Searching for answers in Padang

Rescue crews search Padang's collapsed buildings for survivors. Photo: courtesy of herdy, wordpress

I feel like my heart stopped for seconds when I watched the news on TV that afternoon. Once again, Padang had been shaken by a massive earthquake. And this time it was really destructive.

I married someone from Padang, so that has made me very attached to the beauty of this city, the rich Minang culture, the hills and the Padang food that you can even find on certain street corners in New York City.

That afternoon last week, I was not only shocked to watch the horrible sight on TV, but also couldn't hold back my tears. I heard my husband whispering and talking to himself. “Oh no, that used to be my playground. And it’s very close to my childhood home,” he said as scenes of a ruined old school building appeared on TV — a place where spent his childhood playing with friends.

We couldn't sleep at all that night, as we were busy trying to call my in-laws to make sure everyone had survived. The landline phones around Padang were cut off and we didn't hear anything at all until the following day. The news was that everyone was all right, but their house now had many cracks on the wall. Thank God it was only that.

Then on Friday, the second day after the earthquake, I arrived in Padang as part of Mercy Corps Indonesia's emergency response team. My heart was beating fast as I passed by the ruined buildings all over the city. I saw only two excavators working among the hundreds of buildings that had collapsed. I imagined those who were trapped under the ruined buildings. It was really worse than I thought.

I had another mission for this trip beside joining the emergency response team: making sure that I got information on my husband’s childhood friends, whether they survived or not. Because some of his old buddies still live in the same neighborhood, the ruined area we saw on TV. On Sunday evening, I finally found out all this information and happily told my husband that his childhood buddies all survived.

I know I will be stay in this city longer than my initial assignment dates, considering the needs of survivors and all the work that needs to be done. But with all the emotions I have for this city, I will be glad to stay even longer.

The fact that Padang and the rest of West Sumatra is prone to disaster, I started to believe that this might not be my last visit to Padang for this purpose. There might be more disasters — whether smaller or bigger — in this beautiful place, but only God knows when. And until then, what can I do is keep hoping that Minang Kabau — the name that Padang people use to describe their homeland — stands still and remains beautiful. Insyah Allah.