Summary

Deraniyagala thought nothing of the changes she noticed in the ocean on December 26, 2004, the day the tsunami hit Yala, Sri Lanka. Deraniyagala, who was a native of Colombo, was vacationing there with her husband, her two sons, and her parents. Orlantha, Deraniyagala’s friend, had pointed out the closeness of the ocean when she came to ask if the family was ready to go. After spending time with Deraniyagala and her family, Orlantha told Deraniyagala that her life was a dream.

Orlantha had seen the wave and commented in surprise that the sea was coming in. Deraniyagala noticed that the nearness of the ocean was strange and called her husband, Steve, to look at it. She told her oldest son to close the door at the back of their hotel room. The waves continued to move toward the hotel. Deraniyagala...