Love Tunes

Oceans

In the memory of those passing in the December 26, 2004 calamity

Prologue

There are many oceans I have come to see, felt their sands drifting away from gaps between my toes, inhaled their tangy odor, tasted their saltiness. There are many oceans where I swam and dived and surfed that are only to be brushed aside or at least to be paid less heed--as if it were the most normal thing for them to exist. As if there was no magnificence in their existence, in their being there, one of the grandest things in God’s creation.

I will soon change my opinion about the oceans.

~ * ~ * ~

Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, December 26, 2004, 1400 Hours

Serafina Byrd fluttered her eyes closed, drawing a deep breath and releasing it. She shifted, seeking the most comfortable position on the blanket-covered sand. She could not care less about spreading a towel over her body. The sun was warm on her skin and that felt like heaven.

In times like these she had somewhat mixed feelings. Christmas, with all its excitement and anxiety, was over, and Serafina could certainly be thankful for that. But on the other hand, the passing of the special day also left a blue feeling inside. She would have to wait for another twelve months to experience its joyfulness again.

To say that she was thankful it was over did not mean that she did not enjoy it. Not at all. She loved how her big family gathered in her grandmother’s house on the Otago Peninsula to celebrate Christmas. She enjoyed the time when they sat around the fireplace, swapped gifts, and unwrapped them. Even Baby Nicky, Serafina’s elder sister’s daughter, was eager to do whatever she was doing at that time. Serafina smiled remembering it. The girl would squeal and clap her hands without any apparent reason, at least not to all the adults present.

That was yesterday. Today, their lunch consisted of leftovers from the previous celebration. Everything was still in a good condition, though. The turkey, mashed potatoes, even the chocolate mousse torte made by Serafina’s grandmother. Eating them made Serafina feel warm with the recollection of the Christmas day itself. That might sound absurd but she did not care. Things about Christmas always reminded her of home and the tranquility inside. Safe – that was how she felt.

Serafina smiled to herself, stretching her arms above her head, sighing deeply as she fell into sleep. When she was not on duty, she always loved to spend her time here. She adored the contrast of scenic views and lush green pastures. Here one could find mountainous areas, stretched generously before the eye, resting side-by-side with sandy beaches--like the one where Serafina was lying now--and small bays and inlets leading to the Pacific Ocean.

She might want to swim in a moment but she definitely did not feel like going on a boat to the middle of the sea for her usual diving trip. Tomorrow perhaps she would go, or the next day when she did not feel this full. Serafina grinned inwardly. The rich chocolate mousse had surely made her drowsy.

A familiar tone seemed to come from far away and for a moment Serafina felt completely lost before realizing that it was her mobile phone. In the middle of her dreaming, she dragged open her heavy lids and groped around for the gadget.

Turning it on, her muddled, sleep-induced brain, recognized it was her sister calling. Serafina could scarcely catch what she was saying except some words: big wave, calamity, call--and her sister’s shaky voice.

~ * ~ * ~

No. 40 Squadron, RNZAF, Auckland Base, New Zealand, December 27, 2004, 0800 Hours

Serafina could forget about her holiday right now and indeed she had. What she still could not erase from her mind was how her sister, trembling violently, had told her about the devastating earthquakes and tidal waves flattening areas in their neighboring country. Her sister was watching television then, a moment before Serafina’s chief of staff had called. She was to join a volunteer army that would soon be sent to Indonesia. Serafina was a field doctor so it was understandable that she was one of the first to set out.

Her head bowed down as she took note of important things given in the briefing. Serafina struggled to concentrate on the tasks in hand. It was not easy to put her mind off the sights she had witnessed on TV. She wondered herself what they all looked like, seen in such close proximity.

“So, that is all, ladies and gentlemen,” her chief’s voice detached her from her reverie. “We will send three of our C130H Hercules and leave tomorrow at nine hundred hours from here at Whenuapai Airfield. Good luck, everyone.”

~ * ~ * ~

Epilogue

There are many oceans I have come to see, the Pacific Ocean being one of the most beloved to me, for it is one I very often swim in, and surf and dive. It is a place that can offer me solace whenever things seem to burden me--with its uplifting sound of the waves, bright veil of sunlight, and the noise from the Royal Albatross flapping its wings. Yet somehow I felt they were all there for me. As if I deserved all of them.

Well I don’t.

I am merely a borrower. A tenant for all this pleasure, for they belong to someone, something that is the most magnificent of all.

And the oceans that I know are not the only kinds of oceans that exist. As I stand here facing what remains of the ruins, I see different kinds of oceans. There are masses of wrecked houses, cars, and buildings, collapsed and squashed. There are felled trees, and gates, and electricity posts. There are bushels of … lifeless bodies, on the streets, on the trees, draping over wooden fences. And believe me if I say there is no comfort in seeing all these things, breathing in their stench.

I know better now than to ignore all of those oceans.