Bali Bule Hunter

by Michael Powers

  “He told me we all have a dream; something which will make our lives complete. We each find our dream in a different place. Some people find it in the faces of their children. Some find it in their lover's eyes. Some find it sharing coffee each morning with a good friend. Some find it in a job well done, leading a solitary life, or serving one’s country or God. We need to nurture our dreams; fight for them if we must. Who knows which dream will make us complete? Maybe it’s the one we’re about to let go! He told me if teaching was my dream, I shouldn’t give it up. Realists may run the world, but dreamers change it. He told me he saw a dreamer when he looked at me; a dreamer who could change the world.

  “I returned to UCLA the next fall, and got straight As all the way through graduation. This year, Ted led me to Bali, and now I’ve discovered I can find my dream in other places, too. I find my dream in your eyes,” Greg said, arms stretched wide to include his new friends. “I find it in your white sandy beaches and spicy morning air. When I came here a month ago, I didn’t trust anyone completely, but each of you risked your life for me. Now, I’m ready to trust you with my heart, as well as my life. Uncle Ted chose his burial place well. I thought I was coming here to find Ted. Instead, I found new friends, and a new life. I guess I found myself, too. Thanks, Uncle Ted, for your greatest gift.”

  Greg paused, searching for just the right words. “When I first arrived on Bali, Budi described me as a single white male.....thirty, American, high school computer science teacher. I felt there was a lot more to me than that, but there really wasn’t. My life in San Diego was comfortable, but unremarkable. I was living in a house I inherited from my mother, driving a car bought with my uncle’s money, and sharing my life with a best friend who betrayed me. Even though I liked my job, I could be replaced as easily as a light bulb. I thought I was a pretty capable guy, until I met you people. You’ve all survived more tragedy than I think I could bear. You also taught me things I would never have learned as a comfortable teacher in San Diego. I discovered that nationality, height, color, gender, sexual preference, and all other labels are useless when it comes to knowing a person’s soul. In the worst moments of my life, all I had were you brave people. It turns out, that’s all people like us need. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

  Greg gazed at his friends, smiling at each of them in turn. Then he realized there was another person he needed to acknowledge. “We should also remember our friend, Kersen. None of us knew him well, but he died helping us. I will remember Kersen as a man who offered his help, asking for nothing in return. That’s an epitaph I think he’d be proud of.”

  After a brief pause, Greg asked, “Anyone else like to say something?”

  Liana stepped forward and placed an orchid on the rainbow flag. “I never met you, Ted Simmons, but I’m grateful you came into our lives. Our experience gives me hope. You brought together an American high school teacher, a Javanese businesswoman, a gay Chinese-Christian entrepreneur, two teen boys from Sumatra, and a humble Balinese boatman. We proved that when people care about each other, they can accomplish almost anything. Ted Simmons, you must have been a good man to have inspired such love from your nephew. When I think of you, I will regret the way you died, but celebrate the fact you lived. I will remember you as the last person to be placed under the Trunyan tree. I wish you a joyous after-life.”

  Liana smiled at the group. “Anyone else? Donny?”

  Donny hesitated, then stepped forward, and laid his flower near Ted’s face. “My English not so good. I only say some few word. Life very hard til I meet Mr. Ted on the computer. Even I’m not gay, I love Ted so much. He my good friend. He make me wanna live again. He no even wanna have the sex with me when I say I only nineteen. He say we can be very good friend with no sex. Only bule ever say like that. I know I love Pak Ted on that moment.”

  Budi grasped Greg’s hand and squeezed it. Greg lowered his head to blink back his tears. Wiping his nose, Donny addressed Ted directly. “I sorry you die cuz Yanto leave us here. I happy you advice me to live and make good friend with your Greg who you say will come for us. You both good mens like my father. Now I’m think I wanna live so much. Become the good man like Pak Ted and Pak Greg. Good-bye and thank you.” Donny clasped his hands, bowed from the waist, then rejoined the group.

  Greg embraced Donny, then grasped him by the shoulders. “Donny, you never have to apologize again for your English. Those were the best words I’ve ever heard, in any language.”

  “My heart speak, not me,” Donny explained.

  When Budi and Rial declined to say anything, Greg turned to his friends, and hugged them each in turn. They filed by Ted one last time, then left the ancient Trunyan tree.

  On the way to the boat, Greg shared something which had troubled him for several weeks. “I’ve been feeling guilty for teaching Ted how to use a computer and helping him set up on-line banking and a personal profile. I realize now if I didn’t help him, he would have hired someone to do it for him anyway, but that person probably wouldn’t have cared enough to go looking for him. The solution isn’t to turn away from technology. The solution is to understand it as well as we can, then trust our friends and family to help protect us.”

  “Good way to look at it,” Liana agreed.

  “I must admit one failure,” he confided to the group. “Since I met Budi, we’ve been looking for a gay couple with an ideal relationship. I’m a hopeless romantic who believes a person can find sex, love, and financial security all within a monogamous relationship. So far, we haven’t met a couple like that.”

  Grasping Greg’s hand, Budi lifted it to his mouth and kissed it. “Then we’ll be that couple and prove to everyone it’s possible.”

  Greg grinned at Budi. “If anyone can prove it’s possible, we can!”

  Taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, Donny asked Greg, “What mean people like us?”

  A familiar frown covered Greg’s face as he groped for the right words. “Each of us lost most or all of the family we were born into. Now we have a choice. We can continue alone, or we can choose a new family. I choose to think of you guys as my new family.”

  “I choose same like Greg,” Donny smiled warmly.

  “Me, too!” Rial agreed enthusiastically.

  Liana nodded, but Budi hesitated. “Is this some kind of weird sex club where we all drink each other’s blood?”

  “No!” Greg, Liana, Rial, and Donny howled together.

  Budi’s eyes twinkled. “All right, I’ll join anyway.”

  As they boarded the boat for the south shore of Batur Lake, Budi wrapped one arm around Greg’s shoulders and the other arm around Liana’s waist. “A bule, a babe, two boys, and Bulletproof Budi on a Batur Lake boat. There’s enough bees in that sentence to form a colony and start making our own honey!”

  Greg and Liana grinned at each other.

  “What should we do with this cute little clown?” Liana asked Greg.

  “If we ignore him, maybe he’ll go away,” Greg whispered.

  “Not likely!” Budi promised, arms encircling Greg’s torso. “I’m yours for life.”

  THE END

  If you liked this novel, please consider submitting a review/rating on Amazon.com.

  Visit Michael Powers’ author page to find his other novels:

  http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Powers/e/B00WY9WL3Y/