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Tsunami writings by students at Kalmunai

by Jameela Hanoon Umar

Students’ Writings
As we all know, Kalmunai was the worst affected area in our country by the recent tsunami. I teach in a school in Kalmunai.  When our school reopened after the tsunami,  I asked my Literature Students in Grade – 9 and Grade – 8 English medium classes to write/draw something to express their feelings on the tsunami. Every student responded. Among their creations, there were many essays, letters, poems, short stories, drawings etc. I have given here four of those writings which I found very creative. I hope you will find them interesting too. Your comments on their writing are welcome.

Student Writing -1
The day began like any other day…

It was the 26th of December 2004, the day following Christmas! Schools and most of the state and private work places were closed. The people were in a sleepy, lazy, lingering and holiday mood. Some were preparing their breakfast, others were eating and some others were attending to their routine work. Some innocent children were playing happily in their garden.

The day was like any other day. The sea was clear and calm. The sky was blue and the time was about 8.45 a.m. in the morning. Suddenly a giant wave like a high wall rose up to the sky came down to the coastal belt with a dynamic force, destroying whatever was on its way and returned to its cradle with much more greater force wiping out men, women, children and most of their belongings. The people and children were screaming, streaking and running in panic and scrambling into high surface such as roof tops, beams, rafters, windows, trees and posts that they could find. They were crying for help like rabbits caught in snares, gulping sea-water which was soaking them and robbing their lives. Thousands carried to the sea never returned to the shore alive. Some of their bodies were buried partly in sand and partly in debris. No one knew what would have happened to thousands of people whose bodies were not found. Houses, parapet walls were completely erased off. Concrete plates and pillars were broken, bent and twisted. Walls were covered with mud and sand. Many things disappeared without any trace.  


The victims were mostly children and women. Livestocks, poultry and vegetation vanished completely from the face of the earth. Those areas looked like Hiroshima after the atomic bombing. Destruction, mud, dirt and debris were everywhere in the deserted village.

The bodies found were taken to various places and buried without much formalities and funeral services. Those injured were taken for medical care and the rest flew to neighbouring places and relatives houses. Refugee camps came up like mushrooms in schools, mosques, temples and in other large buildings. Food and shelter was provided by the kind-hearted people.

My family stayed at my uncle’s house for a few days. After a few days I returned with my father to my village to see the deserted village. The fear that gripped me at that moment still lingers with me and I am frightened even to go the next room alone.

I have lost my books, notes, a few jewels and clothes which I have cherished much. But the loss I have suffered is nothing compared to those who lost their loved ones, and their belongings which they thought was their wealth. Only time has to heal this wound for those who are alive today and the fright that is haunting me day and night.

By: Ms. A. Raksana
                                                               Grade -9 (English Medium)

Student Writing -2

The whole village looked like a burial ground…

It was a beautiful and bright Sunday morning as it usually was. As it was a holiday, we planned to go on a one-day trip to our paddy field. My father’s friend promised to join us with his family. (Because of that his small son did not go to the Qur’an class which was very near to the beach and saved his life. Nearly 40 children who went to that class died that day and only four children escaped.)

Around 9.00 a.m. in the morning, my mother was on the phone talking to a friend of hers. The friend is from the next village and their house is around 350 m. from the sea. Our house is around 700 m. away from the sea. It was 9.00 o’ clock and my mother heard some unusual shoutings on the other side over the phone. Her friend placed the receiver suddenly saying ‘Sea is coming – run!’ My Mom was unable to clarify anything and she was confused whether she heard it right.

In about two minutes times we heard some loud noises on the road. Some of our relatives closer to the sea ran into our house saying ‘Sea has come into our house! Come! We all will run away somewhere’. My father who just came from the bathroom after a bath immediately acted! He quickly took his vehicle outside and all who were there got into that! (I still can’t imagine how the vehicle could take all those people.) He left us all on a 3rd floor building by the Main road and told us not to get down. He got into the vehicle with one of my uncles and went! Where? He did not tell us where he was going. My sister and I cried thinking of our father. We told him to stay with us. But he did not listen! He told my sister and me, “You are my sweethearts. I’ll be happy if you are safe” and left. But he forgot to understand that we are unhappy without him.

From the 3rd floor we were looking down at the road. Number of people grew bigger and bigger on the road. They got into tractors, lorries, buses and vans and were going somewhere – we (even they) didn’t know where they were going! People were packed like objects in the vehicles! Many were hanging on the moving vehicles! We heard the crying and lamenting of people – ‘my child’, ‘my father’, ‘my mother’, ‘my family’…. It was an endless cry! I too cried without knowing why.

I could see people – some were wet and half dressed. Many women in their night gowns. Would have they thought that there would be a day like this?

Suddenly we saw my father. He was He was in the driver’s seat. A dead body was lying at the back in the vehicle. We thought of our relatives near the sea. Everybody cried. No body knows whose body it was. My father gave the dead body toe Mosque and returned –not to us, but to the seaside. After that we saw my father several times carrying many dead bodies. My sister and I were very scared and cried. “Father! Come to us.” But he didn’t hear us.  

Number of people on the road started to reduce. Everyone was going somewhere! It became afternoon. Sun was bright and kindless. We couldn’t bear the heat. We were hungry too. Children cried. We had nothing to eat. But, luckily there was a tap and we drank water.

The day moved very slowly. When the evening came there weren’t many people in our village. Only a very few people like us were there. All others left the village to save their life and families.

