The Dusk of the Middle East

Episode 3

A few months ago Saleh held a meeting between young men in front of the city square Batavia, nine kilometers from the official house of the Governor General of Batavia and of course his wife who is the leader of Japan.

Youths from among the clouds to students cried out loudly in support of every word he said. As he stood before the masses his voice sounded resolute, loud like the hallmark of a Leader .

Saleh had studied at Sulawesi University, moved to Semarang until he entered Batavia University. The two previous campuses that no one can accommodate it for long because he always makes trouble by fighting the local government.

He eventually settled in Batavia. He really felt free because it was not just him who did not like the invaders. Many young men of his age who also openly show their dislike of the Netherlands and Japan.

Only five months he was in Batavia, but he had entered the youth organization anti-colonial.

"Boss." Shouted a man wearing a black suit from across the street.

"Boss-Boss, shut up, you want to expose my identity." Greetings softly after the man approached.

"No!." The man replied quickly, "What are you thinking until you don't realize there's no one else down here. Look there's only one or two people in a hurry to get on the ship." Without waiting for orders from Saleh, the man took Saleh's bag and walked cheerfully up the steps of the ship.

"Let's get your boss late." Shouted the man who had been in the middle of the stairs, he carried Saleh's big bag on his shoulder by walking carefully because the wind was still strong.

Saleh who was right under the stairs once again looked around, The crowd of people who had been jostling was already invisible. There were only one or two passengers left on the dock, as the man who called him the boss said.

"Can I have your ticket sir?" One of the crew asked politely as Saleh set foot on the deck of the ship, asking for tickets and travel documents. There were 3 crew members who served on the deck table, in the presence of 4 Japanese soldiers who stood not far behind the crew.

Saleh nodded, picking up a piece of tickets as well as some documents he had stored inside the tribe of jackets he was wearing.

"Mr Jack." You read the ticket staring Saleh, "Jack alone or Jack Karaeng? On the ticket only reads Jack while the other document is written Jack Karaeng.

"Jack." Answer the crew who checked the list first, before Saleh had time to answer the question.

"Anyone?" Asked the crew once again to be sure, looking at the man who was carrying the bag. The man did not look like a transport worker, let alone a passenger.

"Yes, I'm alone. He just brought me a bag."

"The ushers can only get here, the crew will help bring your next bag to the cabin. Okay, please Mr. Jack. Have a nice trip." You returned tickets and travel documents to Saleh.

The man lowered the bag, saluted Saleh and got a plot reply and his feet stepped on. The man chuckled, then walked down the stairs.

One of the crews was about to grab the bag, preparing to take Godly to the cabin. But the movement of his hands stopped because one of the Japanese soldiers first called out firmly. He was the fourth leader of the Japanese army.

"Stop! We have to check the bag."

The three crew members in front of the soldiers looked at each other. Checking in? Hadn't it been more than two hundred passengers who boarded and none of them were checked? Why should this man be examined?

One of the Japanese soldiers advanced forward, pulling the bag roughly putting it on the table.

"Eigyochu." The Japanese army leader called out to open the bag.

"What book is this?" The Japanese army leader picked up a book while asking rudely. Open any page of the book, which looks at the book full of writings l

Latinos.

"Bible." Answer Saleh briefly

"The fraudster admitted that you brought books full of incitement against the Japanese government." The leader shouted in disbelief as he thrust the book 5 cm in front of Saleh's face.

"If you can't understand the content, you can ask those who definitely understand the contents of the book." Saleh replied casually pointing to the crew that he knew must understand every sentence from the Bible.

"Don't pretend anymore. I know you're Jack Karaeng. You're a danger to the Japanese government, you're making speeches every time by inciting indigenous youths to fight us even more." Said the Japanese soldier with a dead red face.

"It only holds meetings among the youth of the nation, nothing more and nothing less." Saleh remained calm even though the Japanese army commander before him was unceasingly uttering a harsh word.

"Gunso, there's nothing in it." Whisper one of the Japanese soldiers who had checked the contents of Saleh's bag.

"Check it again! He must be hiding something in it." The leader did not accept. He even told 2 other soldiers to check the bag.

"In a moment, I have something that his left can accept by you Commander." Saleh put his hand in his jacket pocket looking for something in there. He then took out a yellow paper.

"This is an official license from Mrs Owada Misaka, your leader in Batavia. He allowed me to take this trip. Please read it, Gunso."

The Japanese leader took the paper from Saleh's hand. The Japanese soldier looked very upset. He looked at the letter carefully. The letter was genuine, with Owada Misaka's stamp clearly emblazoned on the bottom of the sheet

The contents of the letter were short, about giving Saleh or Jack permission to travel on a ship that was about to leave for South Korea. The contents of the letter are addressed to the officer who reads the letter in order to provide protection as it should to the other passengers.

"Damn it, I can't take it for granted." The leader's mind with a dead red face he had three of his comrades take up arms.

"This letter is fake." Shouted the leader lying, he roughly took the letter into Saleh's hands.

Saleh just wanted to protest not accept. A woman's voice stopped him.

"What's this about Heiho's brother, Eh I mean Gunso"

"What are you doing here, Mei? Come inside." Said the Japanese army leader named Heiho. He was quite surprised by the arrival of May. "Why his cousin is here, Saleh can escape if May justifies the contents of the letter that has his mother's stamp." Inner Heiho was upset.

Heiho