Sunrise in Bali - Across the Pond Trilogy (Book 1)

by L. A. Shorter

  At about 8 pm they were on their way. They'd managed to source a few small bottles of vodka from a local shop and had brought along some plastic cups for the journey. Mixing the vodka with some local fruit juice, Mark and Henry were starting to take charge, inducing as much drinking as they could from the other participants. It was a side to Henry that Jenny hadn't seen yet, perhaps the side that saw him through his university years.

  After an hour of drinking and laughing, the group pulled into Kuta. It was far removed from the tranquility of Ubud, with streets lined with bars and shops, a beachfront full of performers and restaurants, and proper paved streets filled with cars and rushing mopeds. Everywhere there were groups of young men and women, draped in vests and shorts, perusing the many stalls along the roads or seeking their next party.

  “Bounty please my friend,” called Mark from the back of the taxi. Apparently, it was the most popular club in Bali, and an absolute mecca for drinking and dancing. Jenny had only had a single drink, and so wasn't exactly feeling the night like the others seemed to be. Todd appeared to be the most lively, while Emily, sat next to Andrew on the middle row of seats, was continually looking around at Henry on the back seat, laughing at just about anything he said.

  Jenny turned back around, sitting at the front alongside Sarah and the taxi driver. She felt a little deflated, like her concerns about the new people disrupting the group were being confirmed. “Perk up Jen!” Sarah broke her from her thoughts. “You seem a bit distant....what's wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing, I think I'm just tired from the last few days. It's weird being here after all those beautiful places we've seen.”

  “Yeah...but we've got a lot of that to come. This is just to have a bit of fun to break up the trip. Come on, it'll be great...look, get that down you.” She passed Jenny a shot of vodka.

  Jenny took the drink and sunk it. “That's more like it! Now come on and perk yourself up babe, I'll bet Henry will kiss you tonight!”

  With that the car stopped and they got out, facing an entrance that looked like the curtained doorways to a circus, but with pirate decorations all around. Inside, the place was huge, and split up into numerous rooms and areas; the main one comprising a huge wooden pirate ship in the middle, with cages set up around the corners filled with revelers pulling their best moves.

  The group set off towards a quieter bar at the front on the club and bought some drinks – huge cocktails that the bartenders assured them were not watered down. This was quickly confirmed by a set of Aussie guys who were drinking nearby, each looking a little the worse for wear. After a couple of rounds Todd quickly danced his way up onto the karaoke stage to perform a rousing rendition of 'Living on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi. Jenny couldn't tell whether or not it was the alcohol in her system, but he sounded pretty good!

  As the night drew on and a couple of others got up for their turn on the mic, the group began to lose each other. They'd agreed to meet at the front at 2 am, and had all written the address of their hotel in Ubud on the back of their hand in case they found themselves lost at any point. Sarah and Jenny had just stepped off the stage after performing a bit of Rihanna when they noticed that the entire group was missing. They walked through to the main dance floor to find Todd and Mark embracing with a bunch of Aussie guys in a big drunken huddle, and Andrew down at another bar chatting with a couple of guys wearing Irish rugby shirts. Jenny skimmed the room for a sight of Henry, but got nothing. “I'm just going to the bathroom quickly,” she informed Sarah, “stay here, I'll only be a minute.”

  Sarah nodded and Jenny wandered off towards the nearest bathroom. As she rounded the corner she caught a glimpse of a couple pressed up against the wall. She looked at them to see Emily leaning in towards a brown haired man. As Emily stepped back, Jenny's heart sunk....it was Henry. She immediately turned away and dashed into the bathroom before they they saw her, locking herself into a cubicle. She sat down, tears rolling uncontrollably from her eyes, her heart pounding. She sat there for several minutes, the alcohol heightening her emotions, wiping at her eyes with tissue paper. Her head was spinning and her mind racing... “what did I expect?” she thought.

  A banging on the door brought her back to reality. “Jen, are you in there....Jen?” It was Sarah.

  Jenny steadied her voice: “yeah, it's me hun, I'll just be a moment. Got a bit lost trying to find the bathroom before, sorry I've been so long.”

  “Are you sure you're OK in there?

  “Yep, I'm fine...I'll be out in a moment.”

  It was nearing 1.30 am when Jenny met Sarah outside the bathroom. She had taken a couple of moments to wash her face and reapply her streaked makeup. After a short inquisition from Sarah, Jenny said that she wasn't feeling very well and wanted to leave. With that Sarah dashed off to tell the others that they were leaving now and would get a separate taxi. Andrew said he'd come too, while the others seemed content to stick it out a bit longer. “Is she OK?” Henry asked, concerned.

  “Yeah, she just says she's feeling ill. She went off to the bathroom a while ago so I guess maybe she was throwing up?”

  Henry's expression changed, his eyes widening slightly. “Well, maybe I should come back as well?” There seemed to be a pang of guilt in his voice....or was it just worry?

