Rebirth 1973 - Chapter 50 That Feeling Again

After a while, the woman earlier comes back with a tray and put Henry and Soekardi drink on the table.

“You can go now.” Soekardi says to the woman while sipping his drink.

After the woman has left, Soekardi starts the conversation.

“May I ask you what would you do in Indonesia, Mr. Henry ?” Soekardi put back his drink on the table and staring at Henry.

Henry takes a sip of his coffee as he feels tired especially now is night time.

“Good coffee, is this the famous Luwak Coffee ?” Henry asking Soekardi who still staring at him.

“Enough talk, there are 432 people on your plane, why you brought them to Indonesia ?” Soekardi starts to feel impatient as he feels Henry start divert the talk. Indonesia Declaration of Independence just over 30 years ago, and there are still many problems inside of it.

Even though the situation is better compared to 10 years ago, but there are still many conflicts in Indonesia. The most recent, biggest and even famous to the International stage is the Papua Conflict. Indonesia has been colonized by the Dutch for over 3 century and even now it’s still not over.

Papua Conflict is one of the Dutch attempt to reclaim their former colonized land. Even though Papua problem has been solved by the Referendum in 1969 observed by the United Nations, the Dutch still not give up.

Following the referendum in 1969, the territory was formally integrated into Indonesia. Instead of 816,000 Papuans resident, only 1,022 Papuan tribal representatives were allowed to vote and all of these were coerced into voting in favor of integration.

While several international observers including journalists and diplomats criticized the referendum as being rigged, the United States and Australia support Indonesia’s efforts to secure acceptance in the United Nations for the pro-integration vote.

That same year, 84-member states voted in favor for the UN to accept the result, with 30 others abstaining. Due to Dutch efforts to promote their national identity in Papua, a significant number of Papuans refused to accept the territory’s integration into Indonesia. These formed the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) and have waged an insurgency against Indonesia, which still continues to this day.

So most of the Indonesian people especially the older generation is hate toward the Dutch. This hate even spreading to most of the Western people, as the Indonesian thought they still being colonized even though they already independent.

Soekardi is one of the older generations, he even in participates every fight toward Dutch since 1945. You named it, Aggression I & II, Operation Trikora, Soekardi has participated in all of that. He very hates toward Western people as the Western people take everything from Indonesia since 3 century ago.

So when his superior informed him there’s a plane contain 400+ foreigner would land at his base, he immediately suspicious toward this. His superiors did not give him any command for this, so he can only improvise.

“It’s my business what I’m gonna do with my people, what is your right to question me? Believe me or not, I can complain about this to your superior.” Henry answered Soekardi, he feels this Soekardi hate for him is very intense right now.

He seems already knows what is going on right now just with the information Soekardi leaked out. Since he already knows, he must test it first if it true or not.

Soekardi eyes redden and he suddenly pulled out a pistol from his waist and pointing it at Henry.

“Complain to my superior. who do you think you are foreigner!!! I’m the king here in my base, nobody can stop me here!!!” Just as when Soekardi want to press the trigger, the door suddenly opened.

“STOPPPP SOEKARDI, what are you going to do? Do you know that Mr. Henry is our honored guest?” A man suddenly barging in and shouted at Soekardi who almost press the trigger. His cold sweat is oozing out as he can already imagine his fate if the honored guest killed by Soekardi.

The man ran to Soekardi who still pointing the pistol and kicking Soekardi stomach. Soekardi fall into the floor and hold his stomach. The man took the pistol and secured it and shouted again, “GUARD, take Soekardi out of this room. I will be the one who takes care of him later.”

With his command, 4 men dressed up in military uniform come in and take Soekardi who still lay on the floor. The man than approaching Henry who still sitting and keeping straight face.

“I’m sorry Mr. Henry for what just happened. It’s not our will to treat you like that, it’s just Soekardi personal intention.” The man bowing and say sorry in his most sincere tone.

Henry still keeping his calm face even after what just happened. Even though his face is calm, his inner self actually boiling. He never expects feeling so close to death again since his last death. When he saw Soekardi suddenly pointed the pistol at him, he feels the time suddenly stop.

He hated the feeling of his helplessness when he pointed by a gun. When he pointed by the pistol, he can feel his adrenaline soared so much that he almost pounced toward Soekardi. Luckily the man arrived on time, otherwise even he doesn’t know the consequence.

Henry calms himself down as the Adrenaline start to subside. He rises from his seat and pointing his finger toward the man who still bowing and says in Enlish, “You don’t know I’m almost dying just now and you only say sorry ?”

The man then straightens his back and replied, “I really say sorry on our president behalf. Our president, Mr. Soeharto already know your arrival, but since you came at night, he can’t personally entertain you so Soekardi was chosen to entertain you.

I didn’t expect he will do that, luckily I’m coming just now. To compensate you for what Soekardi did, we invited you to the hotel first, our president will personally talk to you tomorrow.”

Henry knows already Soekardi act himself, but he didn’t expect that Soekardi would be reacted so extreme. But he can’t do anything toward it as he is now in other people territory. So he can only rest today matter, but he will not let this let go just like that.

“And there is one more thing, your 400+ men already passed our inspection and ready to go. Do you need our help to transport them ?” The man says.

Henry faces still a little bit sullen, but he immediately replied, “I need them to be transported to your port, Tanjung Priok. There’s a ship who will take them to their destination and that’s all that I need.”

The man nodded and said, “I will take care of that, please follow me, sir. The car is ready and it will be directly delivering you to the hotel.”

“One more thing, tell to a man named Sajit that I would be waiting for them in their destination. I believe he would understand what I mean.”