Ennis meet Meihua at the Musro, a discotheque near the Borobudur Hotel. He had already remarked her there mixing with foreign businessmen and certain local political personalities.
That evening Ennis, through a beery haze, imagined that she resembled Lily in a strange fashion. Like one of those Communist Chinese posters showing a heroine of the Red Army, strong, proud, defiant with her long black hair in the wind, perhaps like Gong Li. Though there was not very much that could be described as revolutionary at the Musro at two in the morning.
He should have been in bed long ago, but as usual, he was drawn like a moth to the flame. She was not tall, in fact she was the very opposite to Lily, but nevertheless strikingly attractive in a kind of troublesome way, and by her very nature attracted to all the wrong kinds of men.
Inevitably, she returned to his hotel suite. They sat on his bed smoking and drinking as they talked into the night, she told him that she knew Sutrawan, which he did not find altogether surprising. What was more interesting to Ennis was that she talked of Sudarman, whom she said she knew well, and was clearly not exaggerating.
Ennis was not sure that he was in his best form that night, considering the amount of alcohol he had consumed, but Meihua had another agenda, she was in control and it was though she wanted give him an experience he would not forget.
She achieved the result that she had no doubt wanted and had no difficulty in getting him to take her out the following evening, suggesting dinner at the Lotus Chinese Restaurant in the Jakarta Hilton, she had expensive tastes.
On their arrival at the restaurant she was immediately, but discretely recognised by the maitre d’hôtel, Ennis keeping a low profile. Meihua wore a designer outfit that she had bought in Singapore with matching shoes and a matching handbag. She was given surreptitious glances by the men whilst the women pretended she did not exist. They had a discrete table and once they were settled in and had ordered their meal and drinks, Ennis understood that she had something on her mind.
‘You know John, I can help you with your business,’ she said as the waiter placed their drinks on the table.
Ennis was surprised, he had got used to hearing a lot of those offers for help, but from a girl like Meihua it was strange.
‘What do you mean Meihua?’ he said.
‘I can help you with Sudarman.’
‘With Sudarman!’ he said uncomfortably, glancing around at the nearby tables. ‘How?’
‘I know his brother.’
‘So do I.’
‘Well I can tell you, I know him better than you ever will.’
Ennis had met Sudarman’s brother in Taipei. Soetomo had been there on a visit from Hong Kong, and they had spent a couple of evenings out in the company of Sutrawan.
It was funny; Ennis remembered Soetomo had asked him to recommend an accommodating girl in Taipei. He had been puzzled as to why Soetomo had asked him; perhaps he needed to keep a low profile. Ennis imagined that he should have been more in his own element; after all he was an Asian, and even more Chinese in appearance than Indonesian.
He was the Consul General for Indonesia in Hong Kong. He had previously been Attorney General in Indonesia, but he had been posted to key position to watch over the activities of certain rich Chinese businessmen, whose businesses stretched to that banking centre and where many of the covert arrangements had been made for the President’s family.
It had also been rumoured that Soetomo had been involved in what was referred to in Jakarta as a sentimental affair, with an unsuitable young woman, whom he had refused to forsake, which had embarrassed the first family.
Ennis had no further news from Meihua; her friends told him she had left for Singapore to visit her family, and no doubt for a shopping spree he imagined. Then unexpectedly she resurfaced, calling him from the hotel lobby, appearing at his door a few moments later.
‘Hi! How are you John?’
‘Great, you’re looking good.’ he said complementing her outfit as the waft of her perfume excited him. She dressed a little flashy; she liked to attract attention, catching men’s eyes.
He offered her a drink and she helped herself to a Seven-up sitting down on the couch, her skirt riding up to show her thighs.
‘So what’s new!’ he said trying to concentrate on her reply.
‘I spoke to Soetomo,’ Meihua announced nonchalantly.
‘What!’ he said standing up.
‘You know the brother,’ she looked into her glass.
‘What did you speak about then?’ said Ennis feeling a surge of annoyance.
‘This and that,’ she paused and then added sharply. ‘You know what we talked about.’
‘And what did we talk about?’
‘About Soetomo’s brother,’ she said sipping the Seven-up.
Ennis tried to remember what they had talked about, the worst thing he could think of was Meihua telling Sudarman that he was screwing the little whore, which would look great for his image.
She could see by the puzzled and worried look on his face that his memory needed refreshing.
‘About the project, he said he would talk to his brother, you know, the minister.’
Jesus fucking Christ! thought Ennis. ‘But I didn’t ask you to do that!’ he said angrily.
‘Don’t worry, they agreed to help.’
‘Jesus Christ, what kind of shit is this!’ he said turning and walking across the suite.
‘Look, the brother wants to speak to you and he asked me to tell you its okay,’ she replied raising her voice.
‘When?’
‘This evening,’ she said looking at her watch. ‘He’ll be here in about an hour!’
‘Great! Great! What are we going to talk about?’
She stood up and walked over to Ennis, who was shuffling papers and pens about on the bamboo lacquered writing table in an agitated manner. She slipped her hand over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.
‘Don’t worry,’ she whispered in his ear.
Almost exactly an hour later, the phone rang. Meihua picked it up and spoke quickly in Indonesian. Three or four minutes later the doorbell rang and she opened it to Soetomo.
The meeting didn’t last long, Soetomo quickly came to the point, things could be arranged at a price and for certain concessions, he would look after everything and there would be no direct contact or discussions with the minister.