Chapter One - Richard Lewis

"You can check my grades on-line. And I have a four point oh. That's the same as
top tens here." He yawned hugely and said in a gargle something like I want to change
my name.
"What'd you say" Nol said, wondering if he'd heard right.
"My name. Putu Swastika. It's on all my documents. I have to change it."
Nol turned to look at him. Suti put a palm to his chin and forced it straight. "Eyes
on the road," she said, and then to Putu, "What's wrong with your name?"
"Swastika, Mother. That's what's wrong. It's a Nazi term. I'm getting tired having
to explain it's also Hindu."
"It was ours before the Germans took it," Nol said. "It's ridiculous to change it."
"I get hate mail," Putu said. "Everybody thinks I'm a Nazi. I need to change it.
That's one thing I have to do this vacation."
"You're having your tooth filing, that's what you have to do," Nol said. A major
life cycle ceremony, and here his son was, wanting to change his perfectly good Balinese
name.
Putu lugged his surfboard bag through the garage while Nol wrestled with his
son's duffel bag, which by its smell was full of clothes in desperate need of laundering.
Dian had exams that day, which was why she hadn't gone to the airport, but she was
waiting impatiently at home, and pounced with glee and loud noise upon her brother.
"Look how much he's changed," Nol said to her when she'd calmed down a little.
"Aren't you shocked?"
He meant it teasingly, but Putu rolled his eyes while Dian seemed puzzled. "He
hasn't changed."
"Compared to when he left," Nol prompted.
"Oh, that was a long time ago. We're Facebook friends, I see Putu all the time."
It was Nol's turn to be puzzled. What was a Facebook friend? But he had no time
to ponder this, because Suti was hauling Putu over to his grandmother's pavilion, where
Arini was waiting on her porch. With her was Tina. Arini hugged and kissed her
grandson, her joy more stately than exuberant, but happy nonetheless. She said nothing
about Putu's change of appearance.
Putu looked quizzically at Tina, her orange hair sizzling.
Nol introduced them. "This is Miss Tina, she's renting the villa. Miss Tina, this is
my son, Putu Swastika." He put a little emphasis on the last name. "Our Stanford
University scholar. A four point oh average."
"My, that's something! I teach at Stanford. What are you studying?"
Nol answered for his suddenly frowning son. "Architecture and engineering." He
nudged Putu. "You don't have to be so shy about your accomplishments."
Putu's sun-blackened cheeks were flushing darker yet. "Bapa," he said, "I go to
Sanford University. Not Stanford. Sanford's down in LA. It's a small college." He said in
English to Tina, "My father gets confused. I don't know what I'm going to study, maybe
drama, try to get some character actor roles in TV or movies. I just finished up shooting a
video for a friend."
Nol wasn't sure he understood. "You're not at Stanford?"
"Sanford, Bapa."
68