Biography of the Absent, Part One

June 1931 AD. Jeddah Port in the Red Sea. Abdul Mohsen Al-Sawal begins his long sea journey after boarding the ship heading south. He boarded the ship among groups of travelers whose tongues were mixed with non-Arabs, and whose costumes and appearances varied. He moved around with his luggage, avoiding the crowds of passengers gathered on the roof and around the eaves of the ship, and jumping over the baskets, boxes, and bags until he settled in his place in one of the compartments, sharing the place and sleep with two Indian pilgrims. The ship will pass near Aden, then continue its journey towards the Arabian Sea until the port of Colombo on the island of Ceylon, where it will refuel with fuel and supplies, then continue its journey east towards the island of Penang near the western coast of Malaysia. The ship will stop there for some pilgrims to disembark, and then head to Singapore Island, where it will stop and Abdul Mohsen Al-Sawal will disembark to spend a few days in the hospitality of Mr. Ibrahim Al-Saqqaf, one of the most important Arab notables on the island. He will enjoy company and hospitality in Singapore, before continuing his journey south to the port of Tanjung in Batavia, the then capital of Indonesia.