This is a story about a family that lived on the islets of Maldives. About nine months ago, they were still a happy family living their calm lives away from the world. They didn't know anything about the latest inventions or modern culture. Air-conditioners, IPod, depression, Prozac...These were words all too foreign for them even when translated into their language. They thought life was nothing but simple and they would die still believing so. December, 26, 2004. Dad was watering his plants. Mom wove the baskets for placing the fish for everyday meals. Elder sis was toying with her beautiful ivory black hair while Elder bro was singing a folk song into the air. Rosan, the youngest kid in the family, played the rusty old coin he had found the day before at the shore of his islet. Before the fatal tusnami, everything was as quiete as ever. Then without any warning, gigantic waves lunged towards them at unimaginable speeds. They were first dumbfounded and fear rose in each of them like the waves shot out of nowhere. That was the kind of fear that froze people, deactivating their instincts to run or to seek shelter. The only audible voice before they were completely devoured by the waves was from Dad. He shouted for everyone to hear, "RUn..." The last consonant was even cut off. Afterwards, there were only the roaring, wrathful sounds from the waves.
Rosan opened his eyes. He couldn't remember what had happened a moment ago. He got up from the previous crouching position. Slowly, he looked around. The sea was calm, but his family's islets were nowhere to be seen. He thought hard to recollect if the adults in the family had planned to sail out for fishing. He just didn't remember. He screamed, but he heard only his own echos. He started to think this was an awful joke...
Rosan's islet was the only one that floated while the others sank to the bottom of the sea. But it was really hard to say those who stayed afloat were more lucky...
Not to mislead my readers, I have to say that this is a fictional story. I learned that some islets had sunk forever because of the tragic tsunamis that occurred at the end of last year. I couldn't stop thinking if the disappearance of people that dwelled on those islets was ever known. Their death might not be witnessed, but it was no less sad than those whom we saw on TV. This is a story for them, also an apology to nature for human beings' presumptuousness and waywardness.
3 comments:
somehow the story you have made maybe true and was not told.....i was curious with your illustration that i began reading your story-quite sad really but you have told it beautifully.
This is a very powerful story and the illustration takes on such a strong meaning along with it. It's very touching.
Thank you for all the lovely comments. In the beginning I didn't plan to come up with such a "heavy" story based on the light theme of "float." Then it took form while I had only enough time to think about this topic in my head on Saturday. To be honest, I am never a serious person, but this is an idea that has haunted me ever since the tsunamis. Besides, I live on an island as well. I wonder if one day I'll suffer from the same fate as those anonymous people. It's really time for us to ponder over what we have done all these years...
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