We became fast friends...
And he, a loyal ally in times of need...
His name was Sergeant Shah, and served the British Royal Navy. That was until his ship veered off course during a particularly bad thunderstorm and finally shipwrecked on this island. All the men on board died. He was the only survivor. He told me he came from a very rich family from Kabul. His father was a enterprising "businessman" and had strong connections with important people in Central Asia and also the Indian sub-continent.
I told him of my most unfortunate circumstances and how i could not return to either Singapore or the Riau Islands. We shared a common bond the two of us. Two lost men, brought together on the same island by some force of fate. For awhile, life was good.
The Sergeant offered me shelter at the house he built.
There were lots of fruits to eat when we got hungry.
And of course, when you have to go, you have to go...
After a very long time together on the island i started to crave once again for the communal life. Being with another man on a remote island wasn't as communal as you would think. I decided that if the Sergeant's father had connections back at home--important connections, then I wouldn't mind asking for help. But the only way back was to return to Singapore and take a ship Northwest to Mumbai.
So, we got ourselves some disguise as Arab merchants...
The one on the left is me.
Hence, began our arduous journey towards freedom...
