Near the end of my Saturday run, I rounded a street corner and found myself in a crowd of about one dozen young Indonesian boys. They stopped what they were doing to let me run past.
They called out "Hello Missus!" and one started to run with me. Then one by one they all joined. Soon I was surrounded by the boys running, laughing, darting, sprinting. One boy at my elbow grinned as he ran beside me. "Anda capat," I said. (You are fast!) In response, he pumped his scrawny arms more vigorously. The boys called out to one another, and I was swimming in a sea of smiles.
Their flipflops slapped the pavement. Those that were barefoot had soles as black as the asphalt. Soon they trickled off, stooping to rest with hands on knees. Even the boy at my elbow slowed to a walk. His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath.
When I turned around and encouraged, "Detang" (Come on!), he shook his head and said "Capai" (tired). But he flashed a smile as he waved me on.
It was the best few moments of my Saturday run.
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