The Dusk of the Middle East

Episode 7's

The lights that last night were still brightly lit, one by one began to dim.

The canteen was already crowded by passengers when Mei De Houten's entourage arrived. The sound of a spoon clashing with plates was heard on the sidelines of a conversation between passengers who were seen trying to familiarize themselves.

The canteen is on the central deck, one floor apart from the mosque and cathedral. The canteen was the largest room on the ship. There were dozens of tables and long chairs neatly arranged inside the room.

The kitchen immediately faced the tables and chairs only separated with a thin bulkhead where to put food. A dozen of you look busy working. Some give passengers plates, some scoop rice and some give side dishes and drinks for passengers who are waiting neatly.

Although there is bread and some types of fruits that accumulate on the edge of the table and can be taken as much.

But this breakfast menu is fried rice with several types of fish and vegetables. The foreign crew seems to have memorized the tastes of Indonesians who have to eat breakfast using rice. The head chef may have deliberately prepared the most friendly menu.

Robin and Robert walk in shaky steps behind her brother may. Their faces looked pale uninspired.

Last May had offered that the two of them eat in the cabin only, later Aunt Siti who took food from the kitchen. But since they both enthusiastically wanted to know what it was like to eat with so many people that the two stubbornly said to come along.

"Tamba well a little rice?" Mei asked while looking at her brother Robert.

Robert shook his head, his appetite was drained away. This bit of course I did not necessarily spend, it was roughly the meaning of Robert's gaze.

Mei chuckles, rattling Robert's hair in a daze. Among his two younger brothers, Robert is the most mature, even though he is 14 years old.

For Mei still the nature of Robert who was too mature did not match his age, so he was a little happy with the seasickness Robert this time. At least his sister was still able to behave like a child in general.

"Master Robin would you like to get me some tea? Looks like it can unravel the nausea." Her aunt tried to persuade her master.

"I want to eat aunt's clear soup, it looks like it's delicious and it's best for me right now." Reply Robin while pushing the plate towards the crew.

"Well, Auntie will cook when we're in the cabin. Now you eat the fried rice first because that's all this canteen provides." Bi Siti took the master's plate back from the crew's hand.

Mei and her entourage continued to move forward in line. Their plates are filled with fried rice. Until they arrived at the end of the table where the glasses and kettle drink. There was a shipman standing guard there.

"Are they seasick?" You asked slowly.

Mei's head and her two sisters were raised.

"Eh, can you speak Malay?" Robert who asked enthusiastically, in contrast to Mei who looked at the crew in front of him was probing.

Since then they did not pay too much attention to the conditions around because they were busy with Robin and Robert who still kekeh wanted to come in line, even though it could have been aunt siti who took food for the two of them.

You're nodding. He's definitely not a European crew. His face is indigenous. Only his uniform and white hat looked the same as the rest of the crew.

"Are they seasick?" The crew asked again in a flat voice, pointing towards Robin and Robert.

"Yes drunk heavily, but forced to eat in the kitchen" replied Mei kindly.

The crew seemed silent for a moment, it seemed as if he had won quietly. Since then the crew just stared and responded to Mei's sentence with a flat face.

Robin and Robert looked at each other. He looked up to see his brother. The faces of the two brothers looked bright. But before long Robin's face turned sour.

"What drink? What cure?" Ask Robin streak.

"Where do I know." Answer Robert.

"I don't want to drink if it's medicine." Said Robin snorting dislike.

The four of them stopped and walked slightly to the side, giving way so that the passengers behind who were queuing up could pick up drinks ahead and the queue kept going smoothly.

Five minutes later, the crew returned. He did not bring medicine but a hot drink kettle that looks steamy. You poured the drink into the glasses.

"Jahe." The crew pushed two glasses of ginger toward Robin and Robert, the crew said, then dispelled the concerns of ana that had existed earlier. "This drink is mixed with java sugar, it tastes sweet."

Robin and Robert looked at each other, their eyes sparkling again. Without hesitation, the two thanked him and took the glass and drank it.

"Thank you, I just remember now if ginger drinks can help reduce seasickness" said May.

The crew only glanced at the ship and nodded their heads. Then back to help the other passengers.

"Wait a minute, what's your name? Mai asked kindly, while Robin and Robert had stepped in with bi Situ carrying food to one of the long tables that looked empty.

"Joseph." The man replied short.

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Second night on the way. The Karel Ambo continued to accelerate at full speed.

After last dinner in the cafeteria with many menus such as rendang, vegetable lontong and tempe tofu. It was 9pm, the ship's passageways went quiet. Passengers have entered the cabin, rested. There were only a few gentlemen who seemed to be talking on the deck of the ship while drinking coffee.

Robin and Robert have been asleep since. Ginger drink that was given by the crew named Yusuf was very helpful, the two brothers immediately adjust to the movement of the ship when it was not too drunk.

The more night, the wind blows, the more cold the air. Cabin lights one by one began to turn off, on many passengers who were already sound asleep.

In one of Jack Karaeng's cabins. The man named pious was struggling with a Bible in his hand, looking seriously reading the Latin letters in the book.

"What did you learn from that book?" Ask Yusuf.

"You're asking just like Gunso Heiho." Ledek Saleh without distracting himself from the book he was holding. "I told you that if you don't understand what it is, that doesn't mean it's going bad." Keep Saleh up later.

Joseph rolled his eyes.