I am Can. I am only seven years old. I am one of those kids whose life changed overnight. Have you ever woken up to a morning when the sun did not rise? I woke up. Today is Sunday, February 5th..
Sundays start with a sweet rush at our house. Since I love my school so much, I do my homework before Sunday. We love to spend time with the family on Sundays. I would run around and play games with my friends in the streets of Antakya until the evening. Who would say that this is our last run in the streets of Antakya? Our weekday assignments are as follows: Dad wakes me up and helps me get dressed. My mom says, "Come on, Can, put a bite or two in your mouth before the service arrives." Then we have an elevator adventure. My mom forgets her phone at home every Monday and we are used to this situation with my dad. When the bus arrives, I go to school and return home in the evening. I talk about my experiences with my teachers and friends in my class at every dinner. I would like to complete my sentence so that I can do my homework and go to sleep and start the day with the same haste in the morning, but that did not happen.
On Monday, February 6, the sun did not rise in Antakya, or we did not see it. We woke up with an earthquake on Sunday night. My mother was yelling at my father, "Run to Can's room". At school, our teacher told us what to do in the event of an earthquake. I immediately got up and lay on the edge of my bed. Mom and Dad and I stood safe like this and waited for the earthquake to pass. My mother was holding my hand and saying, "Don't be afraid my son, it will pass soon". But I was afraid. We were no longer swinging. We got dressed quickly and found ourselves on the street. It was very cold outside. Hours passed; we could not enter our house. There was no more earthquake, we were not shaking. We went out to the garden during the earthquake drill held at the school and then went inside and continued our lesson. Hours passed and we were still outside. I was trying to understand what happened in my mother's arms. The area was very dark. Why were the streetlights not on? I was so bored. I was constantly telling my mother that I was hungry, when would we have breakfast, and that I would be late for school. My mother hugged me tightly. When I said, "Mom, I'm so cold, let's go home, we'll go out again in the morning," my mother started to cry. I was scared and I hugged my mother. The sky was starting to clear.
At the age of seven, I don't know how to describe what I just saw. “Help, help please, our houses collapsed!” were echoing in my ears. I turned my eyes to the crowd. “Where are we, Mom?” I asked. My mother did not answer. We hugged tightly. Yes, this is the neighbourhood where we live, and those running around were our neighbours. What happened here, all the buildings were destroyed, and our houses were destroyed. Was this an earthquake? We didn't have a home. My room, my toys, my books, my crayons… I was too afraid to even get off my mother's lap. I closed my eyes and I wished it was a dream. But when I opened my eyes, my mother was crying. Hours later, we were shaking again with a great noise. I fall from my mother's arms. Everywhere was covered with dust and smoke… However, I was only seven years old. I was a happy kid who loved going to school, playing games with his friends, and spending time with his family. I thought all the children in Antakya woke up with the same nightmare tonight. Everyone woke up to the same dark and cold day.
We stayed in the tent for days. I was hungry, I cried, I slept, and most of all, I was cold. I thought of my birthday, which I will celebrate on February 10. My mother had a surprise for me on my birthday this year. I heard my mom was talking to my father. My birthdays were always in the family. We used to celebrate with my cousins, uncle, grandpa, and grandma. For the first time, I was going to invite my school friends to my birthday. When are we going to celebrate my birthday? I wish these were a dream. What if I wake up from my dream in my bed on Monday morning and go to school? Is there anyone to wake me up from this nightmare? Can't anyone hear my voice?
I am Can. I am seven years old. I learned what an earthquake was in Antakya overnight. We should always be prepared for an earthquake. Earthquake is a fact of the world, my country and my city. We have all learned this by experience. That night, I decided to be a civil engineer. I will build low-rise and earthquake-resistant buildings instead of weak buildings. No one will lost their lives or homes. The children will not cry again. Children will go to their schools, patients to hospitals, and parents to their workplaces without fear. I will not let any child experience the fear I experienced. I promise to myself and you...