by A. Archie
She was free and I walked up to the reception. She was looking at me again with a happy and admiring face. She looked as if she wanted me more than I did want a job from her agency. I said hello to her and asked what kind of foreign jobs and countries they had available. She was keen to help but the Middle East was not for me. She said that she could let me know if European jobs came about. And she asked for my contact details. She had long black hair, fair in complexion and about five foot eight.
Couple of weeks later she phoned me and asked if I could come round to see the new jobs they have. I was not so keen on the type of jobs they might have but I wanted to see her again. I went there. She gave me that look and studied me from head to toe. That was it. I could get her. We had a brief chat in a meeting room and talked about personal stuff rather than jobs. I said to her “May be we could meet up for a drink”. She said “Yes”. I just wanted to kiss her and make love to her but not more than that it was not love but lust.
Testosterones kept my marketing acumen going and highly motivated. After work, some marketing guys relaxed watching porn movies on their computers. That had been going on for some time and I only discovered recently. I enjoyed some and they were a way to learn the techniques. I, however, was not addicted. Not many guys had girlfriends nor did the ones who had talked about it. Good, I would not.
One day the office was quiet and most of the other marketers in our unit were out, I was having a cool day. This girl who typed our documents came and had a chat with me. She said “If you like any one of us girls please tell”. I smiled thoughtfully but did not say anything. I did not like anyone of them enough to fall madly in love and marry. Friendship is better when you can’t love. I was not sure who she had in mind. I remember her mentioning about her boyfriend before. I was not sure if she herself liked me. I did not bother following it up. I would rather follow up my clients and bring in sales and make money for myself in commission instead.
Chapter Thirteen
The group owned holiday resorts and hotels. The managers in our unit decided to take us away on a bank holiday weekend. The holiday package was discounted for the group staff. I had not had a holiday for a while. I was looking forward to it. The holiday package included the van and the driver as well. We finished work on Friday noon, had lunch and boarded the van. I chose the back window seat. That was my favourite holiday seating position. You could get a clear view and also interact with everyone else. Few guys sang songs. I was occupied with the changing views and landscape. I did music at school but I had always been out of touch with popular songs and hardly knew any by heart. I could not just bother to waste time memorizing them. Money was my motive. I did not think at the time that music was such big business and a cash cow. I regret it now.
We arrived at the Habarana Resort hotel. It was in the forest, in the middle of nowhere. Serene. Wow! What a hotel! It was very welcoming. The entrance was a large open hall with tall columns and a swimming pool at the back. The hotel was a collection of cottages instead of rooms in a hotel. You get your own detached cottage with all the facilities. I shared the cottage with one of my decent colleges. We were so hungry. We showered and all gathered at the main entrance hall for dinner. It was a buffet and my plan was to eat as much variety of food as I could down. The choice of meat was great along with other traditional Ceylonese curries and accompaniments you could not resist. We drank, eat and went to bed as everyone was knackered.
The next day, we woke up to a presumptuous breakfast. Spoilt for choice again and piping hot straight from the chef’s hob. After the breakfast, we decided to explore the local area. We were planning to go to the beach nearby on our way back and have a swim there. It was not very safe to venture further up north due to the war. We had to be vigilant. The fear of been ambushed lingered and diminished our joy. We went to see the ruins of castles and temples. Monkeys kept the trees alive by jumping from one branch to the other and then on the ground.
On our way back we went to the beach. So quiet, unspoilt white sandy shallow beach. Perfect. Because of the war no one had been there for years. Nature at its best. We stripped down to our boxer shorts and jumped in. We made sure not to make loud noises in case the terrorists were about. Even though, we could walk a long way into the see, we kept close to the beach. We enjoyed ourselves bathing, swimming, trying to catch sand dwelling fish and sea shells. The sun was setting over us and no other humans to be seen, no dwellings, just medium height forests and the sounds of flora and fauna.
We arrived back in the hotel and spent the time in the hotel gardens exploring and walking. I was walking towards the hotel from under the trees down the garden when I heard someone running towards me from behind. It was Harris. He had been a kind of naughty chap in the team. He tried to bully me few times when I was new. I, however, managed to repel it. I sense that he was going to push me from behind as there was no need for him to come running towards me. I listen to his steps, timed and stretched my left elbow out just when he tried to overtake me. Bang, my elbow hit his right jaw. He covered his jaw with his right arm and kept running without any word. And he did not come near me during and after the holidays. He had been asking for that for months. He received it at the most appropriate time. He was young and underperforming. I believed he was jealous of me. His attempts to intimidate me had so far failed and now he got my elbow on his jaw spectacularly. No one else saw it and I kept quiet. I was going to enjoy my holiday. Would he?
