Evening Flower

 Willi, a young Swiss geologist, and his wife Leny went to Indonesia in 1938. They lived on the tropical island of Borneo, learned the native language, and soon adjusted to their new exotic surroundings. In December 1941 the war broke out. They fled to the mountains of Java, but the Japanese invaded the island. The young family was unable to return to their homeland; they were stuck in the middle of a terrible war. A year later they moved to Bandung where Willi worked at the museum. The Japanese constantly watched them and reminded the Swiss that friends of the enemy were Japan’s enemy. Food was running out; each day was a struggle. Finally, at the end of 1945, about three months after the war ended, they were able to leave on a British battleship and return to Europe. After recuperating for several months they returned to Borneo for three more years.