~~~~~
At first light Agung set off back to Likupang in a state of turmoil. The ground seemed to ring at every step he took.
He thought he had understood his life until the day he washed his feet in the pond. Until then the only women he talked to were his mother and his two sisters - they had been the women in his life. Bandy’s young sister made him feel so awkward; she was lovely but also so young. Everyone would think it bad if he talked to her; they would guess what his interest was. Anyway, he felt sure that Mel would avoid him altogether if she wasn’t with Suk all the time.
But everything had changed since he met Lyana and Lela. The way they looked at him made him feel like his heart was breaking out of his chest. And when he wasn’t with them, the hurt felt like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
Last night, watching the sisters feed and cuddle the puppies made him want to be like a puppy. And when the girls kissed him on the cheek, the seismic effect at one and the same time both froze and exhilarated his body. And now there was this abiding emotion that pulled him in one direction only - towards the girls.
Bandri and he had talked last night about what would be best to say to the family. On the way home, he pondered how he could explain everything when he arrived at Likupang. With Bandy things somehow made sense, but now he felt confused again.
Agung thought he knew how everyone in the village expected him to behave. How could he tell them about Pantai? There was going to be a lot of fuss when he turned up on his own. He didn’t know how he could handle it - but maybe Ayu could? Yes, he felt sure his sister would know what to say.
The Tropical Sun - Belief, Love and Hate Page 10