The Wrath Earth

The Wrath Earth

It happens many times in Indonesia, but let's skip all those yesterdays and begin last November. One of my nightmare was happened that day and it's everyone's nightmare I guess, an incident that left a deep mark on our memory, a mother's tears breaking out because losing her child, a laborer who lost his livelihood and one thing that hurts the most is this incident destroyed thousands of memories that we built in this small town, including our homes, schools and playgrounds.

On a sunny morning after spending the week, as usual our school always holds a flag ceremony before starting lessons on Monday, I always line up beside my chairmate Luna we have been friends since the first day of school and coincidentally Luna is my neighbor at home, every day we walk to go to school. After class I rushed home to see my bed which seemed to be calling me to sleep on, my body felt tired after a day of done activities outside. During my sleep, I heard voices of people arguing, I woke up and it was true that the voice was real, not just my dream, likely the source of the sound was from the next house, it’s Luna’s house my school mate, after I woke up then continued sleep and intended to ask the Luna tomorrow at school.

The next day, Luna and I met in front of the house getting ready to go to school. On our way to school I asked her about what I heard yesterday

"What happened yesterday at your house, I heard like someone was fighting because the voice was heard up to my house?”

"Nothing happened, I was just joking with my mom, you know that she really has a big voice so she sounds like someone who is angry, don’t worry"

After hearing Luna's answer, I felt relieved, but I felt like there was something Luna was hiding from me, but I didn't want to think too long, it was their family's business.

When arrived at school, we studied as usual I sat next to Luna, today she seemed unenthusiastic like a person who had a lot of thoughts, was restless and occasionally she lowered her head to the table and I thought maybe she was just tired, ignoring yesterday's incident that I heard at her house. Mr.Fahri came to our table tapping Luna's shoulder thinking she was asleep in class with the aim of waking her up, Luna lifted her head and it turned out that her face was already wet with tears, Mr.Fahri and I were confused and he asked her

"What's wrong with you Luna?" she was silent while shaking her head,

"If you're sick, you can just rest at the school health unit"

and I was take her to the school health unit, after taking her there I didn't want to talk much and make her feel uncomfortable, I went straight back to class again to continue my lessons. I was confused about what really happened to Luna, I am sure that there is something was wrong with her, but she did not told me at all about the real situation. the bell to go home rang, I rushed to pick up Luna and took her home, When I arrived at Luna's house, I met her mom and told her about her daughter’s condition. Unexpectedly, her mom got angry and kicked me out. I was scared and in a hurry to go home, walked for a while to get home, still wearing my school uniform, I told my mother about Luna's condition and her mother's bad behavior earlier, but my mother said do not mind people's business, I was confused about who else that I should tell about this to uncover what really happened to my bestfriend.

I also tried to contact Luna by phone and texted her to ask about her current condition, she answered and said she wanted to meet me in a quiet place or not many people could hear our conversation, I also thought where if the place was suitable and after a long time goes by to think, we finally agreed to meet in a cafe in front of our housing area, when we got there it was getting dark because the sun was starting to disappear so we sat in a corner of the cafe, Luna started to open up the topic of her problems but I told her to calm down and not be in a hurry so that the atmosphere would not disturb the surroundings.

“Actually, my mother and I have a bad relationship”

“Bad relationship? What do you mean?”

“She often cursed and hit me and everything I did would always be wrong in her eyes”

“Why are you just telling me now? I'm so confused about how to help you”

Well, maybe this is the time After a long being friends with Luna and after all of the treatment she recieved at her house, I tried to always by her side and encouraged her not to give up, at least I already know the root and the key from all of this problem.

Luna's mother is a age women around forty, her husband died after a serious illness two years ago, she is a single mother with three children, where Luna has one brother as the oldest brother and one last younger sister and Luna is the middle child out of three siblings, Luna's mother became a little temperamental and changed since her husband left and Luna became the impact of all the problems in their household and Luna became an object for her anger and blame Luna for anything happened.

