MONICA II.
We walked along the beach without a sound or sign of recognition.
Up the concrete steps to the remnants of the front bale of the Pantai Restaurant, undermined in a recent big storm, to find it almost deserted. Although Mistri was there with a few of the other sellers, sitting under the lone tree almost asleep, I think it was the restaurant staff that first welcomed us and made the others aware of our arrival.
It was drink time and Mistri joined us for her favourite Fanta.
Where are all the others, we asked? Wayan is at the Ramada, she said, pointing down the beach in case we might have forgotten that the Ramada was the next hotel along the sea front, but she is coming now, and Lisa too. Obviously the smoke signals had gone up, or the phone call had gone out because I had not seen anyone sprinting down the 100 metres of beach with the news. Well before the first Anchor beer had gone (with two drinking daughters I was to make this early discovery that ordering just one big beer was a pure waste of time) Lisa arrived with her little bag of nail stuff and the news that Wayan was just finishing off a massage and would be here shortly - as Wayan arrived just a little out of breath. If you were the person at the Ramada who thought the second half of your massage went a bit quickly I do apologise.
Where is Adi and Monica were asked in quick succession?
Adi is at the house (Adi's ‘house' is her single room accommodation just up Gang Samudra at the end of the street). Sick. Cold!
- and Monica? Asked in quick succession.
Ah, Monica is at the hospital - baby is sick.
Baby? You mean Nyoman?
No, baby.
Monica has a baby???
Yes, husband came back. Baby is very small. Monica has to stay at the hospital.
Which hospital?
Sangalah!
- And then we knew this was serious.
To be told that Monica had to go to the Australian supported, International Sangalah hospital in Denpasar rather than some local and much cheaper place - or even to the ‘Chinese doctor' - meant that we were being asked for help.
Lisa took over and told the story. Monica's husband had contracted TB and we guessed without being told that his various girlfriends had consequently shown him the door. Monica had taken him in. He is much better now, said Lisa in response to our frowns and raised eyebrows, meaning that his wanderings had stopped. Maybe his opportunities had stopped I thought.
Monica (of course?) had become pregnant and had also contracted his TB. Whichever doctor she had first seen had thankfully referred her to Sangalah where she had been X-rayed, the extent of the TB assessed and she had received initial treatment for the TB. The risks for her pregnancy, for the baby and for herself had also been recognised. It was decided that she must have a caesarean to deliver the baby and things were evidently serious enough for this to be planned immediately, with 13 weeks of the pregnancy still to run.
The cost of all this started at 5.5 million rupiah (Aus$700 approx) for the operation plus medicines, plus dressings, accommodation etc etc. In Bali the locals pay up before these things are done and Monica was carefully taken to the hospital money lender where she quickly got enough to cover the basic requirements at, we think, 10% interest.
We could almost imagine her panic at the situation she would have found herself in. By making and selling necklaces and bracelets on the beach she was the sole breadwinner for herself, three children and a worse-than-useless husband. She had probably never seen 5.5 million in her entire life let alone seen that much in one pile, soon to be passed on to someone else. She would be lucky if she could pay the interest.
But she would have had no other option.
Lisa had been to see her some days earlier and, with the help of her brother, Made Sandy, a sort of a one person Red Cross, had tried to help with baby clothes, wraps and words of comfort. Made Sandy had raised some money for medicines and for food for Monica's other children by begging amongst their mutual friends. (Faint hope, I thought. They were all about as poor as Monica herself and with their own families to care for.) He had raised a few hundred thousand rupiah, mainly from a Dutch lady who knew Monica and who gave him the remains of her holiday cash before she went home.
His report from a visit that morning was that Monica was now stronger and feeding the baby but the baby was still very small and weak. He agreed to take us out to Sangalah but it would not be the next day as arrangements had already been made to do a preliminary shopping skirmish and the following day had to be the visit to the Negara Orphanage where we would unload many of our bags and boxes so we didn't have to carry them on to our next accommodation. Although we didn't know it at the time, Declan's on-board vomiting was to add its own spanner into our plans also.
When we did eventually get to see Monica the next Sunday, with Lisa and Made Sandy, her three children were there and the errant husband hovering in the background until I called him over from the shade of his tree and made him be part of the family. You might gather that I was not impressed.
Ni Wayan was there and she grows and becomes more mature year by year. We talked briefly about her school and she knows that her school costs for the year are now paid. She also has a little for herself. I have put Lisa on notice that she has the money, to do with as she wishes. Lisa is not to interfere with her decision about how she spends it but I want to know what she does. I hope I am right and that she really will make a good choice.
- - - On the web page there will be a photo here. - - -
We visited on Sunday and thought Monica and the baby were looking in good health, perhaps because he was now feeding. The baby was not allowed out of the ward but Monica held him up to the window for his first photo. The reflections in the glass are unfortunate but I think this picture will be one that ends up in a frame to eventually be displayed in her ‘house' next to the one of her leaning against the palm tree.
As you can see I did get my wish to see her smile without holding her hand over her mouth. The results of the dentist's work are an almost unbelievable improvement but I think that a small brace might be needed on one side at some time in the future.
However, that is for the future, there are other priorities now.