This Earth of Mankind

Content Warning: Chapter 14 contains a description of rape perpetuated by a family member.

Nyai wakes Minke in the middle of the night, telling him someone has come to see him. A police officer waits downstairs with orders to transport Minke to an unannounced destination by 5pm. Minke protests, detailing his legal rights and demanding to know who has sent for him and where he is to go. The officer remains pleasant but insistent. Annelies expresses great anxiety as she prepares Minke: “Annelies […] approached me, unable to speak. […] She grabbed hold of my hand and held it. Her hand trembled” (117). Eventually, Minke ends up riding a train with the police officer to his hometown, which he identifies as simply “T—”. Minke realizes he is being taken to the residence of the bupati, the highest ranking Native official of the town of B—. Once at the residence, Minke is ordered to walk on his knees as a sign of reverence. Sitting with head bowed, Minke recognizes his father’s voice and realizes he is now the local bupati. Minke apologizes for not reading and responding to the family’s letters, letters that would have informed him of his father’s new position and required participation in his father’s installation.