The Day The Ocean Roared
By: Delailah Lee-su Dung-eh
Situated along the western coastline of
Aitape District in Sandaun Province, lay a peaceful village called Sissano. Sissano
is bordered by the village of Warapu towards its left and Sera towards its
right. Sera village separates the district of Aitape from Vanimo. Life at
Sissano was peaceful, with people relying mainly on land and sea for basic survival.
Jonny, a brave 9-year-old boy, lived
with his family in a big house situated at the far end of the village, adjacent
to a flowing river. His family was quite small. His mother, Lucy, died giving
birth to his little brother. He is survived by his father, a fisherman named
Peter, his little brother, Sammy, and his young uncle, Thomas.
It was early in the morning; the entire
village was still asleep; the room was consumed in quiet darkness. The
atmosphere was filled with humming melodies of the magnificent riflebird. Jonny
curled himself against the bamboo walls as he lost his thoughts in the sweet
melody. It was like a harmonizing music to his ears.
As the clock hit 6am, Jonny woke up to
the sound of the crowing roosters. Realizing his father wasn’t in bed, Jonny
instantly knew he was out at sea. He silently tip-toed out, trying not to wake
Sammy with his footsteps.
Right behind Jonny was his uncle.
Thomas quietly walked out with his back-pack and whispered to Jonny that he was
going to town to buy some sugar.
The sky was still a deep shade of
indigo. Jonny stood on the edge of the verandah and looked out to the sea. The
view was amazing as their land area was slight higher than the village.
The sun rose from the horizon with all
its glory. Jonny watched as the shades of orange like red stripes of light illuminated
the serene and calm waters in its path.
His eyes followed closely as the sun
rose above the clouds, casting a golden hue over the village below. It was sound
and beautiful. Jonny took a moment to reflect. He wondered what their lives would have been, living in the community with everyone.
Above:
View of the sun setting at Sissano Lagoon, from the outside _ 1998 Tsunami affected area. (Picture taken: 2024)
Jonny knew he loved his family and home. Growing up, he would play around the house, crawling and climbing ladders. It was his everything. However, the beautiful scenery that morning, made him questioned his life.
He looked out and saw the rows of
houses. Some people built their houses along the shore amidst array of green
leafy coconut palms. Others preferred the mainland around the lagoon, and
beyond.
He thought of the societal way of life.
It was a tradition that families of all extends lived together in clans, strengthening
the bonds throughout generations. Family was the core basis of a society, and
being part of a clan gives people the ownership and access to land, sea, and
other resources.
Jonny remembered asking his father why they
had left the clan’s community but his father never gave a truthful response. As
the balmy rays of sun shot through the open verandah and caressed his blond
body hairs, the more thoughts flooded his head.
After a while, Jonny noticed a familiar
canoe in the distance. He looked closely and saw his father paddling in. Jonny excitedly
ran down the wooden ladder hurriedly, yet carefully to meet his father.
As he arrived, his excitement quickly
faded when he saw the empty baskets. His eyes round with concern. Disheartened,
Jonny’s father shuffled his blond curls and gently admitted that something was
not right.
Jonny’s father told him that he had
noticed something unusual. He explained that the water was strangely calm and
the usual splashes of fish was out of sight. He said that he predicted the fish
had vanished because they have sensed the danger that men cannot.
Little did they know, this would be the
start of something unimaginable, the birth of a story that would become their
darkest history.
It was on the evening of July 17, 1998,
that their lives took a sudden and tremendous turn for worse. The tranquility
of Sissano was shattered in the blink of an eye. The ground shook violently.
Suddenly, a loud sound filled the air.
The waters that were once calm and still, now turned into monstrous waves. The
tsunami rose to almost 10 to 15 meters above the sea level and crashed onto the
shore.
Jonny knew he had to be the brave son
his father would count on. He quickly grabbed Sammy and ran towards the
riverbank. Behind them was their father directing them to where their uncle’s
canoe was tied.
They managed to reach the canoe and got
in. Jonny held Sammy tightly close as their father paddled furiously upstream
to get away. Jonny’s father paddled with all his might, heading towards the
base of the highest mountain in the village.
The journey was tough and painful. The
water and the current was threatening to overturn their canoe, but Jonny’s
faith in his father fueled his determination and strength to keep going.
The tsunami swept away everything in its path, killing animals and people, wiping away houses and buildings, and structures were reduced to nothing but piles of rubble. The once vibrant village was now a scene of devastation.
“Son, there is something you need to
know! Forgive me for keeping it too long!” Jonny’s father said, his voice
trembling.
“We left the village because your
mother had a dream when you were still in her womb, that a tsunami would come
and destroy the village,” his father explained.
Jonny was puzzled for a moment, then he
understood everything. That was the answer to the question that has been
bothering him all those years.
Jonny’s family had survived the unthinkable.
They had faced a great terror but managed to stick together as a family and
overcome it. Finally, the story of Jonny and his family was not just one of
tragedy, but of resilience, hope, and the enduring power of family.
Above: View of Sissano Lagoon from inside
(Picture taken: 2024)
