Suryono extinguished the stub of his cigarette in the small plate on the adjoining table. He reached out for his trousers hanging on a chair near the bed and got out his wallet. The weight of the wallet in his hand filled him with pleasure. What a good life this is, he thought: plenty of money, plenty of women, and no worries. What else could one wish for?
He suddenly thought of Ies, or “Iesye” as he more often called her, with the affectionate Dutch diminutive attached to her name. Should I ever want to marry, I’ll marry Iesye, he said to himself. Then an uneasy feeling crept in: Iesye will never agree to let me play around with Dahlia and other women. Well, forget that idea! But, but.… Suryono stopped short in his musings. There was something in Ies that challenged him. Was it because s
