4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
"That night, we talked longer": Fiancée remembers guide lost in quake
RANAU: On the eve of the deadly Mount Kinabalu earthquake a decade ago, Jessica Veronica Sikta had an unusually long phone call with her fiancé, mountain guide Valerian Joannes.
Normally, their conversations were brief as climbers needed rest and calls were kept short. But that night was different.
"He said we could talk a bit longer because the kids (Tanjong Katong Primary School students) weren't asleep yet and they weren't starting the climb early the next day.
"They planned to begin at the Walk the Torq (Via Ferrata) starting point, not go all the way to the summit.
"I remember their laughter in the background. Happy, innocent sounds."
It was the last time the couple spoke. Valerian was among the 18 people killed in the quake.
Jessica, 35, now an endoscopy nurse specialist, said the conversation, filled with small comforts and familiar laughter, remained vivid in her memory.
Ten years have passed since the 6.0-magnitude quake struck Mount Kinabalu, but the emotional aftershocks continue for those left behind.
Jessica, who now works in Saudi Arabia, said the annual remembrance events bring both pain and strength.
This year's commemoration had a powerful moment.
Survivors Emyr Uzayr Mohamed Sadri and Prajesh Dhimant Patel, both 21, returned to summit Mount Kinabalu on May 22.
"Seeing Emyr and Prajesh (on social media) reach the finish line, smiling and sharing their story, it moved me deeply.
"It shows how far they've come and how those we lost continue to give us strength.
"It's proof that love, memory and resilience live on.
"Even without being present, Valerian and the others are still guiding us."
Though a lot of time has passed, Jessica said her love for Valerian was unchanged and she prayed for him every day.
The couple had planned to marry in November 2015.
Valerian had even composed a Kadazan song, Igitanku Longon Nu (I Will Hold Your Hands), to sing to her on their wedding day.
"I haven't moved on. I'm learning how to keep going.
"I find strength in honouring his memory," Jessica said.
