Day: October 21, 2022

Diary Entry Part 2- Arrival on the Tampa

Diary Entry- Abbas’ POV

400 people at the mercy of the unrelenting waves. Any sign of hope was lost when the engine broke down. People panicked, the children trembled in fear of the void below. Everyone had given up, that was until a brave soul, still clinging to the sliver of hope we had left, put up a giant sign, made of spare clothes and rubbish that read “SOS”. I had absolutely no clue as to what it meant, but apparently, it was key to our survival. 

Trying to live on this floating corpse on water was a nightmare come true. The living conditions were horrendous. Everything smelled like sweat, we had to pee through a small hole which led into the ocean, and people were throwing up everywhere. 

 

Later, a plane flew overhead. We could only hope that someone saw the message, but, then again, hope was a distant feeling on the Palapa. 

Someone had sighted a boat on the horizon, I immediately rushed over to check it out. Turns out, that someone was right, there was a boat on the horizon, and it was heading straight for us

A moment passed and suddenly, this enormous hunk of metal was sitting right next to us. “This is it, we’re saved” we all thought. Someone on board lowers a ladder down to the tiny Palapa. A head peeks over the edge. A man said something in another language, then people started climbing the ladder, one by one. For some reason, we left all our belongings behind on the Palapa. Once we were all on the gigantic boat, the small, old fishing vessel sank, never to be seen again. We remained seated on what seemed to be the main area of the ship. A man, who looked like a captain appeared in front of us. He said something in what I assume is English and began talking to the other crew members. Someone later translated what he said to us people who couldn’t speak English, he said 

“ Welcome aboard the Tampa, you’re in our care now”

 

Diary Entry Part 1- Leaving Indonesia

Diary Entry- Abbas’ POV

Slow echoing whispers, the creaking of the battered wood floor, My family, hastily rummaging through their belongings. I fought the urge to fall asleep as I too prepared for the journey ahead.

The night was cold and merciless. The constant silence gave off an eerie vibe. You could just barely hear the old rickety bus, waiting patiently for us in the background. 

I was first to step out of the door. The ground was soggy and mushy, dampened by the rain. The surrounding  had a strong, tropical smell. Soon, my family and I were hurrying to the bus, wary of the dangers lurking in the night.

It was old and beat up. The paint had been scratched away from years of driving through the impressive yet terrifying jungles of Indonesia.

I hopped into the bus. The insides were compact and cramped. I plopped myself down at the back. Before the bus departed, I took one last look at the shabby old cabin we had lived in for 2 months. Soon, we would be living in a different place, somewhere far worse.