Sndbox Summer Camp Writing - Task 2 - the Unseen Attack
sndboxquest·@alaikaabdullah·
0.000 HBDSndbox Summer Camp Writing - Task 2 - the Unseen Attack
## Once Upon a Time..., **Sorake Beach, Nias Selatan, North Sumatera - Indonesia 30 July 2006**  It was early morning and I was still so sleepy. But a touched, oh no, it's not a touch but a tug on my left foot, was truly wake me up. Shocked but lazy, I stretched my legs to avoid it repeated. >*Come on, dear. I am still so sleepy.* But, hei, he has never did it on me that way! And..., ops! There was no body else here on my bed. I was far from home. My colleague, Kecia, was on the other bed and seemed that she was sleeping well. We were in the hotel room, in Sorake Beach area, South Nias. Bima and Badai, our other team members were in the other room, in the same hotel. Four of us were sent by the head quarter as a team, into this 'isolated-pretty' island, for a two week of mission. We conducted a need assessment in order to design a community health project that will be implemented in two or three villages here, in Nias Selatan (the South Nias). Nias is an island belongs to Sumatera Utara (North Sumatera) province - Indonesia, surrounded by ocean and far from others regions. And Nias Selatan (the South Nias), where the mission was taken place is one of the district in this island, bordered by Mentawai Island - West Sumatera Province on the South; Nias District on the North; Mursala Islands, Center Tapanuli District and Mandailing Natal Distric on the East; and the Hindia Ocean on the West. <center></center> <center>See? This islands was isolated by ocean! Picture grabbed from [here](https://www.google.co.id/maps/place/Nias/@-1.4800602,97.4711735,6z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x30261272d7d1a777:0x35ec71eeb2bc1c2!8m2!3d1.1255279!4d97.5247243) and modified using canva apps.</center> Working hard in a long working hours, traveled by car and then continued by walked on a narrow, muddy and rocky village roads, to reach the village hall in the remote area, and having a discussion in FGD (Focus Group Discussion), then continued to others village doing the same, were really making us tired but excited. No wonder if the only thing we wanna do after completing the daily report during dinner time was sleeping. Yes, we spent no longer time for other activities after the daily report completed, just tried to have a rest in a deep sleep, so that we will be able to wake up freshly and resumed the need assessment activities. >But this early morning? On the thirteenth day of the mission? Who has dared to wake me up that way? Ah, it must be a dream. Yes, It must be a nightmare since I was very tired. Tried to take it easy, then I tried to closed my eyes, continued my sleep. It was about 4.30 am or a bit more, so I still have about one hour or less to continue and enjoy a quality sleep (if I could) before sunrise wakes me up and we have to resume the work to complete the mission . I stretched my legs and tidied the bedcover. >*Bismika Allahumma Ahya Waamutu.* I spelled the sleeping prayer to let my feeling relaxed. Closed my eyes while I educated my mind to be relax. There is nothing wrong here. Everything is fine. I convinced myself. But, hey! What was that? Who tugged my left foot again? I can feel a hand tug it! >*Oh, come on! I am not in the mood for a joke! Or...? Is it a rat? Is there any rat in this hotel room? Can a rat tug our feet? Come on! Oh, No!* My scary feeling came out. Some mystical stories about this island popped up in mind. I got up suddenly. Stared at my feet position sharply while my heart pounded, fear suddenly rumbled and I can not shift my leg! >Oh my God, I was not able to shift my left leg. It felt like freezing. I tried to keep my positive thinking, took a deep breath and tried being calm down to avoid the panic attack. I tried to convince myself that it could be happened because my legs were so tired since we had to walk a long road, so my feet were very tired and got stiff. But..., it was only the left foot, which was tugged before. The right one was able to be stretched and shifted easily. Confused, scary, and feeling so sad. >Oh my goodness, is it the one called stroke? Oh my, God, no! Being aware that it could be a stroke attack, I got shocked. >Oh, my God, please, don't. At least, please let me completed this mission, first. It just two days left before heading back home. Please... I was not give up, in silence and glimmer, I tried hard to stretch my left foot using my hands, but failed. O ow! This left foot even can not feel anything, numbness. >God, what is this? Am I got stroke attack? Will it make me paralyzed? At this point, I can not control my feeling anymore. Confused about the tug action, was that the early symptoms of stroke? But I really really felt that hand tugged my left feet. Whose hand was that? Was it the 'unseen' that the villagers told us several days ago? Ah! Getting more confused and scared, laid my back in the bed. Nothing I can do right now. Let's see, what will happen then. I am tired of this, I need a rest, and hope that everything will be ok tomorrow when I wake up.  >"Mayya, May..., wake up. It's already 6.30. The sun shining brightly. Let's take some pictures out there!" It seemed that I was far away, when softly I heard somebody called my name and a slowly touch on my cheeks. I opened my eyes, hardly. I felt very tired, like someone had climbing a high and steep mountain. In minutes, I was not myself yet. I can not react as normally. It difficult for me to adapt myself to where I was. Even I did not know where I was. >"May..., are you ok? What's up? It's me, Kecia." The worried voice grabbed my attention and memory back. Not only the memory but, the whole soul of mine was return. Yes, I was here, in the hotel room, with my colleague, Kecia. We were here for a need assessment mission, and we will back home tomorrow. We will continue analyzing the result of assessment there, in our office, Banda Aceh. And today, we will have our special time for enjoying the beautiful beach of Sorake, and trying its wonderful wave for surfing! But..., wait! I hope that it just a dream! Recognizing the last night tragedy, I got up suddenly, to ensure that my legs were ok. To ensure that it was just a nightmare. I got up spontaneously, made Kecia a bit shocked. I tried to strectch my legs, pinched it to make sure that I can feel it. But, oh my God, it's real! I can not feel anything on it, numbness. I can not move or shift it, either. Oh! 😭 >"Key, I can't feel anything here. It got numbness. I can't move it. Look! " Kecia was startled, her eyes bulging. >May..., how can? What happened? Did you fell in the bathroom or some where else?" >"No, Key. Nothing. I don't know! :😭" Kecia hugged me, tried to make me relaxed but I could feel that she was a bit shocked. She grabbed her phone and tried to call Badai and Bima. In minutes, they were here. Got shocked to see my condition. They tried to touch my left foot, pinched my toes but I failed to feel them. 😭  The tragedy changed the whole agenda. No more surfing, no photo shoot, all of us were here, in the Gunungsitoli Hospital, in the emergency unit, after 4 hours drive from Sorake, South Nias. Kecia, my american roommate, looked impatient to wait the doctor's examination on my illness. So do Bima and Badai. They looked worried, impatient. Even though this is the provincial hospital, but, as this is in an 'isolated' island, of course it has not enough required medical equipment yet. I was thinking for not staying longer here, I need a much better hospital to release me from this disease. Medan, is much, much better. Kecia, Bima and Badai also felt the same. Medan, the capital city of Sumatera Province, which is a big city, will be the best place for me to get the best medication. The doctor diagnosed that I got a mild stroke attack, and need to be hospitalized to get appropriate therapy. We have no more option for that day. That was the best option we had since there was no more flight to Medan. I asked Bima and Badai to go back to Sorake while Kecia and I staying here. But they refused because both of them willing to accompany me and Kecia here. Enjoying the beach or the wave will not perfect without me and Kecia with them, said Bima. Ah, so sweet! >I was touched by that statement. I was feeling blessed to have them as friends, colleagues and being in a team. We care each other, even though the togetherness started from five month ago. Yes, we joined this Medical NGO five month ago, and being a solid team. And today, I was so blessed. Thanks, God for this friendship and care. We spent the day by having a discussion about the assessment result that we already have. I was laying relaxedly in the bed, while Kecia sitting near my feet, Bima and Badai sitting on the chair lend from the nurse. Fortunately, we have friendly and very kind nurse here, that were happily allowed us to have a discussion in the room. 😁 And surprisingly, we completed the summary of the result at the end of the day. Wow, all of us surprised. We never thought that the report will be well completed in the hospitaln room, while one of the team member was got a stroke attack. Haha. We celebrated this achievement by ordered some fried rice for dinner. Not only for us, but we invited the three nurses which were on duty to join us and having dinner together. Of course they felt very happy, especially since we had Kecia, the bule (Indonesian people called western foreigner as bule) with us. Its such an honor for them to have dinner with Kecia. No wonder if they took some picture and wefie with her. Haha.  