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January 21, 2005
The Family
A family of four, vacationing in the south of Thailand on Phi Phi Island, came closer than anyone wants to admit to losing everything, including their lives. Here are their testamonials:
The Mother
"How did we get so lucky?" is all that keeps going through my head, and when is that luck going to end? None of us even want to speculate. My Agnostic son believes we all have a certain date and time to die, but our clocks just weren't up yet. My husband keeps thanking our merciful God in heaven for sparing our lives and is waiting for another message for what we should do next. He says God must have spared us for a reason. I tell him to keep waiting and let me know what happens. My daughter and I are just happy to be alive.
As I speak, we're on a boat being carried through this merciless blue water that looks so peaceful and calm at the moment. We've all learned the hard way that nothing can be taken for granted. I can't imagine the pain of losing any member of my family; no parent should ever outlive their child. The only thing that concerns me is that we're all happy together in one place, dry and warm. Is it a test of fate to travel to another island after this horrible tragedy? I think the circle of light which kept us safe that unforgettable Sunday morning is as strong as ever. I can tell we're going to be okay.
The Son
Oh man, these last few days have been so intense. I've never seen so many dead bodies up close. The movies just don't do it justice; they smell worse than you can imagine and when I close my eyes all I see is the bloated rotting corpses than lined the beach where we were staying on Phi Phi Island. It's the most beautiful place I've ever been, there's nothing like it. It's also now the most disgusting place I've ever been. I think I'm gunna need a freakin shrink after this holiday from hell.
You know that one scene in "The Beach" where the dude's leg gets ripped open by the shark? I was on a little snorkling boat in that very same cove when the first waves hit. None of us saw them coming until it lifted the back end of the boat and sent everyone around me into a confused panic. A few hours later, the death and destruction thrown about the island made the shark attack from the movie look like baby stuff.
I stayed pretty calm through the whole thing because I knew I wouldn't die. It's not my time yet, and it's not time for any of my family either. I always told them, we've all got hour-glasses with the sand just falling through, one grain at a time. People always ask how I know I'm not down to the last couple grains; what if tomorrow something even worse will happen? Confidence, I tell them. It's just a feeling I have that tells me we're going to be okay for a while longer. Too bad the others weren't so lucky.
The Father
All I know is when I felt those waves hit the boat, my hands clasped together and my entire soul was occupied by prayer. I had a moment when I thought I could feel God's mighty hand holding me in his protection. Before I could blink, everything was over and I knew my family was safe, prayers answered. Hallelujah! He is a venegeful yet mercifull God. Those who lost their lives are now only closer to him, sitting by his side in heaven. We all have a purpose in life, and I believe God spared us so that we could be his messengers and loyal servants on this great Earth.
Now I pray to you Lord! Send us a signal! Send us a message! We need a message Lord and we'll do your every bidding. My family and I are ready to bow under your mighty hand and help your people realize the wrong they are doing! We have to stop this blasphemous garbage that's being fed to the innocent minds of our young. Television ought to be destroyed. Rock and roll is the noise of the devil! Nobody is perfect, Lord, including my family, but we're trying the best we can. I know why you are upset, my Lord. Please let us help you!
The Daughter
Have you spoken to my father already? I think he's a bit shaken up about this whole thing. It has been a long couple of days and we haven't slept much. I keep having the same dream over and over every night, but I wake up at the same part everytime. When I finally fall asleep again, it starts over from the beginning only to wake me up when the moment arrives. I want to ask my mom about that, but she's got enough to think about. Do you know anything about dreams? I didn't think so...
Anyway, I think my family is blessed because we all came really close to death and yet are still here together. Some of those who were near us aren't even recognizable to their loved ones anymore. My dad and brother were really lucky, because they were even on a boat when the waves came in, you know, that's scary stuff. It almost tipped over. I was sitting under a palm tree talking to my boyfriend on the cell phone when I saw the water coming. I didn't understand what was happening until it was almost too late. That's when I screamed and ran as fast as I could up onto some nearby rocks and broke two of my fingernails...oh poor me.
There are far too many who weren't as lucky as us, and many more who are lucky just to have their lives, if nothing else. I feel a connection to the other survivors... It's like we witnessed something terrible but also so incredible that it brought us together not only in grief but also in respect and love for each other and for this great planet. I hope that this feeling of connection and community lingers on longer than the press crews and rescue workers do. We all live on this Earth together; she takes care of us, as we should take care of her.
Posted by Tom Bodhi at January 21, 2005 12:05 AM
Comments
Bodhi,It made me teary eyed.The style of writing is rather like a series of monologues for theater. You do a good job getting each person's personality out.My only suggestions..."propelled" didn't seem like a word the mother would say. and at the end, "and we should take care of her" instead of "the her" :).I'm going to read some more now, and try and figure where the heck you guys are!love you, yoko
Posted by: yoko at January 21, 2005 03:12 PM
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Posted by: yoko at January 21, 2005 03:12 PM
What a thought-provoking piece! As Yoko says, it's a like a play of monologues. I really liked the different philosophical perspectives each family member takes although I don't know how the others put up with the father. I mean didn't the wife and daughter wear bikinis or something close enough? Oh, and you should change "loosing" to "losing." It's an interesting pun but you're talking more about loss than release. Is this a portrayal of people you've met or an amalgamation of stories you've heard from various sources?
Posted by: emma cornell at January 22, 2005 05:52 PM
Thanks for your imput! I made a few corrections and changes...hope that works. I realized the father was a bit crazy, but the daughter explained that he's shaken up after the whole thing and hasn't slept much...a good recipe for extremist christian preaching. Did I just say that? Anyway, I toned it down a tad. Oh, and it's an "amalgamation" of stories that I've heard from various people after the event. amalgamation amalgamation haha what a great word.
Posted by: Bodhi at January 23, 2005 05:33 AM
Blah I'm just full of typos... I meant to say thanks for your input! Oh, and that deleted comment of yours Yoko was just a duplicate. I'm not censoring you. :)
Posted by: Bodhi at January 23, 2005 06:11 AM
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