Daendels Estella's
The batavia 1808
The main purpose of the arrival of Daendels in the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia is to maintain the Dutch position in Java, besides that he also has the task of improving the corrupt VOC government system. The arrival of Daendels in Batavia also replaced the position of Governor-General Albertus Wiese, the previous Governor-General. Daendels assumed the duties assigned by King Louis of Holland to carry out governmental reforms.
A year earlier, on 28 January 1807, shortly before his departure to the Dutch East Indies, Daendels was given the highest military rank as a Hollandian marshal to defend the island of Java from British attack, this rank was valid when he arrived in Java.
Along with Stella next to him, Daendels greeted the Dutch officials in Batavia to welcome him as the new Governor-General. Unlike the Governor-General who wears the royal elite clothes, Daendels is still loyal to his military attire.
Arriving in Batavia after a meeting with Dutch officials, Daendels decided to go directly to his halfway house away from Batavia itself, a place more suitable for homes than the less healthy Batavia neighborhood.
“They will take you to your room while you are here.” Daendels said to Stella who was still standing next to him.
Stella smiled very politely and nodded, the girl following the footsteps of the babus, the female housemaids who worked in the service of her employer. At that time they were called babu for women, while men were called jongos or sepen, if the gardener or horse and the like were called Kebon.
“Mistress, this is a room belonging to the mistress that you have prepared, if the mistress needs anything, the mistress can call me.”
Stella looked around her room, very nice, if in her era even things like this could not be called poor even though there was no ac/fan, television, television, and other electronic equipment that can be found in his home. But still, these are the richest, wealthiest people of our time.
“Who is your name?.”
“Sumi.”
Stella smile “Thanks Sumi.”
The girl who seemed to be the same age as Stella smiled happily because of the treatment that Stella gave her.
“I excuse me madam.”
“Iya.”
After Sumi left, Stella closed the door to her room and placed her belongings inside the box she had deliberately brought from the ship under her bed. The goods from the future are still being brought, there are complete clothes and one item, namely his apple watch that does not work, there is a complete outfit, not that it does not work but the expensive watch does not move at all, still at 16:00 and 28 January 2023.
“How can I go home.” Almost a month he was here but he did not find his way home at all, several times he was in the first location when he woke up and repeated the incident by trying to sleep there again, but the result was empty, he was still awake on that ship.
Stella saw many books lined up on the shelves in her room, the average book was in Dutch. Stella doesn't really understand but one book caught her eye, the book that reads ‘elke gebeurtenis heeft een reden en elke reden komt voort uit kennis’ (Every Occasion Has a Reason and Every Reason Comes From Knowledge) Stella does not understand what it means but the girl open the book and sit in bed, trying to understand the contents of the book.
A knock on the door averted Stella's busy gaze with her book, the girl went down the bed and opened the door. Daendels was in front of him in his previous clothes, he looked tired with sleep-deprived eyes, but still looked as dashing and dignified as a Governor General.
“I will check some places, chances are I will not go home for a few days. If you want to go anywhere, you can ask for help to babu and one of the soldiers in this house to accompany you out, do not go out alone including just out the gate.”
“Good, Thanks for the help.” Stella doesn't want to ask Daendels much, but Stella believes she has her own reasons for keeping Stella at home under surveillance. Remembering in this Age is also not a quiet age for every life.
“Sama-sama.” Daendels flipped his body just a few steps, Stella holding his arm making the man stop his steps and look towards Stella.
Daendels smiled as he nodded, Stella hopes that her coming here is God's choice to improve history, everyone has a reason for her presence on this earth, Stella also has a reason to be in this place now, if he wants to he just wants to stay home, tease Daendels and be his wife, it's not hard to do that. But Stella's reason here is not for that, but to help the natives who will be forcibly employed because of the construction of Anyer-Panarukan road.
Daendels was always busy with his work, even during his time on the ship he was also busy himself. Just like when he arrived in Batavia, being at home can be counted with one hand, not until 1 hour he will go back somewhere and do what. Stella whose position is only a Princess Company brought by the Governor General, the count is only a mistress who has never been used for any purpose, when the wives of Dutch people will go to follow the husband on duty, the count is only a mistress who has never been used for any purpose, Stella wasn't because she was just a stranger.
That afternoon as the sun began to change with the night, Stella came out of her room and sat down in the lounge chair in front of her room, the room facing directly from the backyard. The yard filled with flower plants was treated by Sarji a kebon from indigenous people who worked at home. Daendels did deliberately hire indigenous people to take care of his house rather than the Dutch, because the Indigenous people are more polite and also very capable of taking care of the house.
“This is her tea mistress.” Sumi put a cup of tea on Stella's desk, while she was here, Stella learned Dutch just to read a lot of books to reduce her stress.
“I want to get out of the house for a walk, are you busy tomorrow?.”
“I will take my time to accompany the mistress looking outside.”
“You never return home after working here, it feels like you never go home.”
“I have no family, I live alone with my husband. He is a native worker who works for Dutch people, we meet once every month.”
Stella just nodded, many people worked for years in her era and only met their wife or child after 4-5 years, he said, in this era it is still tolerable because in one month at least they can still meet each other.
“How old are you?.”
“I am 15 years old this year.”
Uhuk uhuk
Stella who was drinking her tea immediately coughed at hearing Sumi's very young age, should Sumi go to school, but in this era there is no girls' school. RA Kartini was born in 1879 or 1880, she is one of the indigenous princesses who fight for women's rights.
“You're okay madam?.”
“Ya I'm fine.” Stella takes the handkerchief that Sumi gave her.
“The woman must be capable, capable in the field of household, kitchen, child, and bed. I learned that from a local noble family woman. But seeing Madame Stella who always carries books, reads, and writes something I can't understand makes me curious."
“What you say is true, the duty of women after marriage is to take care of the household. But not only that, because as a mother, she also has to teach her children, my child is my responsibility, maybe someone helps with kitchen work, she said, but I myself have to teach my child later because as a mother who is certainly the closest position to the father with children, so women must be smart.”
“It turns out to be true the fact that the company's daughters have their own standards in life, I'm amazed at you. When you arrived with Mr. Daendels, I thought that you were a very great woman, it turned out to be true.”
“Thank you, but you are also a meritorious person here.”
Seriate