Nusantara: Anthology of Modern Indonesian Short Stories: Anthology of Modern Indonesian Short Stories by David M. E. Roskies

Author:David M. E. Roskies [Roskies, David M. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnic Studies, Public Policy, Social Science, Political Science, Regional Studies, General
ISBN: 9781317463696
Google: shfICQAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 28022237
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1997-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Wallet

(Dompet)

______

by Putu Wijaya

The movie had ended but Kasno remained glued to his seat as the filmgoers streamed out toward the exit. It was as if he’d been bitten by a snake. “A zombie running wild in New York, threatening the world. A zombie stands for disaster: illness, war, hatred, terrorism, political conflict, corruption, you name it,” he muttered to himself, seeing again the images that had poured from the silver screen and sloshed over him for almost an hour and a half.

When finally he got up to go, two or three people were still standing at the door, as the attendants started to pick up the soda bottles and paper wrappings. Kasno moved as if in a dream. “Not a great film, really, but I managed to get something out of the story of that living corpse. Must mean the old brain-box is working okay!”

Making his way along the row of seats, he happened to look down; there seemed to be a wallet lying on the floor. Black, a real beaut. Kasno quickly picked the thing up, at the same time reconnoitering the chamber. Just supposing this thing here should fall into the clutches of one of the attendants; ten to one the owner would never get it back again.

Kasno hadn’t the guts to open the wallet. He just held it in his hand in full public view and sauntered out. He was a bit reluctant to hand it over to the management, as there was no guarantee that the thing would then be returned to its rightful owner.

Wallet in hand he stood at the door, but there were so many people there that no one took a blind bit of notice. Kasno nonetheless hung about for a bit. He watched two men stooping down outside, then coming into the building and going out again. He held out the wallet, but neither of them paid him the least attention. They continued to stoop down, peering at the pavement.

When they came back inside he followed them into the auditorium. The two walked around it, appearing to search for something. They stopped to chat with the commissionaires, who shook their heads sadly. Kasno drew nigh, extending the wallet. But though they saw him, all right, they didn’t bat an eyelash, just carried on searching.

“Looking for something, are you? Lose something?”

The two men stared in surprise as Kasno held out the wallet. Looking startled, then panic-stricken, they smiled nervously, shook their heads, and beat it.

“What were they looking for?” Kasno asked a commissionaire. The man mumbled something. “Looking for a wallet, were they?”

The attendant made no reply. He picked up an empty bottle and left. Wallet still in hand, Kasno returned to the exit. Spectators keen to enter stood there, poised to go in. Kasno continued to draw attention to the wallet, mingling with the people, expecting to come across its owner in short order. But strangely enough no one took any notice of him. A young woman even seemed to smile and whisper nervously.

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