Karim, Muhamed, Ilya, Princess Sofia are college students in Verenigde Staten van Indonesië where the nation is being controlled from the shadows by the outlawed extreme right wing party that wanted to take away the natives freedom by slandering Pri...
*Play the song above for the theme of this part, the song is a soundtrack from "De Oost" movie
POV Muhamed
Tired, sleepy, disappointed, those feelings mixed into anger that was burning inside me right now. That damn two-faced middle aged man is apparently the enemy in the blanket who became a thorn in our side, I'm not the grumpy and violent type but I really wanted to hit his face until his nose broke and his teeth fell out of his jaw or to hit the vein in his neck many times so that he was tortured by shortness of breath.
Just now I had to deal with death which felt very close when I drove brother Lodewijk's car in order to become a bait so that damned police unit would be distracted so that Ilya could destroy the malware that was infected his devices and now I have to try to avoid death again.
I know I shouldn't be complaining but all these things are new to me. I thought the life of a spy, secret agent, detective or other law enforcer is a cool thing but the real world is not a movie where the script can be read and the ending can be known. The world and all the stories of the creatures in it have been written by Allah and only He who knows how it will end.
Karim, how can you and your people survive colonialism and oppression, fighting against all this so that you all are are free from all these terrible things? How can your people continue to hope that freedom will come despite hundreds of years of waiting? Ah, I don't know. I've never felt colonialism. Yes, my parent's home country was once ravaged by war but at least their home country was never colonized and prospered under the Ottoman rule while here? Only a handful of the Ottomans came and the natives here had to fight against the threats that are looming around them while hoping to God that freedom would come to them. Surrounded by enemies alone with no help. If I think about it, it turns out that the word inlander is a great word.
I believe the struggle of the heroes of the Indonesian archipelago is harder than mine, if they can avoid all the pursuits of their enemies in order to achieve freedom for this land then I should be able to do it. I must not be soft, just like the Ernest Douwes Dekker, my principles must be the same as him in this situation, ik ben indischik ben Indonesiër.
I kept forcing my feet to keep walking and following those two until finally from a distance, I could see a sign of a gas station. We kept going until we reached the gas station. In front of the gas station, the three of us talked a little and decided to enter the convenient store, buy the foods and drinks that we wanted and then eat them at the seats and table near the window that is merged with the entrance door. While we were eating, Ilya was still fiddling with his smartphone and then he told us something unpleasant.
"You guys, stop eating. I saw through the cctv around the way to the gas station, there were 3 motorbikes coming to this way and the people who drive are wearing black leather jacketsand black trousers. I can't see their faces because they're wearing helmets but, If our experiences are the same, you guys still remember that the police unit that all of us were fighting wear the same clothes like what i have described right? If so, we have to get out of here." he finished speaking.
"We don't have any vehicle, what else can we use to escape?" I asked in a panicked tone.
"In here there are 3 employees. Ask one of them, maybe someone has a vehicle that can be used." Ilya answered.
Me, Ilya and brother Lodewijk split up to ask each of them. I went over to the clerk manning the cash register and questioned him.
"Permisi Kang, punten (excuse me brother, pardon me), sorry to disturb you, may I ask for help?"
"Yes, how may I help you?" he asked.
"Do you know that man with the blonde hair is?" I asked.
"I recall seeing his face several times." he replied with a guessing expression.
"He's a lawyer for the defendant whose name is Karim, for Princess Sofia's case if you know." I explained to him.
"Oh yeah, I know." he said.
"Will you believe that now we are being chased by some kind of secret police unit that is trying to silence us? I don't have much time to explain it, kang, if you don't believe it that is okay but if we don't leave soon, your life might also be at stake." I gave him a brief explanation.
When I finished talking two other employees approached me with brother Lodewijk and Ilya. The three of them discussed for a moment and without further thoughts, the three of them immediately turned off the convenient store's lights, changed the open sign at the entrance and took us to the back of the store then one of them said.
"I can't help you guys because my vehicle is a motorbike but maybe they both can." he said then one of the other two spoke.
"We're both siblings and we have a car that is parked infront of the store, if you want you can borrow it." he said, pointing to the car parked in front of the store.
"Yes, kang, it's okay, thanks, your car has enough gas, right?" I asked.
"It seems enough for normal driving, but for driving at high speed, you have to fill it in first." he replied.
"Where's the key, kang?" asked brother Lodewijk and then he gave the key to brother Lodewijk then he handed the key to me.
"You're the one who'll drive, again, please." he asked, I nodded.
The three of us rushed out of the convenient store, then I opened the car, got into it, started the engine, reversed the car and drove it to the nearest gasoline pump. Brother Lodewijk sat beside me while Ilya sat in the back. One of the convenient store employees helped us fill the gas tank then we pay for the gas with digital money. I immediately stepped on the gas pedal and drove the car at high speed out of the gas station. When we were only several kilometers away on the road, the three motorbikes passed us. My heart is pounding wildly hoping that those three motorbikes drivers do not know that the people they are after are in this car. Waiting for them to pass by this car until the rearview mirror of this car can't show their reflection anymore is torturous for me but it seems fate softens itself up for us so that we survive their pursuit, alhamdulillaah.
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*Trivia
What Muhamed said "ik ben indischik ben Indonesiër" is one of many famous slogan made by Ernest Douwes Dekker/Eugene Douwes Dekker
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Link of the article: https://nasional.okezone.com/amp/2017/02/09/337/1613771/douwes-dekker-jurnalistik-jadi-wajah-menyebarkan-gagasan-perjuangan-bangsa
