By Mira Djajadiredja
The footsteps were closing in. Ipah squeezed herself into the tiny space, cowering behind the water jug.
“Come out, pretty girl.” The foreign soldier grabbed her shoulders. “Show your face!”
Ipah crawled out. She slowly looked up, eyes wide with fear. The soldier scrunched his forehead.
Suddenly, Ipah grinned widely and started humming random songs. Her eyes drifted somewhere. The soldier cursed, and shoved her away.
“Let’s go! She’s a lunatic.”
The footsteps faded, and Ipah slumped against the wall in relief. She wiped the soot and ash from her face, and tidied her unkempt hair. She was safe for today.
I liked the character development in the story. The soldier is portayed as easily fooled and mentally ill. Ipah is shown to be the opposite, smart and sane. The soldier also looks far less experienced in a war-torn area than Ipah.
Thank you.
Terima kasih, Mira. Great little tale. And so glad you didn’t engage in the usual “clever” twist at the end! Jerry
Terima kasih kembali. Actually this was not a tale, it was inspired by a real event that happened to my grandmother. Thankfully she went through the war safely.
Yes, I agree with the above. No punch line, just naturally developed and holding interest all the way through.
Thank you.
Terima kasih banyak. Lucky he didn’t rape her anyway…
Terima kasih kembali. Sadly, that’s not the case for thousands of Javanese girls at the time…
Crisp writing that coveys the scene very well. Liked a lot.
Well done. I felt like I could feel the young girl’s fear. I’m sorry your grandmother had to deal with this lunacy.