Stories from Deli

Kleian, Deli Planter

If we follow this road we automatically arrive at the house of A Poh, that is the Chinese head tandil. I’m glad we’re out of the woods for the time being, the worst is over.

Here it is, let’s see if he’s home.

A Poh!

A Poh!

Just a hasty shuffle of chairs, after which an old Chinese appeared from the curtain of the central door. It was the type of the real old-fashioned tobacco coolie, that of a poor emigrant, diligent and diligent, had risen to the head of an 800 to 1,000 soul-strong coolie population, which usually resides in a decent tobacco factory.

He had been working at Toekir for 35 years and was trusted of all Europeans, as well as of his subordinates. Tabéh Tuan-tuan. Boleh masuk la. Come inside.

I sprained my foot. Poh, can we borrow your cart?

Of course, sir, I’ll tell the seice right away that he’s making an effort.

The head toothil saw us shivering with coldness, and after asking to be seated, he disappeared into the back room. A moment later he appeared again with a bottle of brandy and two glasses without pedestals in his hands.

The gentlemen are wet and cold, may I pour you a brandy, otherwise you will get sick.

What do you think Reeder, shall we take her? I feel like it.

Me too. Please A Poh, but first pour Mr. Van Dalen. Three stars, that’s not a bad one that the old man has in store. Yes, the Chinese know what is good. Besides, he can afford it. Do you know that such a head toothil makes profit from 20 to 25 thousand guilders for years?

Even nothing. Then that guy must be very rich.

No, they gamble everything they earn. Most of them return to China with quite a few bucks. Pour another one, sir?

No thank you, one is enough A Poh. How old are you? Not thinking about returning to your country yet?

Oh no, I’m over sixty years old and I couldn’t get used to China anymore. I hope to continue working here and to be buried on the kebon when I’m dead. The coolies are my children, the gentlemen are my friends.

So it is A Poh. You’ve been here too long and would still long to return to Deli. By the way, you wouldn’t want to miss the clerk.

Do the gentlemen want to smoke?

No, no, don’t bother, we’re leaving. You can see that we are soaked. The cart is in front. Will you help me Reeder? Together we helped Huug down the high stairs and the cart in, where he sank on the leather cushion with a few exclamations of pain.

Morain’s buggy was just passing at high speed. He did not seem to notice us as, quite rightly, he paid all attention to his wild four-legged friend.

Look at them racing again, said Huug. That guy is making accidents today or tomorrow.

He can drive otherwise, I must say. Where do you think he should go now?

To Dumont, also a sinjo, he is quite fat with that.

Do you ride or shall I take the reins?

Let me do it, you’re a patient.

Well tabéh A Poh, thank you.

Tabeh tuan.

How do we go left?

Yes, after a few hundred meters we are on the main road, then it goes without saying.

It was a good horse. It trotted down the muddy dirt road with snappy steps. I let it go its own way, the animal knew its way in the dark better than I did during the day.

So, hold back here, we’re right on the turn.

It went even faster on the hardened main road and after a short while we were in front of Huug’s house.

Let the seice hold that horse for a moment and then you call Toeki-san, will you?

The Japanese girl was startled. Ada apa tuan?

Nothing special, just help me.

Ho, ho, hold on to that turnip, you idiot. Are you a coachman? Well, that’s how it goes. Thank you for your help.

Do I have to come back tomorrow?

No, just go to your ward. I’m going to stay home for a day or two to make the map, which works out well with my sore foot.

Magnificent. Goodbye Huug and get well soon.

Thank you at home.

The rain had stopped but the cold wind made me clappert teeth. Immediately I had a warm bath prepared and used a few cups of hot tea. Only now did I really feel how tired I was. My limbs hurt me all over.

I went to enjoy my rest. Sprawled on the couch, a stack of old magazines and a box of cigarettes next to me. That was not so bad. Diagonally across from me, I had a view of the boss’s brightly lit front porch. He seemed to have a visitor. At least two cars were parked in front of his door and every now and then I heard talking and laughing. Mioen came in and I immediately saw from his leftist manner that he had something special to say.

Is there something Miöen? Are you short of money again?

No, replied the boy, no, and he looked as amazed as if he were surprised at such an assumption. Uh … yes you see … sir shouldn’t be angry, but um … Well, what did you have? Tell me.

Yes, you see,… um, I’m always so alone and um… sir knows that I am always alone.

You have said that twice now, what did you actually want?

Kawin tuan. So the high word was out.

White you say? Marry? an old fool like you and then get married? Have you found someone who is just as silly as you? Sir shouldn’t be mad, but she’s already behind. Her name is Mirdja.

If so, these are not half measures. Is she very old?

Tida berapa. Not so much.

Just call her here.

A few moments later the curtain of the door moved, but only a brown hand became visible.

Yes, come in Ma. Inadvertently I had used the word by which old Javanese women are usually addressed.

No, what do we get? Should you marry Mioen? Kalau tuan kassi. If sir is okay with it.

