The Moment I Thought I’d Die

Have you ever felt the moment that you thought you would die? I have. It was 7 years ago. Back then, all that was happening was a total blur to me. I was in a state of shock and I could not bring myself together at that time to remember what exactly had happened. But, 7 years after that disastrous day, I visited the site. The moment I set my eyes on the site, it all came back to me.

It was a day after our SPM examination was over. Being eager teenagers who were overjoyed, we planned a picnic by the Batu Ferengghi Beach. My best friend, Zahara, a few classmates and myself went together. It was a beautiful day where the sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the ocean was a calm shade of blue.

Upon arriving, we gathered our stuffs, rolled out a mat and started unpacking our food. There were a lot of foods, from roti canai to nasi lemak to fried rice. Haven’t eaten since morning, I helped myself to the delicious spread of food. The rest played beach volleyball. As I was finising my food, I glanced at the waters. There she was, Zahara, being a beach buff that she was, was having fun in the water.

Suddenly, I heard her scream her lungs out. A huge wave as tall as 3 metres was fast approaching the shore. She panicked and tried to swim to the shore. She panicked and tried to swim to the shore as fast as she could. People started to react to what was happening. Parents were running all around with their kids tagged along, a few stood still not knowing what to do, and some just ran absent-mindedly. In all that chaos, all I could hear was Zahara’s scream and a coast guard telling people to run to a higher ground. Someone grabbed my hand and started urging me to run for my life. I glanced at the waters where I last saw Zahara. She was no longer there.

I ran and ran and ran without once turning back. I was scared. I was scared that the huge waves would hit me. I was scared that running away from huge waves would be the last thing i would ever do. I was also scared of the thought that I would die that instant. All of sudden, my hand was let go. It was Syira, my class mate, who has been running with me.

We saw a building and quickly took the stairs to the highest floor. It was an abandoned building with no electricity, water or food. Then, I started to cry. Never have I imagined a thing like this would have happened to me. I cried at the loss of my best friend and I cried for the safety of my friend and family which was unknown at that time.

After Syira calmed me down, we started to search for anything that could be of any help. We couldn’t find anything. A few days had passed and when it seemed that all the hopes were lost, we heard someone’s voice. “Is anyone here?”, a guy asked. “ Both Syira and I was ” When I opened my eyes, I was on a hospital bed. I was treated for exhaustion and dehydration. Syira was in a bed next to mine. To my right, my family crying tears of happiness. I was told that a few fire fighters had rescued us. I passed out right after they had found us. I was also informed that Aceh, Indonesia was hit badly by the Tsunami.

The death scare happened 7 years ago. But still, I could remember it so clearly. The reminiscence of this part of my life has always brought a rush of emotion to my mind. I am sad that my best friend is no longer with us. I felt sorry for the people who lost their family and fortune. I am truly grateful that I still have my other friends and family with me. But most of all, the moment I thought I’d die will forever be etched in my mind.