He seems happy enough with my answers and thanks me before sitting down.
That wasn’t so bad, I tell myself. I look around the courtroom and I see people I know. I see Heri, who has come here with some of the old gang from the building site. I am happy to see them. Mr. Yusuf is also here. He does not look happy. He is only here because he has been sent by Pak Neil. Pak Neil is not here himself but I know he is responsible for paying my lawyer. I am very grateful to Pak Neil because without his help I would never be able to afford a lawyer and I would surely go to prison for a long time.
Mr. Joko Hardono, the prosecuting lawyer / attorney / barrister / whoever, stands up and approaches me. I had forgotten about him. He is not so nice to me. He doesn’t ask nice easy questions like Mr. Bambang did. He doesn’t seem to think I am innocent.
No, in fact, he is not a very nice man at all.
‘Why did you kiss her? Did she ask you to kiss her? Did she tell you to stop kissing her? Why didn’t you stop when she asked you? Why didn’t you think she was serious when she said to stop kissing her? Why did you put your arms around her? Did she ask you to? Did she tell you to let her go? Why didn’t you let her go when she asked you to? Why didn’t you think she was serious when she said to stop holding her?’
So many questions, so fast. I try to answer but can’t. Confused. Want to cry. Help. Make him stop. It’s not fair. It wasn’t like that.
He continues.
‘Why did you throw her on the bed? Did she ask you to do that? Did she tell you to let her get up? Why didn’t you let her get up when she asked you? Why didn’t you think she was serious when she said to let her get up? Why did you take off her dress? Did she ask you to? Did she tell you to stop? Why didn’t you stop when she asked you to? Why didn’t you think she was serious when she said to stop doing what you were doing.’
Help! It’s not fair. No! It didn’t happen like this.
Nobody helps me. Nobody makes Mr. Joko stop, until, finally, he does.
I am exhausted and dizzy. I don’t know where I am or what’s going on. I am aware of being led away and a few minutes later I arrive in a small room where I am left to sit on my own for a few minutes. I put my head on the table and it feels so cool.
What is happening? What is going to happen next?
The door opens and in walks Yusuf. Not happy to see him, and he is not happy to see me. He slaps me hard around the face twice and swears at me.
‘You fool,’ he hisses. ‘You told us you are innocent. That’s why Pak Neil agreed to help you.’
‘I am innocent,’ I insist.
‘No,’ says Yusuf: ‘You are not innocent. You know that and so do we.’
I am stunned. What to do now? Is Pak Neil going to stop helping me? Without his help I am surely going to hell, or at least prison.
‘You fool,’ Yusuf repeats. He adds nothing else for what seems an eternity; he just stares at me.
Finally he shakes his head and swears again.
‘It is going to cost Pak Neil so much more to get you out of this. If it were up to me he we would leave you to do the forty-year sentence the judge is surely going to hand down. However,’ he adds, giving me the slightest glimmer of hope, ‘Pak Neil thinks it will look bad for him and his businesses if any of his employees are sent to jail, especially for rape. So, against my judgement, I must confess, Pak is going to get you out of this.’
I don’t know what to say, and as it happens I don’t get the chance anyway as Mr. Yusuf clearly decides he’s had enough of my company and leaves the room without another word.
Afterwards I am taken back to Pak Neil’s office to see him. This is not a meeting I am looking forward to, but I have another surprise waiting for me when I get there.
I am ushered into his office and the first words he says to me are, ‘Get married.’
‘I’m sorry?’ I stammer.
‘Get married,’ he repeats. ‘Find a girl, maybe Devi, she is a nice girl, and get married.’
‘I don’t …’ I start, but he holds up his hand to cut me off.
‘Enough,’ he says. ‘I can’t have you making mistakes like this because your dick is ruling your head. Marry Devi. I will help pay for the wedding and to start you off somewhere.’
I realise that this is not a suggestion and it is not negotiable, so I just nod and try to stammer a thanks, but again Pak Neil cuts me off.
‘Don’t thank me, Jack,’ he says, ‘because you are going to pay me back out of your future wages. Just as you are going to pay back to me every last rupiah I had to pay to get the charges dismissed. Understand?’
‘Yes.’ I am shocked. That is why I was able to walk out of court a free man. Pak Neil paid for the right people to be bribed. Oh, my goodness!
‘One last thing, Jack,’ he looks at me.
‘Yes?’ I reply.
‘You will never be so stupid again. Will you?’ Just for a flash, the avuncular uncle act he likes to play disappears and I see
