Chapter 43

• After that brief introduction, the atmosphere grew more awkward. Daniel invited his parents for a walk along the rice paddy paths, showing them the cultural hall where children practiced dancing, and the production house where villagers made incense and bamboo crafts.
• But admiration was not what showed on Laurante and Eliza’s faces. What they revealed was a barely hidden sense of shock. They saw beauty, yes, but not as something equal. They saw exoticism, not life. And that made Daniel realize: no matter how far he tried to bridge these two worlds, there would always be an invisible chasm.
• As night fell and the sound of gamelan echoed from the village temple, dinner was held in the courtyard of Bli Made’s house. Ayu had cooked herself with the village women, preparing sate lilit, lawar, and bubur injin for dessert.