The Incident
A rainstorm began at dusk just as I began heading for home. The heaviest rainstorms will cut visibility to nil. Clothing is saturated within 30 seconds. Car traffic slows to a crawl, while most motorbikes pull over to the side. Pedestrians rush to take shelter in cafes, convenience stores, and under awnings. Cigarettes are lit and phones turned on as people silently wait the rain out. Life momentarily stops during a rainstorm. Almost.
I retreated to a seedy warung on the side of a lonely street. The warung’s single low-watt bulb dimly illuminated the smears and stains of its white-washed, graying interior. I sat on a rickety wood bench under the warung’s corrugated steel eaves to wait out the rain.
The L-shaped building across from me looked like some kind of motel or apartment. Six doors with small numbers on their lintels lined its face. All its windows were barred and curtained. The building certainly looked better maintained than the warung, but it had the advantage of distance. I turned on my phone.
A slim Muslim woman in her low-20s arrived minutes later. She wore a plain, cream-colored headscarf. Her red sweater and black slacks were fitted just enough to highlight her curves without being skin-tight. The outfit was completed by black dress shoes with gold-colored buckles and a matching purse. Simple, elegant, neat. She was beautiful, gorgeous even. Let’s call her “Endah”.
Endah briskly walked along the row and then stopped at the last door. She quickly scanned her surroundings, unlocked the door, and entered. Then a twist: Endah left the door wide open. She turned on the lights and sat on the bed, feet planted on the floor and hands on her lap. It was as if she had entered a secret doctor’s lobby and now waited to be called. Curious… but not my business.
I returned to my phone. The glare of headlights momentarily blinded me as a car parked nearby approximately ten minutes later. Two young men approximately Endah’s age stepped out. One was a good deal taller than the other. Let’s call the short one “Rimbo”. We will call the other “The Tall One”. Rimbo wore baggy jeans and a loose white graphic tee. A half-smoked cigarette hung loosely between his fingers. His smile was cocksure; life was good. We acknowledged each other with a manly tilt of the head. Then he leaned back against the car to smoke.
The Tall One entered the warung and bought cigarettes and a cup of instant coffee. He walked back to Rimbo and they conversed quietly for a few moments. Then The Tall One entered the driver’s side of the car and turned on his phone.
Rimbo finished his cigarette and flicked it to the pavement. He casually swaggered towards the open door, entered, and sat down on the bed next to Endah. Endah in turn slowly stood up, said something to him, and exited the room.
Endah furtively scanned the surroundings again. I am certain she knew I was there. I am also certain she carefully avoided making eye contact with me. She made a slow, purposeful circuit past every door and window in the row. Then Endah returned and shut the door behind her.
Extant Context
The context that framed my understanding is as follows:
- Indonesian society is conservative on its surface. Conservative Muslim society considers meeting one-on-one with the opposite gender a serious sin. More nominal Muslims might be alone with their dating partners. One-on-one encounters with the opposite gender outside of a relationship are often frowned upon and the subject of wild gossip. The truth of said gossip is often less important than the telling.
- Further, ladies in a relationship who meet with men one-on-one (not close to their boyfriend/husband, or even at all) are considered to be cheating. The same is true for men. In fact, Youtube has several channels devoted to videos of jilted lovers catching their partners at public places with others of the opposite gender.
- Overnight activities are always taboo. For example, our apartment was located between two floors designated for female university students. Boys caught in the space during the late night / early morning gave grounds to the landlord to terminate a renter’s contract immediately with no prorated refund.
- Despite the above (or because of it), Indonesia has many day-lodges, hotels, and spaces that allow one to rent a room for a few hours. These are often used for sexual activity.
- It is illegal to use a hotel or other lodging with someone of the opposite gender if the two are not married to each other. In fact, police or even devout citizens have occasionally stormed in and demanded to see marriage papers. Those who cannot prove marriage are certainly fined. They may additionally be expelled, beaten, or arrested. The only exception to this law is Bali, whose governor assured foreign tourists that they may hookup with impunity.
- Indonesian couples Endah’s and Rimbo’s age are usually somewhat affectionate. Personal displays of affection are minimal compared to their American counterparts, but one still sees pleasure in their faces, light touches, some hand-holding.
Evidence
I confess that all the gears in my head began turning after the door closed. The actual event was fairly nondescript, just short of banal. Yet mysteries and secrets never fail to fascinate. What had I just watched?
- The space across from me turned out to be a “homestay”, a place where rooms can be rented by the hour.
- Each party arrived separately, about 15 minutes apart, in the dark of night. If their expressions were anything to go by, he was far more relaxed about the encounter than she was. There seemed to be no affection between them.
- Endah had seemingly made a circuit to check the other rooms for occupancy. I suppose she checked to make sure there was no one she actually knew. Endah could easily see the warung owner, the The Tall One waiting in his car, and myself before she returned and closed the door.
- The Tall One’s role seemed to be as Rimbo’s chauffeur.
Base Verdict
The environment was a “homestay”, suggesting something more intimate than casual. Their different standards of dress and apparent lack of affection for each other seemed to indicate Rimbo and Endah were neither in a dating relationship nor on a date. Their meeting was therefore most likely recreational, transactional, or both. In order of increasing likeliness, Endah and Rimbo were:
- Information agents who could not converse in a public space such as a cafe or office.
- Business people who wanted to conduct a business transaction in a day hotel.
- Doctor/patient pair that required a checkup more private than normal.
- Young adults meeting for an illicit drop-off of some kind.
- Young adults meeting for a temporary sexual encounter.
Oddly enough, the last two are equally dangerous here in Indonesia. I discount the first two as absurd. The third is absurd unless (a) Endah is older than she looks and (b) Rimbo’s problem was unable to be seen at home for some reason (such as an STD). The fourth is definitely possible but improbable. Illicit drop-offs in portable sizes should not require rented hotel rooms… and Endah had only come with her purse. The fifth is most probable and accurate.
The events I had witnessed all had the earmarks of a tryst.
When working on jigsaw puzzles, nothing is more satisfying than finding the single elusive, fitted piece that smoothly slides into its mate. It turns out that unraveling mysteries and secrets work the same way. From out of chaos comes order. The world makes sense.
Yet my satisfaction was short-lived. The picture was true but incomplete, all foreground but no background. Too many loose ends were left unexplained. Why was Endah so well-dressed while Rimbo’s appearance was rather careless? Why did there seem to be no affection between them when they met? Why did The Tall One wait in his car rather than drop him off? What was the nature of this tryst?
Of course none of it was or is any of my business. I was fascinated nonetheless. Mysteries are fun, and seemingly sordid mysteries are even moreso. But I had no way to make sense of it without more background to draw upon.