Page 33 of Sisters Under The Rising Sun

Chapter 6

Camp II, Irenelaan, Palembang

April 1942–October 1943

‘We have something for you.’ One of the Dutch nuns, Sister Catherina, has stopped Nesta in the street on her way to make her rounds of the camp. Earlier that day, she organised the nurses into pairs to work a roster visiting their neighbours, when they have been instructed to make friends as well as to tend to minor ailments. Somehow, she knows that community spirit is going to be essential if they are to survive their incarceration.

Sister Catherina is from the Charitas order who run the local hospital in Palembang: their leader is Mother Laurentia, she tells Nesta.

The nun reaches deep into the pockets of her habit and takes out three packs of bandages and some painkillers. Nesta is overjoyed. This is better than bananas; now, she has a few tools of her trade to help those in need.

‘We have to be careful, and it’s not much,’ the nun tells her. ‘But we will bring what we can.’

‘Good morning. I am Ah Fat, translator for Captain Miachi, your camp commandant.’ Ah Fat is a short, bespectacled man in civilian clothing, who has the habit of pushing his glasses up his nose as he speaks.

Two weeks have passed since their arrival and the women had been settling into the routine business of survival, until one morning when word began to spread that they were all to assemble the next day at noon. No further information was revealed, although rumours abound. Might they be about to be released? Or moved again? But, alas, not.

‘Dr McDowell is your internee commandant,’ Ah Fat continues, indicating a woman standing nearby. ‘If any of you have problems, you will go to her, and she will speak to me and I will tell the captain. Understand?’

The captain’s uniform displays colourful insignias. Short in stature, his hair parted immaculately, his swagger confident, he smiles at the women.

The women remain silent, and Ah Fat nods at the captain to continue.

‘There will be some changes,’ Ah Fat translates for the women. ‘When you hear the wordtenko, you will come outside. One of you will count everyone else in your house and this number will be reported to us. Understand?’

No one speaks. The captain briskly walks away as another soldier steps forwards.

‘Tenko!’ he screams.

For a moment, the women glance at one another, unsure what to do.

‘Tenko!’ he screams again.

Dr McDowell steps forwards. ‘Ladies, I’m Dr McDowell,’ she says in a soft Scottish accent. ‘Those of you who have had the misfortune of needing medical treatment will have already met me. I’ll get to know the rest of you, I’m sure. But, right now, you’ve all heard the command, so I suggest, before there’s any trouble, you return to your houses and get counting.’

At the word ‘trouble’, the order finally hits home. Chaos erupts as the women scramble to get back to their houses.

Norah finds Ena and June and they quickly return home and wait outside for the others to arrive. Margaret is back last, strolling, not in any hurry to jump at the orders of the Japanese. ‘Now, who wants to do this dreadful count?’ she asks.

No one speaks, until Norah finally steps forwards. ‘I will.’

A knock on the door of number 24 wakes the inhabitants. It is early – still dark. Nesta extricates herself from her cot and, with everyone else by her side, goes to check. It is their Dutch neighbours, the three women who brought them food on their first day.

‘We’ve come to say goodbye,’ one says.

‘Where are you going?’ Nesta asks.

‘We don’t know. As usual, we’ve been told to take only what we can carry and be ready to leave at breakfast.’

‘I’m so sorry. We’ll never forget your kindness. We couldn’t have asked for better neighbours.’

‘We have left some clothes and other things that might come in useful in the house. Please help yourselves before the soldiers throw everything out.’

The nurses hug the women and, tearfully, the Dutch turn to leave.

As the nurses in number 24 prepare breakfast, their discussion turns to who their new neighbours might be and whether, morally, it is OK to ransack the house before they arrive. Nesta tells them she will talk with Jean and come up with a plan for what’s OK to take.

Before the nurses can get on with their day, a Japanese officer strides through Nesta’s front door. He is accompanied by Ah Fat, Captain Miachi’s interpreter. Behind him are the nurses from number 26.