Chapter Text
Indonesian independence day. We're free. Dirga heard those words from his brother's mouth seconds ago. He sat opposite him on their dinner table in their wooden house. Chandra's still rambling about the things that are happening surrounding the proclamation of independence of their beloved country, but only those three words stuck in his brain. His lips moving without him realizing it, soundlessly mouthing those three words. Indonesia is free.
As the night grew, Dirga found himself unable to fall asleep. He couldn't wait to tell his students in his class tomorrow, can't wait to guide them to be the leader, protector and guardian of this motherland
*****
Dirga awoke when he felt someone shake his shoulder roughly. He turned around and saw his brother already putting on his Heiho uniform.
"Leaving already, bang? This early?" Dirga mumbled while rubbing his eyes.
"Early? What time do you think it is now? Go take a bath and go to work." Chandra replied.
Dirga went silent and immediately jumped off of his bed. His brain works fast. If his brother, who usually wakes up much later than him, is already ready to go, that means he is running late.
Half running to the back of the house where their bathroom is located. He immediately poured water over himself with a water scoop and rubbed a white bar soap all over his body. The cold water and the fragrant soap was enough to fully awaken his senses to face the day.
After dressing up, he went to the dining table where his mother and brother had already started their breakfast. When she saw him coming, she grabbed an empty plate and filled it with two scoops of rice with a piece of salted fish and a slice of omelet.
"You want sambal too?" his mother asked.
"No, mom." said Dirga after he swallowed a gulp of hot tea on the table.
"So, you have new things to tell your students today, huh Dirga?' mother started a conversation
After swallowing his bite Dirga spoke, "Yes. It felt like a dream listening to Bang Chandra's story yesterday."
"It is crazy when you think about it. Those youth in West Java. They were able to force Soekarno to announce our independence," chimed Chandra in the middle of his chewing. "Not only to the entire Jawa island, but to the world. The world!" he added.
"More, Chan?" their mother asked when Chandra finished his hot tea.
"No. I'm full. I need to get going now." he continued, standing up from his chair. "I'll see you mom, Dir."
"Come on, finish your breakfast, you're going to be late." His mother's voice brought Dirga back where his eyes glued to the door where Chandra's figure was seconds ago and abandoned his food.
Startled by his mother's touch on his arm, Dirga scoop the last of his rice in two spoonful, drinking up all his now cold tea in two big gulps.
"Slow down." his mother warns.
Dirga chuckled and immediately gathered all the empty dishes to bring to the back of the house.
"I'll do it. You hurry up now." his mother grabbed those plates from his hand and pushed him to hurry up.
Dirga went to his room and went up front to the bicycle that was propped up by the wall. After saying goodbye to his mother, Dirga rode his bicycle belonging to his late father to the cobbled street. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and realized that he only had ten minutes before school began.
He remembered the watch that was given to him by his childhood friend. Before, Dirga can only feel jealous seeing Chandra with his pocket watch, a gift from their late father. There were times when Chandra won't even let Dirga touch that thing.
For natives like them, modern instruments like pocket watches were a luxurious item that they can only witness worn by powerful figures around them, natives and Dutch. Until one day Dirga obtained that watch, a gift from his childhood friend on his last day in this land.