Chapter One - Richard Lewis

He hurried out to the lane and was nearly run over by a scooter, carrying two boys
without helmets. Putu jumped off the pillion seat and gave his friend a wave as the
scooter roared off.
"Where have you been?" Nol snapped. "Zoe is here, waiting for you."
"She is?" Putu said with some alarm.
"She says you're supposed to be at Tabanan with her, and I say you're supposed to
be at Uncle Dharma's, helping with the ceremony preparations."
"That's were I'm going now."
"But where have you been?"
"Out."
"That's why you have cell phones. You should have told Zoe and you should have
told me."
"Father, do me a favor, will you? Go talk to her, make up an excuse for me—"
"You go right in there and tell her yourself."
Putu sighed hugely and trudged through the gate with lowered head. Mak was still
sweeping in front in front of the pavilion where Zoe waited on a bamboo chair, her gaze
instantly riveted to Putu.
She looked, Nol thought, like women always do when they are waiting for an
explanation that had better be good.
Putu halted. He looked away from Zoe to Mak and then exploded in a torrent of
Balinese, waving his arms and scolding the old woman.
Why didn't she get some clothes on, he said, this was embarrassing, this was the
21 st century not the feudal ages, what an embarrassment she was to the family, parading
around in front of guests half-naked like this.
Mak ignored him and kept sweeping.
Nol stepped between his son and his great-aunt. "Enough," he said to Putu,
knowing that his son was getting upset at Mak as a way of delaying a quarrel with Zoe.
Zoe remained seated as if she were on her throne, and Putu a supplicant on the
steps. "Where were you?" she asked.
"Didn't you get my message?" Putu asked with fake surprise.
And he wants to be an actor? Nol thought.
"You were with her, weren't you?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"That girl you said you hated all through school. Miss Wet Laundry, you called
her."
"Wulandri?" Putu said with exaggerated confusion.
Nol grunted, as if he'd been sucker punched. Putu? With Anak Agung Wulandri?
Zoe rose and walked stiffly past Putu, who was trying to stutter an explanation.
He put out a hand to stop her. She shrugged it off but then stopped and turned to face
him.
"I know what falling in love is like," she said. "I know how you can't help it. But
if you can't be honest about it, then go jump in the lake, you big jerk." She stalked off. By
the time she reached the gate, she was running.
Putu ran out after her but slouched back a moment later, his face heavy. "Girls,"
he muttered.
"What's this about Wulandri?"
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