Love Always, Petra

Petra Němcová

On December 26, 2004, Petra Němcová was injured in Thailand by a tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake; her then-fiancé, Simon Atlee, was missing and his body was found three months later. This is the true life story of a young woman who survived a catastrophe and overcame the trauma of her great loss. She has continued her successful modeling career and also set up a charity to help children who are facing challenges in life. Petra Němcová is not only a survivor, but a conqueror and a victor who is an inspiration to the rest of us.
~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima


Love Always, Petra
Prologue
December 26, 2004
Khao Lak, Thailand
10:30 a.m.

Pain.
It brought me back to consciousness, a sharp, agonizing, throbbing pain racking my body, my legs.

My legs.
I opened my eyes and looked down. Black filthy water covered the lower half of my body. I couldn't even see my legs. My arms, bare, scratched, bleeding and aching, were wrapped around a palm tree. I was holding on, leaning against the trunk. Black, oil-slicked, muddied water choked with debris was everywhere. I looked up. The sky was blue, clear, untroubled, the sun was shining. Where was I? Where was Simon? What had happened?

I remembered.
Simon and I were in the bungalow when a rush of water rose up so suddenly there was not even a second to think, a rush of water that came from all directions, hurtling us out into the furious current. For one split second, before the water separated us, I saw Simon's face.
"Petra!" he screamed. "Petra! What's happening?"
I couldn't answer. I didn't know. Then I lost sight of him. Seconds later, I saw him again, whirling in the tumbling waters. He was a few yards ahead of me. Behind him a rooftop was sticking out of the water.
"Catch the roof! Catch the roof!" I shouted. Then he was gone. I don't know whether he heard me or not. I prayed that he would catch hold. I was sure he would. He was a strong swimmer; he had to be okay.

It was impossible to tell in which direction the waters were streaming. I needed to grab onto something or be swept away. I saw another rooftop. I reached out my arms, and sending out every bit of energy I had, I grabbed the edges and held on. Instantly, my legs were sucked underneath, and everything accumulated by the raging water, the wood and metal objects, all the trash, began slamming against my hips and legs. I hung on, screaming with pain and fear. I would be crushed into nothing. For the first time, I thought of dying.

Miraculously, the pressure of the water began to lessen. I pulled myself up onto the roof. My clothes had been torn from my body. I was naked. Then, as quickly as the first, another tremendous wave rose up and poured over the rooftop. I lost my grip and was drawn down beneath the water. Frantically, I flailed my arms, trying to get out from under the thick layer of filth between me and the surface. Desperately, I fought to get some air until I had no breath left. I stopped fighting, stopped struggling, and began swallowing the inky water. A great feeling of peacefulness came over me. I surrendered to the calmness. Whatever was meant to be, whatever God will decide, it's okay.

At that moment, without any effort on my part, I was thrust through the barrier of debris to the surface. I threw my head back and gasped for air. Above me was the blue, blue sky. I was never so happy in my life to see the sky.
I don't remember ever being happier. I was in Thailand, a country I loved, with my love, Simon Atlee. Simon was a photographer, and we'd been a couple for eighteen months. We were going to spend our second Christmas and New Year's together in a very special way. Usually, Simon booked our holidays, but this time I did everything. That is, I made all the arrangements through a travel agent in Los Angeles. She was Thai and took particular interest in helping me create the perfect vacation. This was my fifth visit to Thailand and Simon's first; I wanted him to experience with me the lush green of the land, the smells, the sunshine, the ocean, the food exploding with taste in your mouth, the culture, and most important, the people. The Thais are the kindest people I ever met, and it comes from inside -- it's not learned, it's natural. They put their hands together and bow their heads to greet you, taking the moment to show respect in such a gentle way. The gracefulness and peacefulness are addictive, and this land is in my heart. It had been nearly three years since my last visit, but the minute we arrived, I knew I was "home."
At Bangkok International Airport, we changed planes and flew on to the first of our three stops, Chiang Mai. This was my first visit to this city, so Simon and I were seeing things through the same eyes. We went on different tours, including guided visits to nearby Buddhist temples. One tour guide explained that, in the past, there had been a war between the Burmese and the Thais. Bad things happened, but the good thing was, the Burmese brought Buddhism to Thailand. I am inspired by the gentle teachings of the Buddha, so this was especially interesting to me.

We went to see a giant, seated Buddha on a nearby mountaintop. It wasn't a very touristy place; in fact, Simon and I were the only visitors. As is customary in many sacred places, we took off our shoes and went inside on our knees to pay our respects. We lit a candle and incense and placed flowers before the golden statue. Off to the side, two young monks wearing saffron robes were seated at a table with a checkerboard on top. The monks were playing checkers with flower petals and broken matches for the game pieces. Simon wanted to take a picture, but the minute he took out his camera, the monks put everything away and ran off. Obviously, they didn't want to get caught playing games.

We went to see the Long Neck Ladies, tall, thin, and elegant women who wear golden rings around their necks. These rings are a sign of beauty. They are put on starting when the women are little girls, and in time their necks stretch up many inches. I think they are a tribe from Burma.

Simon took lots of pictures, especially of one adorable little girl. She kept smiling and repeated every word Simon said.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Can I take a picture?"
"Can I take a picture?"
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
Simon giggled like a schoolboy.

We went to the umbrella factories and the silk factories and bought presents. We went to see the amazing elephant shows. The elephants play football with their feet, play harmonicas with their trunks, and most incredible of all, they paint pictures on large pieces of paper. The keepers put brushes in their trunks, and the elephants paint with such a concentration -- not all over the place, but very precise. The keepers change the colors, and the elephants make flowers and trees. It is unbelievable, and even more unbelievable, the paper is made from elephant dung. Simon bought two of these specially prepared paintings for his niece and nephew. We fed bananas to the elephants and played with the cute little babies with the spiky hairs on their heads. Of course, we took an elephant ride through the jungle.

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