Five Brothers and a War

Bertus Says Goodbye to His Dad

Bert gave his dad his ration of cigarettes that he just had received. When they shook hands his father’s eyes were moist, either from the cold or the emotion. He said, “ Denk er om, knul, wat Mama en ik je altijd hebben bij gebracht . . . houd God voor ogen en schrijf regelmatig. ” (“Make sure, my boy, remember what Mama and I have always taught you . . . keep God in mind and write regularly.”). The only time Bert saw his father cry was when he was eight years old, when his dad’s little sister, Mina, died. In response to the instruction, Bert agreed, and they said goodbye. He turned around and walked down the pier by himself; the general stayed aboard. He never looked back, not even when he rounded the corner. That was the last time Bert saw him. He was also the only one of the brothers to actually say goodbye.

van Pelt

The converted passenger liner, Johan van Oldenbarneveld. The journey took about four weeks, through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, then around India and finally into the western Pacific Ocean. It was not without event, as Bertus had to spend the second half of the month at sea in the brig. Not entirely surprisingly, he had mouthed off to an officer. Because the brig was too hot during the day, Bertus got to spend the days sunbathing on what was essentially a private deck, guarded only by a corporal. At night, the ship’s smoke stacks provided needed warmth. Bertus figured that he had a better trip than almost everyone else. His original sentence was one week. At the end of the week, the lieutenant who sentenced him asked him if he learned his lesson. Bertus, not wanting to rejoin his room-mates in overcrowded conditions decided to say that in fact he had not learned his lesson, and still thought the lieutenant was an idiot. He promptly got the last week of the journey in the brig. He was happy.

Five Brothers and a War

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