Their brethren washed away, pilgrims bow before God’s will

“Allah, the mighty, has called me here despite the tragedy back home. It’s the call many keep waiting for, during their whole lifetime. I am the chosen one. Life’s like this only, there are moments of happiness and then, those of sorrow” he said, trying hard to fight back tears.

Originally from Malabaou, before he moved to Jakarta where he took up a job as financial commissioner with an automobile company, Setaino got to know about his brother’s family on December 30. “When I heard the evening news on December 26, I began wondering about my two brothers’ family and their kids,” he said. Next day, as he set out for his native place, he could visualise the vast stretches of devastation. “All buildings, the people living there were gone. The fishermen’s boats were broken into pieces. I saw the plastic nets littered to as far as three kilometres,” he said, clutching his his fists.

“It was four days later that we could locate the bodies.”

His two sisters-in law survived, as did his brothers who were away in another city. “What can I do before Allah’s will?” he said, eyed fixed on the policeman who signalled him to move on and allow other devouts to pay obeisance.

Now, Setaino wants to join rescue work. “At least 3,000 bodies have been recovered in Bande Ache and Malabaou alone. Inshallah, I will return and help those who have survived,” he said. Already, Setaino and his colleagues have collected donations for the rehabilitation of victims.

Setaino is accompanied by Site Inayah, who has a similar tale of sorrow to tell —her entire family perished in Banda Aceh. “Allah is the creator of the world and its destroyer too. He will show us the path to come out of our national grief,”’ she said. Her friend, Sriyati Ponchoikarte, added, “Yes, some two million people are praying for us.”