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A Day That Will Go Down In History

On the 3rd of May, 2008, in the time close to midnight, I woke up out of a sudden. I heard

the raging roars of a storm and virtually nothing else. Still, my mom in bed in the inner room

called for the Buddha from time to time. But my brother and I kept lying in bed as we had been.

The wind made its strength double and then triple. Rain also buddied up with the wind in that

struggle and, hand in hand, they marched through every sort of thing in strokes, giving forth a

fierce scream of bad luck. Then I heard some trees fall flat and break down, some zinc sheets

fall off and fly away to make friends with the ground. The environs were filled with mere

screams of the strong wind and rain. Oh, the storm had gotten to our region in body, indeed!

The previous evening, the news of a huge storm was announced on the air as breaking

news. But the announced strength was quite mild that no -one paid much attention to it. They

took it just normal. So they had not prepared to keep their properties safe. Now the storm was

in full swing. I heard people upstairs moving to and fro in a rush. Whatever had happened to

them, I was wondering, still under the thick blanket and with my eyes closed. Meanwhile, my

mom woke us up out of great fright. My brother had also long been awoken and regalin g

himself with the blanket like me. We, in a rush, cried almost in unison, “Mom , why are you

being so frightened? Don’t be worried. It’ll be okay by daybreak!” But Mom could hardly sleep

on and so stay awake, from time to time calling for the Buddha. From the prelude of the storm

up to the daybreak, the ardour of wind and rain had never been alleviated, just gaining

momentum.

At daybreak, very few people were seen passing through the road_ it was more or less

deserted! Normally, I would hear some elderly folks saying their prayers and the triangular

gongs ringing melodiously in the fresh clean morning air. But the situation was a far cry now.

Some people ventured out of their houses to buy some foodstuff among the screech of wind and

rain. Virtually all the trees in our sight had been destroyed_ some uprooted and made down on

the ground, and others badly broken off. A tremendous medley of stuff from the houses_ far

and near_ flew about and soared high and low. Which ones were whose properties was beyond

knowledge; no one dared to think about it, too. A substantial part of the flown things

contained tin sheets. Alas, what a pile o f tin sheets was blocking the entrance to our house!

At that time, those upstairs came down as they were worried about some tall tree like a

palm tree that would fall across the house. Catching a glance at the roof, I saw a tin sheet fall

off and a lot of rain rush in, unchecked. Also, there were some other places where rain was

splashed in. In fact, all over the floor was wet with water; no place was proper for one to sit

on. All the members of the two households were sitting on the floor just watching the situation

outside. But from time to time, my female cousin who l ives upstairs went up to observe what

was going on. Everywhere rain splashed or fell on the floor, a bowl or a bucket had been

served. It was quite time-consuming a task; one bucket, when full with water, had to be either

thrown away or poured into the tank, and then it had to be placed again, and then another

one was to be done in the same way.

The wind rolled in stroke by stroke, proclaiming triumphantly and slyly. The lamp-post

just north of the front of our house almost fell down_ tilting aside in a miserable look. Lo and

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behold! There was a huge branch of a mango tree with near-ripe mangoes hanging all over it

astride the electric wires and swaying to and fro! The branch seemed to be hap py and satisfied

even among the storm despite the fact that it had been kept apart from its beloved mother

mango tree only due to that storm. Maybe it was either the sort that should forget and forgive

its grievances affected by its enemy, or the sort that was ever jolly however good or bad a

situation was. Or else, it might be a foolish one that was flippant, absent -minded and wavering.

But I could not decide for sure whichever was or might be true. The storm had its acceleration

ameliorated much more, sti ll.

Then I had an idea_ to listen to the radio. So I reached for the radio on the writing desk

hurriedly and switched it on. I had expected that I would hear the special news about the

current storm. But my expectation was worlds apart from the reality; I only heard one song

after another from the Myanmar Radio. In that very time, songs were of no use for one’s mind.

Still, I kept listening to it with the slightest expectation that the special news might be

announced sooner or later. It went on for about 2 0 minutes. But at long last, I turned off the

radio out of intolerance and anger.

