She looked down once more and, still filled with curiosity, was tempted to open the faded envelopes as she held them with both hands. After reading the letter attached to the documents she knew it would be wrong to do so and, with a sigh, set them aside for posting.
Seruni looked at the photograph once again and slowly moved the tip of her finger across the images of the couple as they smiled at each other. On the reverse side there was an inscription and date.
Stephen and Wanti â 1972
Cinta Abadi â Eternal Love
In the year following her fathers' death Seruni's grief had been immeasurable. Most nights she still cried herself to sleep. She felt so alone. Albert Seda had been cremated. She was never sure how they could have determined which body had been his. The explosion's aftermath left little. She had scattered his ashes around her mother's grave. Nobody had asked her to do so. Seruni just felt that it was the natural thing to do.
She sorted through the strange case of personal effects which had been passed to her as heir to her mother's and Albert's estate but there were no answers. Only more questions.
Her eyes returned to the snapshot and, with a gesture that even she did not understand, she raised the picture and placed her lips softly against the faded faces while wondering who this wonderful benefactor had been.
Seruni had counted the cash, still not believing her good fortune. There was almost half a million dollars there. The money had been a gift to her mother, Wanti, from the handsome young man in the photograph.
And now it was all hers!
Although many readers would have visited Indonesia, this simple glossary of the
Bahasa Indonesia
words used throughout the novel may assist others who have not yet been fortunate enough to visit the beautiful archipelago and become familiar with its multifaceted culture and language.
ABRI
             Â
Indonesian Armed Forces
adik-tiri
        Â
younger step-brother/step-sister
adjal
             Â
destiny
aduh
             Â
exclamation
ALRI
            Â
Indonesian Navy
ANIB
            Â
Australian News and Information Bureau
Antara
          Â
Indonesian News Service
ANZUS
        Â
USA, NZ and Australia Treaty
Apa kabar?
  Â
How are you?
Apodeti
        Â
Timorese Popular Democratic Association
ASDT
           Â
Timorese Social Democratic Association
ASEAN
        Â
Association of South East Asian Nations
ASIO
Â
          Â
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
ASIS
             Â
Australian Secret Intelligence Service
AURI
            Â
Indonesian Air Force
awas!
            Â
be careful!
babu
             Â
servant (female)
bagus
           Â
good
Bahasa
Indonesia
     Â
Indonesia's national language
BAKIN
         Â
Indonesian Intelligence Agency
bangsat
        Â
arsehole/louse
Bapak/Pak
   Â
a term of respect to an older man
becak
           Â
tricycle taxi
beliau
           Â
His Honor, Sir
berita
            Â
news
bersama
       Â
together
bioskop
        Â
cinema
bisa
               Â
can
bohong
        Â
lie
brengsek
      Â
something/somebody incompatible
bule
              Â
foreigner (slang)
Bung
            Â
older brother
bunuh
           Â
kill/murder
cepat
            Â
fast
cewek
           Â
girl
cinta abadi
   Â
eternal love
cyclo
             Â
tricycle taxi
dia
                Â
he/she
jahanam
       Â
curse/hell
Dji Sam Soe
 Â
cigarette brand
dukun
       Â
witch doctor
enggak/tidak no
fajar
              Â
dawn/day-break
FRETILIN
    Â
Revolutionary Front for East Timor
gamelan
       Â
Indonesian orchestra
ganja
            Â
cannabis
gudang
         Â
storage room
gunung
        Â
mountain
guoilo
           Â
foreigner
halaman
       Â
garden/court
HANKAM
   Â
Department of Defence
hidup
           Â
live
Idulfitri
        Â
end of fasting period feast
jaga
               Â
guard
jangan
            Â
don't
jongus
       s
ervant (male)
joss
         Â
bad luck (Chinese)
journos
      Â
journalists
kali
               Â
stream
kampung
     Â
village
Kapten
         Â
Captain
kawin
           Â
marry
kita
               Â
we
koki
              Â
cook
Konfrontasi
  Â
War against Malaysian Federation
kongsi
            Â
union/company/society
KOPASGAT
  Â
Indonesian SAS
Korp
Komando
       Â
Indonesian Marines
KOSTRAD
     Â
Strategic Reserve Command
krait
                Â
deadly poisonous snake
kretek
             Â
clove cigarette
ladang arable
  Â
land
Laksamana
Madya
            Â
Admiral
langganan
     Â
dealer/client
Lebaran
           Â
a religious feast
Letnan Satu
    Â
First Lieutenant
losmen
             Â
housing
lubang maut
   Â
death hole
lurah
                Â
village head
maaf
                 Â
apology
mandi
               Â
bathe
manis
                Â
term of endearment/sweet
Mas
                   Â
address to an older man
mati
                  Â
dead
mengerti
          Â
understand
Merdeka
          Â
independent, free
mereka
             Â
they
muda
                Â
young
nama
                 Â
name
nasi putih
      Â
steamed rice
nenek mojang
   Â
ancestors
njonja
             Â
  Â
address to an older, or married woman
obrol-obrol
      Â
chatting/gossiping
OPM
           Â
Free Papua Movement
OPSUS
         Â
Govternment Special Operations Unit
orang asing
     Â
foreigner
Panca Sil
a
         Â
the Five Principles of Indonesian National Philosophy
panggil
              Â
call
parang
               Â
sword
Parlime
n
           Â
Parliament
pasar
                  Â
market
pemerintah
       Â
government
PLN
                   Â
Electric Company
pribumi
             Â
indigenous people â âsons of the soil'
protokol
             Â
protocol
PTT
              Â
    Â
Post, Telegraph and Telephone
rakyat
           Â
    Â
people, of the country
Ramadhan
   Â
    Â
the ninth month of the Moslem year
Ramayana
          Â
Indonesian epic originally from India
rambutan
            Â
small red fruit with hairy rind
ranjau
                  Â
land mine
rejeki
                   Â
good fortune
rendang
              Â
spicy meat dish
ringgit
                 Â
Malaysian currency (dollar)
rotan
                    Â
rattan, cane
RPKAD
               Â
Army Regiment
rupiah
                  Â
Indonesian currency
sabar
                     Â
patience
sawah
                   Â
rice fields
saya
                      Â
I
sedih
                    Â
sad
sekolah
                Â
school
selamat datang
  Â
welcome
selamat pagi
       Â
good morning
semua
                  Â
all
sialan
                  Â
damn
silahkan
             Â
please
simpati
               Â
sympathy
sudah
                 Â
already
sumpah
              Â
swear
tamu
                  Â
guests
terima kasih
      Â
thank you
terserah
             Â
do as you please
cap
                      Â
stamp