Twilight in Djakarta

by Mochtar Lubis

  ‘Neng, I want to,’ said Saimun. ‘We’ll just get married, we’ll go back to the village. What’s the good living like this in the city with no sense to it? Do you want?’ Saimun was speaking without thinking.

  Then Neneng remembered the village, its peaceful life, free of the kind of work she was doing now – a life never free of fear … all sorts of fears … rough men who wanted you to do indecent things … fear of the police … fear of the day and fear of the night … a fear never ending – and Neneng nodded to Saimun.

  A great surge of pride welled up in Saimun, and when a policeman shouted at him, telling him to get out,

  ‘Hai, lu there, why’re you getting so close, is she really your wife?’

  Saimun answered bravely,

  ‘Right, pak, this is my wife,’ and he took Neneng by the hand.

  And his fear of the police vanished. He was now ready to fight for a life with Neneng.

  City Report

  The night held the city in tight embrace. The streets were deserted. Later a torrential downpour blown in from the sea by a great storm descended on Djakarta. But all through the night dark shapes crept stealthily about, feeling their way, slipping into the houses of people who were fast asleep, thieves of the night doing their work ….

  1 Combination of small retail grocery and coffee-shop.

  2 A large market area in Djakarta.

  Copyright

  © Mochtar Lubis 1968

  Translated from the Indonesian Senja di Djakarta

  First published by Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. 1963

  Published in 2011 by Editions Didier Millet Pte Ltd

  121 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01

  Singapore 068590

  www.edmbooks.com

  With permission from Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia

  Jalan Plaju 10

  Jakarta 10230

  Indonesia

  Cover image © Editions Didier Millet

  ISBN: 978–981–4260–66–4

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