The view from the boat was heartbreaking- debris everywhere, boats ashore, wrecked, burned...Although it was not my first time in Kesennuma, it hurts every time to see the aftermath from the natural disaster. Maybe it hurts more now as I have been here before and have connected with the people here.
On the first day, we received a request to move damaged household goods (furniture, tatami, futon, blankets, etc) at a home nearby the ocean. Although the house survived, the water and mud from the tsunami had damaged everything inside, and had made everything so heavy to carry.
The family there worked nearby us and the grandma of the house told us they have been cleaning up non-stop for two months.She shared she would have been taken away by the tsunami if it was not for her niece who screamed,
"ばあちゃん、逃げっぺし！”
Grandma, RUN! (in Tohoku dialect)
The tsunami had come in an instant, taking everything away...
Working close by this family amazed me how strong and positive they were. But at the end when the dad thanked us for our day's work, he could not keep his tears back,
"I really didn't know when I would finish cleaning up. Thank you so much for your help."
As a volunteer, my job for the day was to help this family clean up the mess from the tsunami. So I do not know, and I may never know what it feels like to be throwing away your own belongings and saying farewell to so many things containing memories...
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| A burned ship from the fire which happened after the tsunami |
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| The view from the car ferry to Oshima |
(Oshima to be continued...)
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