At that time, I looked at the clock and it showed just beyond 8 in the morning. We also

felt hungry and so started doing some tasks to cook the rice. First, I moved into the kitchen the

brick stove which had been placed outside because of the strong wind. Then I had to go out in

the ferocious storm to buy a viss or so of charcoal and some other foodstuff from the nearest

store. But it was quite dangerous outside, with the wires prostrate here and there on the

cement street as well as a wide variety of things flying about in a dash in the air. After doing

the shopping, I rushed back home where mother had been waiting for me to make a fire for the

rice and curry to be cooked. The backdoor and the windows had to be closed lest the wind

would come in too strongly for the fire to go on in proper way. Mother managed other tasks to

cook and I was just a helper, doing some cutting, chopping and pounding.

The longer the time, the tenser the storm. After cooking the rice and the curries, we had

our breakfast with relish but worriedly. Of course, we had to fill our bellies only with pot luck.

After that, we just had to while away our time inside the house watching things outside

happening. For that very day, no one was able to think of working for a living. Those having

some amount of food or rice had not so much trouble with the matter of filling their bellies.

But how would or could such a hand-to-mouth family which was quite common get on well

with their belly-filling matter? It was dead sure that they would have to do without any food! I

could not know if Yangon was the only victim or not and whichever states or divisions were

the same _ or even worse than us_ in bad luck. How was our Arakan in that respect? Was it

still safe and sound? My heart was as heavy as lead with too much worries. I had no other

choice but watching the storm and just praying.

Those living upstairs also cooked their meal downstairs in our kitchen. At about half

past ten in the morning, they went back upstairs, wiped out the wet floor with worn-out

clothes and prepared to make table for their breakfast. And then they made a short work of

having their meal; after that, they also gazed at the current ruler_ the storm_ in a look mixed

with amazement and worry. The shrills and screeches of the wind and rain prevailed upon the

whole environment. At about 11:40 A.M, the storm showed a hint to retreat. It kept decreasing

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little by little. Just beyond midday, it called back its bodyguards_ the wind and rain_

completely. The storm, which had lasted disapprovingly for more or less a half day, which had

just destroyed supposedly thousands of human as well as animal lives and every house on its

way either partially or wholly, which had been a perfect stranger in those fresh victim areas,

and which people had passed through with nothing else to choose from, had finally come to an

end.

Only when the storm ceased to break out, did the people including me dare go out with

our mind assured. I set out for my observing round about here and there. The sight was

practically the same _ fallen trees, broken branches, and houses and buildings in ruins.

Virtually all the lamp-posts had been toppled and electric wires had been scattered on the

roads and streets. In some places, big trees were lying across the road s too spaciously for any

sort of vehicle to pass through. What a miserable sight!

As I live near the Hansavadi Roundabout, I was also making for it wi thin a short time.

All the tall trees which had formerly ruled over the surroundings were now prostrate on the

ground wholly or standing still, helpless with few branches and leaves left on their bodies. I

wondered whether they knew about their existence or not .The Drug Elimination Museum

which had been of the greatest pomp and wont in grandeur could have hardly escaped from

the storm with the slightest ruins. Next to the building, the Myanmar Radio and Television

(MRTV) compound was so greatly destroyed that it could scarcely be recognized. Virtually all

the trees within the compound were destroyed and many buildings in ruins in some way. But

what was most amazing was that the towering broadcasting post, which is probably the

tallest post all over Yangon, had not been affected at all _ there had long been strong strings

fastened steadfastly and upright to the post from all the cardinal directions.

As I went further on, I saw the huge banyan tree that had always given shade and peace

of mind to all kinds of beings uprooted and bowing down on its head humbly and shamelessly

across the road. I also saw the decorated Soon -oke (a large bowl with a stand and a cover in

which to put alms for monks to partake of) turned upside down. Keeping straight on along the

Pyay Road for a while, I caught sight of the Yangon Institute of Education (YIOE) where I had

attended for four whole years, amidst the fallen big trees. I could not decide how much

damage it had made. At the same time, I was feeling sure that it would be very, very difficult

to reopen the university and let things be in proper circulation. The Institute of Medicine No .

