sleep because I really felt tired. Afterwards, when I open the door to get inside I felt really shocked! like the earth was no longer rotating on it axis! I saw my living room no longer had a separator wall between living room and family room. I swear the wall was very long and it all collapse, just leaving behind thousand of clay bricks and dust. Then I understood something, fortunatelly the wall collapse to the right direction. If it collapse to the left, it supposed to hit me when I run along the hall. Thank’s God. But, I couldn’t believe. My place to live since I was a baby was broke down. It miserably messed up! All the cupboard and the table, chairs and everything were fall down and collapse. I never saw my house that horrible before. At that point, I realize that it was real disaster!
I canceled to get into the house. Instead, apparently my father was nowhere! Everyone panic and worry if my father was in the collapse wall. But Alhamdulillah he saved, resting in the back yard because he couldn’t walk, his asthma relapse.

Very soon, in the unstable condition sudddenly people heard news that the earthquacke will create a tsunami and the wave was on it’s way heading our local position! Then my mind was fullfilled by the photograph of the chilling Aceh’s tsunami disaster. I couldn’t think clearly anymore. It was the most horrible situation that I ever had. Everyone’s looked pale and speechless like receiving a real death message. Honestly, I really scared at that moment. The headmaster of our villlage shouting and asking everyone to leave the house and quickly move to the higher place – Gunung Mudjil – using motorcycle or averything available. I know this seems ridiculous, but if you at the same position you will understand how real and scary it was. Later, I was ready with my motorcylcle and helmet. I asked my father to join me, together find higher place, but he kept on his decicion not to leave the house. He worried about the safety of our goods, hah, my father! How could he thought about saving goods? Saving life is the first importance for sure! Several minutes I persuaded him to leave, but he persistent “ I’ll hold on the branch if the wave come”, he said. What? Didn’t he think that the speed of tsunami could reach km? Then what a branch was for?

And finally I leave him. My mother together with other mother prefer to walk to the big mosque of ours, because we know a mosque in Aceh could stand still until the wave over. She brought only blanket and pillow. My old brother ride motorcycle too. Then I realize my young brother was gone. I searched for him in the crowded but no result. Nobody knows where he was. All I could do was pray for his safety. My eyes was staring forward, curious and wondering if it would end up alright or the opposite. Right before we were ready to leave, a police truck came along and stop us with a speaker. He said that the tsunami was only rubbish issue. The 5, 6 richter scale “Yogyakarta earthquacke” was unable to create a tsunami to our position which located at the valley with mountainering all around which could hold on the wave. Even the magnitude was big enough, but the depth also great so we could neglected tsunami threat. Afterward, We all could breath relievely.

Earthquacke is a pulsation or vibration that caused by subduction plate (in case between Australian oceanic plate and Eurasia continental plate ) which wedging each other, so the energy accumulated at the wedging area. And eventually when the energy release, will create a sudden movement of the plate that cause pulsation. The vibration magnitude will spreads as circle wave reaching as far as it can until the energy of the wave become slower and slower. How big the earthquacke felt extremely depend on how far and deep the hiposentrum and also kind of basement lithology under our house. It will feels more shaky if the basement lithology is loose sediment, not hard rock. Just observe at google earth, clearly we live above subduction zone, be aware that earthquacke can happen anytime with any unpredictable magnitude. There’s no invention today can explain precisely where and what time an earthquacke will happend. It’s difficult to learn the tention of tectonic plate activities. But, nothing is imposible, someday who knows?

The earthquacke responsible for many failure houses and several injured people in my village. Starting from that day, everything was never be the same again. The continuation earthquacke keep happening. At evening my brother and I take some trip arround, nobody brave enough to stay inside the house even until several days after. Each family slept and cooked on the veranda, with no light at all. No longer after, many help came from other area bringing us blanket, instant noodles, tents, and other food. I never imagine before that I would receive such help in term of disaster. We also got money from government to recover the houses.
Well....that’s my story, about one horrible incident. Eventhough, I really gratefull for the safety of my family.