The biography of the absent, authored by: Dr. Najma Idris 1/2

June 1931 AD. Jeddah Port in the Red Sea. Abdul Mohsen Al-Sawal begins his long maritime journey after boarding the ship heading south. He boarded it amidst a crowd of travelers whose tongues had been touched by foreign languages, and their clothes and complexions varied. He wandered with his belongings, avoiding the crowds of travelers gathering on the deck and around the ship's portholes, jumping over baskets, boxes, and crates until he settled in his place in one of the cabins, sharing the space and bed with two Indian pilgrims. The ship will pass near Aden, then continue its course towards the Arabian Sea until Colombo Port on the island of Ceylon, where it refuels and resupplies, then continues eastward towards Penang Island near the west coast of Malaysia. The ship will stop there to let some pilgrims disembark, then head to Singapore Island, where Abdul Mohsen Al-Sawal will disembark to spend a few days as a guest of Mr. Ibrahim Al-Saqaf, one of the most prominent Arab dignitaries on the island. He will enjoy good company and hospitality in Singapore before continuing his journey south to Tanjung Port in Pematang, the then capital of Indonesia.