A Stranger Who Means A Lot To My Life - Part One
Practice my English........................................
By Paul Edmundus
I was 21 years old. I worked at a hotel project in Sanur, Bali-Indonesia. My Boss put me there as the project materials controller, such as rocks, sand, cement, brick etc. Six months beforehand, I was a waiter at his bar and restaurant which was not far from that new hotel project. I started to work for him on 29 April 1971.
It was April 1972, I forgot the date. I stood nearby the path to look at trucks to unloading the material. A tourist on a bike passed in front of me."Good morning Sir." I greeted him. He stopped his bike. With his smile He responded:" Good morning, how are you?." "I am fine Sir, what is your name?" That was the way how I practiced my English. He looked at me, then He answered my question:" My name is Lawrence Sutherland, you can call me Larry." I remembered that name. My Lecturer at the college taught me that I have to mention my name too. "Oh...Mr Larry, my name is Paul Edmundus. Please call me Paul. I am a student of Tourism & Hotel College here in Bali." I was proud to mention my study to a foreigner. Larry continued to respond my introduction:" I see, you are Paul and you are a tourism student." I did not want to stop talking:" Yes, Sir, but what do you see?" Larry looked at me with an astonished face." Paul, I see means I understand." I was embarrassed, but I did not want to loose my chance to learn English. "Oh...thank you Mr Larry....." He said very fast:"Paul, don't call me Mr. Larry, just call me Larry." "I see, I see.." I picked up his new lesson, I see means I understand.
Another truck arrived. I had to check what material was in it. Larry knew that I have to work. He wanted to continue biking south. He said:" Paul, you have to work. I have to go.......see you......" I waved my hands:" Bye bye Mr Larry.......ehhhhh bye bye Larry.......see you.." I did't know what was the meaning of "see you". There was no one to whom I could ask. After checking the truck which had brick in it, I measured and got the cubic of it, then I sat on a rock to wait whether Larry will came back through the same path. Then a carpenter came from the opposite direction who asked me why I was there. I said I wait for a tourist who was on a bike. The carpenter said He met the tourist on his bike drove to the north. I realized that when I was busy with the truck driver, Larry drove back at the same path. Will I meet him again? May be not....I was thinking the whole afternoon until I had to go to my campus at 5.00 PM to study.........
Bali, 7 September 2020.
To be continued....................................................