(1) which is situated next to ours was also more or less the same in fate. Everywhere as far as

my eyes could catch was filled with miserable ones. Before I went beyond The Agriculture Bus -

stop, I retraced my steps and then I kept following the Pyay Road till I reached the Great

Jungle Bus –stop. The newly- built shelter for those waiting for the vehicles had been toppled.

Before I turned into Ma Kyi Kyi Street, I overhea rd a person say to another, “Bus-fare could

rise sharply and range from Ks.5oo to Ks.1000 for the normal 10 0 -kyat trip for the following

week or so. We’ll surely be impoverished just paying the fare!’’ I also noticed that there were

only a few vehicles on the road. No sooner had I turned into Ma Kyi Kyi Street, then I caught

the horrible sight of a huge pile of trees across the road as well as that of a No.45 bus flat

under two or three tilting trees. I struggled forward through the long range of the fallen trees.

It was a very exhausting, boring task for me even to pass through. How should the fallen trees

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be cleared away and how long would it take? If there were so many lazybone s as me in

Myanmar, how could it expect to clear them away in a sho rt time? Just thinking so, I began to

feel giddy. So I rushed back home along the Kyuntaw Road (Teak Grove Road). No p lace was

free from unpleasant things. Having turned into our street and gone a little deeper, I saw a

crowd of people rushing in and out of the nearest store. There were handfuls of food and

candles on those getting out of it. Some people also snatched sev eral packages of charcoal as

though they had been given away without being charged any amount of money. I also

struggled into the store and bought a viss of charcoal, four eggs and a package of candles. The

prices were more than double! I looked at the faces of the people and they obviously looked

very frightened, worried and sad. It was about 1:40 P.M when I got back home.

Again I tried switched on the radio and the national broadcasting station had totally

stopped let alone announcing the breaking news o f the storm. So I only had to turn it off.

Maybe it would resume broadcasting in the evening as scheduled, but, as usual, it was too

peaceful and pleasant with the best songs and the infrequent announcement about the

persuasion to support the coming refere ndum. How sweet and melodious they would be to

those underdogs parasiting ‘THEM’! Their ears might have been poisoned by such honey -

crusted words. But, to those who have really seen the genuine wolves under the sheep-skin or

snakes in the grass, they were just rubbish! Out of unendurance, I turned off the radio of such

notoriety.

After having my dinner, I sat on a long-legged stool placed in front of the house and

switched on the radio_ but to listen to the foreign broad casting stations like the BBC, VOA,

RFA, and so on. I am strongly convinced that the efforts and announcements made by such a

news station are the only source of exact true news about anything special happening in

Myanmar in so urgent a situation. Just beyond 6 P.M, I started to listen to the VOA news. As I

was in the street, there was a gathering of people from the neighboring houses there, paying

special attention to it. My family and some of those living upstairs were also among the

audience. It was announced that the name of the storm was Cyclone Nargis and that it had

trodden and shredded the Yangon Division, Ayeyarwady Division, Bago Division, Mon State

and Kayin State, Ayeyarwady Division being the most highly destroyed area. The news that

followed was quite horrible_ that of the wash-away and submerging of over 100 villages in the

Hinegyi District, Labuta Township, Bogalay Township, Pathein, Phyarpon and other coa stal

regions. The force of the storm was more than 120 miles per hour_ the strongest, the harshest

and the most disastrous in the history of Myanmar, especially in such deltaic region and

waistline regions of the land. Out of great relief, I could breathe out a smooth sign from my

mouth as I came to think that the Arakan State was surprisingly out of that ferocious natural

disaster. But I had the same sad feeling with those listening to it for those unfortunate. I did

not dare to think of how they would have undergone before they died or before they were

away from the disaster. There was not yet an exact guessing of the deceased and the lost. They

just guessed that the death toll would amount to over one lakh. We all were amazed_ and very,

very sorry. But whatever will be will be.

