Ketut Bayu

He was my friend. We had met on the beach one day while I was hooping last year. He watched me and within ten minutes he had learned everything that took me 2 years to learn, and with ease. Ever since then we would say hi in passing. One day when some of the kids and I were trying to catch a crab in the little stream by the house, he suddenly appeared, jumped right in and quickly gave them one. He was definitely my hero. Without many words but with a confidence and ease he could do everything. I started to notice him more and more around our road and it turned out that he had moved from the crowded village over to our forest area and was now our neighbor. He always had a smile and said hello in passing each time.

The kids I was living with were not used to making friends here, and pretty much played with themselves or their cousins. For some reason they even began a "war" with the neighbors kids, including him, and were busy throwing stones and calling names. Even our dog got a kick out of barking at him and trying to snap at him every day as he passed. But it didn't bother Ketut Bayu, he just continued to smile and calmly walk by. For some reason he stood out from all the other children, not only because the children called him by his two names instead of the usual one, but also because he seemed at one with the world and above any trivialities. And for some reason whenever he did go by the kids all called out his name in excitement.

I think it began with him stopping by one day as we were sitting out on the porch drawing. Without a word, he joined us. It turned out he was a great artist in addition to all of his other talents. That immediately won the kids over. But he just smiled, and continued to draw complicated architectural designs with great perspective. He enjoyed the attention just as much as he enjoyed blending in with everyone else. Then he began to come over every day and either draw with us, or play with the 5 year old boy.  But after a week or two he and the 7 year old girl sat and worked on a drawing together. It was a treat to see them talking quietly together and creating one picture.

It was a perfect match. She always behaved like a priestess or princess, connected to higher spiritual worlds and could be mature beyond her age. She was my best friend. The fact that she was 7 years old usually didn't make much difference. He looked and acted like a prince. He seemed so worldly. No matter what was needed, he could perform it, without much ado; making perfect offering baskets, preparing a meal with me, making spicy sambal, climbing a wall to reach the flowers on the tip of the tree branch, fix the broken bicycle, dance, draw anything we wanted, mimic everyone and everything, sing songs in English, snorkel out in the deep water, spontaneously find some branches on shore and make a clothes line to dry his bathing suit after swimming while we ate our picnic… the list goes on.

I enjoyed watching them giggling and being silly together. But the main focus of ketut bayu was that any wish taniya had, he immediately actualized it. Suddenly her princess nature and his princely nature had a reason to be. He seemed to have no needs or desires of his own. Just whatever would make her happy. One day, when she was being rebellious with her 15 year old sister and refusing to come inside in spite of the pouring rain, he quietly walked over to her and within minutes she joined him and calmed down. He seemed to know what made her tick, and she could be herself in all of her glory knowing that someone was there for her at every moment. He could casually place his arm around her, without any of the hesitancy of a typical 12 year old with his first girlfriend, as if it was the most natural act.

He would come home from school every day and come over, as if he had never been away. Her endless creative ideas and his ability to join in with every whim, whether it was karaoke and dancing to a cd or her setting up a low table outside for them to have a meal on since he had just folded an origami flower for her, which she placed in a vase to decorate their table, it was always done with laughter and fun. When they played badminton together it was one big carnival of giggles, imitations, improvisations and pleasure. The game was just the backdrop for their togetherness.

One day she went to visit her cousin instead of coming home from school. Ketut bayu simply waited by the house for a few hours until she returned, silently busying himself with whatever. But then came the day when he didn't come over. Taniya kept asking "Where is ketut bayu?" It was nice to see she remained calm but desired his company. She rode over to his house a few times to see if he was home yet, but each time the reply was no. When he finally did come home he told her that he can't come over today. I was devastated. I didn't sleep all night, worrying that possibly his parents had decided that their 12 year old son should not be spending all of his free time with a little 7 year old girl, and that he needs to be with boys his age, or perhaps even worse, that they disapprove of the family or whatever and forbid him to come over anymore. But the following day, there he was like always, straight from school, and I realized my worries were my own imagination and that everything was fine.

As me and the 15 year old watched day by day these two kids having such a wonderful time together, we began to be jealous. Why don't we have someone like him too?! Whenever we went for a walk, he always waited for her if she was slower on the bicycle, or in the rear. What would have been crisis situations demanding everyone to revolve around her needs, suddenly turned into a joyful caring and pleasure to be in her company, no matter what. When she was too tired to walk back from the sea, he happily offered that she sit on the bicycle seat and he will ride standing up the whole way with her. Today he suggested that he take her on the bicycle again, so she won't have to peddle back later when she is tired.

 We all want a Ketut Bayu in our life. But for the time being it's nice to know that fairy tales can really happen.