Sorry if there are mistake in words, grammar, punctuation, etc.
Den Haag, Netherlands, 1932.
A boy named Werner Valentijn Van Den Bosch and his older brother, Tobias Mathijs Van Den Bosch, are playing with their dog named Milou. His father, Hendrik, walked towards the living room. Hendrik sat on the sofa, watched his children, and talked.
"We will go to Bandung." Hendrik said, suddenly. His wife, Julia, looked stunned. "They want me to go to Bandung and work as an administrator." Hendrik said.
Julia took a deep breath. "What about Werner and Tobias?" Julia asked. Julia looked confused because it was so sudden, and Hendrik never talked about moving to the Dutch East Indies before.
"They will go with us," Hendrik said.
Werner and Werner heard their parents mention their names. They see them.
"Bandung? But it's a long way off!" Werner said.
"Yes, but we will go there," Hendrik said.
"What about our school?" Werner said.
"There is a Dutch school in Bandung. Not as good as in the Netherlands, but at least, Dutch children can continue their education." Hendrik said.
Werner and Tobias looked at each other. They shrugged. They are always curious about the islands. Their grandparents always said that the islands were rich in spices and the food was delicious.
"But, what about our friends? Isn't it really hot there?" Werner said.
"You're going to make new friends, so many Dutch people living there," Hendrik said. He patted his son's head.
"But what about Milou?"
"We can bring Milou with us, but it requires a big responsibility. We can ask Emma to take care of Milou until we return to the Netherlands." Hendrik said.
Emma is an old woman, Julia's mother's sister. Emma lived in the Dutch East Indies, specifically Batavia, before returning to the Netherlands.
"We will get a new dog once we get to Bandung, I promise," Hendrik said.
Werner frowned, but he nodded resignedly. "You promise? Alright."
Tobias and Werner are walking with Milou and their friends, Jakob, William, Dirk, and Joshua.
"We will move to the Dutch East Indies," Tobias said. They looked shocked when Tobias suddenly said that.
"Really? That's so far away!" William said. He looks shocked.
"I know, but our father was sent there, and he took us with him," Tobias said.
"My cousin lives there, he grew up in Bogor," Dirk said.
"Have you ever been to the Dutch East Indies?" asked Joshua of Dirk.
"No, not yet. My father said the weather was very hot. He went there a few years ago." Dirk said.
"It's a tropical country, what do you expect? Also, a lot of mosquitoes." Jakob said. "My aunt was born in Batavia. He told me that, but the food was good."
"Really? I thought all of your family was born in the Netherlands or Germany." Tobias said, giggling.
"I don't know about that either. I thought she was born somewhere in the Netherlands." Jakob said.
A few days later, they had prepared their belongings. However, they look sad because they will be going far away from their home country. Friends Tobias and Werner, Jakob, William, Dirk, and Joshua. They are neighbour, but they often play together and go to the same school. They all looked sad and hugged Tobias and Werner one by one.
"We will miss you both," Jakob said. He is one of Tobias and Werner's close friends.
"I'm going to miss you guys." Tobias said.
Werner hugged the dog, Milou. "I'm going to miss you so much," Werner said. Tobias patted the dog.
They enter the car after their parents put their belongings in the trunk of the car. Their car went to the port. Tobias and Werner looked sad, they would stay far away and didn't know when they would return to the Netherlands.
Their parents talk to the driver. They wondered why their parents didn't look sad. They will leave the Netherlands, their home country!
"Em, you two don't look sad," Werner said.
"Of course, we are sad, but we will return to the Netherlands later. After all, my work is done in Bandung." Hendrik said.
They are on board. Tobias and Werner saw the slowly fading port. "Hopefully, we will return to the Netherlands soon."
It had been days, and they had traveled a long way; it took a long time to arrive in the Dutch East Indies. Werner complains all the time. He misses home, Milou, and his bed. He didn't know when they would arrive in Bandung, but he knew that if they were still far away, to arrive in Bandung. His brother, Tobias, also looked stressed. Tobias tries to spend time reading books and listening to Werner whining all day.
Bandung, 1932.
Werner and his family have just arrived in Bandung, the Dutch East Indies. There were several Dutch people already waiting for them at the port, they were Hendrik's friends and acquaintances. They greeted him and his family.
A man named Johan Schouten and his wife, Heleen Schouten. Johan Schouten was a good friend of his father, Hendrik, who lived in the Dutch East Indies for many years. Also, he was the one who prepared this house for his family.
"Hey, my old friend!" Johan Schouten hugged Hendrik while Heleen and Julia were talking.
They took them to their destination, to the house that his father's friends had prepared for them in the village. Tobias and Werner looked around the village.
He saw a girl; she looked different from the other natives. Maybe she was mixed. The girl and her mother will be at her house. Werner and Tobias just stood there, unsure of what to do.
Tobias talks to a man named Joko, asking where their bedroom is because he is sleepy. Joko took them to their bedroom on the second floor.
They were in Tobias's bedroom. Tobias looked at Werner, who was currently looking out the window. "It's so hot," Tobias said, his face red from the heat. "Yes," Werner nodded. They lie on the floor because the floor is cooler than lying in bed. "I already miss the Netherlands," Tobias said.
