World War Two in the Dutch East Indies

Come! Let's walk home

It was strange that we didn’t get Japanese military visitors at Sumber Sewu since they went to Wonokerto the head plantation and other plantations as well and where many questions have been asked. My parents were of course more than pleased that the Japanese hadn’t visit Sumber Sewu … yet.

But then my parents received a phone call from the police in Ampelgading.. My father had to bring his car to the police station. Our poor parents were both very upset. They had hoped that this war would soon be over so that everything would be back to normal again.
The next day my father had to bring his Hudson to the Ampelgading police station and I asked my father if I could come with him. Yes, he was happy to have my company on this very difficult afternoon in November 1942.

When we arrived my father only had to sign an already prepared letter in Malay and Japanese, wherein mentioned that he had given his car to the Japanese Army. My dad didn’t receive a receipt, just a ‘thank you’ from the Indonesian police. He looked very sad when we walked outside the office. Some Indonesians standing there in front of the building, started laughing. We came by car but now we had to walk back home.

I felt terrible, not for myself but for my father who had always worked so hard, and he had been so proud of his Hudson. The car that had brought and fetched me in Dampit when I came home by bus from Malang. The car that brought us to Surabaya and Pasir Putih during our first and last holiday.
My father had tears in his eyes when he said; ”Come! Let’s walk home.”

When we came home my mother was crying, Cora, Henny, and Jansje were very quiet. Rasmina tried to comfort my mother. My father went straight to the factory, I guess that all the sadness in our house was just too much for him.

Pa Min went to the bamboo garage with its zinc roof, and started cleaning the place. When I saw the look on his face, I could see that he was angry.
When Pa Min saw me, he said that the Japanese were really bastards, to steal his boss ( my dad) car was really something disgusting. When later on the garage was clean enough in his eyes, he closed the door and walked away as if he never wanted to see that garage again.

My mother went to the kitchen, talking and working together with Rasmina, then she went talking with Pa Min, telling him to be careful about what he said about the Japanese.
Henny and I went swimming and Cora played with Jansje.

When my father came back from his work, he said that he really hoped that the Americans and Aussies would come soon to rescue us all from this Japanese occupation in Indonesia. He said that mr.Sloekers, my father's boss, had also handed in his car. All the cars were taken away from their Dutch owners. Many Dutch civilian men were now interned all over Java, but not only men, the Japanese had also started to open camps for women with their children as well.

We were still free … but for how long?

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