My morning ritual held enormous importance for Wayan. I must walk down the cliffs of Bening (sp?) to a small set of rustic huts perched below on the waters edge and find the object of Wayans affection, hut manager Ketut, so she might reveal to me the colour of the shirt she was wearing that day. If it happened her choice of colour matched Wayans, it was seen as a sign that this young lady was somehow in tune with the young man and their obvious interest in each other was somehow predetermined or preordained by gods unseen. If by chance their clothing didn't match, Wayan would have to devise some way in which redeem himself in the eyes of his god so that tomorrow the two young friends would again be in sinc. Perhaps he would by a gift for his mother or some other such gesture of good will. As silly as some may see this to be, for Wayan it was as real as the sun in the sky, and his longing to be the boyfriend of such a beauty consumed him completely, as all young love does.
We were firm friends, Wayan and I. From the first time I met him two years prior while staying at his aunty Sunnies two bedroom losmen on Dreamland, we shared a very rewarding relationship. Every morning together we would clean the family's alotted piece of beachfront of the flotsam and jetsam washed ashore from the night before, then errect the ten sun beds and umbrellas in two rows and await the day tourists from Kuta. Serving in their little shop that provided refreshments and fruit, tending to the days guests and running errands, Wayan was always busy and I enjoyed lending a hand in their daily beach life. After the day trippers had gone and sunbeds had been returned to their store Wayan and I would swim in the surf and talk of girls, family, dreams and girls again. At night we would sit looking out into the seaside night and talk of more things, all tha time Wayan smoking my cigarettes whilst warning me of the accompanying dangers.This rhythmic cycle lasting four weeks.
With Tommy Suhart's new development at Dreamland the family had built new lodgings on the steep slopes of Bening, a short distance up the coast toward Illuwatu, and this is where I now found myself attending to my morning duty of clambering down these cliffs in search of Ketut in the hope of giving confirmation to Wayan that, yes, she was indeed paired in a similar shirt. I was confident I would find Ketut in her kitchen making preparation for the days food requirements for her guests, and sure enough there she was, more importantly there she was in the same coloured top as Wayan. I asked for a packet of cigarettes and wondered if Ketut thought my smoking excessive, then laughing at the fact that Wayan would actually smoke most of them throughout the day while pointing out the reasons to stop.
Fittingly for Wayan, Ketut was as beautiful as a young woman could be, with large sumptuous eyes, shimmering long black hair, a radiant smile that I'm sure would have made tha darkest day full of light, and if I may be so bold as to ad, Ketuts womanly attributes were in perfect proportion and quite ample, awning a flat tummy and small curvy hips. We engaged in social pleasantries for a little while before I couldn't resist trying to push these young people a bit closer. I had known both for a while and new what I was about to say would not be seen as offensive.
"Ketut", I said. " I know Wayan long time, and he good man. Work hard, no drink, love family. Why he have no girlfriend"?
Ketut looked to the floor starting to play with her fingers and was silent for some time before saying with slow shy beauty."Maybe he not try. Maybe he can have girlfriend if he want"
On hearing Ketuts comments, coupled with agreeabla textile signs, I headed back up the cliffs, stopping only briefly to denie Wayan a cigarette,to my room and Wayan, and gave him the good news.
"OK, I do it now, Hammockman." he said. And with that he began to pace up and down like so many young men had done since time immemorial, anxious at the thought of rejection. I tried to reassure Wayan with the story of my own unfounded fears when asking out Julie Morris at the age of sixteen and this seemed to imbue him with enough confidence to thrust his hands deep into his pockets,set his trembling jaw and head off down the cliff to Ketut.
I didn't see Wayan until much later that evening and hoped all had gone well for him as I would have felt enormously guilty had Ketut denied his request. I need not have worried,for later that night Wayan came bounding up my stairs beaming.
"Today best day, Hammockman. I have girlfriend."
We hugged and Wayan then sat down and gave me a blow by blow description, which I won't bother you with here, of what had transpired.After being filled in on the details i asked Wayan if I had to walk down the cliffs tomorrow to see what Ketut was wearing. He said no I didn't as they had both decided to alocate specific days to there shirts so they would always be in sinc from now on.
I did walk down the cliffs the next day, as I was out of smokes.