Friend, Only You.

49. The Tragedy of That Night.

Flashback a few years ago.

Sunday 29 July, 05. 47 am.

Ega is still engrossed in his routine on holidays. He was cleaning his room and arranging his personal things to look beautiful. In the room there is only one Figura bearing calligraphy and two fhoto namely family fhoto and seven Sahabat photo.

A few minutes he did that. In the end, it also finished what it did. The sweet girl smiled in satisfaction but a second later when the clockwork showed at 05.47 the time Her area suddenly felt her body staggering and along with that came a rumbling sound that made her tremble.

"What's this about? how does it suddenly shake? The walls are also sound." Inner Ega was sitting on his bed.

Ega thought for a moment as soon as he realized that the girl had jumped in shock.

"Astaghfirullah, the earthquake." Pekik Ega ran out. Ega also listened to the screaming voice of Saik Aminah and her panicked neighbors calling her family names in order to immediately find a safe place.

Ega ran to the Kebun and there was Saik Aminah and several neighbors. Their faces looked panicked and pale from shock with the sudden earthquake coming just like that without any cue.

Ega sat leaning against the Sapodilla tree. He tried to regulate his unstable breathing and his heart sounded so loud it was kicked in the ear.

The dug dug dug.

"Astaghfirullah." Guman Ega slowly, his heart really felt so alarming as well as his body that began to limp. He felt his knees as if they had no bones because they could not support his body.

A few minutes later, Ega managed to normalize his body. She saw Saik Aminah trying to stroke her chest to calm herself down. Not a single word came out from his lips that looked pale.

"Aminah's okay?" Ega asked after successfully mastering the discomfort from his heart.

Saik Aminah just nodded, she looked so worried, to just talk like she couldn't.

Some of the Ega Neighbors chose to stay in the Garden and some chose to stay in front of their homes. Away from buildings that may suddenly collapse.

"Ega, Ega, Ega." Suddenly shouted a Mother who approached the crowd in the Garden.

"What's Mother Sumi?" Tanya Ega saw the mother was bored. The mother called Sumi tried to regulate her breathing before she deciphered the word she wanted to say. On his face was a panic. The mother held her phone tightly.

"The center is in your village. I just got some information from a relative who was there." Said Mother giving news after successfully calming the rate of his breath.

"Astaghfirullah, Mamiq, Inaq." Pekik Ega was shocked to not believe what was heard from the mother.

"Yes Ga, there are reports of dead and many injured." The mother added to the information she had obtained.

Ega hurriedly entered his room to pick up a cell phone. A few minutes later, he brought the Pipih object back and pressed his parents' number.

Tut tut tut tut

No response, Ega calls Mamiq's number.

"The number you are going to cannot be reached."

The sound of the operator telling made the girl even more anxious. He paced back and forth while holding back his eyes that had started to glaze over.

Ega repeated again calling his mother's number but the sound of tut tut tut was heard.

"Figure Inaq." Ega's words held back her cries. His heart was beginning to calm down.

But a few minutes waiting there was no answer from his mother. Ega disconnected the connection then contacted his Mamiq number but the same result could not be contacted.

"Astaghfirullah, why can't Mamiq and Inaq's numbers be reached." Ega was really panicked, there was fear, worry and anxiety perched in his head but he immediately expelled his bad thoughts and wished both his parents well.

"Ga, how? can you contact your parents?" Ask Saik Aminah to see Ega pacing back and forth unsettled. Sometimes he calls his parents in turns but still the number of his parents can not be contacted. He also called his two brothers who were in different villages but not far from the Earthquake Center.

"Nobody's picking up." Ega replied bowed lethargic, his tears had already flowed flooding his smooth cheeks.

"Prophey, son, God willing, nothing happened to your parents, as well as to both brothers and their families." Said Saik Aminah trying to give hope to Ega.

"Yes Ga, pray that all your families who are in the Earthquake Center and around the Earthquake center survive this disaster." Connect some of the mothers who became his neighbors. They tried to calm the girl who looked so sad.

"Aamiinu. Thank you Mothers." Ega said thanking those who were there who were unceasingly trying to encourage him.

Ega again contacted both parents but the results remain the same there is no answer. The girl kept trying until one of them could get in touch and make sure they were okay.

