My father won't reconcile with the sea, though he grew up on an island unafraid of rogue waves, of hurricanes. He played at the pier, waiting for his father's fishing boat. One day the sea level extremely receded and a giant water hole was formed. Small fishes floundered on the sand and, simultaneously, a very tall, fast-moving wave surfaced, wiping out all the buildings in the seaside town. My father was one of the tsunami survivors, adopted by an overseas family who lived in this city. I bought a vacation home by the beach, and I haven’t told him.
Damhuri Muhammad is a Jakarta-based writer. He is the managing editor of Porch Literary Magazine. X: @damhurimuhammad