It was about 6.00 p.m. My father came to us and told us to get into a vehicle and we did. He sent us all to Ampara, a higher place which is about 25 kilometers away from our village. We thought he also was coming with us, but he didn’t. We were safe at my father’s official quarters. The driver bought us everything we needed. We prepared our food. We stayed there for three days. The phones got disconnected, so we did not know what was happening on the other side.

My father came after 3 days. He looked so tired and sad. He hadn’t had his meals properly. He said that he took 60 dead bodies in his vehicle on the 1st day. He told us that he saw many dead bodies of girls like me and my sister. The next days also they found many dead bodies. My father did his best to help others.

We all returned home on the 4th day. Again just a few people were there in the village. Others hadn’t returned. When the night came we were very scared. We were worried what we can do if another tsunami comes. My small sister asked me whether ghost would come to us. I told her ‘no’. She is a sweet little girl! But I hatred to be at home those few days. The whole village looked like a burial place.  

We learnt from the radio news that our town (Kalmunai) was the worst affected area in the Island. My father took us to show the affected area later. We couldn’t believe that it was our village. There were no roads, no walls, no houses and no schools! Many fishing boats that were on the sea and the beach were found to be inside the village.

The wave came up to 500 m. from the sea. As our house was 700 m. away it could escape. Half the village completely destroyed. Many of our relatives who lost their houses stayed with us for a few days. Among the dead the big number is children and babies. Next is old and women.

Now, some people live in their houses, but many are in refugee camps and in their relatives’ houses. But if someone just says ‘tsunami is coming’ everyone is running away. Their lives go on this way. They not only lost their houses, property, relatives but also their sleep, peace in mind and hope of future!

My father still helps cleaning the affected area – roads, wells etc. (Recently they found a big gold necklace when they cleaned the wells and gave it to its owner) using his employees, and project vehicles. He is also helping neighbour villages. People of the area respect him a lot for his bravery and kind-heartedness. I’m very proud of my father. I too like to help others like him.

I feel very sorry for the children who lost their parents in tsunami. There are many girls in our school also who lost their one or both parents. I thank God for saving all our family members. I pray Him to give peace in the minds of the people.

By: Ms. U.L.F.M. Thasreeha
Grade -9A (English Medium)

Student Writing -3

Oh, God! Why did you save us?

It was in the morning. Hareera was brushing her teeth looking the sea. Her house was very near to the sea and every morning she enjoys looking the splendid beauty of the sea. When she was looking the sea, she saw her father and her little brother going for fishing.

She heard her mother saying “Haree! Breakfast is ready.” Hareera had her breakfast and her mother went to her sister’s house near by. Hareera and her two small sisters were playing in the garden.

When she was playing she saw the sea going in. The mountains and rocks in the sea were visible. It was an exciting scene. But she was interested in playing and didn’t take it in care.

After a few seconds she heard a loud cry “The Sea is coming. Run. Run.” She got scared and her little sisters were crying “What sister? What to do now?”

Hareera and her two little sisters came to the road and looked the sea. It was coming to them like a huge black cloud. Her sisters were shouting “Mama, Dada, brother Where are you all?”

Hareera caught her two sisters with her hand and ran. The water came to her neck level. One of her sister slipped and fell in the water. The poor little girl cried “please sister save me too!” Hareera was not able to save her little sister’s life. But she saved the life of her other sister.

Hareera and her sister sank in the water. After the water went into the sea, however she ran to her uncle’s house. She didn’t find her father, mother and her kind little brother till noon. So, Hareera and her uncle went to her house. There they saw the dead body of her father under a tree and her mother’s body in the sea-shore. She found her brother’s dead body holding the root of a tree. And her little sister who slipped and fell in the water when they ran was under a tree as a dead body.

This sad full scene made her to cry “Oh! My God! Is it my fate?” And without her knowledge she asked her uncle “Am I an orphan? Will you take me and my saved sister as your daughters and look after us?”

Her uncle embraced her and promised “I will look after both of you till I die” The kind words of her uncle made her cool. She found all the houses including hers were swept away by the sea. Every day her little sister asks her “Where will be father? Where is mother? Will sister and brother play now?” The questions of her little sister make her sad. The sea gave them the food and took their lives.


By: Ms. K.F.Rushtha
Grade -9A (English Medium)

Student Writing -4
Curriculum Vitae

1) Name (with initials) : T.T. Waves
2) Full Name : tsunami tidal waves
3) Name denoted by initials: Tsunami Tidal
4) Home address: no.9, Coastal Area, Asia.
5) Nationality : Asian
6) Year of the birth: 1981
7) Reborn on: 26.12.2004
8) School studied: Sumatra International College, Indonesia.
9) Qualifications:
                                    1) killed a million people.  
2) Made people as refugees.

10) Work experience: worked nearly 20 years in Japan and Indonesia &Co.

11) Salary expected: more than 2 million people’s lives per year.

15) Name and address of two unrelated referees:

      (1)  Ms.A.R.F Shafana  
            Grade – 8A (English Medium)
            Mahmud Ladies College
            Kalmunai

      (2)  Ms. J. Hanoon Umar
            Teacher of English
            Mahmud Ladies College
            Kalmunai.

By: Ms.A.R.F Shafana
Grade – 8A (English Medium)

All rights reserved by the writer. Not to be copied, distributed or otherwise used without permission.

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