Anyway, I had more and more things to think about concerning the storm. We all

listened to the radio attentively until 7 o’clock when the VOA news (Myanmar) ended. After

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that, I came to think about my friends dwelling in the Ayeyarw ady Division, especially those in

Bogalay and Ngaputaw.”They will be either dead or alive but with a very miserable situation”,

I thought with a heavy heart. I had no other choice but to imbibe in the Buddha’s Dharma and

to wish them the best! In fact, even before the storm, it had been heard that there would be

food scarcity this year. So a lot of nations were alarmed and some of them tried to purchase

rice from other countries. There had been a compromise by Myanmar to sell its rice to Sri

Lanker, India and Bangladesh. But now, the treasured and most relied ‘Rice-barn of Myanmar’,

that is, the Ayeyarwady Division, had fallen an unfortunate prey to the Cyclone Nargis. How

would those in authority cope with the former compromises with the foreign countries and

also with the consequences of the storm? The more I thought, the heavier my heart!

The storm really left our region with a lot of work to be done. No one could stay without

anything to do. Some women had to cook; men had to do some striking with the ham mers on

the respective roofs; some people had to fetch water from the donating taps generated by the

engines; many had to cut off the broken branches and clear the streets. But there were too

many tasks to do in sight. What was worse was that, but for some light derived from the

invertors of some rich men in the street, the environment was almost pitch dark with a few

candles lit inside some houses. In that very time, the sky was quite clear and looked peaceful

as if it had known nothing! Where had those bastards of rain and wind gone?

Now, it was nine o’clock in the evening, and my mother and brother were already inside

the house ready to go to sleep. And there were only a few people left in the street, all listening

to their respective radios. But I was just sitting and thinking hard. I had already given a rest

to my radio on the study table. My head was filled with innumerable continuous thoughts; my

heart was scorching with woes and worries. I did not think I would be able to go to sleep

easily. I had been so deep on thought that I did not know what was happening around me.

When I came to look around consciously, I saw only three men or so sitting and listening to the

radio on the other side of the street. Then I went into the house, quite sleepy. And I went

straight into bed; my mother and brother had long fallen asleep and even been snoring. No

sooner had I touched the pillow than I fell asleep.

At about 11:00 P.M., I was awoken by the boisterousness outside in the street. My

mother and brother had also been awoken just be fore me. I listened to some people out on the

street speaking. One of them said, “There were about 40 men” , they said. “They broke into

Kyeemyindaing Evening Market at about 9:30 P.M. I got this piece of news from those

patrolling in the front of the street on top of ours. We also should look alive and alert so we

can prevent the rogues from robbing or breaking into our houses.” Then they decided that one

man from each house had to come out and reinforce the team, each with some kind of weapon.

My brother took a long heavy iron stick and went out, and was to stay inside, making sure that

my mother was safe and that the house was secure. All the windows and backdoor had been

closed. We had waited watchful with our eyes wide open for about an hour. But, at last, most

people were back inside in bed with their respective weapons laid beside them in the bed. Still,

some were waiting and watching both of the ends of the street.

I also felt sleepy again and turned in, still listening to whatever might be heard later

on with my heart throbbing so wildly. At first, it seemed quite hard for me to fall asleep again.

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Then at the last moment, I fell asleep with one dream following another. I did not know how

the following day started. I woke up only after 8: 00 A.M. In fact, the previous day was the very

day when a lot of lives were sacrificed at the altar of ‘Mother Nature’. It was the very day

when countless people were left hopeless and homeless. It was also the very day when the

‘Myanmar’s Huge Barn’ was crushed beyond recognition. How could or would one rid that day

of one’s mind for good? And how can it be erased from the pages of the history when it comes

to the destructions affected by the storms or natural disasters that have ever broken out in

Myanmar?

May all those deceased be born in good existence s!

May all those alive be enabled to stand on their feet again!

May all the beings be free from the dangers of all kinds!

Alas! How unfortunate a day it was! I have got no other choice but to pray for all

beings_ including us!!!

Zwe Thit (Rammarmray)

Dated: 24 th May, 2008(Sat)

[2:45 A.M]