The last time he called his Sister who was the closest distance to the village where his parents lived. His connected calling brings a glimmer of hope to know the state of his family there and of course hope that what will be heard is good news.

📱Assalamualaikum Kak Lani, hello Kak Lani. Lani heard Ega didn't?"

Ega repeatedly called her sister because her Sister picked up the phone but no talk from her only heard the sound of chatter from others who sounded panicked.

📱Iya deck, Sister again on the Hill. Signal here is weak. Didn't you hear brother's voice?" I heard screaming from across.

📱Iya Kak, are brother and family okay? I can't contact Mamiq, Inaq and Kak Pahri." Ega's speech has started sobbing.

📱What? Brother is not horrified?"

📱Mamiq, Inaq and Kak Pahri could not be reached." Ega repeated his words in order to be captured by his brother.

📱Oh, maybe Inaq and Mamiq are already on the hill. There's the Tsunami issue, making people run to the Hill." There was an answer from his brother along with the end of his last sentence immediately and the connection was suddenly severed. Ega repeated his call but could no longer connect.

Azaghfirullah." Ega can only afford to be privileged. He went back to limp when listening to an explanation from his brother about the issue that had been circulating there.

Ega was really worried about both his parents as well as his two brothers. His house in the village is very close to the beach even from behind the house he can see the vast ocean stretched out before his eyes. Ega often saw a big fish jumping up and down from the ocean as if playing. The village is also within the vicinity of Mount Rinjani. Where if he is in front of the house, Ega can see Mount Rinjani which is the pride of this area seems to stand Sturdy, strong and also graceful looking so beautiful.

When she was a child, the girl was amazed by the towering Mount Rinjani. He never tired of enjoying the beauty every morning especially if the Mountain is covered with white clouds that seem to know if the Mountain needs warmth from the cold temperature in the morning.

"Astaghfirullah." Ega tried to calm himself with beristigfar.

He waited a few minutes if his parents saw the phone and then contacted him again to give him good news so that he felt calm from his misgivings.

30 Seconds no response from both parents.

60 Seconds. Again Ega took a bitter breath

30 Minutes Ega again tried to contact but again he was disappointed.

"Well, Aminah, where are my parents? Why can't they be contacted." Ega's sighs sobbed in tears.

📱Assalamualaikum Inaq, Maik."

📱It's me Beni, Ga. I saw the news on the Earthquake Central Television in your Village and around the Village of Mount Rinjani Area. Your village was destroyed Ga, almost all the houses there collapsed to the ground. How are Mamiq and Inaq?" Beni's voice from across there told and also asked about the condition of the parents of his best friend.

📱Hikz, hikz, hikz." Ega only heard his crying voice when Beni reported the state of his village.

📱Ga, do not cry Ga, calm Ga Insha Allah Mamiq same Inaq is fine. You're patient aren't you?" Beni tried to calm down his friend.

There was no answer from Ega just a cry that echoed in Beni's ears that made the man so worried about his best friend.

Ega seemed deaf, unable to listen to what Beni was talking about next. The girl rushed into her home and turned on the TV and searched for a channel that aired Earthquake News this morning.

Ega saw several collapsed houses fused with the ground. In the news reported the state of Dusun Ketapang Madayin Village which is the name of his village. His eyes meticulously looked at the picture of the collapsed Resident's house and his eyes managed to capture his also destroyed house. He knows his home very well. Where in the yard there is a Stone Guava tree and also a Mango tree.

"Astaghfirullah, Mamiiiiq, Inaaaaq." Pekik Ega, as soon as the girl was unconscious.

Beni who was still on the other side tried to call Ega because the connection had not been turned off by him. Beni listened to Ega's screech a few seconds later there was no sound from the girl.

📱Ga you why? you all right?"

📱(_____)"

📱Ega, what happened? you all right?"

Beni heard back asking, there was anxiety emanated from his tone but again there was no reply from the Girl he called.

Saik Aminah was flocked to Ega as she listened to the screeches from the inside. How surprised to see Ega lying on the floor unconscious.

"Astaghfirullah, why are you sleeping here? wake up Ga." Said Saik Aminah trying to resuscitate Ega by patting her cheeks but there was no sign if the girl was aware.

📱Fainting." Beni's voice sounded from across the street but no one listened to what the man said.

