We had been watching the rainclouds rolling in from beyond the airport runway every day for a couple of weeks around four o'clock. We didn't get wet every day but mostly we did so on this particular day Gede had draped a large plastic sheet over the 2 umbrellas in the hope that at least some tourists would share the hospitality of the Rainbow Bar while sheltering from the tropical deluge.
We were all settled ready to wait it out and Ali had been and bought our plates of Nasi Goreng just in case the rain was so heavy that the sellers would all rush across the road to shelter under the awning of the 7/11 shop. Ibu Made was eating sweet corn, again and it was this craving for corn every day plus an expanding waist line that had aroused her suspicions. At first she hadn't believed it because at 45 she had thought her family was complete although it only consisted of 2 daughters who were already finished with school. Ayu was at "The University of Tourism" and was hoping for a job in a big hotel when she finished and Made was working as a cook in a restaurant.
From our Western point of view, a perfect family but of course as you'll know their daughters will be expected to move to their husbands' homes after marriage and in the fullness of time care for their parents in law leaving the problem of who would care for Ibu Made and her husband when they are old because that is the job of the eldest son. The hope was that one of their girls would marry a second son and so be able to move to their home which has the big advantage of being in Kuta where so many young men from around the island work.
Anyway when Made eventually went to the doctor with her suspicion he didn't think it was very likely and told her to come back in a few weeks if she didn't "recover". She didn't, recover that is, and when she eventually talked the doctor into an ultrasound her pregnancy was so well advanced that not only was her baby plainly visible but also the fact that he is a little boy. Made and her family are very happy and many offerings have been made to the Gods who brought this miracle about!!
Just as the first drops of rain began to fall Ketut arrived at the Rainbow Bar still riding his battered ladies bike but wearing a beautiful new leather motorcycle jacket and a rather incongruous pair of brown and red cowboy boots. "Lara went home" he said stating the obvious "so now my heart is broken." He stowed the jacket and the boots safely up in struts of the umbrella and accepted my offer of a beer.
The rain fell and Gede started telling the story of today's ceremonies in Sanur which is his village and also in Kerobokan. They were, he told us, taking place as we spoke. Two New Zealanders in Bali on their honeymoon had joined us and Ali had opened a beer for them so they squished onto one of the benches that were all pushed up together in the dry and joined us to listen to Gede while they cuddled up and shared their beer.
As we had seen with our own eyes, Gede explained every afternoon the rain had been coming in from beyond the airport and dropping fortuitously on the kerobokan Seminyak area with Kuta and Legian getting a reasonable amount also. We all nodded in agreement that it was indeed so. The Eastern area around Sanur was getting no rain at all and the small farmers were very worried about their rice and vegetables he added.
This is why this afternoon they were having a special ceremony to bring the rain to their area. Unfortunately the villagers in Kerobokan were having a corresponding ceremony to try and prevent the clouds from heading to Sanur. The two lots of magic would meet in the sky somewhere, maybe above Denpasar and fight it out with the stronger magic winning the day and the rain.
Made nodded sagely. She Harry and Ali were all of the opinion that the Sanur magic would of course win. Everyone knows, apparently, that some of the strongest magic in Bali, for good or for bad, can be found in Sanur. David and Aylis the honeymooners were polite enough to hide their disbelieving grins within their cuddling and I ordered another beer and one for the broken hearted Ketut who was showing signs of recovery and pulling up plastic stools for two young English girls who had just arrived, drenched but happy "At least the rain's warm here" said the girl who we came to know as Sonya, shaking her long red hair......
Well, the rain was stopping and it was time for me to make my way back to my hotel. As I ducked out from under the awning and stretched my cramped limbs I noticed that the wind had changed and the clouds were swirling along in the sky.
It looked as if they were heading for Sanur.