"YES, SHE HAS A WONDERFUL VOICE.
 "DO YOU LIKE IT?
"YES, I DO.
A MAN AND A WOMEN CAME UP TO HER. "WE REALLY LIKE YOUR VOICE, THE
WOMAN SAID. "WILL YOU SING A SONG FOR US? DO YOU KNOW "BLUE SKIES"?
"YES, SAID WIDI. "I'LL SING IT FOR YOU AFTER THE INTERVAL.
SHE WENT BEHIND THE STAGE. JONI WAS THERE WAITING FOR HER. "I WON'T
BE LONG NOW, JONI,  SHE SAID. "THAT'S ALL RIGHT, WIDI, JONI SAID.
"COULD LISTEN TO YOU ALL NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT.
IT WAS NOT TRUE. JONI WANTED TO LISTEN TO WIDI EVERY NIGHT, BUT IT
COST MONEY TO COME TO THE DANCE. HE COULD NOT COME TO THE DANCE AGAIN
UNTIL NEXT MONTH. HE HAD SPENT HIS MONEY FOR THIS MONTH ALREADY BY
COMING TO THE DANCE WITH WIDI FIVE NIGHTS. AGUS CAME TOWARDS THEM.
"THERE IS A BIG CROWD HERE TONIGHT,"HE SAID. "YOU'RE BRINGING LUCK
TO OUR BAND. WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY A NEW MICROPHONE FOR YOU,
WIDI, AND TO PAY YOU. WIDI WAS VERY HAPPY. SHE LOOKED AT JONI AND
SMILED AT HIM. BUT THEN SHE SAW HIS FACE. IT WAS NOT HAPPY. "WHAT'S
WRONG, JONI? SHE ASKED. "NOTHING, WIDI. IT'S ALL RIGHT, JONI SAID.
"COME ON, IT'S TIME TO SING AGAIN, SAID AGUS. WIDI AND THE BAND GOT
ON THE STAGE. SHE SANG SOME SONGS AND THEN SHE SANG 'BLUE SKIES'.
FROM BEHIND THE STAGE JONI LISTENED. HER VOICE IS MUCH STRONGER, HE
THOUGHT. HE REMEMBERED THE PARTY IN JAKARTA WHEN SHE SANG 'BLUE
SKIES' AND THEIR EYES MET. YES, HER VOICE IS STRONGER, HE THOUGHT.
BUT THE FEELING IS DIFFERENT. IN JAKARTA SHE SANG THE SONG FOR ME,
NOW SHE IS SINGING IT FOR HERSELF. THE SONG ENDED AND THE PEOPLE
CALLED FOR MORE. WHEN THE DANCE ENDED, JONI WENT TO GET A BECAK. HE
TOLD THE BECAK DRIVER TO WAIT BY THE SIDE DOOR. HE WENT IN TO WIDI.
WIDI WAS TALKING TO AGUS. THEY WERE SITTING BEHIND THE STAGE AND
DRINKING COFFEE. "JUST FIVE MINUTES
WIDI CALLED TO JONI. "THE BECAK IS WAITING, JONI SAID. WIDI AND AGUS
TALKED SOME MORE. JONI WAITED BY THE DOOR. THEN AGUS CAME OVER TO
HIM. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT, HE TOLD JONI. "I WILL TAKE WIDI HOME.
JONI LOOKED AT WIDI. SHE SMILED AT HIM. "I CAN WAIT, JONI SAID.
"THANK YOU AGUS, WIDI SAID, "BUT I CAN GO WITH JONI.
SHE PICKED UP HER THINGS AND SAID GOODBYE TO AGUS. IN THE BECAK, WIDI
SAID TO JONI, "YOU DIDN'T LOOK HAPPY TONIGHT, JONI. WHAT IS WRONG?
JONI FELT UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT HE SAID, "WELL, I'M WORRIED ABOUT MONEY,
WIDI. YOU KNOW I DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH MONEY. I CAN'T REALLY AFFORD
TO COME TO THE DANCE EVERY NIGHT.
"YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME EVERY NIGHT, JONI, WIDI SAID, "AGUS
CAN BRING ME HOME. HE HAS OFFERED TO TAKE ME HOME BEFORE.
"I KNOW, SAID JONI. "BUT I DON'T LIKE IT.
"WHY NOT, JONI?
WIDI ASKED. DON'T YOU TRUST ME?
"OF COURSE I TRUST YOU, WIDI. BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT AGUS. HE WILL
HELP YOU TO BECOME FAMOUS, I KNOW. BUT HE WANTS TO HELP HIMSELF TOO.
AND I AM NOT SURE ABOUT HIM.
"WELL, IF YOU TRUST ONE OF US, YOU CAN TRUST BOTH OF US, WIDI SAID.
"YOU WANT ME TO BE A FAMOUS SINGER, DON'T YOU? SO I HAVE TO SING WITH
AGUS.
"I SUPPOSE SO, SAID JONI. "I UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOUR MONEY, JONI, WIDI
SAID. "YOU COME TO THE DANCE WHEN YOU CAN. I WILL LIKE THAT. AND WHEN
YOU CAN'T COME, AGUS CAN TAKE ME HOME. AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN WITH
AGUS, BELIEVE ME.
JONI STILL DID NOT FEEL HAPPY, BUT HE COULD NOT SAY ANYTHING MORE.
JONI SAID GOODNIGHT TO WIDI AT HER HOUSE AND WALKED HOME. EVERYTHING
THAT WIDI HAD SAID WAS TRUE, HE THOUGHT. I DO WANT HER TO BE A FAMOUS
SINGER. SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND SHE SHOULD USE IT. AND SHE DOES
HAVE TO SING WITH AGUS NOW. IT IS A BIG CHANCE FOR HER. AND I CAN'T
GO TO THE DANCE EVERY NIGHT, SO AGUS WILL HAVE TO TAKE HER HOME. AND
I DO BELIEVE IN HER. SO WHY DO I WORRY? AND HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS
MONEY AGAIN. PERHAPS I SHOULD GET A JOB, HE THOUGHT. IF I HAVE MONEY
I CAN GOT TO THE DANCE EVERY NIGHT. PRIYADI HAS A JOB, HE REMEMBERED.
HE WORKS FOR SOME FOREIGNERS. HE TRANSLATES LETTERS FROM ENGLISH INTO
INDONESIAN AND FROM INDONESIAN INTO ENGLISH. HE GETS A LOT OF MONEY
FOR IT. MY ENGLISH IS AS GOOD AS PRIYADI'S. YES, TOMORROW I WILL ASK
PRIYADI IF HE CAN HELP ME GET A JOB WITH THOSE FOREIGNERS. AGUS AND
HIS BAND WERE PLAYING FOR A SPECIAL PARTY IN A BIG HOTEL IN JOGJA.
A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAD COME TO SEE THE FAMOUS DANCE AT PRAMBANAN
TEMPLE, AND AFTER THE DANCE THERE WAS A PARTY AT THE HOTEL. WIDI SANG
WITH THE BAND. AFTER HER SONG, ONE OF THE WAITERS BROUGHT HER A NOTE.
IT SAID, 'I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR SINGING', AND IT WAS
SIGNED 'HERU JUMANTI'. WIDI WAS VERY EXCITED. HERU JUMANTI WAS THE
MANAGER OF MANY FAMOUS SINGERS. WIDI SHOWED THE NOTE TO AGUS, AND
AGUS WAS VERY EXCITED TOO. "THIS IS OUR BIG CHANCE, HE SAID. "HERU
JUMANTI CAN GET A LOT OF WORK FOR US.
WIDI AND AGUS WENT TO SEE HERU AT HIS TABLE. THERE WAS ONE EMPTY SEAT
THERE. HERU TOLD WIDI TO SIT DOWN. AGUS STOOD BEHIND HER UNTIL A
WAITER BROUGHT A CHAIR FOR HIM. "YOU ARE A VERY GOOD SINGER, HERU
SAID TO WIDI.
