ANTIQUE NURSE
Memories

A private jet belonging to the Hikmat family landed safely at Sultan Iskandar Muda airport. The arrival of Abi, Nina and Anfa had been awaited by a driver who took a guide to take them while in this rencong land. The middle-aged man named Pidi immediately stuffed the suitcase into the trunk. Next they will head to the hotel to rest for a while while filling the stomach.

Time showed at ten in the morning when Abi, Nina and Anfa set off for Ulee Lheue, where mass graves of tsunami victims were buried. Ever since setting foot in the airport, Nina seemed to be silent. His hand kept holding the husband's hand. Abi felt his wife's palms sweat coldly.

Nina's legs shook as she got out of the car. Her chest feels tight. It's the second time he's come to a mass grave and it's always been like that. Abi embraces Nina's shoulder, with her wife guiding her into the cemetery. No different from Nina, Anfa felt the same way. The shadow of the incident 17 years ago is back in the eye.

A white signpost with a mass grave was laid out in front of the cemetery. The three continued to step in to climb the field that was overgrown with grass. They stopped in front of the yellow walls that lined the field. Abi took Nina and Anfa to one of the trees there and sat there.

All three were fixated on offering prayers to the almighty. Nina's tears fell in memory of both her parents. Sobs were also heard from Anfa's mouth. The young man could not help his sadness. In the homeland of Tjut Nyak Dien, he had to lose both parents and be separated from his beloved brother.

“Assalamu’alaikum ahlad diyaar minal mu’miniina wal muslimiin. Inna insyaa Allahu bikum laahiquun. Nasalullaaha lanaa wa lakumul ‘afiyah. Ma. pa. introduce, I'm Abi. I am the husband of your eldest daughter, Nina. We also Anfa came here to see mom and dad. I promise you ma, pa. will love Nina wholeheartedly, make her happy and take good care of her. So does Anfa, from now on she is my responsibility. I hope your mom and dad are calm there, our prayers will always be with you. May God give you the best place, aamiin.”

“Aamiin..” Ogre Nina and Anfa.

“Mama.. papa.”

Abi pulls Nina in his arms. Letting his wife spill all her grief. Abi's hand stretched out rubbing the top of Anfa's head which was also crying. For a moment both of them were still in sadness.

Abi helps Nina stand up. After being satisfied with crying, Abi invited Nina and Anfa away from the place. Nina hugged her husband's waist while walking towards the parked car.

“Where are you going now?”

“I'm going to the tsunami museum sis,” Anfa replied.

“You want baby?”

Nina just nodded her head. Abi told Pidi sir their next destination. Soon Kijang Innova was sliding out of the Ulee Lheue area. The tsunami museum is located in the city center, not far from the Baiturrahman mosque. It is said that many people saw the mosque lifted when the tsunami hit. Many people are displaced in the mosque which became an icon of the city of Banda Aceh.

Pidi stopped his vehicle in the tsunami museum parking area. Abi looked at the four-story building whose arch walls were lined with geometric reliefs. The designer of the building is the current Governor of West Java, Mr. Ridwan Kamil.

Abi, Nina and Anfa enter the building. On this first floor they could see flashbacks of the 2004 tsunami. Several images of tsunami events, tsunami trail artifacts and dioramas are on this floor. One of the famous dioramas is the floating PLTD ship that was stranded in Punge Blang Cut.

Anfa looked at the photos of evidence of the tsunami that struck at that time. His heart was sad to remember the bitter events he had experienced many years ago. They entered a narrow passageway around the wall with the names of tsunami victims. Anfa's eyes looked around the wall.

“Kak..about the name of mama and papa is there no?”

“Ngga know Fa.”

Anfa continued to be there reading the names. I hope to find the name of her parents. Nina who could not bear all these memories came out of the hallway. Her eyes are looking for the whereabouts of her husband. Abi was seen talking to his cellphone near the diorama of the Floating PLTD Ship. Nina walked over to him.

“...”

“You sure?”

“...”

“Well, do it if you think it's right. But remember, if there is a mistake, you will bear the consequences.”

“...”

Abi ended his call coinciding with the presence. The waist of the wife. His eyes looked red and slightly twisted. Abi kissed Nina's forehead affectionately.

“I want to go to hotel aja mas.”

“Ngga want to go for a walk first?”

“Ngga. For me this city was still the same when the tsunami was. I'm not comfortable mas.”

“How about we go to Sabang? Only one hour if fast boat ride.”

“Ngga. I want to rest at the hotel aja.”

Abi finally obeyed the wishes of his wife. Nina looks uncomfortable. He called Anfa who still read the names of tsunami victims.

“Fa.. Your sister wants to go back to the hotel. Do you want to go for a walk or what?”

“Iya, if Abi brother does not mind, I want to go for a walk first.”

“After pak Pidi take us to the hotel, you walk with pak Pidi.”

“Iya kak.”

☘️☘️☘️

Karenina Pov

Anfa and I put clothes in a backpack. We are very happy because papa took us on vacation to Banda Aceh. Since papa received an offer to teach at the University of North Sumatra, we and our family were brought to Medan. And towards the end of the year holiday, papa invited us to take a vacation to welcome the new year in Banda Aceh. The plan is we will also go to Sabang, it is said that the beach there is no less beautiful with Bali.