Werner stared out the window. He saw the girl with her mother in the garden. "Is he Dutch?" said Werner.
"Who?"
"That girl," Werner said.
Tobias looked out the window, "I don't know, but if he were Dutch, he wouldn't be a servant." Tobias said.
"Oh," Werner nods. His brother was right. But the girl looked a bit Dutch, she had brown eyes and brown hair, and her skin was white.
It's dinner time, and (surname Johan Schouten) is also there. They brought their son, who was the same age as Werner. His name is Ruben.
"Hello, this is my son, Ruben. I brought it so that Ruben could be friends with Tobias and Werner. He's my only son." Johan Schouten said he pulled Ruben towards them. "Ruben is the same age as Werner."
Ruben smiled at Werner. Ruben is a handsome teenager with wavy blonde hair, bright eyes, and brown skin because he has lived in this tropical country for many years.
"Hello," Ruben greeted him. "Ruben," he said.
Werner didn't expect Ruben to be this friendly, because Ruben's face said otherwise. "Werner," said Werner. He smiled back at Ruben.
"They say you have a brother." Ruben looked around, trying to find Werner's older brother.
"He's upstairs, his name is Tobias," Werner said. "We can go upstairs to his room. He said he had been feeling unwell since we arrived in the country because of the hot temperatures." Werner said.
They went upstairs and walked towards Tobias's bedroom. Tobias was lying down, reading some classic books. "Oh, hey. Who is he?" said Tobias.
"This is Ruben. Son of uncle Johan Schouten." Werner said.
"I'm Ruben Sebastian Schouten." Ruben greeted Tobias.
"Tobias," Tobias greeted him back. "By the way, you look the same age as my brother."
"I am 12 years old. What about you?" Ruben replied.
"I was 15 years old. It seems like I'm the oldest here. I think you're younger than Werner," Tobias looked amused. He was just teasing Werner. Ruben clearly looked older than his actual age.
"Are you trying to say that I look older than my age?! I'm 12 years old too!" Werner looked upset.
Tobias looked amused. "Okay, then, I'm sorry."
Werner just pouted, making his slips look like ducks' beaks.
They entered their homes. Ruben was also there; he would wait for his parents (driver) to pick him up as well.
His mother greeted Ruben. They walked into Tobias's bedroom.
"Why is it always my bedroom?" Tobias
"Because I don't want to make my room a mess." Werner giggled. They play all day.
Tobias and Werner had just finished their first day at their new school. The school was full of Dutch children; according to them, all the students is Dutch, there's no pribumi or mixed kids in the school.
"Why are there no pribumi students?" asked Tobias of Ruben. Ruben was a student long before them.
"They don't allow pribumi to go to school, unless they're half-Dutch or their parents are rich." Said Ruben.
Tobias and Werner looked at each other, and they looked surprised.
"So, how do they go to school? Do they have their own schools?" Tobias frowned.
"Most of them don't go to school." Ruben said.
"So, how do they get an education?" Asked Tobias.
"Most of them do not get an education. I have lived there for many years, and I rarely see their people at my school or go to other schools. My father said that they don't allow pribumi to go to school, they will end up become rebellious if they do." Ruben said.
Tobias and Werner are enough; how can they do it? Everyone has the right to education. Also, aren't they from this country? Why don't they allow pribumi to get proper education just like the Dutch?
That's what they thought. They just didn't know if this world wasn't that simple. Some people can suffer, so other people can have a good life.
Werner sat on the swing while Tobias was reading a book in his bedroom. Tobias is an introverted child, while Werner is the opposite.
Werner sees Kirana cleaning the house while her mother cooks for lunch. Werner walks closer towards Kirana, but not really close. "Hoe luidt uw naam? (What is your name?)" Ask Werner. His voice was loud enough for Kirana to hear it. But she just quit, not even looking back at him. "Kunt ij mij verstaan? (Can you hear me?)" Ask him again. He doesn't understand the local language; he thinks all people in here can speak Dutch since the Dutch ruled the islands.
Adinda already reminded her not to talk with mr van den bosch's sons. Adinda is scared that Kirana will cause a problem. Also, Kirana didn't understand Dutch, so she didn't know what he said.
"Zijt gij doof? (You deaf?)" Ask Werner again; he didn't mean to be rude to her. He was just wondering why she didn't respond.
"Saya tidak mengerti kamu ngomong apa. (I don't understand what you say.)" Say her name in the local language. She talks in a low voice.
"Wat hebt gij gezegd? (What did you say?)" Werner frowned
"Saya tidak mengerti kamu ngomong apa. (I don't understand what you say.)" Repeat her.
"Dutch?"
"Dutch? Belanda? Aku tidak terlalu mengerti Bahasa belanda. (I don't really understand Dutch.)" Said Kirana.
Werner looks confused; he thought Kirana could speak Dutch. Since she looks a bit Dutch. He sighs. "Nama?"
"Ik ben Kirana. (I'm Kirana)" Kirana said.
Werner looks surprised, and she understands what he says. "Ik ben Werner." Werner said.