"YOU COULD EASILY BE A FAMOUS SINGER. BUT YOU NEED TO GET MORE
EXPERIENCE AND SING WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT BANDS. I CAN HELP YOU. ARE
YOU INTERESTED?
"OF COURSE SHE IS INTERESTED, SAID AGUS. "BUT SHE DOES NOT NEED OTHER
BANDS. WIDI SINGS WELL BECAUSE SHE KNOWS MY BAND AND MY BAND KNOWS
HER. WE WORK WELL TOGETHER.
"PERHAPS THAT IS TRUE, SAID HERU.
WIDI, WE ARE PLANNING A BIG CONCERT IN JOGJA ONE MONTH FROM NOW. I
WANT YOU TO SING AT THAT CONCERT. SING WELL, AND THERE WILL BE MANY
OTHER CONCERTS FOR YOU, HERE AND IN JAKARTA. "WHAT ABOUT MY BAND,
SAID AGUS. "WIDI WILL SING WITH MY BAND AT THE CONCERT, WON'T SHE?
"LET US THINK ABOUT THAT, SAID HERU. "WE STILL HAVE TO PLAN MANY
THINGS."
IT WAS ALMOST TIME FOR THE BAND TO PLAY AGAIN AND AGUS HAD TO LEAVE.
"COME ON, WIDI, HE SAID. "SHE'LL FOLLOW YOU IN A MINUTE, SAID HERU.
"I WANT TO ASK HER A FEW QUESTIONS FIRST.
"SHE HAS TO SING SOON, SAID AGUS. "DON'T WORRY, SAID HERU. "SHE'LL
COME SOON. DON'T WAIT FOR HER.
AGUS LEFT. WHEN THE PARTY ENDED WIDI LEFT THE HOTEL. JONI WAS WAITING
OUTSIDE TO TAKE HER HOME. SHE TOLD HIM ABOUT HERU AND THE BIG
CONCERT. "AGUS IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CONCERT, SHE SAID. "IT WILL
BE GOOD FOR THE BAND. I MUST PRACTISE A LOT.
JONI FELT HAPPY AND SAD. WIDI WAS BECOMING WELL-KNOWN. SHE WAS
EXCITED ABOUT HER SINGING. BUT NOW JONI DID NOT MEET HER VERY OFTEN.
AFTER SCHOOL SHE PRACTISED WITH THE BAND. AND JONI WENT TO HIS JOB.
PRIYADI HAD HELPED HIM TO GET A JOB AND HE WORKED ALMOST EVERY
AFTERNOON. SOMETIMES HE HAD TO WORK AT NIGHTS TOO, AND OFTEN IT WAS
ON THE NIGHTS WHEN WIDI WAS WITH THE BAND. "SHALL WE DO OUR HOMEWORK
TOMORROW, WIDI?
JONI ASKED. "I DON'T HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW.
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT HOMEWORK NOW, WIDI SAID. "THIS CONCERT IS VERY
IMPORTANT. MY SCHOOLWORK CAN WAIT. WHAT SHALL I WEAR FOR THE CONCERT?
"YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL IN THAT BLUE DRESS.
"OH THAT'S TOO OLD. I'LL BUY A NEW DRESS. I'LL LOOK FOR ONE TOMORROW.
OH, I'M SO EXCITED. I MUST PRACTISE EVERY DAY.
"WELL, LAUGHED JONI. "PLEASE KEEP ONE DAY FREE FOR ME.
"WHAT? OF COURSE. TOMORROW I MUST TALK TO AGUS ABOUT SOME NEW SONGS.
I CAN SING THEM AT THE CONCERT.