The next morning, we eagerly left the house. We headed to the terminal to take an inter-city bus between the provinces. Travel time using land lines is quite long, can be up to 12 hours. We leave at 8 am, expected to arrive in Banda Aceh at 8 pm.

Sure enough, it was dark when we arrived in Banda Aceh. Papa had booked the inn through one of his colleagues who came from this city. We rented two rooms, one for mom and dad, one for me and Anfa. After taking a short break, papa invited us around to enjoy typical Acehnese food. There are Aceh noodles, cane bread, Aceh martabak as well as Aceh coffee. Satisfied filling the stomach, we returned to the inn.

“Now you rest, tomorrow morning we take a walk to the beach Ulee Lheue.”

“Asik..” My as well Anfa.

Papa rubbed the top of our head. His eyes were looking in our direction. I don't know why papa's eyes look different. Mama also kissed both of us on the forehead and then rubbed the tops of our heads.

“You have to get along, don't keep fighting. Must take care of each other yes.”

“Iya ma.”

Anfa and I went into the room. Before going to bed, we chatted, planning what we would do on the beach later. We fell asleep because we were tired too.

Like papa promised, the next morning we went to Ulee Lheu beach. There are many visitors who take a walk in the morning. While walking along the coast, suddenly everything there was shocked by the shock that we believed was an earthquake. Many people ran to save themselves. Mom and Dad took us to a safe place.

The shaking stopped, but we were all wary if there were aftershocks. Half an hour passed and we no longer felt such a great shock. Papa takes her home to the inn. But then our attention was distracted by the screams of a child while pointing towards the beach. There is seen sea water shrinking drastically, even many fish that flounder on the beach side. Papa looked up, saw a group of birds flying in a group heading somewhere.

“Ma.. let's get out of here. Papa feeling not good.”

Mama nodded, mama held Anfa's hand while my hand was held by papa. I'm trying to follow papa's long steps. I don't know why it seems like papa wants to quickly leave this place.

On the way, we heard a noise from behind. We look back. Our eyes widened to see the roll of waves so high was heading towards us.

“Astaghfirullah, tsunami ma!” exclaim papa.

Papa quickly carried me, as did the mother who was holding Anfa. We ran as fast as we could to avoid the water. The sound of a car horn, trying to dispel a group of people who block the way. The car driver was so panicked he did not see the road and hit a pedestrian who was running. I closed my eyes to see some people lying down because they were hit by a car.

Mom and Dad kept running. I hugged papa's neck. My chest was pounding, the water roll was getting closer to us. And suddenly in a matter of seconds our bodies were blown away by the water scroll. I still hug papa's neck. Looks papa trying to reach in accordance when his body was carried by the current. Mama also kept trying to keep Anfa in her arms. The sound of screaming people around us added to the atmosphere became gripping.

As much as papa's energy directs his body towards a house whose roof is still visible. There were some people sheltering from the water. Papa raised my body to the roof which was immediately greeted by a middle-aged man. Papa then pulled my mom's hand. He also put Anfa there. When papa will help mama ride, suddenly a car carried by the current hit the body of papa.

“Papa!!”

Anfa and I screamed at the same time. My tears flowed profusely when I saw papa's body floating carried away by the water current. Mama who tried to reach papa back hit by the flow of water that came back, drowning the woman who had given birth to me.

The Karenina Pov End

“Mama!!”

Nina woke up from her sleep. Abi, who was checking the report with his cell phone, was shocked and rushed to his wife. Nina sat on the bed with a sweaty body and breathless breath.

“Sayang..you why?”

“Mama mas. mama.”

Nina cried, the bad memories of the tragedy that happened back present in her dream. Abi hugged Nina tightly. His hands were unceasingly rubbing the wife's back to calm her down.

“It was just a dream dear.”

Abi breaks his embrace and wipes away Nina's tears. He took a bottle of water from the nightstand and gave it to Nina. Half a bottle of mineral water came in soaking up Nina's dry esophagus.

“I want to go home, I don't want to be here. I'm scared.”

Abi looked at the clock on his wrist. Time shows at five o'clock in the afternoon. Seeing Nina's condition, he contacted the flight crew, asking them to prepare a flight. Abi also contacted Anfa.

After Maghrib, they were already at the airport. Actually Anfa still wants to stay and go home the next day. But Nina forced her sister to return to Bandung tonight. He didn't calm down leaving his sister in this town. Finally Anfa relented, he returned to Bandung using a commercial plane. Abi and Nina will fly to Lombok by private jet.

☘️☘️☘️

Always sad if you remember the event of the national tsunami of Aceh. The story of Nina and Anfa during the tsunami disaster was inspired by the lives of the tsunami survivors. Mamake was given the opportunity to see the scene in Banda Aceh and Meulaboh one year after the tsunami and met with survivors who were willing to tell the story. Not all tsunami victims were found, many bodies of victims were swept away by the current, buried by debris² building or immersed under the ship PLTD Apung. Wherever they are, may the best place be given by His side..