Indonesian Gold. Kerry B Collison

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СКАЧАТЬ wait,‘Gela. Slow down,you’re making me giddy.’

      The pair hurried across the square and, as they approached the group of boys Nani pulled Angela back. ‘Don’t run,’ she whispered, hoarsely, ‘they’ll think we’re too anxious.’

      Angela came to an abrupt halt, the sharp look sufficient exchange for Nani to realize she had already said too much. ‘What exactly did you tell the boys?’ she was keen to know.

      Her friend cupped one hand and whispered conspiratorially, as if the waiting group of students could hear. ‘I didn’t tell them anything,’ she embellished, ‘just that you agreed to go on the picnic.’

      Angela looked directly into Nani’s eyes, the distinct feeling that she was lying causing her to hesitate. ‘If you think I am going to go with Didi,’ she insisted, referring to the tall, Menadonese lad who had often made it clear regarding how he felt, ‘then you are going to be disappointed!’ With this, Angela stood her ground refusing to advance further. ‘So, what have you said to them, really?’ she pressed, arms crossed over her breasts.

      ‘Look, ‘Gela,’ Nani persisted, ‘they aren’t expecting anything. Promise! It’s just that they are going up to Tangkaban Perahu on their bikes and I thought it would be fun to go for a ride.’ The prospect of revisiting those surrounds did not particularly appeal. Angela had been there a dozen times already, the active site shouldering the surrounding hills of Bandung, a constant reminder that this island of Java hosted most of the world’s active volcanoes. Her last visit had resulted in near disaster when the volcano’s crater had burst into increased activity, the sulphur-laden air catching her group by surprise as the deadly cloud rose heavily into the air. Angela was not in a hurry to repeat that experience.

      Nani then took a stab at Angela’s pride – and her Achilles Heel.

      ‘Are you scared of the road?’ she tried, referring to the dangerous curved track that led up to the summit overlooking the volcano’s crater. Angela unfolded her arms and placed these defiantly on hips.

      ‘Let’s go,’ she snapped, now in a hurry to prove that she was not, sauntering ahead of Nani to join the group of youngsters waiting in the large shadow cast by the beringin tree.

      This one hundred-year-old banyan was a recognized gathering point for the Year Three students – and young lovers. It was said that the founding president, when still a student studying engineering, first fell in love with Inggit Garnasih under this very tree. The male students used this fable to ingratiate themselves with their prey, the number of young women who had lost their virginity within sight of this seemingly perpetual marker over the years, uncountable. Angela waved nonchalantly as she approached the underpowered group of Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki motorbikes, observing that the majority of these already boasted pillion passengers. A moment of concern passed when she spotted an unpopular boy sitting astride his bike, and made a beeline directly to his side.

      ‘Hi, Joko,’ she pretended, climbing behind the surprised youth, ‘thanks for waiting for us.’ She glanced across at Didi, struggling to contain his anger and disappointment, so stung by what she had done he gunned the inadequate Suzuki which spluttered, then died, adding to his embarrassment.

      ‘Hi, Didi,’ Nani took advantage of the situation and climbed on, wrapping her arms around his waist as the T-125 Stinger coughed back into life. Didi attempted to throw dust at those in close proximity as he drove away but failed at this as well.

      Angela patted her companion of choice firmly on the back. ‘Don’t get any ideas. Okay?’ she demanded, Joko eagerly nodding agreement as he too kicked the bike into gear and followed the others. He had seen her throw opponents around, twice her weight as if they were dolls, and had no misconceptions as to why Angela had selected him for her ride.

      ****

      Didi had made it quite clear to others that Angela was his; the major difficulty with this was that he had failed to convince the independent Dayak student that this should be so. They had never dated, Angela constantly sending reminders that she was not interested. Angrily, he tore down through Bandung’s streets, narrowly missing pedestrians, mobile-roadside stalls and the occasional beggar being led across the narrow streets.

      ‘Slow down, Didi!’ Nani screamed; her pleas ignored by Didi as his mind remained clouded with Angela’s humiliating putdown. Within minutes, they had left the others well behind, Nani hanging on for dear life as they tore through the City of Universities’ outer suburbia, climbing quickly through the winding road which twisted its way up to the Tangkaban Perahu lookout. Nani clung tighter and tighter, wishing now that she had not misled Didi about the date. Nani knew that Angela would not go with Didi and had banked on this, hoping to manipulate the event so that she could take Angela’s place. Now, Nani regretted her decision, terrified that Didi’s anger would be the end of them both.

      ****

      ‘Can’t you go any faster?’ Angela urged, the wind dragging her fine, black hair in a long, twirling tail behind.

      ‘It’s dangerous,’ Joko warned, but ready to impress if she said it was okay.

      ‘Just catch up with them,’ she shouted, the wind now bringing tears to her eyes.

      ‘Hang on!’ Joko warned, pulling back behind a slow moving minibus, just in time.

      ‘What are you waiting for?’ Angela complained, gripping and squeezing his waist painfully. Joko did not hesitate. He pulled out wildly and overtook the vehicles ahead, narrowly bringing disaster upon them when oncoming vehicles ground to a halt to avoid smashing into the two.

      ‘Aduh,‘Gela,’ Joko cried out, ‘let them go!’ Angela could feel Joko trembling and reluctantly decided to let it go.

      ‘Just drive us to the crater,’ was all she said, releasing her grip from around his waist.

      They continued on for a few minutes, slowing to a halt when they came upon the scene where Didi’s bike had hit a patch of gravel, spinning both rider and passenger through the air into the broken asphalt surface. Incredibly, both had landed safely without any injury other than pride. Angela climbed off Joko’s machine hurriedly, ran across to where her friend was sitting up against the side of the road, and grabbed her by the shoulders.

      ‘Are you all right?’ she shook her gently, more angry with herself than Nani for what had happened.

      ‘Enggak apa-apa,’ Nani answered, reassuring Angela that she was not injured. Others had begun to arrive at the scene, most dismounting to see what had happened.

      On the far side of the road Didi was still dusting himself down, bragging to his friends, apparently not in the least concerned about Nani’s possible injuries.

      ‘Didi!’ Angela called, rising slowly and walking towards him, measuring her steps as she did so. Several of the youth’s friends turned, Angela’s determined, and to some, familiar pose, warning them to stand back. Didi looked up, saw Angela before him, and smiled stupidly just as the palm of her hand hit him squarely on the side of the jaw – deliberately avoiding the lethal point of contact. Without so much as a whimper, Didi collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Angela then turned on her heel, and went back to Nani’s side.

      ‘Joko,’ she addressed the flabbergasted student, ‘can СКАЧАТЬ