"Saya bisa Bahasa Belanda sedikit, tapi cuman perkenalan dan cara menyapa orang saja. (I understand a bit of Dutch. But only introduction and greetings)" said Kirana
Werner frowned. He took a deep breath and kept trying to talk to her. But he just calmed down and shook his head. Kirana left. Leaving Werner, who was still sitting on the swing.
Werner walked into the kitchen. Adinda was currently cooking. He looked at her.
"Do you want anything?" asked Adinda
"I... I... uh, can I have a cup of tea?" Werner
Adinda smiled at him. "Okay, you can sit there. I'll make tea for you." He started making tea for her as he sat there.
"Um, can your daughter be.... Talking?" said Werner.
Adinda looked surprised, "What do you mean?"
"He didn't understand what I was saying," Werner said
You understand. "She can't speak Dutch; she only understands basic Dutch."
"Oh, really? I think everyone here can speak Dutch." Werner said.
"Not everyone. Only a few people, Kirana only speaks the local language." Adinda said. "Is the tea too sweet?" he asked her.
"No, that's good. Thank you," Werner said. She walked into the living room with a cup of tea. There was Tobias, who was reading a book.
Werner walked over to his parents, who were talking in their bedroom.
"Why don't they understand Dutch?" asked Werner
His parents stopped talking and looked at him. "What do you mean?" said Julia.
"I think people here can speak Dutch. Werner said.
Hendrik laughed. "Not everyone can speak Dutch. I'll give you a dictionary."
Hendrik and Julia decided to buy some Dutch-Malay dictionaries for themselves. They hire someone who can speak both languages to teach them. Because Hendrik and Julia also can't speak the local language. They had offered Adinda to teach them because she understood both languages, but she refused, she said she didn't really understand Dutch either, and she couldn't be a teacher because she didn't know how to teach people.
It's afternoon, and Kirana was helping her mother clean the garden, the garden of the Den Bosch house. It was hot, and Werner felt dizzy from the heat. He shouted at Kirana and told her to blow it using a manual fan made of rattan. Kirana nodded and started to fan it. Werner leaned back in his chair, feeling better. He held a dictionary to talk to Kirana.
"What's your full name, and how old are you?" said Werner in the local language. He looked at Kirana. He wondered if it was... or not.
Kirana looked at him. This was the first time Werner had spoken to him in the local language. "Senja Kirana Larasati, 11 years old," said Kirana.
"I'm Werner van den bosch, just call me Werner. You're younger than me. I never saw you go to school." Werner said.
"I didn't go to school. My mother can't afford school fees." Kirana said.
Werner's face softened, he didn't expect it.
"I'm bored." Werner looked at the garden. "I haven't had any friends since living in Bandung. Do you have any friends?" he asked.
"Yes, I have a friend! Kemala, Sari, Dewi, Ismail, Jaka, and a Dutch girl named Angelika. I still have other friends, but we're not that close." Kirana said.
"Are they good?" Asks Werner, curiously.
"Yes, also Angelika's parents were very kind to me. They offered to pay school fees, but my mother refused, she didn't want to burden them," Kirana said.
"I can ask my parents to pay for it for you so you can go to school with me." Werner said.
Kirana's eyes widened, "U.. uh, no! You don't have to do that. Angelika often taught me about what she learned from school." Kirana said.
After that day, Werner often played with Kirana. He taught her what she learned in school. Kirana takes Werner to various places around the village. She didn't dare to take Werner to go far way from the village, especially Werner is new here. One day, Kirana made a bracelet out of rattan and gave it to Werner.
"It's beautiful." Werner said. His eyes were shining.
Kirana just smiled. "My mom taught me how to make that.".
"You said you have other friends? Why i never see them?" said Werner.
"I want to introduce you to them. But I can take you to my house. Your mother will be angry, too. My mother has already told me not to talk to you and your brother, we are different." Kirana said.
"Different? What do you mean by different? We are still human." Werner said, frowning.
"No, it's not like that. You're Dutch." Kirana said.
"Is there anything wrong with being Dutch?" Werner said.
"No, we come from a different class. They say Dutch people are far more superior to us, pribumi." Kirana said.
"But, you also look a bit Dutch." Werner said
"Huh?"
"Your eyes, hair and the color of your skin." Werner said. "You kinda look like Dutch."
"Oh, my father is Dutch." Kirana said.
"So, your father is Dutch? It's really cool."
Kirana nodded. "Yes. But People say that half Dutch is not Dutch, they're still pribumi in their eyes. Only the pure Dutch can say that they are Dutch." Kirana Words
Werner looked surprised. "What? You're part of the Dutch, and why don't you have a Dutch surname?"
"I don't know. My mother didn't put my father's surname in my name."
"What is your father's surname?" asked Werner.
"Jansen." Kirana said.
"That's really cool. Jansen is a perfect fit for you," Werner said. Werner still wants to talk to Kirana, but he doesn't know what to say to Kirana. "Well, thank you for the bracelet, i never see bracelet like this."
Kirana smile. "Your welcome, Werner."
"You should teach me how to make this next time." Werner said.