The Dangerous Flood

(This story is dedicated to all flood victims around the world)

Earthquake, landslides, flood, drought, hurricane, typhoon, tsunami, volcano – these natural disasters were among the dangerous disasters that can cause a damages to our home and even it cause a lost to our lives as well. Perhaps, we can’t really predict when it happens but we absolutely can prevent it. This story was among the experiences that I’ve been through with one of many natural disasters in this world. I was a victim of the flood for a several times and experiencing couples of time of earthquake. In this edition, I would like to tell you the story about the biggest that once occur in my very own hometown. Surely, it causes a problem especially to the student like me but I have to get through over and over again. For me, if it is one of many challenges that I faces before, I have to fight even if I don’t have strength of hundreds men. I was depending on my prayer to God and promise myself to get through this. I’m very sure God will answers prayer. I have experiencing two times biggest flood in my life. One time in 1987 and another time were in 1997. 20 years later (2007), I found out it seems like every 10 years, the same big flood will hit the town. Perhaps, it was only coincident. The biggest that ever occur in my small town was in the year 1963. I don’t really know about this story but all I’ve ever heard that, the British Army had came to help the people by sending foods and medicines. They even came to help to evacuate the flood victim as well. As my dad recalls, it was the worst compares to the other 2 floods that ever occur 20 years later. He was a young guy who still studies at secondary school around that time.

More than 20 years later, when I was in primary 1, the biggest flood had occurred in my hometown. Luckily, it’s not that big but we’re the happiest kids around when the flood is coming. It’s not only we don’t really have a class but also it was a license for us to play with the water. That’s the real reason behind all of this. Of course it’s not the thing that we should play but oh well, for a kid like me around that time it’s really something that makes me absolutely happy about it. I can still remember when I with a couple of friends playing to become a crew in the ship. I was become a captain. I was also wondering why a person like me had always acted to become a ship’s captain everytime the flood is coming and never becomes a police inspector or even a fire brigade chief whenever everything is okay without these disasters. Hmm… perhaps, I am really suitable for this role. Okay, let’s leave this for a while. I’m still remember Encik Hamidon our replacement class teacher for Madam Lily had asked us to help for cleaning the dirty class that cause by a flood. The water had reach until my ankle and soon, it will absolutely reach above my head. However, I never worry about it because like the other kids, I’m just playing around. A responsibility must be done and we’re helping the teachers to move the chairs and desks to the first floor. My class was at the ground floor and we have to save all of it before it’s too late. According to Mr. Philip, the next door class teacher had said that the water from the river had reached to the dangerous level. Soon, everything will be sinks. The late Encik Saufi and Sulastrie’s dad had told the same thing as well.

On the next day, as the water had reach upper my ankle, the teachers had started to meeting. We’re still struggle to move everything and the absentees are not really taken because it had given a chance to the pupils who stayed on the boarding will helped the other school’s staff to move the things to the upper place somewhere to the secondary school. The only place that is in higher ground was secondary school which was 7 years later I’ll be continue study in this secondary school for 5 years. Sulastrie and Dahliawaty had told me that their home is definitely in danger because the water is about to reach at their floor. Suddenly, my imagination about to become a ship’s captain has stop when I was thinking about my home as well. When I reached home, it seems like it reach about a half of the steps of my house’s stairs. The weather is getting worst when on the evening the rain had poured very badly. I bet Sulastrie’s and Dahliawaty’s home also in greatly danger. Luckily our school had a break about a week days for Chinese New Year. When three days before Chinese New Year, I’ve check on the level of the water whether it reached the floor of my house and t takes 2 steps of stair. My house had 12 steps of stair. It means it reach 10 steps. I was hoping I will not reach until 12 because if it was, that’s mean trouble. We didn’t go out from home about a week. My dad went to work by a boat that had been prepared by his department. Actually, he didn’t really goes to work because their office had also been flooded by the high tide. According to my dad who’d came in the evening, he’d told me that he’d helped his colleagues to move the important documents and other things to the higher places. We’re just hoping and keep on hoping that the flood will soon slow down.

