Glenn’s face formed like bliss after the truck’s door swung open. 

“We’re here.”

“And where’s here?” Asher frowned when the bright sunlight shot his eyes.

“Step down and you’ll see.”

And outside was like a masterpiece of painting. Double rainbows spread over the distance were the first things Jules saw. It was in the middle of nowhere, and two small houses sat confidently surrounded by endless greens of corn fields. Mini gazebos full of crops decorated the area, and local farmers worked here and there in the hectares of land also helped please the eyes.

An old man came out of the sweet house with his pink summer clothing with that amazing white fedora. He had only one leg and was walking with stretchers.

Rake smiled after seeing the guy. “Well, he’s rich.”

“Stop it, Rake.”

“Welcome, all of you.”

The abundant of soldiers coming out of the two trucks looked like they’d been buried in mud and transformed into zombies. Their soaking clothes already filthed the entire area, but the rich guy seemed to not care.

“Who are you?” Asher asked without any courteous.

“Who am I? I’m the wealthiest man in this damn island!” His accent, yet again, very thick. Dutchman for sure. Blonde, blue eyes, talks like a German-English, he must be a Dutch.

“How do you get here?” Blake asked to Glenn.

“Ask Jai.”

“Mr. Visser helped me some years back. He’s a really good person and we have nowhere left to go. His fields are the most concealed part of the island.”

“My boy Jai is correct. You are all safe here. You have plentious food and warm baths. Also, call me Cortland. Don’t be too formal.”

Jules walked with Rake, Jai, John, and Cortland toward the first simple house. It was amazing and very open to the nature. They had three balconies and the kitchen was technically outside, just with a roof, and there were too many dogs to count. The house itself was bigger than a soccer field.

A surprisingly young woman welcomed them at the first house with tens of dry towels and handed them to each one of the wet soldiers.

“God gracious you’re all soaking. You’ll catch come colds.”

That damn nice lady sounded British to Jules’ ears. She seemed a bit humbler than the man, and probably half his age also.

The first house was full of giant storage rooms, giant balconies, giant areas full of plantations, giant communal rooms, and dozens of bathrooms and toilets. Jules learned that the first home was for the workers and farmers living here, but the place was twice bigger than they intended when they first built it.

Jules received the t-shirt and the rugged Jeans from Cortland’s wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Visser, and went straight to the bathroom.

All of the soldiers occupied the same room, and there were still plenty of spaces left. Mrs. Visser prepared them giant mats and comfortable blankets. For pillows, they had to use their backpacks.

The farmers, after retired from their works, cooked them fried rice and served them watermelons for dinner. That night was pretty amazing for all of them, so Jules wanted to personally say thank you to the two hosts.

Some were already snoring, some were walking outside, some were playing cards or even just stared at the skies at the balconies. Jules stood above his mat, straightened his back, and made sure that Rake was asleep before walking to the other house.

The other house was twice smaller with cooler architecture. The first room to enter was the kitchen, and Jules could hear men laughing and the light was also on.

Someone descended closer from Jules’ back, and it was John. “Wanna go there to say thanks?”

“Yep. You too?”

“Yeah. I feel like living in a heaven thanks to these folks.”

Jules and John entered the kitchen and somehow, there were already Glenn, Jai, Blake, and two other Dutchs, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Visser. 

“Sorry to interupt,” John started. “We just want to say thank you. It might be very dangerous to keep us here.”

“Oh dear. Oh dear no need to thank us. No one will find us here,” Mrs. Visser answered. “Come, there’s plenty of food left. Dig in.”

John and Jules couldn’t resist and took their seats beside Glenn. Jules, curious, asked the couple many things.

“How are you planning to live here without the Japanese knowing?”

“Oh, very good question. Elizabeth and I have already been here for almost twenty years. They just invaded this land for what? Two days? Five? They won’t know about this small house of ours. We never got out, and the locals are always helping us with the selling. Heck, not even the Dutch knew we’re here when they’re still around.”

“How many acres of corns are in here?” John asked while sipping his coffee.

“Corns? Forty acres. We also got a cow pasture at the west and a wine field in the east.”

