BwanaK and Tomomi

My younger brother, Kaoru (aka. BwanaK), who encouraged me to start writing again after 6 years of absence, went on a three week holiday to Sri Lanka on Dec 16th with his girlfriend, Tomomi. Today I was eating lunch with my mother when I saw on the news the story of a huge earthquake off the coast of Sumartra that caused a huge tidal wave, measured at 10m (33ft), which swept across the Indian Ocean, all the way to the Maldives.

My brother and his girlfriend are divers, and they enjoy other marine sports like jet-skiing. He, like me, likes adventure travel. The only plans made are flights into and out of the country; no hotels are booked, dive shops are selected on site, and plans for tomorrow are made the night before.

Today my brother and his girlfriend are missing. We tried to call him on his mobile many times. I went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web page to find out where families of missing persons can call to get the latest information on Japanese nationals on holiday in the affected holiday destinations... They had not updated their site since Dec.24th, last Friday. Their general information number only led me to a woman’s voice on an answering machine telling me that they will be resuming “business” on Monday, Dec. 27th.

I looked up online to find out the telephone number to the Japanese Embassy in Colombo – but all three of the lines are busy now; we have been trying now for nearly 6 hours. In the meantime, I sent them an email with details of both Kaoru and Tomomi, both Japanese nationals, telling them that they are in Sri Lanka, and would they please get any information from hospitals, dive shops, hotels, morgues.... Unfortunately my brother has more African features so he may not be identified as “Japanese” unless he has his passport on him, or he is found with his girlfriend. The best I could do was to send them a photo of both of them with the email.... I will try to call tomorrow morning to make sure they have the details of my family.

BwanaK and Tomomi

In the meantime, all my mother and I can do is sit and wait. Wait for him to call... to tell us that he is fine, to tell us that he was not swept out to sea during one of his dives, to tell us that he was in an internet café sending emails to his friends on the other side of the island, the west side, when he heard news of the tidal wave hitting the resort area that he was staying only two days ago. To tell us he is OK.

I spoke to Kaoru only yesterday. He called to wish me a Merry Christmas. I still have not had the chance to give him his Christmas present... and he was supposed to bring the DVD player together with holiday stories on Jan 2nd when he came round for New Years.

I'm not a religious person, but today I am praying that both Kaoru and Tomomi return safely. I need to give them their Christmas present. And they need to show us their happy faces, for that would be their Christmas present to mum and me. That's all we want....

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[Just as I was about to post this, Kaoru called on my mobile!!! The line was not clear, but it was his familiar voice on the other end of the line. He and his girlfriend had decided to take a trip up to one of the mountains on their rented motorbike. He said that he saw the tsunami from where he was...and before I could ask him to call back on the landline, the phone was dead; but we know that he is OK. He is alive!! He's safe!!

My mother and I sat in fear for Kaoru and Tomomi's safety for nearly 10 hours. As of 10pm JST according to AP press nearly 100 divers are missing in Phuket and in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. Reuters estimated that the death toll from the devastating tidal wave may reach 6,300... by tomorrow the numbers may be higher.... Right now there are families who are still waiting for news of their loved ones. Today my mother and I were one of the fortunate ones. I hope that there are other families who get to receive their Christmas present on “Boxing Day” – a day traditionally devoted to the “opening” of boxes of Christmas presents.]

(Post script: I know that if I was on holiday in Sri Lanka today I would probably be lost at sea, for I am a renowned dive junkie....)