Our prayer had seems to be answered by God. The water’s level is started to be low as about 2 days the rain had did not pour. Although, 2 days later, the rain had poured but luckily, it didn’t rise up the level of water again. A week later, when the school had started again after the long break of Chinese New Year holiday, it seems everything was absolutely dirty and the smell, oh my God! I can’t imagine how stink it was. Our school was full with mud. Then, our headmaster, Mr. Robin had told us to clean up the school for 3 days. “Here we go again!” shouted Ranggi. When he shouted like that, it means we’ll start to work in group to do cleaning spring again. The water level hasn’t really slows down yet but for about couples of week, everything will be alright. We’re started to sweep the floor and some of us had gone to clean the wall that full with mud. The boarding pupils had done the cleaning spring very often because their hostel rooms are also full with mud as well and they can’t really stays there. They had stayed at the upper floor with the seniors for couples of week. I must be lying if it’s comfortable. The class is completely clean when for the rest of water had finally drying up. The school’s little field was beginning to dry again and it’s time to play again. The rest of the year, the flood is not that very bad as the year that I’ve enter for the first time in this elementary school. I never thought 10 years later, it would be happening again. My guess was absolutely wrong when 10 years later most of the neighborhood was forced to evacuate the home.

10 years later in the year of 1997, the rain had started to pour very badly once again. It was the first semester of 1997. When I look up at the calendar, soon, it will be school’s break and even Chinese New Year. My mum had always mumbling something about this. Okay, no offence guys but seriously I think my mum was right when everytime the Chinese New Year had celebrated surely it’s bring the disaster to my hometown especially the flood and even dry season. When it dry season is coming it dries very badly and when it’s flood, it will be flooded very badly until it force most the people at the Melanau village to move. That is only happens during Chinese New Year. “Why did it never happen during another month?”, she’d questions. I can’t find a good answer to her question even 10 years later when I’m started to work. I don’t know. Could it be just coincident or something else had happen? Well, if anybody could tell me what it was perhaps, kindly shares one. Back to the story, the rain had started to pour very badly around 10a.m. I can see the sky is fully black the water level is already reached at my knee. That because rain had pour very badly for three days. But this is not the thing that I really like to see at the outside of my home. I’ve told my mum that it’s going to be rain all day long. Then, I helped to move everything to upper place. My dad had gone to help his colleague to move the documents and other important things to the medical centre. It seems like it was for the second for the last 10 years. It’s 8 p.m. and the rain hasn’t stop for hours. My dad hadn’t home yet. My mum started to worry because we’re both checking on the water level by looking at the steps of the stair. Suddenly, someone’s had calling my name from the outside. I’m quickly opened the door and saw my dad with a black umbrella coming home.

Thank God, he’s coming back. He’d told me and my mum that everyone around the neighborhood at lower area had been move to the medical centre and even their office. I’ve checked at the outside, the rain still pour very badly. Lisa which was my next door neighbor shouted at me and asked for my dad. When my dad had listen to her calling he’d went out. Lisa had asked about her husband, however, according to my dad, he hadn’t seen him because he was helping the others from the morning time. As far as he knows, her husband was helping the neighborhood to evacuate the home. Then, she went inside her home with her 6 months old baby son. It’s 10p.m. and still the rain hasn’t stop for more than 10 hours. I was really wondering if I can go to school the next day. Three of us still are struggling to move the things to upper places. Luckily, my dad had coming home earlier. Almost 12 midnight suddenly, I heard someone’s coming home with the boat. When I look outside the window, I found out it was Lisa’s husband is coming home. I’m continues packing my things in my bag. By 2:30a.m., my mum had asked me to stop packing and go to sleep. I was told her that I refused to go to school if the rain hasn’t stop and I’m worry if the water will rise. She’d told me that everything will be fine and she wants me to go to school even the rain hasn’t stop because she didn’t me to get absent. Therefore, I just follow her advice. I can’t really close my eyes that night and keep on listening to the sound of the water below the floor. I’m even can hear the sound of the boat all night long. That boat must be belonging to district office or if it’s not, it must be belong to police. I was started to pray and hoping the God will listen to my prayer.

