BIREUEUN, ACEH — It was like waiting for the sun to rise from the top of a mountain. Marzatillah was so happy to be making all the preparations for her wedding. She had already sent out invitations to her relatives, prepared the decorations, and chosen the traditional Acehnese Ulee Balang dress she would wear. This wonderful wait would only last a few more days.
Marzatillah’s father is also eagerly awaiting this special day. The day when he will escort his beloved daughter into a new life. The day when he will entrust his child, whom he has cared for for 26 years, to his future son-in-law.
But that night, November 26, 2025, there was no time to save anything. Marzatillah woke up from her bed and found that water had flooded her feet. At first, she thought it was just a small puddle, but within minutes, muddy water began to fill the house. Panic was inevitable as the water continued to rise, faster and faster.
Marzatillah called her father and mother, Salviadi. They rushed out of the house and climbed onto the roof of the school building. On the roof, in the dark and cold, the three of them hugged each other and held on for eight hours. The rain, wind, and hunger made their bodies shiver. They could only hold on, hoping the water would recede soon.
However, the water current grew stronger. In addition, logs began to appear and hit the building where they were sheltering. The school roof began to shake, swaying slowly at first, then more and more violently.
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Amidst the sound of water and the crashing of wood, their father’s voice was faint and resigned, “If we get swept away, you must survive, okay?”
Those words made Marzatillah’s chest tighten. Their mother immediately replied, her voice breaking as she held back her tears, “Don’t say that. If we die here, we die together.”
Then, the school building collapsed. The building was swept away by the rushing water and large logs. They were also swept away by the mud and current that left them no choice. In the early hours of the morning, they struggled amid the turmoil of the flood.
Marzatillah does not remember when she was separated from her parents. She only remembers her head being hit by a large piece of wood. Instead of hurting her, the wood actually saved her. He hugged it tightly, using it as a float. Its large size made his body more stable.
However, another log hit his body. His grip slipped. He was swept away again, carried by the current and mud. Finally, he saw a large coconut log. Once again, he held on for dear life.
Exhausted, he realized that his body was stuck in a clump of bamboo. The bamboo was what was holding the wood in place. There, Marzatillah survived. Alone, wet, shivering, and frightened.
Until help arrived. Residents who had been searching for victims from the beginning finally found him and evacuated him.
Marzatillah was taken to a mosque, the safest place at that time. There, she was reunited with her mother. However, they prayed with what little hope they had left. Perhaps her father had survived and been evacuated elsewhere.
But the truth came in the most painful way. Among the victims who had died, they saw a face they knew very well, a face they loved very much. The person who was supposed to be the guardian at Marzatillah’s wedding.
Tears flowed. Marzatillah and Salviadi hugged each other, unable to believe that they had to accept such a great loss.
The following days were spent in trauma. The fear had not gone away. Their thoughts kept returning to that night.
In the second week after the flood, on Sunday, December 7, 2025, Marzatillah and Salviadi returned to see their house in the Peusangan District, Bireuen Regency, Aceh. It was there that DDTV photographer Riza Muthohar met the two of them. They told him about the last days that changed their lives.
“Please look at my house, sir. I don’t dare,” Salviadi said softly to Riza.
The house was filled with hardened mud. It was silent. The mud had covered almost the entire house. Instead of a wedding bed, there was a very high pile of mud.
The hydrometeorological disaster not only destroyed buildings but also took away happiness, families, and futures that had been carefully planned. Yes, the wedding had to be canceled.
And Marzatillah sat on the roof of her house, which was now lower. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Dhika, Aji, Riza
Editor: Dhika