Chapter One - Richard Lewis
Chapter One - Richard Lewis Chapter One - Richard Lewis
"And look at rice fields!" For a few moments she admired the fields, green stalks rippling in the breeze. "We Balinese are getting lazy," he said. "Tourism has spoiled us. See those farmers over there? Javanese. " She turned to him, greenish eyes turning bluish as her face moved from shade to the last strong light of the setting sun. "Oh, come on. There are many hardworking Balinese." "Kids these days wouldn't even know a plow from a hoe. They just want to be professional surfers or models." Nol showed Tina the house, two bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen and dining room, and a garden bathroom that was turning wild, bougainvillea vine snaking toward the toilet. But Tina loved it, exclaimed that she adored outdoor bathrooms. Nol mentally added another fifty dollars to the rent. Tina inspected the pool, three meters by five, a foot of scummy water on the bottom. "We're draining it to do some cleaning," Nol said. "Don't take too long," Tina said. "It's not good to keep a pool empty for long." This was news to Nol. "Excuse me?" "The water table around here is pretty high, and the pressure below can pop out your concrete." "Oh, that, yes, of course. No, we'll fill up as soon as we're done." "With natural spring water." Nol put extra regret into his sigh. "It's the dry season and we're not getting as much. I think the spring's drying out." She began to frown, so he hastily added, "Don't worry. This pool will be full of spring water by the time you move in." "How much is the rent? I'll only need it for two months." "Only two months? Then I'll have to ask for a premium." They sat down at the porch table. By the time dusk had settled, requiring Nol to reluctantly turn on the porch lights that would still be on his electricity bill, they'd settled on a price. Nol agreed to fix the mosquito screens and the kitchen drawers that wouldn't tug open. He was pleased, having gotten the better end of the bargain, but she looked pleased, too, which made him worried that he could have done better. "By the way, do you get snakes here?" she asked. Nol's heart sank. "Well, we are on the edge of rice fields." "They help keep down the rat population," she said. "I think it's a shame how everybody kills a snake the moment they see it." "A shame," Nol agreed. Then, curiously: "And what do you do if you see one?" "If it's where it should be I'll leave it alone. If it's in the house I'll put it out where it belongs." "How?" "Easiest way is to sweep it into a garbage bin." A university professor who caught snakes and then let them go? Nol thought that there was more to this woman than met the eye. 64
Chapter 12 After early morning flag raising at the clubhouse, Nol asked the security chief if he could have the afternoon off. "I'm picking my son up at the airport," he said. "Why didn't you ask me yesterday?" What was this, Nol had to plan all the details of his life in advance? But he prudently replied, "Last minute change." "You can go ask the personnel manager. She wants to see you in her office at eight anyways." There it was. She had reviewed Nol's application. He was going to be put on full time. Suti would be happy, but Nol wasn't so sure about this. Still, it'd be a good way to soak up the days until Product Ziro took off. Then he could quit. At eight, he knocked on the personnel manager's door and entered at her brusque reply to enter. The manager was a Javanese woman, a girl really, wearing a business suit and a severe expression. It baffled Nol that they'd put somebody so inexperienced in life in such a responsible position. Why, she wasn't even married. "You're late," she said. He glanced at his watch. "It's eight o'clock, Mbak Lena." ' She pointed her pencil at the clock on the wall. "Ten minutes past." Ten minutes? What was ten minutes? "Excuse me, but before we get going here, I need to ask for the afternoon off. I'm picking my son up at the airport." She put down her pencil in the center of his personnel file, and cupped her hands to look at him, her back as straight as straight could be. He put on a sheepish look. "I know. I ask for full-time work and now I say I need the afternoon off. It's just one of those things." "Oh, I'm used to staff asking for time off at the last moment," she said. "This ceremony and that. I don't mind. I get invited." "My children are having their tooth filing soon. And of course you're invited." "That's kind of you. You can leave now, Pak Nol." "That's okay, I'll work until noon." "We're letting you go." He wasn't sure he heard right. "Excuse me?" "You can pick up your pay through today at the accountant's office." "You're firing me?" "We're letting you go, yes." "Why?" 65
- Page 13 and 14: Chapter 4 The VW Safari's headlight
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- Page 51 and 52: Chapter 10 An elderly Dutch couple
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<strong>Chapter</strong> 12<br />
After early morning flag raising at the clubhouse, Nol asked the security chief if<br />
he could have the afternoon off. "I'm picking my son up at the airport," he said.<br />
"Why didn't you ask me yesterday?"<br />
What was this, Nol had to plan all the details of his life in advance? But he<br />
prudently replied, "Last minute change."<br />
"You can go ask the personnel manager. She wants to see you in her office at<br />
eight anyways."<br />
There it was. She had reviewed Nol's application. He was going to be put on full<br />
time. Suti would be happy, but Nol wasn't so sure about this. Still, it'd be a good way to<br />
soak up the days until Product Ziro took off. Then he could quit.<br />
At eight, he knocked on the personnel manager's door and entered at her brusque<br />
reply to enter. The manager was a Javanese woman, a girl really, wearing a business suit<br />
and a severe expression. It baffled Nol that they'd put somebody so inexperienced in life<br />
in such a responsible position. Why, she wasn't even married.<br />
"You're late," she said.<br />
He glanced at his watch. "It's eight o'clock, Mbak Lena."<br />
' She pointed her pencil at the clock on the wall. "Ten minutes past."<br />
Ten minutes? What was ten minutes? "Excuse me, but before we get going here, I<br />
need to ask for the afternoon off. I'm picking my son up at the airport."<br />
She put down her pencil in the center of his personnel file, and cupped her hands<br />
to look at him, her back as straight as straight could be.<br />
He put on a sheepish look. "I know. I ask for full-time work and now I say I need<br />
the afternoon off. It's just one of those things."<br />
"Oh, I'm used to staff asking for time off at the last moment," she said. "This<br />
ceremony and that. I don't mind. I get invited."<br />
"My children are having their tooth filing soon. And of course you're invited."<br />
"That's kind of you. You can leave now, Pak Nol."<br />
"That's okay, I'll work until noon."<br />
"We're letting you go."<br />
He wasn't sure he heard right. "Excuse me?"<br />
"You can pick up your pay through today at the accountant's office."<br />
"You're firing me?"<br />
"We're letting you go, yes."<br />
"Why?"<br />
65
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