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SNOWING IN BALI

first. Nanang was keen but overstocked and asked him to wait a few days. But the Aussie didn’t, he sold it.

As soon as Nanang learnt of the treachery, he sent two of his men to deliver an ultimatum: leave Bali or die. The surfer went into hiding for six months, avoiding clubs and restaurants, until one of his Peruvian drug-dealer friends offered Nanang a sweet coke deal as a peace offering for him, which was accepted.

Dealer Alberto refused to live by the rules. As an agent juggling sellers and buyers, he usually couldn’t sit on the stuff or the sellers grew impatient and angry. Most sellers pushed him to offload it fast and in Bali there were always big buyers arriving from France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and many other countries, with endless cash and runners ready to go. It was a frenetic business and Alberto was always keen to avoid sitting on coke.

You have to spend money on a hotel and it’s a risk because you’re sitting on a bomb, it can explode at any time.

– Alberto

One afternoon he offered Nanang a kilo of coke, but the boss needed time to organise cash. Alberto prevaricated, not promising to keep it, and when an Australian turned up with a briefcase full of cash, he sold it. A few days too late, Nanang rang to say he was ready. Alberto broke the news; it was gone. Nanang asked him to come to his shop.

As soon as Alberto walked into Nanang’s office, he copped a fist in the face so hard that he reeled back into the wall. It hurt like hell, but he didn’t retaliate. He couldn’t forget it was their country, especially as Nanang’s soldiers were now surrounding him. But fury blazed in his eyes. Nanang saw it and his temper

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