Short Story
Don’t Look At Her In The Eye, Or You’ll Be Hers!”
The Memory From The Harbor Of The Queen (Pelabuhan Ratu)
It’s that time of the year when the Wiryono family takes the time to have a one-week vacation together. With its buzzing moments, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, does inflict some fatigue in their lives. The family is considered well to do. They are not overly loaded with money, but they can afford necessities easily and splurge for vacations twice a year, plus a decent sum on their savings.
Bowo, aka Mr. Wiryono, works at the American Embassy, while his wife, Ratna, opens a small catering business from home. Their two children, Sari, who just turned fourteen, and Agung, twelve, are good students in a highly respected private Catholic school.
The ocean. The quietness with some buzzing. A decent hotel. Great selection of food. Not too far away from Jakarta. Those were five crucial bullet points in their minds. They weren’t always as organized, but one week is a long time, and things could get expensive, so they had to be meticulous about it.
Pelabuhan Ratu, a nice little vacation spot located at the largest bay on the coast of the Indian Ocean, was the destination. It’s beautiful, not overly crowded, and about a three-hour drive from Jakarta.