“Cortland, stop bragging.”

“He asked. I must answer, don’t I, honey?”

“So you’re not scared if... if the Japanese ever finds out where you live and, you know, threatens this haven?”

“No, we’re always neutral to the war.” The sound was very ingenuine, and Jules could even sense them. “We’ll never abuse the law and danger our kid here. We’re farmers. Not that I prefer the Japanese than the Dutch occupying this soil, but you know, war isn’t technically our thing.”

“But you helped us here. Surely The Japanese will come one day. What should we do if the time comes?”

“If the time comes, Private, I must ask you to leave before they ever come. You can use the eastern jungle to hide and camp while they inspect this place. We can prepare the escape because I always have a guard eying the entrance road to this complex 24/7. But that time will never come. So do not worry, you will be safe in here.”

A healthy, blonde boy ran to his mother and whispered something to her.

“Just go back to sleep, I will be in one second.”

And the boy ran.

“That’s your kid?” Jules asked.

“Aaron Visser. He’s handsome isn’t he?” Cortland’s voice seemed very proud of the boy.

“He is. How old is he?”

“Thirteen since last month.”

“Ah.”

“I have to go, gentlemen,” Mrs. Visser said suddenly. “Aaron have yet again been dreaming of the landmines in the east.”

“Did you just say landmines?”

But Mrs. Visser was gone. 

Cortland laughed easily. “Those local boys kept scaring him too much about landmines, saying that the eastern jungle is full of those. I mean, my farmers use that jungle all the time to access Kuto Village and no explosion ever occurred. These kids are like that sometimes.”

“You say local boys? I saw many of them playing around before dark. Those are the farmers’ kids?”

“Yes, Glenn, that’s correct. These kids live here happily and they can run around without being afraid of the war. I like seeing them play, you know? This island’s kids aren’t always so lucky.”

“That’s true,” Jai said suddenly.

“Come, eat.”

And after that, everyone retired for the night. Their sleeps couldn’t be comfier and their dreams couldn’t be more hopeful, but hope wasn’t very relevant in the dark times.

The morning rose and it was seven o’clock. A quarter of the soldiers still snored, including drowsy-ass Rake. Jules joined Asher, who was smoking outside and breathed the fresh air of the countryside. Farmers in the distance already started working, and their children ran here and there without the burden of war on their shoulders.

“Want some?”

“Oh, no thanks, I don’t smoke.”

“Suit yourself.”

The smoke gushed out from Asher’s mouth.

“I envy them, you know?” Asher finally talked with a genuine voice.

“I think me too.”

“They’re so free, so happy. I wish to go back to the elementary and just bully another kid.”

Jules smirked. “Yeah. You certainly had a weird childhood.”

“The weirdest,” Asher added.

Asher blew out some more of his smokes. Jules hoped to see magical shaped formed from those smokes, but he certainly read too many books.

“You know.” Asher started the conversation. “It’ll be a pity if all of this is ruined.”

“Yes, that’s why I kinda don’t feel like staying here. Firstly, I don’t deserve it, and secondly, these kids and people might be in trouble. We should just leave.”

“And go where? I mean, you’re right about them being in trouble if the Jeps ever finds out, but we have nowhere to go, Jules.”

Jules did not answer. He stared at the birds flying pass him.

“Maybe this is your early reward for fighting so bravely in the war,” Asher said.

Jules thought about this. He told himself in the mind that he did suffer through a lot, and he more than any people deserved that haven. Cortland’s field was certainly a paradise. 

“You’re right. Besides, that won’t be able to find us here. This island is too big to scour over.”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine with sticking to these people.”

“I guess so. These sweet couple is also so kind to us.”

“Sweet couple? She’s like half his age and she does all the work.”

“What? How did you?”

“I’m an observative person, Jules. I pay attention to things.”

“We’ve been here for one night, and you weren’t even joining us in the kitchen last evening.”

“I listened, though, from the outside.”

Jules shook his head and proceeded to walk away from the little stalker. Talking to him did convince him of a thought, but talking longer to him could give him a headache.

