Episode one, chapter 1

I think I'll start a story today. It's for boys who like to read, and although it never really happened (as far as I know) it could have happened, and that's the main thing. It will be about the adventures of Anak laki laki, a boy who lives on an island somewhere in the south seas. It's probably best if girls don't read it, even mothers, who might not care to hear stories about giant cockroaches, birds who eat vomit and so forth. Besides that Anak laki laki gets in fights and doesn't always do what his mother tells him to do..many mothers might think such stories would be bad influences on their sons. I'm not sure what the title will be because I'm not sure how the story will turn out. For now I'll just call it

The Adventures of Anak laki laki- Episode one

Chapter one
The sky was bluer than blue. That was what made Ibuku so sad. From where she sat on the parapet beside the well she could see past the village spread below, past the line of pruas pulled up on the beach by the lagoon, past the smoking island at the entrance to the bay, all the way as far as the horizon. As far as her eyes could see, and there was nothing wrong with her eyes, the sky was blue. It was a deep blue, a purple blue, different from the blue green of the ocean. Not a single trace, not the slightest hint of a cloud could she see. It made her want to cry. She couldn't help it. A little teardrop formed in the corner of her eye.
If the rains didn't come soon her garden would be ruined. If her garden was ruined months of work would be in vain. She did not complain of how much all that hoeing and planting and watering hurt her back and neck. She didn't mind because she loved her garden, her garden was her pride and joy. Her fruits and herbs and vegetables were the best on the islands. The Dutch traders paid good money for her vegetables and fruit. But without rain her garden would wither and die. And how would she feed her son and her elderly aunt without money from the Dutch Traders and food from the garden?
It was early in the morning. Only moments ago it was very dark. There was no moon that night and though the stars shone like jewels in the sky the path from her house to the well was very dark. She did not care, her bare feet knew the way. By the time she got to the well the ocean had become the colour of melted butter. It quickly coagulated into a huge ball and leaped out of the ocean in a mighty heave until it was clear of the horizon. The sun was up. It was morning. And there were no clouds in the sky. It was bluer than blue.
Anak laki laki woke up when the sun came through his window. He wondered about all the little bugs that danced in the sunbeams. How could something so small be alive, he wondered. He was very comfortable, swinging back and forth gently in his hammock thinking of what he would do that day. A bit of movement on the bamboo rafters caught his eye. Straining to see, he could just barely make out a large lizard. What colour was the lizard? Sometimes it was brown like the bamboo, sometimes dappled like the sunlight, he was whatever colour everything else was. When it moved it lurched like it was drunk. At the moment it was standing motionless on his two right legs, his other two legs stuck out to the side. Its right eye moved one way while its left eye moved another way. Something else moved on the rafters. It was a big blue irridescent beetle crawling on another bamboo pole not far from the lizard, just minding its own business. The lizard's roving right eye was fastened on the beetle. The next thing the poor beetle knew it was in the lizards jaw. Now it would never get to where it was going. Whatever plans it had for the day would have to be cancelled. Its skinny black legs wiggled while the lizard chewed. The lizard closed his eyes and seemed very happy.
"That wasn't nice of you, old lizard." Anak laki laki said. "But I guess you have to eat, just like me." When he thought about eating a beetle he didn't feel very hungry. He tried to catch one of the little dancing flies with his tongue, not very hard.
Where was his Ibuku? Where was his breakfast? Anak laki laki jumped down from his hammock and ran outside to look for her.