Worst Holidays Ever
This might be the longest post I've ever written. Fair warning. Because internet just got available to our house last night and boy, do I have a lot of things to say.
It's been 15 days since my family evacuated our house when the water rose to dangerous level and if you count a day when I arrived home from the train fiasco, 16. 11 days since we started cleaning the house.
We managed to finish the living rooms but the private rooms are still in progress. We're just waiting for the mattresses to dry, really.
We spent the first 6 days at Kg. Belimbing, where it's dry and safe. Mom managed to found a homestay -a rent house, actually- where they have a clean well. There were 4 families of us, including my own. All of us are grateful for the clean water, despite no electricity and phone lines.
We were worried for the rest of the family, but our prayers were all that we could send. Water were up to drowning level, and none of us own a boat either way.
Actually, to say we survived this well is mostly thanks to Mom. She prepared the boxes of food, and secured us to safe location. She's always well ahead of everyone.
The 7th day, we scoured my house for damage check when the water's down to relatively safe level. By relatively safe, I mean, up to chest on the outside, up to waist on the inside. We had to walk through the water from Kedai Buku Banggol and go around my old school, SMK TM (1), because the current was too strong at the other roads.
My feet were throbbing that night, but the feels when we reached our house and when we stepped inside was all I could think about.
I wish I could print the image from my brain for you to see but technology haven't reached that point yet. Oh, the images. If only electricity weren't cut off and everyone's phones weren't dying. I could've snap a pic or two.
There were mud everywhere.
Furniture were thrown about, as if they were playing tic-tac-toe with each other.
Some completely ruined, some quite intact.
Some drenched in mud, some relatively clean though wet.
Our books were safe, stacked on the upper shelf by Onee-san.
From there on, we started the cleaning process slowly. There were 3 process.
1. Get the mud out.
2. Get the water out.
3. Dry
We lost quite a couple of things.
One washing machine, one refrigerator, one car, 3 cupboards, 2 desks, one dining table, and all of my 7 years worth of Kreko magazine collection. And a big basket of comic books. Electricity just got on 6 days ago, and clean water 2 days before that.
Truth be told, I'm not sad over the loss of these things. To be frank, the biggest loss I would concede to admit is of my diaries. They consist 3 years of my life, of which I was 15 up till I was 17.
I can't say how I held back and swallowed the dry, wrecked sob threatening to spill from my lips. It was the first time since I returned home that I wanted to cry so badly.
I wrote this all in a book, of course.
I cannot afford to lose any more memories than I did.
Slowly, we move from the rooms to the outside, cleaning by hands and later, by water jet. Mom and Dad cleared the second living room and we spend the night on the floor, layered with piles of blankets, candles flickering around us.
The first night was freezing.
Second night was better, with extra blankets.
We were among the lucky, because we never ran out of food. I shudder to think those who weren't as lucky. Those in Kuala Krai.. Manik Urai.. Gua Musang.. There were people who were headed that way -two families, they bunked with me on the train.
I knew these places.
My hometown, Tanah Merah.
Just last night, I was wondering for how long Kelantan -my state- was in the news.
No other thoughts mattered since the flood started and later, returning the house back to it's natural state. I didn't have time to think about other shit than surviving.
The MUET result, my assignments, other people of no concern.
I mean, brother, ain't nobody got time for bloody shit like dat.
I leave that to the people I trust can handle those for me.
Of course, I'd owe them, but I can own up to those owes.
Cakes, dinners, or proofing their homework or whatever.
Which, btw, since MUET result just came out two days ago, I am glad to announce I passed with an average Band 4. Looks like I'll get into the degree programme after all, depending on the finals.
It's been 15 days since my family evacuated our house when the water rose to dangerous level and if you count a day when I arrived home from the train fiasco, 16. 11 days since we started cleaning the house.
We managed to finish the living rooms but the private rooms are still in progress. We're just waiting for the mattresses to dry, really.
We spent the first 6 days at Kg. Belimbing, where it's dry and safe. Mom managed to found a homestay -a rent house, actually- where they have a clean well. There were 4 families of us, including my own. All of us are grateful for the clean water, despite no electricity and phone lines.
We were worried for the rest of the family, but our prayers were all that we could send. Water were up to drowning level, and none of us own a boat either way.
Actually, to say we survived this well is mostly thanks to Mom. She prepared the boxes of food, and secured us to safe location. She's always well ahead of everyone.
The 7th day, we scoured my house for damage check when the water's down to relatively safe level. By relatively safe, I mean, up to chest on the outside, up to waist on the inside. We had to walk through the water from Kedai Buku Banggol and go around my old school, SMK TM (1), because the current was too strong at the other roads.
My feet were throbbing that night, but the feels when we reached our house and when we stepped inside was all I could think about.
I wish I could print the image from my brain for you to see but technology haven't reached that point yet. Oh, the images. If only electricity weren't cut off and everyone's phones weren't dying. I could've snap a pic or two.
There were mud everywhere.
Furniture were thrown about, as if they were playing tic-tac-toe with each other.
Some completely ruined, some quite intact.
Some drenched in mud, some relatively clean though wet.
Our books were safe, stacked on the upper shelf by Onee-san.
From there on, we started the cleaning process slowly. There were 3 process.
1. Get the mud out.
2. Get the water out.
3. Dry
We lost quite a couple of things.
One washing machine, one refrigerator, one car, 3 cupboards, 2 desks, one dining table, and all of my 7 years worth of Kreko magazine collection. And a big basket of comic books. Electricity just got on 6 days ago, and clean water 2 days before that.
Truth be told, I'm not sad over the loss of these things. To be frank, the biggest loss I would concede to admit is of my diaries. They consist 3 years of my life, of which I was 15 up till I was 17.
I can't say how I held back and swallowed the dry, wrecked sob threatening to spill from my lips. It was the first time since I returned home that I wanted to cry so badly.
I wrote this all in a book, of course.
I cannot afford to lose any more memories than I did.
Slowly, we move from the rooms to the outside, cleaning by hands and later, by water jet. Mom and Dad cleared the second living room and we spend the night on the floor, layered with piles of blankets, candles flickering around us.
The first night was freezing.
Second night was better, with extra blankets.
We were among the lucky, because we never ran out of food. I shudder to think those who weren't as lucky. Those in Kuala Krai.. Manik Urai.. Gua Musang.. There were people who were headed that way -two families, they bunked with me on the train.
I knew these places.
My hometown, Tanah Merah.
Just last night, I was wondering for how long Kelantan -my state- was in the news.
No other thoughts mattered since the flood started and later, returning the house back to it's natural state. I didn't have time to think about other shit than surviving.
The MUET result, my assignments, other people of no concern.
I mean, brother, ain't nobody got time for bloody shit like dat.
I leave that to the people I trust can handle those for me.
Of course, I'd owe them, but I can own up to those owes.
Cakes, dinners, or proofing their homework or whatever.
Which, btw, since MUET result just came out two days ago, I am glad to announce I passed with an average Band 4. Looks like I'll get into the degree programme after all, depending on the finals.
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