Jan van Eden
bio - biography Stories of my life as a
young man
I had the first contacts with people who were
different from us Dutch in the city of Groningen. My friend Jan Hoogland,
with him I sat on the school desk for 4 years at high school and with whom I
also did all sorts of things on weekends at the sea scouts De Bevers, often
spoke about the Jonas family from Suriname, with whom he had a lot of
contact. I personally did not meet this family, but I did meet the Tjong
Ayong family who had their children at the Rijks Hogere Burger School in
Groningen and who also came from Suriname. At that time there were not much
more than those two families from Suriname in the city of Groningen.
In 1959 my classmate Jan Hoogland moved to
Delden and from there on I sat next to Frits Tjong Ayong at school. That
went without any special attention, every boy was acceptable to me, without
distinction. Frits was not so outgoing and he had few stories. After several
months without news, the following happened during a short break in the
lessons. A student sitting behind us did something to the back of Frits's
head, which Frits thought I was to blame. He unexpectedly pushed me
backwards, causing me to get stuck between the table top and the backrest.
He hit my face with his fists without me being able to defend myself. When I
got up again it immediately became clear and I could forgive his mistake. I
was physically strong and could take a beating and it was no reason for a
complaint. However, I had to explain the story over and over the next few
days because I was sitting with a swollen purple and yellow eye. Although I
was constantly fighting in my elementary school years, I had renounced the
violence when I went to HBS. Here I was confronted with boys who were older
and stronger, from other districts, which I was not physically capable of
gaining in a fight.
It is curious that this incident in which
Frits beated me is unique, in the sense that I have never experienced
anything like it in my entire adventurous life. For me it always remains a
question how and why he reacted so quickly. Such an outburst of rage must
have arisen from an inner built-up frustration, possibly something to do
with his "being black" in our white society. For my part, my complete
self-confidence was sufficient to dismiss it as an incident without further
consequences.
His sister, Carry-Ann Tjong Ayong, was
mentioned in my biography in the year 1960. She continued in contact
with me through her visits to the gallery Art Singel 100. In the year 2000
Carry had a cerebral hemorrhage which partially paralyzed her, but we met
again in Utrecht in the year 2018.
With the other sister of Frits, Nel, I have
fond memories of the party by Magna Pete (the feminine student organisation
of the university of Groningen), mentioned in the year 1963 of my biography.
mencionada en el año 1963 de mi biografía,
|