The Days 

The clear sky showed 7 o'clock in the morning, all the students still looked neat and eager to go to class, some entered the class alone, some held hands with their friends and there were also a bunch of students who entered their respective classes. The teachers were getting ready to enter the classroom and excited to teach the students. Luna and I were already in class taking off our bags and sitting pretty facing the whiteboard. Everything was running smoothly until we saw the blackboard moving fast as if the wind was blowing, unexpectedly an unexpected natural disaster hit our school and made me and my chairmate Luna was separated because of panic. Everyone at school was run and scream hoping a miracle came and save them.

I ran to the door but the door was locked. I hid under my desk, hoping it would protect the body from the ruins of the building and roofs, while Luna just freezing and do nothing as if nothing had happened, because Luna didn't move and save herself at all she was buried under the debris, seeing that I was very shocked and cried but the circumstances made it impossible for me to help her, when the shaking started getting better, the rescue team coming to evacuating the students, a rescuer came to take me out of the classroom and picked me up from under the desk, while Luna, who was not visible because he was hit by a lot of debris from the roof of the building, took a long time to be evacuated.

We were all gathered in the school field while the officers carried out the evacuation. On the field I thought about Luna's fate, because she was literally crushed in front of my eyes and until now I haven't seen her. I also thought about my family's condition at home, whether they were safe and in a safe place, I thought of running away and go home but fortunately I could think clearly in this condition, if I went home quietly I was afraid my parents would go to school and looking for me while I was not there and it would made the situation become worse, my friends and I could only pray and cry, really did not expect a disaster like this happened.

 For around one hour after, the officer ran out of the building carrying a girl who was covered in blood, the color of her skin was nowhere to be seen but blood, ran to the ambulance, it turned out that the girl was Luna, I was so shocked and couldn't hold back my tears, got on and left to the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, Luna was immediately brought into the room and examined, I waited outside while worried that her condition was very bad. Then, a woman ran come into the hospital and cried screaming Luna’s name, the whole hospital tried to calm her down and unexpectedly, Luna's mother came. The doctor came out of Luna's room, called her mother to come in to see her daughter’s condition, and I also entered the room, Luna’s mother looked very sad after seeing her child showing regret from herself because she had treated her so badly all this time. She cried while wiping Luna's face and repeatedly said sorry, but it was too late. Luna didn't respond at all because her condition was quite severe and he was in her coma phase.

After everything that happened, Luna's mother changed, became more attentive and showed her care for Luna, fed her, cleaned her body and changed her clothes. She hoped that Luna, who was lying weakly on the bed, could feel hers regret for the bad treatment he had given to Luna before. I walked home and when I arrived, my mom immediately hugged me and was grateful that I was fine. Afterwhile, I told her about the condition at school also told her that Luna was one of the victims of today's disaster and made her being in a coma to this day. Fortunately, there is one lesson to be learned, after this happened I felt that her mother has changed to become a better person, I can say that she has become a good mother for Luna she plays an important role in Luna's life from now on, she is the only person needed now to take care of Luna, because there only a little chance for Luna to survive in her current situation.

Me and my mom came to the hospital one day after Luna stayed there, the feeling there was not comfortable, the nurses and doctors were going back and forth from Luna's room, her mother was seen crying while covering her face in front of the room where Luna was being treated. We tried to calm her mother by hugging her and assuring her that Luna would get well soon and come home. Shortly after, the doctor came out, and I felt that if something went wrong when I looked the doctor's expression become pale

            “I'm sorry, we couldn't save your daughter”

Instantly Luna's mother was hysterical and immediately entered the room, Luna's face had been covered with a white cloth and her lips were already pale, but one thing surprised everyone, she died smiling, as indicating that in the rest of her life she was happy to felt the love that her mother gave and the only things that she had always wanted and dreamed of during her lifetime.