  “No, no, that's fine. I'll take care of her. You guys stay and finish your night. We'll see you in the morning for the ferry....don't miss it!” She walked off briskly accompanied by Andrew, Henry looking on solemnly as they left.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning Jenny awoke early. She was used to this back home. Her break up with Trent had been hard, and she had been having trouble sleeping most nights. That she now awoke with thoughts of another man filling her mind was entirely unexpected. She quietly walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror: her eyes were slightly red from her tears the night before.

  After freshening up, she walked out onto the balcony and looked down over the pool, where a figure was swiftly making its way from one side to the other under the water. The figure emerged on the far side to take a breather and Jenny immediately noticed that it was Henry. Her instant reaction was to turn away before he saw her....but she was too late.

  “Jenny?” He called from below as quietly as he could so not to wake anyone up. “How are you feeling today? Sarah said you felt ill last night?”

  Jenny wanted to turn away, but stood her ground. “Yeah, I suddenly felt weird at the end of the night,” the inflection in her voice was sour, “what are you doing up so early?” She was purposefully blunt.

  “I don't know really. I thought I wanted to make the most of this place before we leave. I'll probably never come back here again....what's a little lack of sleep in the grand scheme of things?”

  Jenny didn't want to be drawn back into Henry's charms. She felt betrayed, even though they had only known each other a few days, and perhaps a little silly that she was so affected by him. But here, she thought, in this circumstance, every day was like a week. They were spending all their time in each others company, not always directly together, but as a group, and she thought she felt something between them. She didn't think she meant so little to him that he'd hook up with another girl on tour in front of her...a girl that he'd just met that evening. Her resolve strengthened....yes, she was right to feel like this.

  “I suppose,” she offered, unimpressed. “Um, I'm gonna do a bit of reading...I'll see you later I guess.” Jenny's cold response caught Henry off guard, but there looked to be something in his eye that showed he knew why she was being so off. “Good,” Jenny thought, “hopefully he knows he's been a prick. Anyway, forget him...it was nothing really anyway,” she tried to convince herself.

  She turned away without a smile and returned to her room. Through the door slats she could see Henry looking on, a little upset. He dropped his head slowly, a slightly confused look on his face, before disappearing back beneath the surface of the water.

  A couple of hours later the rest of the group
were gathering in the lobby of the hotel, preparing for the short journey to the ferry. With the additional two members of the group, a single van was too small for them and their luggage. Instead, a couple of smaller cars pulled up to take them to their onward destination.

  Jenny was keeping her distance from Henry, and was chatting away with Eno and Miley, hearing a few more chapters of their life stories. Henry himself seemed pensive and quiet, as if he had reverted back to the person that started the tour. Jenny also couldn't help but notice Emily being a little grumpy. She sat there on her own, looking as though she was nursing a hangover.

  Upon instruction from Andy, they started getting into the cars. Jenny jumped in first, issuing Sarah to follow close behind. She could see Henry step into the car in front with Mark and Todd, Emily gingerly following suit. Todd and Mark seemed lively as always, their blood probably still filled with the lingering scent of those toxic cocktails. Henry, meanwhile, stepped into the front of the car beside the driver and withdrew his book and pencil, seeming in no mood for such frivolity.

  After a shortish ride they reached the ferry terminal, if you could call it that. Throngs of people all lingered outside on the concrete slabs onto which the hulking boat was fastened, all looking for spots of shade under the scorching morning sunshine. The weather had become more intense over the last day or two, and even the locals were now seeking respite where they could, hiding under trees and in the shadows of cars.

  Soon the main gate to the ferry opened up, and everyone piled on. As far as Jenny could tell, their group were the only international tourists among the masses, with the vast majority of tickets taken up by locals from the two neighboring islands. The group stayed relatively close together, looking for an appropriate spot on deck where there was a bit of shade. Andy assured them that it would be cooler once they got going, but with nowhere to hide indoors they felt somewhat at the mercy of the elements for now.

  After a few minutes the boat burst into life, drowning out all other sounds with a guttural roar that wouldn't abate for the duration of the journey. According to Andy, this was roughly six hours, something that none of the 'Bounty' party from the previous evening were happy to hear. “A six hour journey lying on a scorching piece of metal isn't the best thing for a hangover,” said Mark sarcastically, nodding a head to Emily as he did so. “How you doing over there Em,” he mocked, seeing the state of the girl huddled in whatever shade she could find.

  Jenny couldn't help but laugh, something that brought a scathing look from Emily. She turned, away, still giggling, and set into conversation with Miley beside her. It wasn't long before the ferry was cruising across the Lombok Strait, albeit at something of a snails pace. “No wonder it takes six hours,” exclaimed Mark, once again getting a few chuckles from his audience.

