Back to School

For this week's theme (week 35) - back to school - my story is about my uncles Will and Rein Peelen, who were sent from the Dutch East Indies back to the Netherlands on their own as teenagers for their education.  This was a common practice for families in the Dutch East Indies. 

Letter from Meta Peelen to her sons aboard SS Gera on their way
 back to The Netherlands to complete their education.

This is a fictionalised account, based mainly on the letter dated 20th July 1934 by Meta Peelen-Reith to her sons in my personal collection as well as a chapter from the memoir "A Wandering Tulip, the story of Gretel Peelen" by Ceris Arns, together with my own recollection of my mother Annemarie's  stories and my memories of travelling by sea.  I wrote it for an assignment for the Diploma of Family History unit Writing the Family Saga at the University of Tasmania. 

Meta busied herself with unpacking her sons’ luggage in their cabin aboard the steamship Gera. She knew her boys Reini and Will would be quite happy to live “out of a suitcase” but this was a last motherly act, a last chance to care for them, her two youngest sons; Will, almost seventeen, and Reini, almost fifteen. In just a few hours, she would have to leave them aboard ship while she went back home to the plantation Getas, where her husband Rein was the manager.

Tears pricked her eyes and she concentrated hard on folding their clothes neatly and placing them in the drawers of the dresser that sat between the two bunk beds and underneath the porthole window. She listened as Rein, seated on the bed, chatted away to their boys, inane conversation, really, but so precious! Their voices - she treasured the sound. How long would it be before she would see them again?

This was normal, she told herself, everyone sent their children over to Holland to complete their education at secondary school. They were going to a safe place, to caring family and already their older brother Edwin, at nineteen practically grown up, was there and could help them settle, she consoled herself. 

Rein looked over at Meta, her face hidden by her dark hair as she folded away the last of the socks and he felt her sadness. He would miss his boys too. Not only in the big things, like playing tennis with them in the cool of the evenings after he had finished his work. But also just knowing they were home, hearing their bright voices echoing from the wide spacious verandah, while he worked in his office at the back of the house. It would be more silent now. Their young daughters, Annemarie and Gretel would miss them too, he knew, though Reini was a terrible tease and liked to play tricks on them. They wouldn’t miss that!

He stood up. “Let’s go up to the lounge for a drink and see who’s there and meet your fellow travellers”  he said a little too loudly and cheerfully.

The lounge was busy with other passengers chatting with their friends and colleagues who had come to farewell them. Happy voices, excited about going home on leave, after ten years in the East, mingled with the quiet tones of soft goodbyes. Who knew if or when they would meet again. Glasses clinking, good wishes ringing out. But some voices were tinged with envy - they couldn’t go home yet. 

All too soon the bell was rung and the ship’s departure was announced. All visitors now had to go ashore.

“Remember to write, I want to know everything, what you like and don’t like, how you feel. Everything about the trip.” Meta hugged them tight. 

“I will write as soon as I can and Will, don’t worry, I’ll look after your little garden, check it every day. “

“Reinie, that light you made for Annemarie’s doll’s house, thank you for doing that, she loves it.” Meta kissed them again. “Oh, I nearly forgot, don’t be too upset, you will probably not get any mail from us until Marseille, because that is the first port for airmail,” Meta pulled away, reluctantly.

Rein stepped forward now and leaning in a little, clasped Reini’s hand between both his hands, briefly and warmly.  Then, he turned to Will, already almost as tall as his him, and shook his hand firmly while he reminded them both,“write to us as often as you can, dear boys, your mother and I are counting on it.” 

Rein and Meta went down the gang way and stood on the quay and looked back up, scanning the faces at the railings. “There,” said Meta, pointing out the boys,”Oh, isn’t that the ship’s doctor, just behind them?” The doctor waved and indicated not to worry, he would keep an eye on the boys. Meta made a mental note to make sure to write him to thank him for his kindness. 

They watched as the ropes tethering the ship were untied and once free she turned away from the quay and headed out to sea. “Let’s go to the Yacht Club,” said Rein, “we can still see her from the Pier.”

They stood close together on the rocks of the Pier and Meta got out her handkerchief and waved it, just in case they were still out on deck. For almost an hour they watched the Gera sail further and further away, smaller and smaller, until she finally disappeared over the horizon.