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1946 - 1947 The Year of Changes - Memoirs
World War two was barely over, and the family is on the move. We arrived from Siam in Holland in the fall. "Brrrr, wow it is cold here". We were placed in a receiving center right at the beach of the Village of Wijk aan Zee, and really did not stay too long there. But sure have great memories from Wijk aan Zee. In my later years I returned to the same city and the same receiving center. To find out that it was a hotel called "Sonnevanck". Still there and did not change a bit, other then the Hotel being modernized.
Back to 1947, our father wanted to get back to Indonesia, to start the re-building process as he firmly believed was the right thing to do, and the family went back to the Island of Java. Between stops and cities we ended up in the Sugar Plantation "Seragie".
Still remembering, my vivid encounter with 220 Volts, and what it will do to you. You see our older brother Paul was telling us small fry, Willem and me, "as long as you stand on rubber, you touch live charged electric wire, nothing will happened to you". You know we were dumb enough to do it. Yeah, for sure, you can't go wrong because Paul was telling us this. Well Willem in front of me, holding on to a full copper wire (about 8 gage), and of course we were standing on a old solid rubber bike tire, per direction. Now we stuck the wire in the 220 Volt inlet socket, Yup!, flash boom bang, and the biofeedback shock and thrills. Wow! that was a rush. We all rolled on the floor laughing. Great memories? Or were they, we could have been killed, as an after thought, in reality it was not funny to me and still is not.
During that time period Paul even tried to join the Dutch Navy, but could not make it through basic training and was sent back home. Hmmm, I wonder of Karma struck back, you never know about these things, and Paul stayed with the family in Seragie. During the time period when we lived in sugar plantation of "Seragi", more reports from the Islam Organization of the “Daru Islam� of unrest very close to where we lived. Our parents found it necessary for their children safety, and for he children only to live with our Uncle Eddie de Vries in Bandung. So off we went to Bandung; Paul, Willem and me.
Life as I know it then was so different, our lives torn apart again, not too much after WWII. Great, right, just what a young fleshling needs, as if it was not enough to live through the Japanese time period, now had to endure not living with parents again, but somehow you accept life what is given to you. A life can become a bit harder and for one thing, young people grow up extremely fast in mind, and my mothers determination was well instilled in our hearts. And there are many accounts that can fill pages of a book yet to be published called “ A time and life with Pak Vic� Here is one of the story that has always intrigued my senses
Dinner at Uncle Eddie's
That was a switch for us, at least for me that is beyond the norm, very strict rules from our Uncle Eddie, he ruled with an Iron Fist, looking back in essence maybe because of the hard times, at any rate here the story. We really had to catnap during the noontime, because of the heat and humidity. Well, maybe for adults, but kids always want to play, and I was no different. Dinnertimes were of course sacred, and try to disturb that time period with our Uncle or Aunt would have been WWIII. At that time, they also had a boarder living with us. His name was "Alow", and I apologize, should he read this page, and I would have spelled it wrong.
One evening at our dinner table, uncle Eddie, our aunt, Alow, Paul, Willem and me we started on our evening meal. Sharp knocks on the front door. My Aunt answered the door, and she called, "Paul, for you, the man said it was important."
"Darn", our uncle said, "This is dinner time Paul, can't you tell your friend this? “Paul, I believe mentioned that he would let these people know. So it seems anyway, in what he said to my uncle at that time.
Now the outside house had foliage that served as the property fence, and I saw Paul go past the front door and out on the street. You know, just like a cartoon and feathers flying, stars of all kinds flying and things through the air. Holy Cheese 'n Crackers man! Grand Central Station (Looked like over 15 at that time) was coming down on Paul. Bones cracking, moaning knifes and chain clanging. Like wow, this was better then the movies. Could have been a page out of a martial arts movie, except this was my brother Paul demolishing attackers, and for real
In the months that followed, our parents also finally left the Sugar Plantation. With their arrival, we moved to the house on Kemoening laan, no. 9. What a joy we had there, our uncle Karel van Rooien, my Aunt Mies and my Grandmother, was also living in the house.
