Gita Dusk Geetruida

To Batavia

"It looks like your unifying effect, makes us follow one way, Suf .. say, when you don't want to share with us?"

"Well, just like papi's guess, all right. Only third point is .. This is what I wanted to tell Clay back when I was in the hospital but I'm postponing, let everyone hear the good news."

Joseph seemed to regulate his breathing, making the people around him more curious, "Me and Clay did not move to Banjarmasin, because I was assigned to Tjikini Hospital ...." Joseph deliberately hung his sentence while looking at the reaction of his family.

"What ... Tjikini, Batavia? greet Clay half-screeching while covering his mouth.

"Woww, heel goed!" Adolf also commented on the good news from Joseph.

"That means we're not going to Banjarmasin, is it?" Sekar.

"Yes, mi and we are only a few hours apart by road, no need to cross the sea," added Clay while embracing his mother.

"In the meantime, what's papi arranging?" ask Adolf.

"Ah, nee .. er is geen enkele (no, nothing), I would not care if they migrated to Borneo, but to Batavia, it was also a good choice."

"I mean, did you ask the government to have Joseph transferred there?" press Sekar again.

"Nee mami, if possible even Joseph and Clay served here just so it's not far with us. I could've arranged for them not to move, not far from us but ... wander off it's certainly better for them to learn to live, don't you think, Yusuf?" Adolf asked his son-in-law for his opinion.

"Ah, natuurlijk (of course) papi," replied Joseph in his father-in-law's language while nodding steadily.

"Goed (great)! I like young people who are independent, later if successful then you will feel maximum satisfaction and happiness," support Adolf.

"But ..me and Gerry were so sad because we didn't feel the thrill of getting on the boat" Aya protested with an annoyed look that became a laughingstock for her parents and her two brothers.

"Calm down, my sweet boy .. We're still going on vacation, but I promise you we'll take your brothers Clay and Joseph to Batavia, okay?" entertain Adolf.

"Ke Batavia what's on the boat too?" ask Gerry.

"A'a ..." Adolf shook his index finger. "We'll just take a car later when we get there we'll take a ride neem de trein (up train), ok?" adolf continued.

***

Geetruida rubbed the water in his eyes when he remembered the first time he set foot in Batavia. After hours of sitting in the car he and his entourage finally arrived in the capital.

Capitalize on a travel guidebook 'Java the Wonderland' papi fulfill his promise to invite their family to have fun. This was their first out-of-town trip, of course all enthusiastic let alone papi deliberately brought them to enjoy many things they had never met in Magelang.

when papi invites them to shop in the Batavia Passer Baru area, the famous market provides various needs of European and Dutch citizens.

Geetruida's hazelnut-colored eye beads sparkled as they entered the shop called De Zon, many fine displays and he was free to choose clothes, and he was free to wear, shoes and some accessories according to his wishes like a person who is busy shopping. Very satisfied it feels to spend the pocket money that he has been saving in his piggy bank plus a papi who is not stingy to give pocket money.

While the mother prefers to shop at a textile store whose seller is Indian. Mami bought some nice pieces of cloth, brocade and batik that were not sold in Magelang to be stitched later, quality materials, quality materials, classy and unique will certainly add to the selling value of handicrafts later, right?

On the second day in Batavia, papi took them for a walk to Weltevreden which is the central city of government. Many large buildings that they have never seen such as in Magelang, not to mention the smooth streets are always crowded with people and traffic vehicles, never deserted.

Despite carrying 2 cars from Magelang, Papi deliberately took his family on a public vehicle, a type of oplet but the shape is somewhat similar to a jeep, anyway.

"T-i,ti ... m-e, me .. i-s, is," Gerry plainly spelled the writing on the side of the oplet.

"Time is money, good light which means time is money" the mother patiently corrected her son's spelling.

"Ooo, what does it mean to ride a car that makes us get hours and money at once?" ask Gerry innocent. Geetruida put up an ear, waiting for his mother's answer. Actually he also wanted to ask but his sister first asked that.

"The meaning of the word time is written that does not mean a clock in the form of objects or goods as papi uses it, dear. Time is money is a simple sentence that in a broad sense expresses time or time is a very valuable thing, equivalent to money. Persistent people know very well the meaning, therefore when he uses time to work then he gets a wage later," explained mami at length. Geetruida felt the meaning of the sentence was quite meaningful so he recorded the words in his mind well.

Another day papi took them to the Weltevreden railway station which had just been renamed Batavia Koningsplein Station but it is said that because in the field there is a gambier tree then the station is better known by name gambir Station.

Geetruida is the busiest station in the Dutch East Indies. Almost all the main long-distance trains and all trains to Bogor stop at this station, and yes .. they also explore Bogor and stay 2 nights at Hotel Bellevue, which is also very convenient, they visited the Bogor Botanical Garden, saw various trees and plants, to the Bogor palace, to the animal laboratory and also visited the Kujang Monument and also the Batu Tulis bridge.

In terms of actual beauty Bogor is not inferior to the area they usually visit in Java, but what makes it memorable is the beauty of the artificial forest that there are so many plants that they have never met, plus the layout further adds to the points of beauty of the city.

Back to Batavia, ah ... Batavia has special memories that are not forgotten for Geetruida especially when the second he set foot into the city in very different conditions. If Geetruida's first destination to Batavia in order to deliver Helena and Amar who served in our duty while having fun, the second time because of coercion, because of coercion, which he said for the safety of their families but instead ..well, this is where the real life has just begun.