~~~~~
Bandri felt he had rested long enough.
“We must get back now,” he said, feeling a surge of concern for Ayu and his family.
Ignoring the pain, Bandri stood and picked up his lighter backpack with its yapping cargo. He prayed that time and the spirits had looked after Likupang.
“We go to Pantai first,” said Agung.
6 The Visit
Using a branch as a crutch Bandri had endured the pain, and kept moving. At last they passed by the clear pond at Pantai, and in the fading light they could make out the dark outlines of the two houses. The place looked deserted.
“Anybody there?!” called Agung.
After some moments, a door opened revealing a dim light. Bandri could see the figure of Raharjo appear, followed by Lyana and then Lela.
Raharjo ran towards the two men.
“What’s happened?” Raharjo asked, trying to help support Bandri.
“He has a snake bite,” said Agung. “Can he rest here?”
“Of course – come in, come into the porch,” urged Lyana.
Lela turned without speaking and ran back into the house.
Lyana led Bandri into the porch as Raharjo placed the seats in a line so he could lie down. She brought a lit candle into the porch, and some coconut packing to prop under the leg. Lela came out and talked to her sister quietly, and then went back inside again. Bandri sensed that there was something wrong, and not just with his leg.
“How are you all?” he asked, sitting up.
“Father is very sick,” said Raharjo. “He can’t move.”
“He fell down,” Lyana explained. “He’s been getting worse for days – he can talk, but he’s very weak.. Our mother is with him.” She put her hand on Agung’s arm, her eyes glancing tearfully between the two men.
“We pray that he will recover,” said Bandri trying not to look too closely at Agung who appeared very disturbed and looked like he was going to say something, but then remained silent.
“He’s been waiting for your return,” said Lyana. “He says he hopes to speak with you both.”
Listeri came out of the house, her face drawn and tired.
“You have heard I think – my husband would like to speak with you.”
The two men were shown into the house. Two flames in half coconut shells lit the room where Eko lay on a low couch. He propped himself up on an elbow, but evidently could not move further. Lela supported his shoulders with a pillow so that he could hold out his hand in greeting as they knelt down beside his bed. Bandri took a little time to find a comfortable position.
“Lela tells me that you have a snake bite?” Eko’s voice was clear and concerned.
“It was a long walk - it’s getting much better now,” Bandri replied. “How are you sir?”
Eko waved his hand dismissively.
“I can’t walk today, but I am alright.. Tell me, how was Bitung?”
In the half-light Bandri glanced at Agung’s expression. Deciding not to talk about the missing girl or the old woman he replied:
“We found the ore we needed – the snake bite happened when we were carrying it back.. I would have died if it was not for Agung.” Realising that he had just made his friend feel awkward, he said “Bitung is getting a big town – there are so many people, we tried -” and he thought about the girl and the woman. Powerful emotions came upon Bandri at that moment and he turned his head away as tears reached his eyes.
Eko looked towards Lyana, Lela and Raharjo who were all crowded into the room and remonstrated with them:
“Why are you waiting around?! - Can’t you see they are hungry and thirsty?”
With the three of them out of the room and the door closed, Eko turned towards his guests again.
“I’m sorry, we have not given you a very good welcome.”
Bandri’s mind was still spinning with the apparent ugly randomness of the world. He was recovering his composure but could not yet look Eko in the eyes.
“Listeri and I have been talking since we met you,” said Eko quietly. Bandri could sense that Eko and Listeri were studying him intently. “I think you know why I am afraid for my family?”
He nodded an unspoken understanding.
“Do you want to know why we came to Pantai?” Eko asked.
Bandri finally looked at Eko and saw a painful empathy in his expression. He glanced at Agung who nodded almost imperceptively.
“We had another daughter, older than Lyana – Raharjo was just a baby then – he doesn’t know about her..We never knew really what happened to her – but she was taken away by some tribesmen..” Eko’s voice cracked. “She was found later – we think she killed herself.”
The room was stuffy and pregnant with emotion.
“We moved away from Bitung,” he said after a pause. “You understand - we were afraid for our other daughters.”
Listeri spoke, her voice strained but controlled:
“We are sorry to tell you this – there is nothing anyone can do about what has happened – but we wanted you both to know - in confidence.” The stress on the last two words told them that they should not share this circumstance with anyone else.
Bandri knew then that he and Agung should make the offer.
“We are so sorry,” said Agung, speaking for the first time. “Tell us if there is something we can do.”
Agung’s tone told Bandri what he needed to know, yet he hesitated to respond.
“I cannot protect my family anymore..” Eko’s voice faltered and his wife handed him a drink. “I think you like my daughters,” he said looking at Agung. “And we like you – both of you - myself and my wife, and my daughters and my son.”
The pause seemed eternal as Bandri fretted still about the impact on Likupang.
“Sir, if both of you wish it,” said Bandri formally, praying that it was the right thing to do. “We would like your family to join us in Likupang.”
Agung nodded his upper body slowly in reverent affirmation.
“We would like that – we thank you both.” Eko reached out and held Bandri’s hand, holding it tightly. “But I fear there is a problem – your tribe is Malay and we are Javanese.”
“Yes sir,” said Agung ernestly. “But we like your family.”
Eko smiled with understanding, and reached out to grasp Agungs hand.
“But first you must ask your family in Likupang,” Eko told them. “Then we can decide.”
The conversation continued for some time. It was arranged that Bandri would stay at Pantai to recover while Agung went to Likupang to explain the situation. He would then come back to Pantai with a senior from Likupang, so that the family would know if they were welcome.
The door between the kitchen and the room Eko lay in was jammed wide open, so that he was included in the conversation as the family ate a meal late in the evening. Propped up in bed, Eko had fully regained his austere persona, tinged with sardonic humour.
“My wife has caught a krait snake for you,” Eko informed Bandri. “Its poison is like a vipers.”
“It will do you good to eat snake after a bite,” she explained. “And I’ve added strong spices to fight the poison in your body.”
Bandri hestitated as he looked at the headless body in the pot. They never ate snake in Likupang, not even for snake bite.
“Oh.. thank you,” he responded, even though his stomach churned at the thought of eating it. “You shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble looking for the snake.”
“It’s no trouble,” said Listeri without a hint of sarcasm.
A meal of barbequed prawns and steamed tuna was served. Bandri battled politely with the large serving of spiced snake meat, resorting to pulling the slippery flesh off the bones with his teeth, while Agung grinned at his discomfort.
Agung was beaming with pleasure. The girls had already become enamoured with the two puppies, and now he watched as they fed titbits to the excited little creatures scampering round their feet.
“If you like them, they’re yours,” he declared spontaneously, and got delighted smiling kisses on the cheek in return, turning his colour into a slightly warmer shade.
“More gifts?!” Eko exclaimed in a belligerent tone, and pointed to the dolphin brooch that Lyana was now wearing. “Agung – tell me – to how many women have you given gifts like this?”
Bandri nearly choked on his snake meat as Agung, awkward again, tried his best to explain. Eko interrupted him.
“It’s alright,” he said laconically, waving a hand as if he wasn’t interested. With the other hand he pushed a whole honeyed-prawn into his mouth and added “We forgive you.”
The Tropical Sun - Belief, Love and Hate Page 9