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“Oh! tsunami please don’t ever come again’’
Many who suffered from the tsunami 15 years ago on December 26, or witnessed the unprecedented devastation, continue to be haunted by terrifying memories.
Gathmini Vihanga Vithanage
Gathmini Vihanga Vithanage, who was seven years old when the wall of water rolled in, managed to escape by hanging on to a rail.
Currently, Gathmini is studying at the Vitebsk State Medical University in Belarus.
Gathmini recalls how her family survived the disaster.
“I was a little girl of seven living near the coast in Gintota, Galle. Sunday, December 26, 2004 was a perfect, sunny morning. My father left early in the morning to Tangalle for an urgent survey job. In the morning, my little brother, Kirul and I rushed to the garden to see our pet ducklings and love birds, since we had not been able to pet them for nearly five days as we were away from home in our aunt’s place in Ja Ela for Christmas.
“Amma was feeding us breakfast with her usual story telling and I was all set to watch the ‘Winnie the Pooh” movie. Before I could even insert the DVD movie into the computer, I heard loud cries and screams from the roadside. I ran towards the gate, to see a very high wave of black water crashing over the mosque in front of our house. I stood still, fascinated by this black water crashing onto the road.
“In a split second I felt my mother grab me by her hand with my baby brother on her waist and we ran towards the backyard of our house, like everyone else, and reached the railway line behind our house.
“I could see walls, trees, houses flattening around us, with muddy water rising higher and higher. All I could hear was people crying out in fear. Everyone was trying hard to fight the currents. The water had more energy than a seven-year-old. Suddenly, I slipped and felt I was drowning. I was in the bottom of a muddy water pool. I struggled hard in the water and managed to cling onto a steel rail. If not for my mother holding me tight and not letting me go, I would have been washed away into the Indian Ocean. In time, the water subsided and we were able to reach the interior.
“After all this turmoil, we were lucky enough to reach a hill, where everyone had gathered. I still can’t forget the helpless cries of those searching for their loved ones. But to my amusement, the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ DVD was still stuck in my index finger.
“Even though all three of us were lucky to survive, we had no news of our father, who was away at work on the coast. ‘Amma, has our father died?’ I still remember asking my mother who was speechless. Everyone was trying to help each other. Everyone was devastated, yet humanity existed. Everyone was trying to console each other.
“Luckily around 1 p.m. Thaththa came looking for us, and we were overjoyed. That gloomy night, we spent in the house of a friend of my father in Hapugala.
“Our next few days were spent at our aunt’s place in Batapola, Ambalangoda away from the coast. That is when I got to know that the terrifying wave is called a “tsunami” and how much destruction it had caused to the coastal part of my beautiful country.
“After three days, my parents took us to see our house. Even though our house had not been swept away, I couldn’t believe my eyes to see huge coconut trees, concrete pillars and other debris scattered everywhere inside the house. It was painful to see that my ducklings, my school books, my story books in my mini library, my dolls were no more. But it was nothing compared to what other people had lost. Some had lost their entire family.
“About 30 of my neighbours were killed by the tsunami. There was carnage every where along with the debris. Some people are still on the missing list. Some of my friends lost their parents, siblings. My baby brother was traumatised for almost a year.
“It has been 15 long years, but to date I have a ‘not-so-good’ feeling towards the ocean. “And so far, it has been my most terrifying day with so many awful memories. Oh! tsunami please don’t ever come again.’’