Genesis - 1947

Born in the year of 1947 and growing up on the once colonial Dutch island of Java in the late 1950’s, one can only imagine the tropical setting of rubber trees, with habitation of snakes, reptiles and tigers. The constant hunting by tourist coming to the island, slowly resulted in the extinction of the Javan Tiger as it habitat was slowly being destroyed by humans crowding the island with small villages popping up everywhere there was an ample amount of drinking water supply that resulted in this island being the most populated island in the world with almost 60 million people living there today. Mountain peaks stretching over twelve thousand feet into the air, this land was rich in natural resources that eventually developed the city of Bandung into a municipality that developed itself into a resort city for plantation owners as luxurious hotels, cafes and European boutiques were opened dubbing the city as the Paris of Java.

Surrounded by a chain of volcanic mountains, this thirteenth largest island in the world was the home of the ToersBijns family and the Hauber family whose residence was well established by their ties to the Dutch owned East Indies Tea Company and the merchants who bought and traded goods between this land and Europe on a steady basis. The plantation was a huge white portal shaped dwelling surrounded by an ample growth of palm trees that provided shade, comfort and shelter to anyone who did business with the patrons of the Hauber clan. Dealing in real estate, produce, and other native products manufactured or grown there, their financial dealings put a lot of cash in their pockets.

On the other side of the town were the clan members of the ToersBijns family whose family members were associated with the more fundamental business function related to governmental business as well as acting as the local constables or police officers in this locale filled with foreigners and traders from all around the world. Better known as commoners, they were people of the land and lived in an average middle income mannerism that was even better than the normal conditions on this island. A grandfather who was a Chief of Police and two uncles that were local constables, the family was well respected in the community.

World War II had ravaged this country badly and the rebuilding of the economy was left into the hands of those who had the cash to do this task. It also took its toll on the ToersBijns family as their uncles were caught and them being policemen just doing their job, when executed by the Japanese soldiers who occupied the island during the Second World War as history revealed the torture and horrendous conditions the natives and occupants had to endure under this Japanese rule. The remaining brothers, one a merchant and one a soldier in the Dutch army, were fortunate to survive this ordeal and lived to raise a family.

After Indonesian independence in 1945, the city experienced a rapid development and growth as urbanization took place that transformed the little city resort into a bustling 2 million people dense metropolitan area serving many economic developers in their self serving business deals and growth in wealth. The rebuilding and resettlement of villages, industries and wealth brought corruption in the government and as the wealth of the foreign investor grew larger and larger, the newly established Republic of Indonesia issued a decree that all foreigners must leave the soil of the republic or face the consequences for remaining behind. In their struggle for independence between the years of 1945 through 1949, the Dutch military commanders gave an ultimatum all Indonesian militants had to leave the city immediately or face severe consequences. Their exodus from the city resulted in the burning inferno of over half the city. Three children had been born to the couple of Carl and Edith (Hauber) ToersBijns who had to decide how they were to deal with the daily strife of civil war and terrorist acts up and down their neighborhood and market area where they lived. This internal social revolution resulted in the end of total control of foreign intervention and as the civil war progressed, the Dutch government troops controlled the city and other large scale communities but could not control the villages and the countryside where the rebels struck their fear into the lives of everyone in the cities.

This armed conflict ended with the expulsion of all Dutch government officials and troops. During these times, the economy of Bandung’s manufacturing textile apparel business, the growing of plantation and agricultural food as well as the rapid growth of higher culturally based educational institutions spewing over to support the industrial growth resulted in a flood of protests by the Indonesian government that foreigners were taking control of their economy and that laws had to be passed to avoid loss of control of their economic growth and dependency on foreign businessmen.

Soon after the declaration of independence was announced by the Indonesian government all Dutch citizens were ordered to leave the islands and return back to their native homeland. The fragility of the Dutch government was mainly due to the fact their armed forces had been dominated by both the Japanese and Germans during the world war and its inability to bounce back to a governmental power resulted in the colonial failures resulting in the self-governed freedom sought by the natives of the land who hated the foreigners. The message was clear and everyone scrambled to gather their personal resources to meet the rest of the clan at the harbors where ships sat waiting boarding of all those scheduled to depart on these large passenger ships headed for Europe and The Netherlands. Businessmen move quickly to liquidate their assets and stuff their money inside hastily made money belts and hidden compartments. A limit on how much they were allowed to take with them on their person, smuggling rings were developed to allow the rich to secretly stash their fortune inside compartments designed for luggage or property as well as other hidden places. Bribes, promises and extortions were common place and hopes of bringing their post war wealth to their homeland were hampered by strict inspections of persons, property and other belongings. Spearheaded by social and communist insurgents, Dutch citizens were closely inspected upon departure and harassed if suspected of smuggling or other acts of dishonesty. This revolution destroyed the colonial establishments and resulted in a new journey to the mother land in Holland.

Holland was the common name for the Netherlands, a small country situated on the western shores of Europe touching the North Sea and not too far from the English Channel. The land was positioned below sea level and surrounded by man made dikes or dunes to keep the water from overtaking the surface. Once a colonial power, it was now the newly chosen habitat for the ToersBijns family who had survived a long journey aboard a dilapidated passenger ship that held a few thousand refugees who has stowed on board all their live long belongings hoping to start a new trend with what they salvaged.

The ship was smelly and filthy. It wreaked the smell of vomit and the cabins were shared with other families as some were not so fortunate to have private dwellings and shared the cargo bays with hundreds of others squatting, nudging each other in efforts to find a space large enough to stretch out. The name of the ship was unimportant but it did belong to the Royal Dutch Packet Navigation Company, a shipping company with connections to all the islands of Indonesia and sea worthy to transverse the long trek from the islands to Europe through the waters of the Indian Ocean, the straights between the dead sea and Suez canal into the Mediterranean Sea passing the Rock of Gibraltar and reaching the shores of Amsterdam in a matter of months of sea sickness and dysentery, while enduring the medieval medical treatment for those who became ill and struck with the malaria disease. Having no access to real medicine, herbal concoctions were applied to break the fever. The food was unbearable and barely edible but as the self imposed hunger was a blessing versus a full stomach swerving from side to side while the waves pounded the ship, the crew members were rude, arrogant and un-thoughtful of all our the passengers needs. A family of two adult persons clinging onto the three minor children in a wave of humanity seeking new life in another world was a terrifying experience for them especially since the unknown still faced them ahead of them. Seldom seeing any other family member during the voyage, they depended on each other to keep the minors safe and sound from perverts and misaligned individuals crowded inside this hull of a ship for months.

How many months I can’t remember but it seemed an eternity. Seeking fresh air on top was a luxury seldom enjoyed and well deserved once you weaved through the waves of humanity compacted on this vessel. Hand in hand with firm grips so not be dislocated and misplaced in this multitude of bodies, we cried often and wished to be somewhere where it was warm and dry. The humidity and smell below deck was combining an odor not easily described as stinking but rather as something stronger and what you would expect of a dead animal whose carcass has decomposed for weeks and ripe with aroma.