Page 38 of River
“It’s a great thing you’re doing for the children,” he praised me before we walked into the first building. It was dark and tight with little rooms and no room for playing.
“This isn’t what we’re looking for,” I explained. “We want a house with a minimum of six rooms, a modern kitchen, three modern bathrooms, and outdoor space for the children to play.”
Muhammed waved his hand. “You’re thinking like a Westerner. Balinese city houses aren’t that big, and the children don’t need that much room anyway; they aren’t used to luxury. But let me show you some other places.”
Noah and I exchanged a glance. From the way he raised his eyebrow, I knew he wasn’t okay with Muhammed’s dismissing me like that.
“We’re not seeing another house until you assure us that you’ve understood what we’re looking for,” I said.
Muhammed tilted his head. “I can only show you what’s available and what you’re asking for isn’t...” He trailed off and looked thoughtful. “Unless…
“Yes?”
“There’s the Tropical Oasis, but that’s something completely different.”
“Tell us about it,” Noah encouraged.
“It was run as a bed and breakfast until the owners got divorced and moved back to Australia. It’s been for sale for a while, so maybe they would be open to negotiating the price down.”
“How big is it?”
“Too big, but we can go and have a look at it. At least then, you’d have all the bathrooms you wanted.”
Muhammed made a call before he walked us through the streets and pointed to a building on our way. “That’s the school that the young children go to. It will be a shorter walk than they’re used to.”
“Did you grow up here?” Noah asked him.
“Yes, my wife grew up in the northern part, but with my being the oldest son, we had to live here.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It’s tradition for the oldest son to live with his parents and for his wife to move in with him.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
He nodded. “I have a sister who lives no more than ten minutes from us.”
“There’s only two of you? But I thought that people here had many children.”
“No.” Muhammed laughed. “Children are expensive. Most couples have only two or three. Come, it’s down this way.” We took a turn and walked down the cobblestone street and stopped in front of a three-story building with a large sign that said, “Welcome to the Tropical Oasis.”
I looked around and smiled. “I like that it’s a closed street. That’s good if the children want to play out here.”
“We have to wait for my colleague who has this building for sale. He’s on his way, but you’re welcome to walk around the small garden.”
Noah and I walked through the gate and entered a slightly overgrown but beautiful tranquil city garden.
“This is nice. I can imagine children playing here. It’s got lovely shade,” Noah said and looked around.
“The house is smaller than I expected.” I leaned my head back and counted windows in the L-shaped building.
“That’s because you’re used to mansions,” Noah teased before the sound of a scooter made us turn back to the gate. “I think the guy with the key just arrived.”
Muhammed and his colleague walked us through the small hotel. It had been renovated less than five years ago when an Australian couple had followed their dream of owning a bed and breakfast in Bali.
There were nine well-proportioned rooms with a bathroom in each, a common room, and a small apartment that had been the owners’ private living space.
“This could definitely work,” I said.
