By
Annie Liu, Translated by Chen Li-chun
"I can't remember when I saw my wife
and children. My heart is empty," Doole said to the people
dressed in blue and white standing beside him. The 60-year-old
man stared vacantly at the place he had lived for the past
26 years. After the tsunami, nothing remained of his small
home except a piece of brick and the three coconut palms that
once surrounded it. His family is gone. His wife and seven
of his eight children perished in the waves. He has only his
youngest son to accompany him and remind him of the life they
once had. While floating in the waters of the tsunami, a piece
of steel punctured Doole's left calf. The wound became infected
due to not being treated right away, yet it is nothing compared
to the pain of losing loved ones.
Doole,
accompanied by the only surviving member of his family, his
youngest son, shows a Tzu Chi volunteer where his home once
stood.
Doole, like the thousands of other survivors of the sudden
waves, should have enjoyed family happiness but instead encountered
the beginnings of hardship brought on by this great disaster.
He, with the sincere heart of a Muslim, complained not once
but instead said, "May God protect us." Perhaps
such mercy of protection is extended through those who come
to help them in their time of need.
"Tzu Chi" is a name that
Doole has never heard before, but the faraway strangers who
share this name brought comfort, medical care as well as love
to him. These people in blue and white carefully examined
his wound and gently changed his dressings. They accompanied
him to return to where his home was. After the disaster, Doole
lost his family and thus the important support in his life,
but he gained new love and friendship to accompany him along
the journey of his new life.
Starting a Cycle of Love and Goodness --- the stories of
two women in Sri Lanka
As March approaches, a young woman in Sri Lanka grows more
despondent, for the tsunami not only washed away her husband,
it washed away any certainty she had for the future. Yasawathee's
baby is due in March. She is 33 years old and without marketable
skill. When she thinks of raising her child on her own, her
melancholy deepens. There is no joy for this soon-to-be mother
in welcoming this new life, only a deep sorrow that lies beneath
her silence.
The loss of Yasawathee's husband is the loss of her mother-in-law's
son. Yasawathee's mother-in-law also lost her husband. Both
women now live with Yasawathee's uncle, who is a motorcycle
mechanic. They now depend on him for a living. When the baby
is born, how much heavier the burden will be. Yasawathee touches
her bulging belly. Worry flashes across the vacant look in
her eyes as she wonders, "Is this little life coming
at the right time?"
Two weeks after the tsunami, a group of strangers knocked
on the door of the saddened family. Yasawathee looked at them
with curiosity. After a long struggle of communicating with
gestures, Yasawathee understood roughly that these people
were a group named "Tzu Chi" coming from Taiwan
to help tsunami victims.
What surprised Yasawathee the most was having a doctor and
a nurse among her visitors -- Dr. Lee Yi-kung, Director of
ER at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital and Chen Miao-wen, Head Nurse
of ICU. For Yasawathee, who never before had a pregnancy examination,
a visit by a doctor and a nurse astonished her. Lee and Chen
caressed her belly and gently said, "This is the head
of the little baby!" and reminded her to have an antenatal
examination before the delivery.
Dr.
Lee Yi-kung, Director of ER at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital tells
Yasawathee
where her baby’s head is in hopes of encouraging her
to take care of herself.
For Yasawathee, the advice from the
doctor and the nurse was a great comfort. But that wasn't
all the care she received. Lin Tsui-lien, Tzu Chi volunteer
from Singapore, hugged Yasawathee and said, "Do take
good care of yourself because your husband and father-in-law
also hope you deliver the baby safely. You're not alone. Your
family loves you and so do we." The gentle gestures and
words released the sorrow she bore. Leaning on the shoulder
of this visitor from a faraway land, Yasawathee broke into
tears.
The Tzu Chi volunteers' encouragement
and their promise to come back again made Yasawathee smile.
And when she knew she would be aided with food and materials
the next time she saw the friendly faces, the worry etched
on her face as well as the depression in her heart lifted.
Yasawathee
receives care from Dr. Lee Yi-kung, Director of ER at Dalin
Tzu
Chi Hospital and Chen Miao-wen, Head Nurse of ICU.
Stories similar to Yasawathee's are countless
among the many victims of the Dec. 26 tsunamis. Those who
have encountered a disaster need not only the aid of daily
essentials, but also spiritual comfort -- a considerate look,
a gentle greeting, and even warm hands. For people who are
physically and emotionally worn-out, this empathy brings a
dearest comfort.
Twenty-year old Nuzrath of Sri Lanka has fortunately survived
the tsunami. Compared to many others, she was very lucky.
However, there is one thing that has been plaguing her since
before the tsunami. Since she was nine, the joints of her
body began to twist seriously due to a genetic problem. Her
feet are deformed, and her thumbs are unusually large. She
cannot stand let alone wash her feet.
Nuzrath had never imagined that her feet would be clean one
day. After all, over the past 10 years, the dirt on her feet
had just about become a part of her. However, the tsunami
brought visitors to Nuzrath's door and she received an unbelievable
gift.
Dr. Wu Kun-chi washes Nuzrath's
feet.
Who but squatting in front of Nuzrath
was a doctor, normally carrying a stethoscope, but this time
holding her foot. Under the heat of the sun, Dr. Wu Kun-chi
washed the thick dirt from Nuzrath's feet and trimmed the
hardened toenails with a saw. Then, he applied medicine to
her feet. What a contrast the sweat on the doctor's forehead
and his wet shirt were compared with Nuzrath's clean feet
and smiling face!
Ever
since she was nine, Nuzrath has suffered a genetic disorder
causing her joints to twist seriously.
