SC-S29/W6 – Nostalgia Of The Little Me: A Childhood Story That Taught You Something
Assalamualaikum to all steemians friends.
Today, I'd like to enter a contest titled SC-S29/W6 – Nostalgia Of The Little Me: A Childhood Story That Taught You Something, published by @sohanurrahman. I hope my article delivers the best possible outcome.
In fact, it's really hard for me to tell and share stories from my childhood. It's truly heartbreaking because it's so heartbreaking. I shed tears because I can't hold back the sadness. But I have to share this story with all my friends here. Who knows, maybe you have similar stories.
I wanted to share my story with my father until he passed away. My tears can't hold back the sadness when I remember that moment from so long ago.
That incident happened when I was 4 years old. The story is so sad. Even though I was very young, I still remember it to this day, and the story has never faded from my heart. Okay, on to the story.
My father and I were looking for mangrove crabs in the river behind my house, which is about 100 meters from our house. I went with my father every time he had a day off from work, because he used to work as a construction worker, often called a "Tukang." Every time my father had a day off, he would take me to look for mangrove crabs in the river. My father and I walked tens of meters to the river to look for mangrove crabs.
We left around seven in the morning, because the mangrove crabs come out to the riverbanks in the morning to feed, so we easily found them. From 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., things were fine, as there was a conflict going on in Aceh where we lived at the time. My father and I continued to walk along the riverbanks looking for mangrove crabs. To this day, I still remember my father saying, "Son, we caught a lot of crabs today; this is enough to sell at the market." My father and I looked happy and excited.
Suddenly, we felt something strange. A sudden ground movement shook our legs so much that we couldn't stand, and my father immediately carried me. Then, on the riverbank, he shouted, "Earthquake...Earthquake..." A few minutes later, the earthquake had subsided. We anxiously rushed home because the sea was so close. My father carried me, carrying me, and running very fast towards the house.
When we arrived home, our family was already very worried about us, because an earthquake had just occurred. An hour later, we heard the sound of people cheering? Run... Run... The sea water had risen. The sea water had risen to the surface of the village, everyone ran. Even though at that time my father was very tired because we had just returned home anxiously looking for mangrove crabs. Hearing the cheers, our family immediately ran as fast as possible to take shelter on a hill, because the sea water had risen to several villages at such a high speed.
We spent the whole day on the hill, with my parents and other family members. The earthquake in Aceh was so powerful that the entire country was aware of the natural disaster in 2004. I was 4 years old, born in 2000. After the tsunami subsided, we returned to the village to assess the situation after the tsunami struck. On the road, I saw many bodies lying on the side of the road, houses and buildings flattened and collapsed by the tsunami waves.
After the tsunami, a few days later, the armed conflict was ended by the UN and a Decree of Reverence (DOM) was granted. The Indonesian military, along with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), participated in evacuating tsunami victims and other victims. Essentially, since then, the conflict between GAM and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), after the tsunami, has been like friendly relations and has ceased to be hostile.
Ten days after the tsunami, our house collapsed. That's what made me so sad. We had nothing left. I lost the superhero who always protected me. Exactly ten days after the tsunami, my father passed away from a terminal illness. I cried so hard because my father had passed away when I was four years old.
The trials I experienced when I was four years old were filled with incredibly difficult trials. Conflict, the tsunami, and the loss of my beloved father on this earth. Imagine how devastated my heart was at that moment.
I was very emotional when I failed to make my father happy. My dream was to make my parents, my father and mother, happy. But my father had already left me. Honestly, I hated myself so much, because at that time, I was still a child. If I had grown up, my father would have tirelessly worked hard to make a living because I was trying to make my parents happy.
Truly, that incident made me upset and emotional because I hadn't achieved my dream of making my father happy. To this day, even though I work and earn my own money, things aren't so good anymore, because my father is no longer on this earth.
The conclusion and lesson I learned from this incident. When my father was still around, I didn't experience much sadness and hardship in my life. The death of a father is the loss of a protective figure and the foundation of a family, which causes deep grief and permanent emotional, social, and academic changes. This became a turning point for me to become more independent, strengthen my devotion through prayer and almsgiving, and shoulder the responsibilities of the family I left behind. That's my conclusion. And I must remain stronger than my father, because my father has taught me not to be weak.
My family's changing roles and finances have had to adapt to changing roles, often with my mother being single and potential financial difficulties. So, from this lesson, I've taken it upon myself to try everything. Because I've promised myself, "My mother doesn't have to work. Let the robots my father taught me work to provide for her."
I don't want the same thing to happen again. Even though it feels very difficult, I must remain a useful and beneficial person in my family.
Before I write my closing remarks, I'd like to invite fellow steemians to participate in this ongoing contest. @elpastor @paholags @muhammadrasya
Thank you for your support, may we all always be in good health.