"I'LL PLAY THEM FOR YOU, AND YOU CAN PRACTISE THEM WITH ME, SAID
JONI. "IT'S NO GOOD WITH JUST THE TWO OF US, SAID WIDI. "I MUST
PRACTISE WITH THE BAND. THREE NEW SONGS WILL BE ENOUGH. OH! ARE WE
HERE ALREADY? GOODNIGHT, JONI. THANKS. SEE YOU AT SCHOOL TOMORROW.
"GOODNIGHT, WIDI. SLEEP WELL, JONI WATCHED AS WIDI RAN INSIDE TO TELL
HER MOTHER AND FATHER ABOUT HERU AND THE CONCERT. I'LL SEE HER AT
SCHOOL TOMORROW, HE THOUGHT. PERHAPS WE CAN TALK THEN. BUT THE NEXT
DAY WIDI DID NOT COME TO SCHOOL. JONI WAITED ALL MORNING FOR HER TO
COME INTO THE CLASSROOM. AFTER A NIGHT WITH THE BAND SHE SOMETIMES
CAME TO SCHOOL LATE. BUT TODAY SHE DID NOT COME AT ALL. AT LUNCHTIME
JONI WENT TO HER HOUSE. "ARE YOU NOT WELL, WIDI? HE ASKED. "I'M FINE,
THANKS, WIDI SAID. "JUST A LITTLE TIRED. I DIDN'T SLEEP VERY MUCH
LAST NIGHT. I WAS TOO EXCITED ABOUT THE CONCERT. SO I GOT UP LATE,
AND THEN I WENT INTO TOWN. I CHOSE SOME MATERIAL FOR MY NEW DRESS.
I'VE ALREADY TAKEN IT TO THE DRESSMAKER.
"YOU SHOULDN'T STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR THAT, JONI SAID. "YOU HAVE
THE AFTERNOONS FREE. YOU CAN DO YOUR SHOPPING THE.
"OH, I KNOW. BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, DOES IT?
WIDI ANSWERED. "PERHAPS IT DOESN'T, JONI SAID. "BUT IT WORRIES ME,
WIDI. EVERYTHING IS MOVING SO FAST. ARE YOU REALLY READY FOR A BIG
CONCERT?
 "THIS IS MY BIG CHANCE, JONI. I HAVE TO TAKE IT.
"YOU COULD WAIT, WIDI. THERE WILL BE OTHER CHANCES.
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU, JONI. YOU WANT ME TO BE A FAMOUS SINGER,
DON'T YOU? BUT WHEN THE CHANCE COMES, YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TAKE IT.
"WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A HURRY. YOU COULD SPEND MORE TIME
WITH ME. NOW YOU SPEND MORE AND MORE TIME WITH OTHER PEOPLE. ARE ALL
THOSE PEOPLE GOOD, WIDI?
"AH, YOU ARE JUST JEALOUS, JONI. I CANNOT BECOME A SINGER IF I ONLY
SING AT HOME WITH YOU. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT I DON'T WANT TO
FIGHT WITH YOU, JONI. BE HAPPY FOR ME, JONI. THIS CONCERT WILL BE MY
BIG CHANCE.
"YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT, WIDI. AND PERHAPS I AM JEALOUS.
AGUS TOO WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE CONCERT. THE BAND PRACTISED EVERY DAY.
WIDI DID NOT MEET JONI VERY MUCH. SHE WAS TOO BUSY. SHE LEARNED NEW
SONGS AND WORKED WITH THE BAND. ONE EVENING HERU VISITED HER AT HER
HOME."WELL, WIDI, ARE YOU READY FOR THE CONCERT?
HE ASKED. AGUS TOO WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE CONCERT. THE BAND PRACTISED
EVERY DAY. WIDI DID NOT MEET JONI VERY MUCH. SHE WAS TOO BUSY. SHE
LEARNED NEW SONGS AND WORKED WITH THE BAND. ONE EVENING HERU VISITED
HER AT HER HOME. "WELL, WIDI, ARE YOU READY FOR THE CONCERT?
HE ASKED. "I AM PRACTISING WITH THE BAND EVERY DAY. WE'LL DO WELL.
I'M SURE.