I can only sleep about 3½ hours like that. By 6:15a.m., my mum had came and asked me to wake up for school time. I’m still refused to go but she wants me to come to school. My dad had already to go to his workplace. I’m quickly goes to clean myself but I did not taken any breakfast that morning. The boat had coming by 6:50a.m. My dad’s colleague had come to pick both of us. Although, it’s look cool to be ride with the boat but at the same time, I’m still feels worry about her alone at home. Luckily, the rain had stopped by 5a.m. this morning. That’s what had been told by my dad’s colleague. As soon as we get to the ‘dry land’, without any thinking twice, my dad which had leave the car at the medical centre had send me to the school as soon as possible. My other classmates, especially the boarding students had asked me the story on the flood which was happen very badly and they’ve asked if I was move like the other students. I bet it was the neighborhood that lives at the lower area. Well, I’m just very lucky that my home doesn’t really affect that much. That’s the reason I came to school. Dahliawaty and Suhana haven’t come that morning and according to the teacher, their home had badly affected by flood. Ming Ing had missing as well. Their home was receiving the same fate as the villages did. I don’t want to share much about the flood that had been happen to me with the rest of the classmates but they certainly knows that I am definitely like living in the line of fire. Judy had asked me a lot of questions which I don’t really like to answer. Therefore, I ran away to the other place where I can meet Haidar, the only person that I shares the story with because he just few houses away from my house. He was very afraid that his home will receive the same fate as the others. But I’ve told him that if it’s reaching to the last two steps of the stairs of their house, it means, he can only sees my house’s roof.

It’s really sounds joking but it’s true because some houses had affected until that high. Haidar told me, the rain will stop after raining more than 10 hours. He believes that it was a punishment for someone like us that forgetting Him. Although, we’re both had different religion but I’m certainly understands him. What we can do is just praying and hoping the prayers will be listened. Two weeks later, the tide is started to low because the rain has stop for a day or two and sometimes, during at night the rain had pour but not badly as that day. I can’t forget that day when I saw the water is started to rise up very quickly and the rain hasn’t stop for more that 12 hours. If it’s hasn’t stop, I bet part of my hometown will definitely turn into the lake or sea. A week later, Chinese New Year is coming alongside with Eidul Fitre. Therefore, we had school’s break for a week. Some of my neighbors had coming to their home and some had live with the neighbor hoping for the rain did not pour again. Weeks after weeks, the water had been gone and I can see the perfect sun comes up from the east of the Sap Hill. As the water at the upper of my ankle, some of us, playing badminton. You bet it was the craziest thing to do. After I’m helping my parent at home doing spring cleaning, then, I’m going to play to release stress. That’s what we always call it in the class. Just to make up some reason. Well, that’s very stupid reason, told my dad. A year later as my parent and I move from this town to the city, I’ve heard the news that the flood had hit the town and even worst than the year 1997 did. Lisa and her husband were force to evacuate the home alongside with the other neighborhood that live with the same place as mine before. We watched it only on television. However, I know Haidar and his family didn’t move to the upper area.

10 years later, when I’m watching the same thing that happens to the other neighboring states, the flashback of the biggest flood that ever occurs to me had come into my mind. Everything had turns into the lake. But luckily, most of our pets and animals are quickly move by district office employee. When I saw the officers who saves the animal during Katrina Hurricane in United States two years ago, it’s really reminds me of the officers who worked alongside with my dad and the other agencies who helped them to evacuate the affected area. It’s not funny but at least, it helps to prevent the disease to spread. Good thing that ever happens to my home and bravo to the brave officers. Luckily, nobody lost lives and the owner’s documents and other things also had been saved because everybody took a precaution after the 1963 incident. Ironically, the church did not really affect although it was situated to the old bazaar which was badly affected by flood. Seriously, I’m very shocked about this story either. Well, isn’t it miracle? I’m certainly understands what’s been happening and all of this can be prevent if we really cautious about our safety and ready for the disaster anytime. Who knows what might be happen next? We’re always forgot when it’s coming but when it’s happen we’re always praying and hoping. I can say the pray is useless but sometimes, it reminds everything that we own can be gone in just a second. We don’t know the times it happen. For those who ever affected by such a worst disaster by a flood, let’s go back and think about why it’s happening. Not because I was asking you to remember those tragedies but let’s remember the things that happen to us. Although, we can’t stop it happens, at least, we saves ourselves and important documents. Always remember to take health precaution before and after the flood. It can prevent the disease to spread as well. That’s one of my many experiences with one of natural disasters. It’s like a nightmare and I wish it never happens to me ever again.