The Rose of De Haas

Chapter 2: The Sweet Miss's New Life

"If you feel it's okay to get a child from a despicable woman like me then you can get whatever you want, Mister."

Mr. De Haas smiled thinly but meaningfully after hearing the answer as he wanted from Sarinah. He never thought that Goenawan and Tuminah would have such a beautiful daughter.

The rumbling sound from the rain continued to disturb the silence that night, colliding with Sarinah's raging feelings. There is not much that poor girl expects besides herself who can still have the opportunity to meet her parents later.

"What are you thinking? Let's go down, we've arrived" said Mr. De Haas breaking Sarinah's daydream.

Sarinah nodded stiffly, then went down following the steps of the Master who had set foot in the yard of a luxurious house in the style of Art Deco architecture typical owned by the Dutch who could not be bought by just anyone, he said, especially a native like him.

"Darijo, throw away all the clothes brought by Sarinah. tell the babus to prepare a new room for Sarinah right now," Mr. De Haas' absolute order to Darijo the head of the house jongos.

Darijo nodded quickly. "alright, sir."

Again and again Sarinah was astonished and confused by Mr. De Haas' attitude to her. Why would the Master bother to prepare a room for him? Wouldn't he sleep with the babus in this house?

"Why did Master tell Uncle Darijo to prepare a room for me?" asked Sarinah who was unable to hide her curiosity.

"Because you are Nyai in this house and I consider you more valuable than the babus here. While waiting for your room to be prepared, let me accompany you to dinner first," explained Mr. De Haas as he grabbed Sarinah's skinny wrist, bringing the ayu girl into his mansion.

His whole life, only this time Sarinah visited the house of a Dutch master let alone treated this well. Usually, the Dutch were even reluctant to look at an indigenous like himself, assuming that the natives were no different from animals.

Sarinah who was used to being needed very unfitly by the Dutch colonizers was clearly amazed to get a much different treatment from Mr. De Haas, who was very different, The first master he should serve as a Nyai.

Gently, Mr. De Haas clasped Sarinah's hand as he walked parallel to the dining room. The arrival of Sarinah of course surprised the babus and jongos at the house who did not know anything about the affairs of debt Mr. De Haas with Goenawan, his father Sarinah.

They think, this roaring welcome is intended for the future wife of the Master who rumors will come directly from the Netherlands but their allegations are even wrong.

"Is dinner ready?" asked Mr. De Haas to one of the babus who was busy arranging dishes on the large dining table in the dining room of this house.

The middle-aged woman nodded, putting the dishes according to her designation.

"already, Sir. You can go straight to dinner right now."

Mr. De Haas unceremoniously took a sitting position in a luxurious chair at the end of the table. The chairs lined up along the large dining table were quite numerous for the size of a bachelor, making Sarinah able to draw the conclusion that the Master often held a banquet.

"Sit down there and eat with me, Sarinah. I need a meal companion instead of a statue that can only watch me eat" said Mr. De Haas as he took a spoon and fork in front of him.

"Can I really enjoy all these delicious dishes, sir?" asked Sarinah plainly trying to confirm the offer of the Master.

A pair of sapphire blue obsidian belonging to the Master rolled, looking towards Sarinah then.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Sally replied as she hurriedly sat down on the left side of the Master.

In silence, Mr. De Haas and Sarinah eat next to each other enjoying a typical Dutch dish that is served so delicious on the table.

While the two were enjoying the food in silence, the babus began to gossip with each other whispering about Sarinah the first indigenous woman who was treated with such special care by Mr. De Haas.

It seems they feel jealous because they have never been treated so well by the Master as Mr. De Haas treated Sarinah the newcomer girl.

After all, which woman wouldn't want to date that handsome and well-established Mr De Haas?

"Until when do you guys keep gossiping about Nyai that I just bought at this price?"

The cold question from Mr. De Haas is going to make the babus who have been busy gossiping about everything related to Sarinah immediately disperse.

"Not to be listened to let alone enter into the heart, they will always be so if they see something interesting," comforted Mr. De Haas, looking straight at Sarinah the Nyai.

"I'm really fine, sir."

A sweet smile like honey thrown by Sarinah increasingly makes the heart of Mr. De Haas turbulent, powerless to stem the growing feeling of interest.

The young master's heart was beating twice as fast, making him continue to feel his own misbehaviour especially Sarinah always answered his words with her gentle yet seductive voice.

"Tonight you have to sleep in my room because your room is still in the works" said Mr. De Haas after wiping his lips with a handkerchief from his pocket, a sign that his dinner was over.

"You don't mind? Though I can sleep in another room first" Sarinah refused subtly.

"No. You are my Nyai then your life is entirely mine and it is my responsibility" replied Mr. De Haas firmly.

At once Sarinah felt the harshness of the slap of reality that she had to accept that she was still a lowly woman in the eyes of Dutch men like Mr. De Haas.

Mana may Sarinah wish more that she could live a good life and bergelimang treasure as a Mrs Meneer. Not all indigenous people can feel the pleasure of living like that in their own colonized land.

"Alright if that is your will."

Sarinah's life as a Nyai will only start tomorrow but she may even think of such things to make the girl shake her head slowly trying to awaken herself.

"As a Nyai who will serve the Master, my contemptible life and death are entirely the rights and responsibilities of the Master as my owner."

"I'm glad to hear it. Let's quickly get into the room, I'm tired and need some comfort from you right now, Sarinah."