On the second’s house terrace, Aaron was already on his bike and paddled it east. Cortland smoked his gigantic cigar on one of the antique couches there, looking at the flying birds and swaying crops.

“Mind if I join?”

“Oh no, please join.”

“Your son’s heading east I see? Thought he’s scared of the place.”

“I said there’s nothing to worry about there. He wants to proove that he’s not a coward.”

Jules felt a small feeling of worry running through his face. What if there were landmines. What if those local kids were telling the truth. But Jules knew nothing of the place, unlike Cortland who’d been settling there for so long. I mean, why would an army install landmines there? Maybe for the guerrillas which bothered the Dutch a lot of times?

“Anyway, last night was fun, but strange that I haven’t even know your name yet.”

 “Oh.” Jules smiled with extreme embarrass. “I’m Jules West. I’m so sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize. And nice to meet you, Jules West.”

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Cortland Visser.”

He smirked and smoked his cigar some more. 

“I lied, you know.”

“Sorry?”

“Last night I said that we’re neutral to the war. You might have the impression of me not caring of the war, and that it doesn’t have much impact on me. I lied.”

“Oh?” Jules was confused on how to respond.

“Yeah. I had a son once. Ronald Visser. He was my favorite of the three.”

Jules was still unable to say anything.

“Ronald joined the British Navy three years ago, at age eighteen. We were still… convinced that the probability of him surviving is high. He studied at Brighton at the time, and he told us one day, that all his friends were joining in. He wanted to too, so of course we let him. I mean, serving the army is a huge honor, right? If not, those bastards are gonna invade more countries than just Poland.”

“What happened?”

“He died, of course. This is war, son. War swallows victims every day. There’s too many people die, too many to remember, too many that finally be forgotten. My Ronald was one of the forgotten. If he was a general or a captain, history books might note him, quote him, and his stories maybe will be adapted into novels or biographies, but no. He’s simply a private who was decimated by German bombers at Dunkirk.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Son, I told you, this is war. Consequences like that are normal. I mean, it did feel really painful the first time that happened. Heck, Elizabeth didn’t even eat at the time. It still hurts, but time starts to eat ‘em away.”

“How did you do it?”

“What?”

“Coping. How did you let it go?”

Cortland saw Jules with both his eyes. He studied Jules’ question and face. He identified what kind of answer and approach he should use. Jules was a very complicated yet very simple man. He denied everything, yet he was still not broken.

Cortland sighed. “Truthfully, my boy, until now, I still see him in my dreams. He comes almost every night, dropping his briefcase to the floor and hugs me, and then dances with his mother on the wool carpet. But if you ask me that question, the answer would be to try to live a new life. You have to let yourself die, and then reborn in a new way. Bury yourself deep inside your heart, and then reemerge as another person, as someone who has a brand new life.”

Jules didn’t even understand what he’d meant. Cortland was speaking too implicitly. 

“I don’t think I quite understand.”

Cortland tapped Jules’ shoulder briefly. “I suggest, after all of this is over, and you find your way back home, find a girl. You should marry and buy a home. That way, you’ll have a new life.”

Jules nodded. “But I feel like I’m betraying my sister by doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Loving another person, caring for someone not her or my mom.”

“Your sister wants you to be happy, Jules. Your sister is very sad right now, looking at you grumpy and sad all the time. Loving and caring for someone else doesn’t mean forgetting people in your past. It’s choosing a new life to get out of the sad hole you’re currently trapped in. It’s a way out, and I’m sure your sister will smile to you when you finally proposed a woman.”

Ava’s doll in his hands was rougher than the day before. Too many rainwater soaked it, making it looked coarsened. 

“We all lose someone in wars. It’s just how it is. People die.”

Jules didn’t even want to talk about grieve anymore. He let Cortland finished his sentence and started a new topic.

“You said you have three children?”

“Oh, yeah, George, clever boy. He’s second. He’s studying biology in Melbourne.”

Biology? I always wanted to learn biology. Meanwhile I’m stuck in this disgusting war.

And yes, Jules talked for a while about biology stuff to Cortland, and the sun was high when they finished.