So, actually, the whole family de Thouars of Maurice, Paul, Willem and my Mother and Dad together again. Except with sadness our oldest brother Henry was not there, WWII took its toll and his young life was for not. The family together as one unit, that was nice. But very short lived, certainly shortly after that, Maurice and Paul went on their adventure to New Guinea. Boy what a drag that was, sooner was the family together, and Poof! split up again.
About a month after that, our smaller family now, my parents, Willem and me traveled to East Java, and settled in the sugar plantation of Pradjekan, and from my roots and the many travels I learned many things from my father, and he quoted many of philosophers from the past.
The one philosopher had always stuck in my mind, and recently read in a message of; "A Thought for the Day", was about never to underestimate your own personal needs, and always have a team and sharing motives in what ever you do. I have never forgotten what my father taught me, and treasure him always in my mind as I do our mom.
Now during that time period, the Indonesians were forcing their freedom from the Dutch, so big time changes for all, and especially the "Indo-European" or Dutch-Indo as we were labeled later on. Here we're trying to rebuild and were caught in the middle of freedom fighters and the Dutch who were trying to hold on to their Colonial territories. Must have been trying times for our parents, especially for our mom and dad, who faced trials and tribulations, as so many other mothers with children, when WWII struck. Their husbands carried off to prison camps by the Japanese, and left to fend for them-selves and survive. Here we can see from all those who suffered from all the indignities, and remember. I shall never forget. Post Trauma Syndrome.
I guess when two Big Kids on the block come to an impasse, then the folks that actually build nations become pawns and victims of their own government leaders, suffering from their bigotry and inflated ego's. Their syndrome of their egotism that is still with us today, in many of people that came and lived through the time period. At best, no one is the winner, and all lose. Some small, and some pay with their lives, the ultimate sacrifice a human face. WWII changed modern history forever. Good or bad, only historians in the future will analyze our time now.
In the years that followed with our lives here in the United States tragedy struck again for me, my dad on April, 14 1961 Passed away, and our mom on September 24, 1982 over 20 years apart.
In all honesty, their lives from the beginning in great years before the war, and then deals out much trauma, all in all war is hell for mankind and has yet to be proven that one comes out a winner. I have never forgotten their counsel, for life is a short phase in the scheme of things.
No man is ever above the any Art, it is a gift, man or woman will pass in time and destiny, but the Arts of the world will remain as a reminder. Sooner or later a person will have a need, not unless their own beliefs is such that they not need any one, of course when the thought process are convoluted then they look for faults in others, and never look at the fault created by their own hand. We brought the Silat Art of Serak to the United States, and it was up to the older brother to spread this art, and hold the torch. Well at first it did happen, till about 1963 when he changed the stage to “Closed Door� teaching scenarios. It is like not giving water to those who have a desire to learn. Those effects can still be found as of today, but slowly passing into oblivian.
Clinging and denying what was, but in reality is no longer. This is like playing a Patriarch without substance, no longer the Patriarch but becoming totally convoluted in being so caught up in dreams of grandeur that you fail to see the light of day and smell the roses. Is it also not said, barring winters and rain, the sun will warm the day, and the night, as a thief in the night, can and will engulf the person in darkness.
As a guide, anyone must be very careful not to fall in the self-belief of egotistical heights and grandeur. It is always good from time to time to examine the position you are in. That has been true throughout the many years that have passed. Good or bad, only historians in the future will analyze our time now.
We all will face the many of uncertainties, with the arrival and coming of the new millennia 2000. Tragically the United States was attacked by Terrorism on September 11, 2001. History repeats itself, and the fanatical Islam religious factions are bent to convert the world by the sword.
Well over 2000 years ago the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero, wrote this;
THE SIX MISTAKES OF MAN:
1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and studying.
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.
Respect is earned, and not forced by rule of misguided guides who are blind
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