My mothers struggle.........Her dreams.

My mother told me so often, about that beautiful country where I was born. Where she was so in love and where she had such good times with her husband Klaas. Her sister Eke,( my aunt) was living in Soerabaja and my mother lived in Bandoeng. They saw each other often. The Dutch East Indies (now called Indonesia)was Paradise on Earth.The year was 1939.Then in 1941 dark skies appeared on the horizon, and everything changed.The Japanese invaded the Dutch Indies. This beautiful country was soon turned into a living hell.How is it possible for human beings to bring so much horror and destruction.These Japanese called themselves soldiers, they were soldiers of the worst kind.You cannot call yourself a soldier, if you rape and torture innocent women and children. This is not what they teach you in the army. A soldier to me, is somebody who defends his country.But these Japanese were the worst kind of NIPPON soldiers.
The very sad thing is, that in this world we live in, it happens over and over again. There are still these Fanatic's (Lunatic's) in power. Look what is happening in Libya.I have friends in Jamaica who are from Libya, and they have family there. I feel for them and worry with them.Is FREEDOM such a difficult word to understand?
History repeat itself, again and again. How can mothers tell their children, not to worry,how can they tell their children without a lie "everything is going to be alright". It is always the mothers and their children, who suffer the most.What they go through,will be on their minds for the rest of their lives. Any woman who loses their son or their husband, or a child loses his/her  father in these conflicts will never be the same.They carry the scars for the rest of their life.

                                                      

She could not forget these beautiful sawa's.(rice fields)

                                            

Reflections of her past.

                                                         

Rays of Hope.

My mothers dreams.

Was it a dream?
Was it a dream about that beautiful land of emerald?
Was it a dream that I remember the sawa's?
Was it a dream that I remember the tropical sun?
Was it a dream that I remember the beautiful sunsets?
Was it a dream that I remember I climbed these beautiful mountains?
Was it a dream that I felt so much love in that faraway land?
Was it a dream that I was taken from my house?
Was it a dream that I had so many friends there?
Was it a dream that we lived in Peace?
Was it a dream that Japanese soldiers bombed this beautiful land?
Was it a dream I was put behind barbwire fences?
Was it a dream that I had lost my FREEDOM?
Was it a dream that I was tortured there?
Was it a dream that I was in prison for 31/2 years?
Was it a dream that these Japanese soldiers turned this beautiful country in a hell of misery?


Pretend you never knew this beautiful land of emerald.
Pretend you never climbed mountains.
Pretend you never lived there.
Pretend you have never loved there.
Pretend you never had seen the sawa's.
Pretend you never saw these beautiful sunsets.
Pretend you never were in Japanese Prison camp.
Pretend it was a phantom, which broke like glass.
Pretend you just woke up.

Was it a dream?

Was I in prison, and freed?

It was not a dream!
I remember the sawa's, the sunsets and tropical sun.
I remember the beautiful mountains
I remember the beautiful people, my friends.
I remember this peaceful country
I remember I was so in love
I wish I could forget, I try so hard!
It has been so long ago,
I do my best, but I remember still the same
And it breaks my heart!

written by; Tetske T. van der Wal.