Afternoon's Surprise

By Siti Nurhayati

I couldn't hide my surprise when suddenly I saw standing before me, a man panting for breath as if he had been chased by a ghost. I didn't know how I looked when he held out his hand to shake mine. Apparently, I got nervous and confused.

"Still remember me? Yanto. We were classmates in junior high school!" he said as I responded in kind to his handshake.

Gradually I got myself under control again. I tried hard to remember him but any memory of him was yet to come to the surface of my consciousness. It was some twenty years since I had been at junior high school and many things had happened since then.

"I'm Yanto, you see. I used to sit beside Joko in class. Remember?"

Again, I observed him from head to toe. I did my utmost to remember him. Unfortunately, I couldn't trace him in my memory lane. Meanwhile, he began to look restless. His face became pale and he was squeezing his hands.

"Wait, wait a minute," I said, as if something had suddenly crossed my mind. "If I'm not mistaken, you're Yanto who often skipped the class, aren't you?" I said happily, expecting that the man would nod.

"Exactly!"

His face suddenly glowed like the twilight sky.

"Come on, take a seat," I said to him, hospitable now. "Sorry, I really forgot. You must have known I was not very close with boys then. Still so now, perhaps. He he he ..." I said, trying to break the ice. "What do you like to drink?"

"Up to you ..."

I went to the kitchen for some time and returned with two glasses of cold water in syrup. Yanto leaned back on the chair, gazing at some photos and paintings hung on the wall of my living room.

"Please, have a drink first," I said, putting the glasses on the table.

"Thank you," he answered flatly.

Quiet reigned in the room. Yanto fell silent, looking at the glass on the table. I didn't know what he was thinking about. Actually I wanted to ask about his sudden and surprising visit. But, I did not have the courage to. Besides, I had no idea where to start the conversation. Well, as a hostess I looked like such an idiot but that's my character. I often felt nervous when talking with men.

No wonder if my schoolmates or my university fellows often teased me as a shy girl, a reason why I felt inferior and refrained from hanging out with males. Worst of all, I still had no boy- friend.

"I'm sorry if my visit has troubled," Yanto suddenly said, surprising me.

"I'd like to ask for your help. Perhaps, it's only you that can help me. As an old friend, hopefully, you won't mind." Yanto stopped talking for a while, gazing at me.

He looked at me with pitiful eyes. I myself did not know what I had to do except to listen to him and think about what assistance I could give him.

"I need money ..."

"Money? How much?"

"Not much. Only two million rupiah. Have you got that much?" he said. The tone of his voice revealed his earnest hope that I would help him.

The dusk outside was becoming darker and darker. I noticed his restlessness. Several times he wiped his face with a handkerchief.

"I don't have cash now as I never keep it at home. What about tomorrow?" I said without any intention to make things difficult for him.

Actually I could obtain the cash immediately as I simply had to go to the nearest ATM. Yet, frankly, I was a little distrustful of him. When I was in high school or at the university, many friends of mine did not repay their debts to me. That's why it has given me a sort of a traumatic experience.

"If I may know, what do you need the money for?"

Yanto fell silent for a while and then said, "Do you still remember Susi?"

"Is it Susi who always came out top of the class? Yes, I remember her. What's the matter with her?"

"Now, she's my wife."

"Thank God. Finally you've become a husband."

"But, she's in hospital now."

"In hospital? What's wrong with her?"

"She's all right. She's just delivered our second child. Actually she may go home today but I have no money to pay her maternity expenses. You yourself know that staying in hospital needs a huge amount of money ... That's why I want to borrow some money from you."

The following day Yanto came to my house again. And, the two million rupiah changed hands. It's all right. I considered it as some help to lighten the burden of an old friend. Moreover, his wife, Susi, used to be closer to me than other friends.

"Trust me. I'll return your money within a week. Here is my home address," Yanto took out his visiting card from his wallet. "How can I deceive my own friend?" he laughed. I joined in his laughter.

I saw him out to the road. Actually I wanted to ask more about his wife, Susi. I didn't know why I suddenly missed this friend of mine. However, Yanto seemed to be in a hurry. He stopped a taxi that happened to pass.

A month elapsed. Still, there was no news from Yanto. I kept waiting to see him turn up. I began to feel worried in my heart. But, my reason immediately puts aside my bad feeling. Perhaps, Yanto had no money yet and was reluctant to come to my house. Moreover, he had given me his home address so I could visit him anytime.

Right! Two months had gone by but Yanto still had not turned up. I finally decided to visit his house. Besides wanting to ask about the fate of my money, I also longed for a meeting with Susi. Perhaps, she was home.

After asking here and there about the address on the card, I finally found it. The house was simple but it looked spacious particularly in the front part. I said in my heart that the house would surely generate much money if it was pawned.

I knocked on the door and an old woman hurriedly ran to open it. I smiled at her but she looked at me cynically. I felt uneasy. My nervousness got the better of myself.

"Are you looking for Yanto? It's not his house. He only rented a room here. He and his wife left three weeks ago, leaving five months of room rent unpaid. They also stole a box of my jewelry. How many much have you been cheated so that you yourself come here in the afternoon like this?" the old woman, standing in front of the door, said cynically.

"What do you mean Ma'am?" I confusedly asked.

"Yesterday two persons came here, looking for Yanto. They said they had just been deceived for a million. And you, how much have you been cheated? Huh?"

Somehow, I suddenly felt that the floor I was standing on was shaky. My eyesight became hazy. Bleary. Then, dark. Faintly I could hear the old woman shouting for help. Some time later I felt my body was carried away by some people. I didn't know where I was taken.

Mampang, March 2002

Translated by Ismiarti