Indische menschen in Holland: Oorspronkelijke roman

The story opens on a wind‑blown autumn evening in a fledgling suburb of The Hague, where rows of unfinished houses stand under a grey sky. Captain Roos, newly retired after two decades in the Dutch East Indies, lives with his large family in a cramped upstairs flat that feels as empty as the street outside. The cold seeps through cracked walls while the children press their flattened noses against frosted windows, drawing crude soldier figures. Mrs. Roos clings to memories of tropical heat and lush gardens, making the Dutch winter seem unbearable.

Each day the captain dons gloves, grabs his staff, and walks the bitter streets, spending more time in the local “Dierentuin” than at home. There he joins a few former comrades for a drink that recalls distant rice tables, a brief escape from mounting bills and a shrinking pension. Yet their modest savings are fading, and the looming threat of poverty shadows the family's quiet desperation, caught between a lost homeland and an unforgiving present.