~~~~~
Joyah tried her diplomatic best to explain to the rest of the family what had happened during the visit to Pantai. The small impromptu meeting took place in the beach shelter while the young children played on the sand around them. Puteri had understood the main point that Agung was staying at Pantai and decided to take Endah away from the questions and answers that followed. Rukma, Kusama, Melati and Sukma listened quietly while Harta kept asking questions.
“Is Agung staying at Pantai because of the women?”
Harta’s question was direct, and Joyah tried to give a constructive answer.
“I think he wants to help them,” she answered.
“Are the girls pretty?”
“Well – yes I think they are,” she admitted honestly.
“Does Agung like them?” Harta persisted. “Is that why he’s staying there?”
Melati took a deep breath, and listened very carefully.
Joyah didn’t answer straight away, but her hesitation seemed to confirm Harta’s question.
“Does Agung want the girls?” Harta asked bluntly.
“The family seems very good – yes I think he likes the girls and all the family.”
Melati realised that there was a connection between Agung and two girls she had never met. The air around her seemed awash with noise that she didn’t want to hear. Feeling faint, her body took involuntary quick breaths. Unnoticed by the others, she turned away and walked hurriedly but unsteadily back to her house, hiding her face as tears welled up from deep inside.
At the beach shelter, Harta had now noticed that Bandri was not around to explain what had happened, when he probably knew more than anybody about what was going on.
“Where’s Bandy!? – He should be telling us all about what happened?”
“Hatty,” said Sukma. “He hasn’t been with Ayu for many days.”
The young girl felt the gaze of the adults, and turned to look for her best friend Melati who had been standing just behind her, but she was not there. Glancing desperately around, Sukma saw Melati disappearing into the house, and ran after her.
“What’s wrong with them?” muttered Harta, shrugging.
“I don’t know,” said a concerned Kusama, who then followed quickly after the girls.
Eventually, Kusama sent Rukma to bring Ayu over to their house so that she could try to help the weeping girls and maybe console them. Bandri and Rukma decided that it would be wiser to steer clear of whatever the issues were, and let their spouses try to sort it out.
In the evening Bandri, Ayu, Rukma, Kusama, Melati and Sukma ate together on the porch outside Rukma’s house.
“My husband collected snake fruit for you,” Kasuma told him. “Do you know -”
“It’s good for snake bite,” said Bandri. “Yes, your son told me.”
“That’s good then,” said Rukma. “There’s a snake palm not far away.”
Bandri smiled politely.
“It’s good to hear our son is happy at Pantai,” said Kasuma. “I hope it all works out for the best, but we need to have him here with us in Likupang.”
“I’ll go back to Pantai as soon as possible,” said Bandri. “It’s better to go by boat and then I could take one of you with me. But I don’t think more than one man should go – Praba is really worried that we need to look after the village here.”
“I agree,” nodded Rukma sagely.
“You should go first Kusama,” suggested Melati quietly, having regained her composure.
“I want to go and see Agu,” said Sukma ernestly. “When you go, can I go with you?” she enthused, looking at Bandri.
“Dear Suky daughter,” said her father gently: “I think your mother should go first.”
“As long as the sea is calm,” said Kasuma. “I really want to see what this family is like.”
“I hope our son is not making a big mistake,” Rukma pondered out loud, forgetting for a moment that the girls were present. “He’s innocent in the ways of women. He’s trying to understand two girls from Java.”
Bandri grew uneasy as he watched his young sister’s expression. The women made faces but as yet Rukma was still unaware and rambled on:
“They’ve been on their own with this family since they were young. We don’t know how -”
“This is something we can talk about later dear!” cut in Kasuma, unusually interrupting her husband firmly.
“I was only at Pantai for a while, but the family seem very pleasant,” said Ayu, tactfully filling the void. “After a few days Agu will know what he wants.”
“There’s something else we have been thinking about,” said Kusama, changing the subject. “Everybody keeps saying that we need men to look after the village – but the women could help – we understand what the problem is.. The women could use bows too if they’re needed.”
Rukma now appeared to realise that this was a better topic for conversation.
“It’s a good idea,” he said. “The women could practise on the beach with some targets.”
“I’ll do it,” said Sukma enthusiastically. “It’s not fair that only the boys are shown how to use bows.”
“Perhaps we can try tomorrow?” Ayu said.
“Not tomorrow - but soon,” said Rukma. “Praba and Andhy have decided that we need to have a look at Bahoi tomorrow.”
Bandri looked at Rukma and the two men got up from the table to walk out from the porch. Once at a discrete distance from the others, Bandri asked:
“Who do you think should go?”
“Your leg needs to recover – anyway you’re needed here. Harta is keen to go – I expect he’s already planning it now with Praba. Do you think he’s ready?”
“He’s got plenty of energy – and really wants to see what Bahoi is like,” said Bandri thoughtfully. “Maybe it would be better for him to go with Andhy.. If my two brothers went together they could get angry with the people at Bahoi – they might get too close and make a mistake.”
Rukma raised a solitary eyebrow in acknowledgement of Bandri’s concern.
“I understand what you’re saying. In the morning, we can both say the same - that we need Praba here with us to look after the village, so it’s better that Andhy goes with Harta.”
The Tropical Sun - Belief, Love and Hate Page 18