The Timor Man (94 page)

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 — 1972

Cinta Abadi — 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
              
Indonesian Armed Forces

adik-tiri
         
younger step-brother/step-sister

adjal
              
destiny

aduh
              
exclamation

ALRI
             
Indonesian Navy

ANIB
             
Australian News and Information Bureau

Antara
           
Indonesian News Service

ANZUS
         
USA, NZ and Australia Treaty

Apa kabar?
   
How are you?

Apodeti
         
Timorese Popular Democratic Association

ASDT
            
Timorese Social Democratic Association

ASEAN
         
Association of South East Asian Nations

ASIO
 
           
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation

ASIS
              
Australian Secret Intelligence Service

AURI
             
Indonesian Air Force

awas!
             
be careful!

babu
              
servant (female)

bagus
            
good

Bahasa

Indonesia
      
Indonesia's national language

BAKIN
          
Indonesian Intelligence Agency

bangsat
         
arsehole/louse

Bapak/Pak
    
a term of respect to an older man

becak
            
tricycle taxi

beliau
            
His Honor, Sir

berita
             
news

bersama
        
together

bioskop
         
cinema

bisa
                
can

bohong
         
lie

brengsek
       
something/somebody incompatible

bule
               
foreigner (slang)

Bung
             
older brother

bunuh
            
kill/murder

cepat
             
fast

cewek
            
girl

cinta abadi
    
eternal love

cyclo
              
tricycle taxi

dia
                 
he/she

jahanam
        
curse/hell

Dji Sam Soe
  
cigarette brand

dukun
        
witch doctor

enggak/tidak no

fajar
               
dawn/day-break

FRETILIN
     
Revolutionary Front for East Timor

gamelan
        
Indonesian orchestra

ganja
             
cannabis

gudang
          
storage room

gunung
         
mountain

guoilo
            
foreigner

halaman
        
garden/court

HANKAM
    
Department of Defence

hidup
            
live

Idulfitri
         
end of fasting period feast

jaga
                
guard

jangan
             
don't

jongus
        s
ervant (male)

joss
          
bad luck (Chinese)

journos
       
journalists

kali
                
stream

kampung
      
village

Kapten
          
Captain

kawin
            
marry

kita
                
we

koki
               
cook

Konfrontasi
   
War against Malaysian Federation

kongsi
             
union/company/society

KOPASGAT
   
Indonesian SAS

Korp

Komando
        
Indonesian Marines

KOSTRAD
      
Strategic Reserve Command

krait
                 
deadly poisonous snake

kretek
              
clove cigarette

ladang arable
   
land

Laksamana

Madya
             
Admiral

langganan
      
dealer/client

Lebaran
            
a religious feast

Letnan Satu
     
First Lieutenant

losmen
              
housing

lubang maut
    
death hole

lurah
                 
village head

maaf
                  
apology

mandi
                
bathe

manis
                 
term of endearment/sweet

Mas
                    
address to an older man

mati
                   
dead

mengerti
           
understand

Merdeka
           
independent, free

mereka
              
they

muda
                 
young

nama
                  
name

nasi putih
       
steamed rice

nenek mojang
    
ancestors

njonja
              
   
address to an older, or married woman

obrol-obrol
       
chatting/gossiping

OPM
            
Free Papua Movement

OPSUS
          
Govternment Special Operations Unit

orang asing
      
foreigner

Panca Sil
a
          
the Five Principles of Indonesian National Philosophy

panggil
               
call

parang
                
sword

Parlime
n
            
Parliament

pasar
                   
market

pemerintah
        
government

PLN
                    
Electric Company

pribumi
              
indigenous people — ‘sons of the soil'

protokol
              
protocol

PTT
               
     
Post, Telegraph and Telephone

rakyat
            
     
people, of the country

Ramadhan
    
     
the ninth month of the Moslem year

Ramayana
           
Indonesian epic originally from India

rambutan
             
small red fruit with hairy rind

ranjau
                   
land mine

rejeki
                    
good fortune

rendang
               
spicy meat dish

ringgit
                  
Malaysian currency (dollar)

rotan
                     
rattan, cane

RPKAD
                
Army Regiment

rupiah
                   
Indonesian currency

sabar
                      
patience

sawah
                    
rice fields

saya
                       
I

sedih
                     
sad

sekolah
                 
school

selamat datang
   
welcome

selamat pagi
        
good morning

semua
                   
all

sialan
                   
damn

silahkan
              
please

simpati
                
sympathy

sudah
                  
already

sumpah
               
swear

tamu
                   
guests

terima kasih
       
thank you

terserah
              
do as you please

cap
                       
stamp