A slender young girl stood shy at the door. She moved her skinny hands nervously, her eyes down the silk slendang, which was slung loosely over the narrow shoulders.

Mioen! Come here. Are you saying you want to marry this child?

If sir agrees.

Don’t talk, like you. What do I care who you marry. But how do you come to take such a young Hing?

How old are you Mirdja?

I do not know.

Are you already 14 years old.

Maybe sir.

Well, go back to the back. Mioen will stay here for a while. Tell me, are her parents okay with it?

Yes, I asked the main mandur.

Isn’t it the daughter of the principal mandur?

No, but he still said I could have her. She has been married once to Mandur Sidik from ward four.

Can’t you see that such a marriage can only cause you misery? Did you think you would have such a woman alone? Man be wiser. She likes your white jacket, but laughs at your old carcass. Her parents think you are a rich son-in-law because you work for a blanda. Don’t you get that?

She says she does love me.

It will. Well, I don’t care, I warned you. When did you want to get married?

Tomorrow.

Hm. Anyway, slam kawin.

I was curious how much Mioen would have to pay his as-in-law parents to become their daughter’s “happy” husband.

But come on, I was worried. Let them mess with each other. You will not be aware of it anyway. The less you meddle in their private affairs, the better it is, Rensema had once told me.

The next day I related the matter to Mr. De Korte.

Yes, I know about that. It’s a daughter of the ox-stable watchman. Mandur Sidik threw her out the door. Don’t you want that woman at home?

Oh yes, I don’t care. It does not bother me.

Well, then let them go. Schwamm driiber.

Here I have the latex lists for the past week. It looks nice, don’t you think? Here, have a look, Amat’s total production. Thirty percent down.

Amat’s team made a lot of wood wounds and then I gave the order to tap shallower. I couldn’t have the trees destroyed, could I?

That still had to be added. But I want a good production and that without wood wounds, you understand me, Mr Reeder, without wood wounds.

I’m doing my best, sir, but I can’t help when those guys mess up, can I?

Oh no? Can’t you help that? That’s something new. You are a department assistant and as such responsible for your trees. You ensure better production and that without wood wounds. Did you understand me correctly?

Yes.

Well done. And then some more. Ibrahim, give me the paybooks.

Right here I have it. Mandur Mardyuki. Do you give him a tap premium? Could that be because he has dropped so many kilograms the same way? And here, Mandur Marlöno, did he shine like that this month?

He promised he would tap better and to encourage him I gave him a premium too.

Mr. de Korte threw my books on the writing table with a bang.

This month you cut all coolies who have wood wounds and the affected mandoers don’t get a penny in premium.

Good sir.

I knew what I had to stick to. Easy to say at the office, behind the writing table. I faced the disaffected coolies, who saw gross unfairness in any deduction or discount on the tap premium. The coolie who knightly acknowledged his mistakes was yet to be born.

When I got to my ward, I began to carefully observe the different bagians. There were wood wounds, undeniably. Play it again, without it apparently not possible.

Hey, Soepardi, come here, don’t tap so quickly. You don’t have to be ready so early. Better watch your cups, they all hang crooked.

Niti, Sarmin, Roesdi, come back. Start here again and now slower.

Mandur! Can’t you see that your guys are just driving things off? Are you here to fool around or to look after your people? As long as you get your salary, hey, how she works is a side issue. I…

Shut up. If you don’t go up with your latex, you can crash at the end of the month, you understand?

Saja tuan.

Mandur Rasmat! How many men have you put on disease control?

Four men on the brown inner bark and two on the djamuroepas.

Have you had a five percent solution made from carbolineum plantarium?

Yes sir.

Have you researched it yourself, or are you just chatting? Let’s take a look.

Hey, Sandwirdja, come here with that can. What’s in there? Obat tuan.

How clear that sees, it only looks like water. Is there carbolineum in there?

No sir, that was finished.

Was that up? And you are now in the trees with clean water lubricate? Have you gone completely crazy?

Mandur! Is all this happening under your supervision? Can’t you see that your guys spend hours messing around with just smearing water on the sick trees because they are too bad to get obat? Lummel. You won’t get a penny in premium this month, kaffir that you are.

I was over tapping and I can’t be everywhere at once. Shut your cheeky mouth or I’ll slam it shut.

I request my resignation sir.

Can you get it right away. Just go to the office.

If sir throws me out, I won’t pay back my debt. You asked for resignation yourself …? Fuck off, tell the Tuan besar you don’t want to repay your debt, he might kick you in the ground.

Karsan! You replace mandur Rasmat for the time being. Let those guys get obat first and watch it get mixed properly.

Well, the boss was chasing me, I would in turn chase the wind at my mandoers and coolies, it didn’t seem superfluous. You were always faced with new surprises. Of course I would have been too hard now. You had to be able to work without firing manders. No, no, Mr Reeder, you are still a real singkeh.

It was not that easy to manage a tap department.