We had been running around in the hotel gardens. It was time for a swim in the pool before dinner, I could not wait. It was getting darker now. The lights were lit in the hotel and the swimming pool. We all jumped in the shallow area, began submerging and swimming. No one wanted to swimming across the pool but I wanted to. And I did not know how deep the pool was. Then one of my colleagues joined and more followed. I swam back. I started from the shallow side again and stopped after swimming few meters to talked to somebody. I started drowning. I still thought that I was in the shallow area and I cried “Help, Help”. Luckily another colleague saw me and came to my rescue. He pushed me towards the side of the pool so that I could hang on and climbed over the edge. I nearly died that evening. I never knew that death could be so close, sudden and so simple. Henceforth, I learned to approach the waters with caution.
After cheating death for the first time I was a bit shocked. Time for a beer and dinner to ponder over. And it was the last night at the hotel. The hotel was popular with European tourists and we were the only locals apart from the hotel staff. We spent the evening drinking and dinning for few hours before heading back to our cottages. It was midnight when we went to bed. What a day it had been. I elbowed Harris, nearly drowned myself and now very drunk.
Tomorrow, we would be going to stay in a tea plantation. We would spend the night in a bungalow with in house chef to cook for us. It was a long drive in the terrain, narrow gravel uneven hilly path among the tea bushes and mountainous valleys. Everywhere you looked it was lines and lines of tea bushes and no dwellings. The sky seemed to touch the hilltops and low clouds forming misty patches like ghosts. Very remote, in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to gaze at the unending distance, untainted nature and forget about everything but only to be disturbed occasionally by the others in my company.
It was a slow good few hours’ journey to the bungalow on a hilltop with magnificent views down and far into the virgin mountains covered in a curtain of foggy clouds and the sky merging. The bungalow had a front garden with grass mowed and a slightly lowered garden on the side where we later played cricket. We were greeted by the resident chef, showed us the bungalow and our rooms. We told him what we would like for dinner and left to explore the plantation. We had a good few hours before it got darker. We drove down rugged gravel paths slowly, stopping at mini waterfalls and streams. The open land stretched without end. If you were an escaped convict, they would never find you there.
We were treated to a home cooked dinner for the night. Having not much to do, some called it
an early night. I wanted to go outside and walked up to the front edge of the garden which opened views to the distance with a deep steep down below, falling into with meant you were bound to die in small pieces. It was how deep it was and scary to look at. I stood about two feet behind the edge and all you could see was the star lit dark sky. Stars everywhere, still night. I could gaze at for ever. I was disturbed by the creaking sound of nocturnal insects and the croaking of frogs. Warm breeze. I felt like heaven was right there. I was living it. Nothing could give me more happiness than the beauty and tranquillity of nature.
I went to bed. I could not sleep for a while. The bed was not the most comfortable. I hate single beds. I was woken up to breakfast. I needed a hot drink and it was chilly up there in the mountains. We spent the morning playing cricket. I still loved the sport back then. But now I hate it. And golf, such a gay sport, it was not me.
We set out after lunch. It was sad to end such a cool a holiday. “I will be back, when I have a wife” I said to myself. The tea leaves glittered in the afternoon sun, I sat comfortably in the back seat and relaxed thinking.
Chapter Fourteen
The life back at work was normal. My savings were growing up. Business was good. Happy, very happy. No more news about my promotion and I did not bother as I was planning to emigrate. All I need was money and time.
It was about 2.00pm, I was at my desk after lunch. It was Wednesday. I was happy and planning my week ahead when I suddenly received a call from my younger sister “Daddy is not well. Come home at once”. I heard her crying as she put the phone down. That was something serious. He must be dead. Was it an accident? Or did one of his brothers killed him over inheritance? The tone of my sister’s voice confirmed to me that he was dead. I was a pool not to think otherwise. If I took a bus, it was going to take at least six hours to get home. I told my manager first and the other colleges. One account manager who had a car offered his car with another colleague driving it. Some guys collected a fund and gave it to me. We left without any hesitation. I only had what I was wearing, my wallet and my mobile phone. The rest I had to organize in the car and plan what was to come. There was no telephone at home and I had to ring my neighbours. I just wanted to know if he was alive and the cause of his death if he had already deceased. If someone had killed him, I was going to kill them after the funeral. There was no doubt about it. But why and how? I was restless. I was never expecting this so soon. Fuck.
That phone call kept reverberating in my head. I wanted to cry at one point and then I felt very angry. Why did he have to die? He had not done much for the family and when we needed him most he was gone. Why me? I tried to stay calm. I did not get a favourable answer from my neighbours as they did not know. The neighbours who had the phones did not live close by. I just wanted to know the cause of his death. Was it his nasty brother who killed him or a motorbike accident or did he committed suicide?
Venu drove the car as far as he could. I did not ask him to, but he felt the need. On the way, we had to stop at a supermarket and get a cool drink. I was so thirsty. And a few bits. I could not afford to be week. I had to be stronger to fight ten men if I had to. I did not know what was to expect. Was my mum ok? Was there anyone else involved? I could not wait to get home, quench my anger.
We arrived at the village and were turning into the gravel road on the left leading to the inner areas of the village. The village shop was shut. So I could not ask anyone. Then I saw a close family friend who used to come and help us out when we were little. I jumped out of the car and asked her if he knew anything. She did not know much about it. In two minutes I would be home. I would know the truth then.
