Stories from Deli

Kleian, Deli Planter

Salary

Mr. Van Berghe, twelve hundred guilders and forty cents.

Rensema and Hartman still have to sign for receipt. And you, Mr. Reeder, how much do you need to pay out? Is your bill already at the office?

Yes, Mr De Korte, please. Eighteen hundred guilders and fourteen cents.

Seezoo. Now sit down for a moment, I have something to tell you.

Hartman looked at me briefly and, understanding him, gave him a wink.

I’ll just get straight to the point and notify the gentlemen of my resignation, which I submitted as of August 1.

Rensema, who was really ignorant of this event, looked up in surprise and, simultaneously with Karei, exclaimed: resigned? Are you going back to Holland?

No, I don’t have enough money for that, it will take a few more years. The point is that I was offered a job as inspector with the rubber culture society ‘Ara’ and of course I took it.

We got up and congratulated him on this promotion. I am stunned, said Geldorpe, that is like the proverbial bolt of thunder from a clear sky!

In any case, we are pleased for you.

Do you already know who will succeed you here?

That will be Van Dalen, he must at least take over the administration. However, it has not been definitively promised to him, you know that they always wait until the last moment. And then there is something else. Mr Reeder goes on tap the day after tomorrow and hands the exploitation to Morain. You don’t have to find a disturbing reason for that, it’s just about time that you learn the taping and the factory. Tomorrow you can move to the yard. I would also like Mr Hartman to inform you in the first place. So you put yourself completely under his guidance. You can of course contact me if you have any specifics.

Come out, said Hartman, well, what did I tell you? Did you already know, Rensema asked?

Yes, I heard it from my cousin, you know, Meerhuis, after all, he is an administrator at the ‘Ara’. He has been the boss there for about eight years and they are not sparing that an outsider becomes an inspector with them.

Otherwise they won’t find any bad luck. De Korte will not be hated.

No, not that, but it does not alter the fact that it is an awful setback for the administrators there.

Well anyway, De Korte is lucky with it and Huug no less. Shall we go to him after the payout?

Good. Remember, Reeder, that you tell Oedin to transfer your barang to the yard tomorrow.

The mandoers had already let the people take office, so I could start right away.

Squad after squad was paid. It went quickly this time. Now for the women.

Ajoh Koemi, have your coolies come here for the table.

What? Deposit? How do you get to it mandur. You still have nine guilders in debt, which you have to pay off first.

I wanted to keep a kandoeri for my late grandmother. You only give a kandoeri, but at your own expense. Toemina! Are your women all there? Yes sir, except for Kassi, Sarmi and Toemidja, who went to bathe.

Then they are not all there, chatterbox.

If…

Suda! You ensure that they are all present from now on. Understood?

Tasroena!

Saja tuan.

Four guilders and thirty cents. Take away.

Kartodinomo!

Ada tuan.

Three guilders and ninety-two cents.

Sonowidjojo!

Two guilders and eight cents. Take away.

Why so little sir?

Have you not been wrong?

Yes, but.,.

Come on. If you think it’s not okay, just go to the office.

Any coolie who had been wrong at work for a few days and thus got hold of less than another who had regularly done her job, found himself inadequate.

Zoo. That was done. What more did you want Kanna?

Please pay ten guilders in advance.

Let’s see. No, you still owe eight guilders. Pay off first.

If sir gives me ten guilders I will immediately repay those eight guilders.

Nothing. Go away.

Mioen! Get my clean pakean ready. Here, fill my cigarette case right away.

Hartman would therefore become my teacher. That was okay. Better than having to get tapping from Morain, it would be a big change for me. The work in the mining was extremely hard. Hilly terrain and then all day in the blazing sun. There was always shade on the tap and the section I would get was nice and flat. However, it was completely different work. You were only good in cultivation if you reported the greatest number of trees in the shortest possible time, in the tap it could cost you a job if you damaged too many trees.

Hartman came to pick me up and together we made our way to Van Dalen’s house.

Rensema and Morain were already there.