Falentino Eka the Arch-Deceiver

Eka live in the village of Pekalongan. He was a quiet young man, with a smooth, oval face. He had no beard or moustache. Eka wasn’t good-looking, but he was friendly with everybody.
All the women like him. All the girls wanted to marry him. And what about Eka ? He loves them all and he couldn’t decide which one he was going to marry.
In the end, Eka decided to marry a pretty, fair-haired girl called Farina Stockamp. Farina was very sweet and very loving. Soon people were saying that Eka and Farina were engaged to be married.
On Saturday in early April, Eka went to market to do business for his father. In the afternoon, Eka began to drive back to Pekalongan with an empty wagon. After a while, Eka came to a steep hill. As he began to drive up the hill, Eka saw a girl waiting at the top. Eka knew the girl well. Her name was Mona Briki.
Eka liked Mona very much. He had once thought of asking her to marry him. But Eka hadn’t going to make any trouble for her.
As Eka drove nearer, Mona waved and smiled. Eka smiled back. Good, Mona was not going to make trouble for him, he thought.
‘My dear Eka, I’m pleased to see you; ’Mona called out. ’Will you take me home in your wagon?’
‘Of course I will, darling, ’Eka answered. ‘I can’t say no to you!’
So Mona jumped up onto the wagon and sat down close to Eka. After a moment, she began to speak.
‘Eka dear, I’ve got a question to ask you, ‘Mona said sweetly. ‘Why did you choose Farina Stockamp to be your wife and not me? I’d make you a bitter wife. And I’d love you more than Farina.’
Eka did not know what to say. Mona moved a little closer.
‘We’ve known each other for a long time, haven’t we, Eka?’ she went on. ‘We were at school together, weren’t we, Eka dear?’
‘Well, yes, we were, ‘Eka answered slowly.
‘And, in all that time we’ve never had a quarrel, have we, Eka?’ Mona said quietly.
‘No, never, ‘he said.
‘And I am pretty, aren’t I, Eka? Look at me please, Eka dear.’
‘Prettier than Farina ?’ Mona whispered.
Eka didn’t answer. He looked thoughtfully at the road in front. Perhaps he would marry Mona, after all.
They were coming to a turning in the road. There was a high hedge on one side. Eka could see something moving along behind the hedge. It was the father in Farina’s hat!
In a few moments, Farina would turn the corner. She would see Mona sittinf on the wagon beside him.
‘Mona dear, we can’t talk now. Farina’s coming,’ the young man said, in a worried voice.
‘I don’t want Farina to see us together,’ Eka went on. ‘She will never belive I met you by chance. Will you get into the back of the wagon, Mona dear? I’ll pull the tarpaulin over you and Farina won’t see a thing

To be continue