The Midnight Radio
Episode 36's

"Oxu?" greet Bang Win when I just walked into the radio station. He was sitting with another announcer on the couch.

"Here, Xu," asked Teh Hani to pat the side of the empty sofa next to her.

"You're healthy? Why in?" ask Bang Win as I sit down.

"Udah Bang, it's safe. Yesterday had a rest. Tumben really clock like this is still on collecting," I asked.

"Owner abis from here, so the personnel are still complete. Want to go home in the laper, it will be in the food mesen," replied Opi Tea.

"I eat?" bang Win asked still looking at me.

"Ngga Bang, still full. At home we ate."

I spent a while later until Remi and Gia arrived.

"Ult top first huh?" I pay my respects to all who are still eating and being taken by them.

***

"My name is Donny. I was one of the volunteers who went down in the Cianjur earthquake disaster. At the time of the incident, I had just returned from my parents' home in Bogor and got a call from the organization I was following. Without having time to change clothes, I drove my vehicle to the location after coordinating with other volunteers.

Approaching the affected area, road access is closed because the road is collapsed and also cracked so it is not safe to pass. As a result, me and a few volunteers who had just come, walked to the center tent volunteers.

We share tasks and divide the evacuation area. Some volunteers set up soup kitchens, refugee tents, emergency hospitals and logistics tents. Some others began collecting donations for logistical and medicinal purposes.

For the volunteers on duty to evacuate, the first thing we do is to record the residents of the affected area before starting the evacuation. The evacuation area is divided into several rings or circles so that all areas can be explored in stages and nothing is missed.

Because I happened to be one of the early volunteers, I was assigned to go down in the ring one where many houses collapsed. Many young children are victims because the clock coincides with rest. I repeatedly pleaded and prayed that no one would lose their lives while lifting the rubble.

Many parents cried, screamed and even fainted because their child was most likely still under the rubble. Heavy equipment use is still being considered because it is feared to cause more severe collapse.

The one I remember most was when I was evacuating a house and vaguely heard the sound of crying babies. Quickly, I called in more volunteers as we raced against time and the angel of death. Late a little is not impossible there will be lives lost.

After digging for a while, the baby's voice became clearer. At the end of the day, I saw something moving slowly between the dust and the bricks. With no effort, we were able to get the baby out. Unfortunately, right on the side of the baby, lay the body of the mother with a face down position. Most likely, the mother hugged her baby tightly to protect her from the rubble until she finally died.

I was silent to take a few breaths before continuing to read the listener's story.

"There were also strange events I experienced on site. It was past isya time. Evacuation was stopped because it was night and also limited lighting equipment. Moreover, after the earthquake occurred, the electricity flow broke for a long time.

I was walking back to the volunteer centre tent from the ring area one time a man wearing a koko shirt, peci and sarong greeted me. He told me that there was a body in one of the houses that I passed. Without thinking, I immediately contacted the other volunteers via radio call and asked them to return to the ring one area.

At the house that the man showed us, we began to slowly comb. We have not evacuated the house, because according to the data, the owner of the house and his family have been displaced in the refugee camp.

Nearly half an hour into the search, a corpse was seen among the ruins. I immediately took the body bag and gathered the energy back to lift the corpse. At the time, I was not paying attention well. However, once the body is placed in the body bag, I can recognize the sarong cloth and cocoa clothes worn by the corpse and immediately remember, it was the same shirt that people wore that told me there would be bodies.

The bodies that we have found, made one in a special tent while waiting for information of loss from the family. From there I know, if the corpse in cocoa clothes is a teacher teaching children, who happened to be visiting the house of one of his students when the earthquake occurred.

The next day, we faced a new test. Logistics, medicine, toiletries and blankets for refugees are difficult to distribute due to damaged road access. Some volunteers mowed down gardens that went into the ring two area to open up new roads. When opening the road, we again found some bodies buried in the ground and also the road foundation.

From the bodies we found in the garden, there was one body that made me cry. When another body was found in a state of concern because it had been buried long enough, the corpse was clean at all and gave off a fragrance. From the face, skin, to the clothes he wears still look good. Either the practice of what the deceased did during his life until he was interviewed in good condition.

To date, we are still evacuating. Please pray of all so that there are no more casualties and the evacuation process goes smoothly."

I went back silent for a while until Remi signaled to close the broadcast.

"That's the story of Kang Donny who is currently volunteering for the earthquake natural disaster in Cianjur. May the work of the volunteers all be facilitated and always in the protection of Allah SWT. For the victims, may be given strength, harshness and patience in the face of this calamity. I am Inoxu and the whole team Tales of Midnight 12.08FM Radio Rebel Bandung please leave. Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh."

I turned off the mic and removed the headphones. Reading the story just now made my mood drop. It seemed like Remi, Gia and Bang Win also felt the same way because they were not as happy as usual.

"Hayu go home" I said after they were all still sitting glued for a while. The three got up and we walked out of the studio.

"This," said Bang Win giving the package.

"Gift?" short many.

"Yes, Bandung is now always cold every night. I don't want you to get sick anymore."

I smiled and clasped his hand back to the car in the parking lot.