Aug 3 Maria was 13 when she married Mansor, son of a friend of her foster mother, Aminah. MARIA BERTHA HERTOGH, 13-year-old Dutch girl, was married according to Muslim rites on Tuesday night to a 22-year-old teacher in a Government English school, Inche Mansoor Adabi. The marriage took place within four days of Bertha's return to her foster-mother, Che Aminah binte Mohamed. "It was love at first sight," said the newly-weds last night when they were seen at the house of Mr M.A. Majid, president of the Muslim Welfare Association, their temporary home. Inche Mansoor Adabi, a Kelantan youth, is a teacher at the Bukit Panjang Government School to which he was transferred in January this year. "This is all very embarrassing," he said last night. "The wedding was a secret; I never even told my best friends." Che Aminah said, "Nadra (the girl's Muslim name) is like a diamond to me, but I am happy now that she is married to the man she wants." But, she said, yesterday afternoon a letter arrived for her from a firm of lawyers, in Kuala Lumpur. It said that the firm was now acting as solicitors for Mr and Mrs A P Hertogh, Nadra's parents who are still in Holland. It declared that it was no longer "the wish" of the parents that Bertha should continue in her custody. The letter continued, "We now make formal demand that you deliver possession of the child to Mr J van der Gaag (acting Netherlands Consul-General) so that he can return her to them in Holland." Che Aminah said, "This letter has been upsetting, but I will take it to my solicitor tomorrow. I hope after this marriage, there will be no more trouble." Inche Mansoor Adabi's mother, Che Wok Adabi, is an old friend of Che Aminah. When Nadra was sent to York Hill Home, Che Wok Adabi comforted Che Aminah. Then one day, 11 months ago, Inche Mansoor himself visited Nadra at York Hill. "I felt something stir within me," said Inche Mansoor. "Then I went with Che Aminah when Nadra left the Home." Sometime on Monday, he proposed to her. She accepted him. Maria said shyly, "He is my teacher, too," speaking of her husband. Speaking of her parents, she said, "Why do they still want me? They have many other children to worry about." Her plans? To go first to Kemaman, in Trengganu, where she had lived for such a long time with Che Aminah during the Japanese Occupation. She had friends she wished to see. Then back to Singapore, to study English, particularly, and the Muslim religion. Her husband, who was born in Kota Bahru, received his early education in Kelantan, then after the war joined Victoria School, in Singapore. Two years ago, he decided on a teaching career. Aug 5 MARIA HERTOGH'S HUSBAND, Inche Mansoor Adabi, has received a letter from solicitors representing her parents, asking him to give the girl into the custody of the Dutch Consul-General before Aug 10, failing which action will be taken against him. This letter, received yesterday, is understood to describe the marriage as "illegal". The letter says that Maria was born on March 24, 1937, baptised on April 10 the same year, and was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Inche Mansoor told The Straits Times yesterday that Maria was "a Muslim woman now". She had married him willingly and "so no one can claim her either as their child or relative". He added that Maria's identity card, issued at Trengganu on Feb 23 last year, recorded her age as 13 on that date. He added that he was not perturbed by the solicitors' letter. Maria herself, still living in the house of Mr. M.A. Majid, said: "I will not go to any country outside Malaya. It is no use Mr Hertogh trying to separate me from my husband. Nov 10 MARIA HERTOGH, THE 13-year-old Dutch girl who married Inche Mansoor Adabi, a Malay school teacher, in Singapore in August will refuse to see her mother except when the case to decide her case comes up for hearing. "I know she will be arriving in Singapore on Monday so that she can give evidence, but I do not wish to see the mother who has caused me so much unhappiness," said Maria yesterday. Nov 15 WHEN I SAW Mrs Adeline Hertogh after her arrival by air yesterday she kept saying, "Bertha is my child. If I see her, even for a moment, I will want to keep her. Ask any mother what she would think about losing a child." I asked her if she thought Bertha had changed very much in the eight years since she had seen her. "No," was the emphatic reply. From her photographs she looks just the same little girl I knew, she said. "But why have they done her hair up like that to make her look so old?" The news had already been broken to her that Bertha had said she did not want her mother. "When she sees me, and when I talk to her, she will come," was the confident reply. Nov 16 AFTER EIGHT YEARS' separation, Mrs Adeline Hertogh and her 13-year-old daughter, Bertha Maria, met in Mr M. A. Majid's house in Rangoon Road, Singapore, yesterday morning. Shaking with emotion, Mrs Hertogh shook hands with Che Aminah, when she arrived at the house and was led into the sitting room. "Why do you keep on fighting?" asked Che Aminah. "You gave your child to me to adopt as my own daughter." Mrs Hertogh replied she had only asked Aminah to look after Maria during the war. Her eyes searched the room. She kept on saying: "Where is my daughter?" Che Aminah went into her bedroom and called Maria, saying that "Adeline" was here to see her. After a few minutes Maria came out hesitantly and sat down with the others at the table. "Why did you say you did not want to see me?" scolded Mrs Hertogh, mother-like. Maria replied: "I am not going away from here where my husband is. Why have you come? I have had enough trouble." They argued together in Malay. Che Aminah sat between them at the table. Mrs Hertogh added, "Whatever may be the difficulties," she said, "I will stay here and overcome them until I can take you back to your father and brothers and sisters in Holland." Dry-eyed, Maria told her mother not to bother her any more. "If my parents love me," she said, "they should leave me where I am. Besides I cannot love you, because when I was a child you gave me away." Mrs Hertogh explained what had happened in the past and again pleaded that Maria should come back with her to her family. Maria said a firm "No" to all appeals. "I am a Muslim, I have made my choice and I will stay with my husband now until we die." At the end, when Mrs Hertogh wanted to kiss her, Maria turned away and buried her face in Che Aminah's back. Mrs Hertogh ran from the room, crying. First published in 150 years of the Straits Times (July 15, 1845-1995) First chapter Next chapter Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.