  The next few hours went by relatively smoothly. Mark, Henry and Todd disappeared for most of it, finding a suitable spot elsewhere where they could stretch out and enjoy the beating sun. Todd seemed intent on getting a tan, although his skin had yet to develop the protection of the others, and red seemed more likely to become his color by the end of the day. Jenny felt more relaxed than she'd expected, dosing away regularly after her broken sleep the night before, while Sarah chatted away happily with whoever might listen. Eventually, Jenny could tell that the incessant ramblings of a 19 year old college girl were getting a little too much for Eno, so he absented himself and found a quiet spot for some reading.

  Soon after they heard some announcements on the tannoy which suggested they were getting close. By now the strength of the sun had begun to abate, and the boys had returned from their tanning session on the other end of the boat. As expected, Todd had caught a few too many rays, his skin lit up like a lobster. “Screw it,” he proclaimed, after a few teasing words from the group, “it'll turn to tan in a couple of days.” He had a cockney charm to him, like nothing really phased him at all.

  Henry appeared to have gotten even darker over the last couple of hours, his skin enjoying the kiss of sun on top of the salt water spray that hit the deck at regular intervals, while Marks blonde hair appeared even brighter than before. Perhaps it was the contrast with his burgeoning tan?

  Jenny laid back and smiled, looking up towards the bright blue sky and beyond to the looming island in the distance. She caught Henry looking at her, a melancholic expression on his face, but refused to link with his eyes. “So, is Lombok like Bali?” she directed her question at Andy.

  “Well, yes and no,” he started, “I guess it depends how you're looking at it. From a landscape and climate point of view, sure they're really similar...you know, beautiful mountains, tranquil beaches, tropical rainforests, and all that. From a religious and tourism point of view, they're completely different though. Bali is far more built up than Lombok, and the people over there are mainly Hindu, while over here they're Muslim. You'll see what I mean when we get there....”

  This started a line of questioning that Andy was happy to deal with, each member of the group eager to know more about the island they'd be traversing shortly. Before the conversation could get too in-depth, however, the boat ground to a halt up at the dock in Lembar Harbor, the tannoy ordering all passengers to gather their things and disembark.

  Everyone got up and stretched before heading off down towards dry land, with Andy busily chatting on his phone to make sure their transport was ready and waiting. Thankfully, it was, a slightly larger minivan than before awaiting their arrival. “Righto gang, welcome to Lombok!”

  Jenny looked around and quickly realized what Andy had just been talking about. The dock was even less built up than in Bali, the roads seemed more like dirt tracks, and the jungle appeared even thicker and more dense. They jumped in the van and started the short journey to their hotel up the coast near Mataram, Jenny huddled in the back beside Sarah and Andrew. The atmosphere was quiet, everyone staring out of the windows taking in the beautiful coastal views as they went. In what seemed like no time, they had arrived at their hotel for the night... “this'll be the classiest hotel you'll have in Lombok,” Andy warned them. “It's got a pool at least, so enjoy it before we disappear inland tomorrow morning!”

  As they gathered their things from the back of the van and headed into the hotel, Jenny felt a hand tug at her arm from behind. She turned round to see Henry standing behind her.

  “Have I upset you in some way?” he asked.

  Jenny tried to be aloof. She didn't want him to know that seeing him with Emily had upset her. “No, what could you have done to upset me?” she answered, an accusatory tone unintentionally infecting her words.

  “Nothing, I'd hope. You're the last person on this tour I'd want to upset.”

  His words seemed completely genuine. Either he was ignorant of what he'd done, or he still hoped she hadn't seem him and was covering his back. He was a fine actor if it was the latter.

  “No, it's fine, you haven't done anything. Look, I'd better go, Sarah needs me.” With that she sped off towards the lobby of the hotel, where Sarah was gesturing her to come over. She felt a little bit guilty for how she was acting. It wasn't her way to make anyone feel bad, regardless of what they'd done to her. She'd been trampled on a lot in her young life and was very much a pleaser, someone who'd always want to make others feel good about themselves. This cryptic to and fro with Henry wasn't natural to her, and didn't sit well in her stomach.

  “What's all that about with Lord Henners over there?” Sarah asked jovially as they walked into their latest hotel room.

  “God I don't know Sarah, it's all messed up.” She thought about bypassing the issue, about ignoring and letting it slide, but she couldn't. Sarah was her best friend, and they shared everything with each other. She took a deep breath: “I...saw him kissing Emily last night....that's....that's why I took so long in the bathroom...I was a bit upset, you know.”

  Sarah expression showed shock, as if that's what Jenny wanted, but also an element of her own confusion: “Awww hun, what a dick! But....
aren't you guys just, you know, friends? Has something happened between you two?”

  Jenny forgot that she hadn't told her about their kiss on the volcano....or even about the little looks and touches, the small conversations and general feeling she'd got around him. In fact, she hadn't really told Sarah much at all about how she felt....probably because she felt kind of silly having those feelings in the first place.