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SNOWING IN BALI

the time to talk, ‘Oh, it’s delayed again, they send to Finland.’ I say,
‘Stop calling. Fuck . . .’

– Rafael

Five days later, it was Rafael’s 45th birthday, and he was having a low-key celebration in his Bali house with half a dozen friends, their kids, some beers and a small cake. His phone rang. It was Anna, so he took it outside. ‘Happy birthday, your present’s come,’ she whooped. It was the news Rafael so desperately wanted to hear. ‘I was like, “Thank you, the shit arrived. I can pay loan, we’re not going to lose the house. We’re rich again. Goal.”’

Rafael went back to his friends, keeping his good news quiet but feeling great relief. It didn’t last. His phone rang ten minutes later. It was Anna again. ‘What the fuck, it’s baking powder,’ she yelled down the phone. ‘Fuck, you asshole, your friend sent us baking powder.’

In ten minutes, Rafael’s world had gone from bright to very dark. He called his friend in Peru, who instantly took the blame, saying his packer had done this once before – stolen the coke and sent baking powder. ‘Sorry, Rafael,’ he said.

There was nothing Rafael could do. Anna phoned back and he relayed the Peruvian’s response. ‘Okay, fuck you, fuck you,’ she screamed, then hung up. Rafael went back inside to his guests, hiding his emotions until his not-so-happy birthday finished.

Everybody goes home, I try to sleep, and then I start to think, ‘Fuck, what’s happened?’ I try to call Anna. She doesn’t answer. And then I fall to sleep. Wake up the next day, try to call, no answer. I don’t know what’s happened.

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