Child of All Nations Read Free Page A

much notice of women’s jewelry. Yet I could still enjoy the stone’s pure shining blueness, sparkling within itself, the rays multiplied by its polished walls. Why must I admire this destructive object?
    I put back the jewelry box, which I had just opened for the first time. Beside the box was a folder. Inside it was a Bank Escompto bank book, a pile of salary receipts from the business, and two letters from Robert Suurhof. They had never been opened! I fought my desire to open and read them. I had no right, I told myself. She had received those letters before she became my wife.
    I rose to leave for my walk, then stood hesitantly at the door. There was something I hadn’t done. Yes, of course: I usually read the newspapers before I went for a walk. Who knows how long it had been since I’d opened one? I returned to the desk, sat down, groped through the pile of mail. The desire to read was gone.
    Why was I feeling so listless? I forced myself to start on a newspaper. No. I couldn’t. I separated the letters from the rest of the mail and went through them one by one: from Mother, from my elder brother, from…Robert Suurhof for Annelies. Anger burned in my heart, my jealousy was awakened. From Sarah de la Croix, from Magda Peters, from Robert Suurhof for…from Miriam de la Croix, from…again from Robert Suurhof for Annelies. I began to sort more quickly.
    There were eleven letters from Suurhof. Scalding lava erupted into my heart. Lunatic! Damn him!
    I took a letter, tore it open, and read:
    Miss Annelies Mellema, Goddess of My Dreams…
    I didn’t go on. I rushed outside and ordered Marjuki to preparea buggy. The ring in my pocket weighed me down. I would go and hurl this thing to the ground before his parents.
    “Quickly, Juki!”
    The buggy flew off in the direction of Surabaya.
    Neither my thoughts nor my vision would focus. All was blurred, without direction. Then, in the distance, I saw an old school friend, one who had never passed his exams. But even concern for my friends had faded away. Only after he had disappeared from sight did I feel ashamed for having treated a school friend so dishonorably. Perhaps he was one who had been sympathetic to us in our troubles.
    Near Kranggan I saw Victor Roomers strolling happily along, kicking the roadside pebbles. This Pure European fellow graduate didn’t seem to have anything to do that afternoon. He was wearing white shorts, white shirt, white shoes; as usual, he looked quite fresh. After three years of studying with him, I had grown to like him. He was a lover of athletics; he had a sportsmanlike attitude towards the world and never turned a sour face to it. And most important of all, he held no racial prejudices.
    “Hello, Vic!” I ordered Marjuki to pull the buggy over to the side of the road. I jumped down and shook hands. Victor invited me into a roadside drinks stall.
    He began quickly: “Forgive me, Minke, for not being able to help you in your difficulties. I came once to see you at Wonokromo, but the Field Police broke up any groups that collected around or near your fence. Some of our other friends also tried to visit you, but in vain. No one could help, Minke, especially not someone like me. I asked Papa about it all once. It had never happened before, he said, a Native daring to oppose a decision of the white court. All our friends regretted not being able to ease your suffering. We truly share your sorrow in all this, Minke.”
    “Thank you, Vic.”
    “Where are you off to? You look so pale.”
    “Would you like to come along?”
    “Very much, but I can’t just now. Where are you going?”
    “I’ve got a bit of business to fix up at Robert Suurhof’s house.”
    “A waste of time. What do you want to go there for?”
    “There is something—”
    “Robert’s vanished. Who knows where he’s gone,” Vic said casually, as if nothing of note had happened.
    “Vanished?” Somehow it didn’t feel right to use that word about a fellow