Meanwhile Saik Aminah tries to wake Ega up. He rushed to look for eucalyptus oil and rubbed on Ega's nose. A few seconds later Saik Aminah's efforts seemed to bear fruit. Ega woke up from his stupor. He worked on eyes that were decorated with thick, plump fur.

"What happened Saik? why is my head spinning?" Ask Ega. He woke up from his sleep and held a head that felt shrill.

"Inaq, Mamiq, Brother Pahri. Is there a reply call from them." Connect Ega with questions that Saik Aminah cannot answer.

"I don't know, son, Saik doesn't hear any phone calls." Saik Aminah replied as it is.

"Oh." Ega looked for the phone and then pressed his mother's number because only his mother's number could be contacted while his Mamiq number was not active it was possible that the phone was lowbat.

Being connected of course makes Ega a little relieved. Her eyes were slightly bright indicating that the girl was calm again.

📱Assalamualaikum, Inaq? Alhamdulillah Inaq number can be contacted. Are Inaq and Mamiq okay?"

Ega nodded to her mother with a question.

📱Alhamdulillah Inaq, Mamiq and your nephew are fine not to be hurt. We ran to the hill because there was news that there was going to be a Tsunami. Now we're in the Village Office field. We are all gathered here and all the people do not dare to enter each other's homes let alone their homes have been badly damaged including our homes Ga."

Along with that last sentence. Ega's mother named Siti Fatimah was silent for a moment. There was a sound of breathing that felt heavy.

📱Our house is broken Ga, while Mamiq seems traumatized. Mamiq did not dare to enter the house. Inaq simply asks to take the money and jewelry that Inaq keeps Mamiq unwilling to go in to retrieve it."

📱Astaghfirullah. Where is Mamiq now?"

📱While gathering with his friends. When Mamiq was sleeping with your niece. Mamiq after dawn he resumed his sleep. Inaq tried to wake him up but was not heard until Inaq shouted with all his might. Mamiq realized when the ceiling of our house was almost about Fani, fortunately, Mamiq managed to grab Fani and then carry her out. It's been up to the doorway that moment our house collapsed."

Lady Fatimah fell silent after telling her what happened this morning.

While Ega could not say anything because his chest was tight listening to his mother's story. Only gratitude could he say because both his parents survived the joke even though he had to lose his home. But it's not important that both parents and their families survive. The house can be rebuilt.

📱Inaq be patient? God willing there will be wisdom behind this morning's misfortune."

📱Iya , God willing the most important we are safe and healthy."

📱Mamiq equals Inaq why not go home to Cermen Asri. The house is okay here. Insha Allah is safe to occupy.

He gave advice to both his parents.

📱Inaq wants it to be like that but according to the rumors the Bridge that connects the North to the city of Mandaram has not been cut yet made the Bridge of Emergency. No public vehicle dared to go here. What does Inaq wear? after all, your Mamiq has the same responsibility as his students."

Ibu Siti Fatimah explained her wish but was constrained by transportation that had not dared to go to the village where the earthquake occurred.

📱Later if there is a subscription Engkel, Inaq just go home?"

📱Iya Ga, oh yes Inaq ease his phone. Masakin Mamiq. Mamiq you want to eat. Mamiq lost his appetite in shock."

📱Sign Inaq, Mamiq and Inaq take good care of themselves and do not let Mamiq not eat. Must be forced to eat Mamiq. Ega does not want to be horrified Mamiq and Inaq sick because of ogah eat."

📱Ga, Assalamualaikum."

📱Waalaikumussalam."

Ega ended his call, he was a little relieved because both his parents were fine even though their house was heavily damaged.

When gratitude continues to be said from the lips Ega. suddenly a ringing sound came across the phone.

"Who is it?" Inner Ega asked.

Seriate.

Hi Friends of Love That's a Friend.

In this Chapter I tell a little about the Earthquake that hit my area a few years ago. Where the first Earthquake centered in my Village. The story is indeed wrapped in fiction but about the experiences of my parents and my traumatized Mamiq I write a little here. I deliberately put the event into the story in this novel just as a reminder for me in the future if the disaster ever happened and of course closely related to the character of Anisa.

May you please give likes, comments and also Vote.

Happy Reading, I hope you like this piece.

Thank ye.