They were happy as we were. Meanwhile, I did not tell my family about this tragedy since the doctor said that this just a mild stroke, not a dangerous one. But..., >I noticed a weird-scary signal in the nurses eyes when I told the last night story. Especially the 'hand that tugged my left foot'. They stared at each other, scarily. Both Bima and Badai also Kecia, caught that signal, too. But the nurses refused to explain more. They completed they dinner in a rush, and then excused them selves to check another patients in other rooms, as their duty. They thanked us for the meals and wishing us the best result, for what ever we did. We left behind, confused . We stared each other, curious, worried. They seemed afraid to talk about this thing, and we can feel that they were trying to avoid it. I felt the negativity around. Oh, God, please, let us leave this island safely. I prayed up. >Kecia looked at us. Her blue eyes shown curiosity, but hey, I also found a worries as well as scary in those eyes. We had a lots of story told by the villagers about 'this thing' since we visit the remote villages. But, we never put those story seriously in mind, nor to imagine that we will face them in reality. >Hey, I have a movie! What about watching this movie together, to spend our night. We won't have this special moment anymore in the future. Don't you think so?" Bima tried to cheers up the night, which was suddenly being scary. Yes, why not. Bima was truly correct. We don't expect to have this moment repeated in the future. Yes, we love to work in a team, spending time together, but not in this way, not in the hospital. Then, we were lulled into watching the movie. One movie to another one, till the nurse came and asked me to have a rest. >"How ever, the patient need to take a rest. 😊" She said. The nurse also gave us three other blankets, so each of my colleagues got one. This kind hearted nurse also gave her carpet sheet and a pandan mat to them, so that they could sleep better on it. Ah, this island and its people really gave us a good impression. Actually, I asked Kecia to sleep beside me, but since the patient bed is to small for two people, and the nurse did not allowed either, Kecia slept with my other colleagues. We tried to enjoy our night by having a good sleep, trying to convince our selves that we will passing this night smoothly. But, I don't know why, recognizing the nurse eyes when I told about the tragedy, made me feel weird. Ah. >*Bismaka Allahumma Ahya Waamutu*. I spelled the sleep prayer, and said good nite to each other. Closing my eyes, and hoping to meet tomorrow sunshine happily. Kecia and I will have a morning flight tomorrow to Medan, and direclty towards Gleni Hospital there for my better medication. While Bima and Badai, will travel to Sorake, Nias Selatan to take our luggages and fly to Medan, meet us there in the hospital. That's the plan.  I did not know what time was it. But it seemed that I was in a dark room, the hospital room. But, where were Kecia and my other colleagues? I did not see them. But I heard their voices. Sound worries, scary. >"No, don't take her. We took nothing from your land. We came for a benefit for your people here.Please, release her." It's Kecia's voice. I tried to open my eyes, but failed. Tried again hardly, but failed. I tried screaming to call Kecia or Bima, or Badai, but failed. Oh, come on! I can not do anything. This room being so dark. **Suddenly I felt something tug my right foot. Oh, Nooooo!**  This fiction is aimed to fulfill the the task two of the Sndbox Summer Camp Writing Quest, which is to write a minimum 2000 words of story, any kind of topic. I chose a fiction, 2,578 words (exclude this note). My first task (task one) can be read [here](https://steemit.com/sndboxquest/@alaikaabdullah/sndbox-summer-camp-writing-task-1) If you are interested to participate, just go to this [post](https://steemit.com/writing/@anomadsoul/sndbox-summer-camp-writing-quest-or-intro) for reading the intro, posted by @anomadsoul and this [link](https://steemit.com/sndbox/@guyfawkes4-20/sndbox-summer-camp-writing-quest-rules) to read it's rules, posted by @guyfawkes4-20. Many thanks for @sndbox, @anomadsoul and @guyfawkes4-20 for this brilliant opportunity. Looking forward for your next challenge. 😊 *Cheers, Al, Bandung, 24 April 2018*