Tremors in the Night
After Bible study last night, everyone went home as usual. Everything was normal. Nothing unusual was happening on this quiet and peaceful night. All my housemates were asleep. I went to my room and picked up a book to read. Then the whole building started to sway. At least, that was what I thought. I sat still on my bed, trying to see if I had imagined it or if it was me who was swaying. It seemed real enough. I went into the living room and stood there. Still, it felt as if the whole building was rocking. My heart started to race as I wondered if the whole building was going to collapse. I woke Agnes up and asked her if she felt anything. ‘No’ she replied, and went back to sleep. I went outside and almost wanted to go downstairs, mainly out of fear and anxiety. What was happening? Was it the building? Or was it just me?
That was when the screams began. I couldn’t make out what the people were shouting about. I could hear doors slamming and people running. Something was definitely wrong. At that moment, I really felt like running down the stairs. I was afraid. I half expected the building to collapse at any moment. But something made me go back in. I woke Agnes up and told her that something was wrong. We needed to go down, I told her. I walked outside again as she changed. Our neighbours were already out of their homes and walking towards the staircase. They had felt the swaying too. I ran in and woke Dawn up. Agnes went and woke Pek Wern and Pek Hsia. I was getting more and more restless and anxious. Dawn was still in her room, changing.
In the end, we all managed to arrive safely downstairs. There was already a large crowd on the street outside the guardhouse. Most of our friends were already there. Nothing happened. The building did not collapse. I still had no idea what had happened, but that swaying feeling had disappeared. I had a hunch that there could have been another earthquake in Indonesia, as I had read recently that a few scientists had predicted that a large earthquake would occur again in the region. I was right. As people began to make phone calls and news began flooding in, we learned that there had been another earthquake off the coast of Sumatera, not far from the center of the December 26th earthquake that resulted in tsunamis that led to the loss of about 300 000 lives region wide. We waited. I did not bring my handphone along, so I borrowed Dawn’s to call my dad to tell him of the news.
While waiting for the security guards to allow us back home, Dawn, Agnes and I went to a nearby mamak to listen to the news. It was official. CNN was already reporting about the earthquake, which had measured 8.7 on the Richter scale; almost as massive as the previous one. Fears of a repeat of the December 26th tragedy caused officials in the region to take action. In Penang, people living near the shore had been advised to evacuate to higher ground. In Acheh, a mass exodus had already begun. In Thailand, officials have warned the coastal provinces to be on the alert. Scientists were expecting another wave of tsunamis. I called my parents again and advised them to be careful.
We were finally allowed to go home at about 3 am. There were still anxieties. What about the aftershocks? Is the building safe enough? Somehow, I do not trust Malaysian construction companies, well known for being corrupt and compromising on expenses. We turned on the TV and continued watching the news on NTV7. Dawn, Agnes and I ended up sleeping in the living room. At about 4 something in the morning, an announcement was made over the speakers. I couldn’t hear what it was, but people were going down again. There was already a small group gathering on the street below. This time we stayed home, since the guards did not take any further action. But my mind remained disturbed. I couldn’t even sleep in peace.
Agnes and I went to work late this morning. I guess lots of other people did too. I learned that people living in high rise buildings all over Malaysia had been evacuated. The tremors were that powerful. I then realized something peculiar about the earthquakes which Gim Han had noted on his yahoo status. It was that the first earthquake happened a day after Christmas. This one happened a day after Easter. I wonder.
There were no tsunamis as expected. Only 350 people lost their lives. Only. The hundreds of thousands of people that had died in the previous earthquake have made us numb to figures such as these. The world will not mourn for them in the same way that we did for those who perished on December the 26th. Nevertheless, these 350 people were still husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and children to another. These people had faces, names, emotions and a life story to tell. Not anymore. Meanwhile, the rest of us live on to face yet another day.
That was when the screams began. I couldn’t make out what the people were shouting about. I could hear doors slamming and people running. Something was definitely wrong. At that moment, I really felt like running down the stairs. I was afraid. I half expected the building to collapse at any moment. But something made me go back in. I woke Agnes up and told her that something was wrong. We needed to go down, I told her. I walked outside again as she changed. Our neighbours were already out of their homes and walking towards the staircase. They had felt the swaying too. I ran in and woke Dawn up. Agnes went and woke Pek Wern and Pek Hsia. I was getting more and more restless and anxious. Dawn was still in her room, changing.
In the end, we all managed to arrive safely downstairs. There was already a large crowd on the street outside the guardhouse. Most of our friends were already there. Nothing happened. The building did not collapse. I still had no idea what had happened, but that swaying feeling had disappeared. I had a hunch that there could have been another earthquake in Indonesia, as I had read recently that a few scientists had predicted that a large earthquake would occur again in the region. I was right. As people began to make phone calls and news began flooding in, we learned that there had been another earthquake off the coast of Sumatera, not far from the center of the December 26th earthquake that resulted in tsunamis that led to the loss of about 300 000 lives region wide. We waited. I did not bring my handphone along, so I borrowed Dawn’s to call my dad to tell him of the news.
While waiting for the security guards to allow us back home, Dawn, Agnes and I went to a nearby mamak to listen to the news. It was official. CNN was already reporting about the earthquake, which had measured 8.7 on the Richter scale; almost as massive as the previous one. Fears of a repeat of the December 26th tragedy caused officials in the region to take action. In Penang, people living near the shore had been advised to evacuate to higher ground. In Acheh, a mass exodus had already begun. In Thailand, officials have warned the coastal provinces to be on the alert. Scientists were expecting another wave of tsunamis. I called my parents again and advised them to be careful.
We were finally allowed to go home at about 3 am. There were still anxieties. What about the aftershocks? Is the building safe enough? Somehow, I do not trust Malaysian construction companies, well known for being corrupt and compromising on expenses. We turned on the TV and continued watching the news on NTV7. Dawn, Agnes and I ended up sleeping in the living room. At about 4 something in the morning, an announcement was made over the speakers. I couldn’t hear what it was, but people were going down again. There was already a small group gathering on the street below. This time we stayed home, since the guards did not take any further action. But my mind remained disturbed. I couldn’t even sleep in peace.
Agnes and I went to work late this morning. I guess lots of other people did too. I learned that people living in high rise buildings all over Malaysia had been evacuated. The tremors were that powerful. I then realized something peculiar about the earthquakes which Gim Han had noted on his yahoo status. It was that the first earthquake happened a day after Christmas. This one happened a day after Easter. I wonder.
There were no tsunamis as expected. Only 350 people lost their lives. Only. The hundreds of thousands of people that had died in the previous earthquake have made us numb to figures such as these. The world will not mourn for them in the same way that we did for those who perished on December the 26th. Nevertheless, these 350 people were still husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and children to another. These people had faces, names, emotions and a life story to tell. Not anymore. Meanwhile, the rest of us live on to face yet another day.
posted by sojourner @ Tuesday, March 29, 2005
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