I went home nobody was there. I heard from the neighbours who had gathered that dad had been taken to hospital. Was he alive then? We left for the hospital and I still did not know what happened to him. Venu did not know the area so I had to give him directions.
We arrived at the hospital and our relatives were already there. I walked up to them and one senior uncle came and said to me “The body is in the mortuary. Go and see” with a grin which suggested that he was happy to see him dead. Oh no. I knew it. I was furious why did he has to die. He could have been more careful on the farm. He had an accident on the farm and was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. I did not go into the mortuary.
Fuck it. I was angrier than sorry. I was not sad, I was livid. Why the fuck did he have to die? I never felt like that before. I needed him there for the family until I get fifthly rich. Then I could help everyone. He did not give us a damn shit. That was why I was angry.
We waited at the hospital for the paperwork to be completed. The body was to be transferred to the undertakers. I phoned a few close friends while waiting there including a company director, my colleges at work and let them know that it was a funeral I had to prepare for. The company director asked me if I had got enough money to cover the funeral. I had some savings and that was enough. But she offered to lend me Rs25,000 to cover my costs. She said she was going to put it in my bank account. It was always good to have more than having less.
Venu dropped me and mum back at home. He asked if he could do anything else to help. My other sister was away at a teacher training college over two hundred miles away. She did not yet know it. I asked Venu to go with her boyfriend and fetch her. And I prepared for the coffin to arrive home.
By now messengers had been sent for the relatives and friends living far away. The locals were starting to gather. Help was at hand. They put a marque on one side of the house and chairs. The weather was not great. The forecast was for heavy torrential rain in the coming days. Not good. My poultry farm as still there. I assigned two young lads who used to help me run it in the past, to take care of it until after the funeral. I did not want to go anywhere near there now. I had to oversee it and all the other things at home as mum had just collapsed in bed crying. The house was busy and everyone was there. It was getting darker now. The next door relatives cooked us dinner.
The hearse came and the coffin was taken to the longue for display. Unlike in the UK, the body is left open for everyone to see and pay last respect in Ceylon. I really did not want to see it as I was still angry. He did not have to die. It was his fault. I greeted everyone and the funeral arrangements were made with the people concerned in the village. The tasks were delegated. There was a funeral cooperative in the village. If you were a member, they took care of organizing your funeral. And we were.
It was getting closer to midnight and I was waiting for Venu. They came at last and my sister had been crying and collapsed. Her boyfriend had to lift her and take her in to the house through the back door. Venu wanted to go home. They had had dinner on the way back home. I thanked him. I went to bed soon after. I was going to have a busy day tomorrow. A good night’s sleep would help. I fell asleep almost immediately only to wake up in the morning. I had momentarily forgotten the whole episode.
Another busy day ahead, I expected most of the relatives to arrive, and the day after being the funeral. Rainy spells continued. I was wet having constantly being out and about. No sign of mum and sisters getting up and trying to help. It was early afternoon. Few cars came in. They were my colleagues from work. They sat outside the sandy front garden in a circle of chairs. I had trouble describing to them the cause of his death. I had not prepared for a situation like that. I felt frustrated. Why did I have to be poor?
They said they wanted to stay but had to go back due to work. They at least done me honour by coming in two or three cars, well dressed. I now have, as the villagers claimed, “Friends with cars”. Your social status mattered a lot in every social occasion. A humble funeral was not an exception. I did not want them to go but I wanted them to go as I was upset.
It started raining again and no sign of stopping. I went to bed early.
It was the day of the funeral. Pouring down. Despite the weather everyone turned up. I was still wearing my black trousers and white shirt. All my clothes were in Colombo. The Bud
dhist monks chanted the sermon followed by several speeches representing people involved in my father’s work, social and business life. Then the coffin was first lifted and carried by my father’s brothers, relatives then the villages and so on until they reached the graveyard. Then it was handed over to the people who prepared his burial. They open the coffin for one last time for anyone to see. Then lowered in to the concrete grave created for him and covered it with concrete again. Everyone slowly began dispersing in the light rain. I talked to everyone, thanked and walked back home with my village friends who had been there for me all my life and surprisingly they were younger than me.
People still gathered at nights until up to seven days from the death when there was a customary arms giving for the monks. I mixed with everyone during the day and went to bed early. The villagers were in the marque till midnight. They were given tea and coffee to drink, board games and card games to play. Soon after the arms giving was over, I sold all the poultry and cattle. Then I went back to Colombo for work.
Chapter Fifteen
I met the girl from the foreign employment bureau for dinner on a Friday night. We went to a Chinese restaurant. I just needed company to help me get over the loss of my father. I still wanted to sleep with her. I was working on it. We enjoyed the dinner over a drink. I had a beer. She said “Would you like to go and meet my mum?”. Did she seriously want to go out with me now? She mentioned about a boyfriend from her village when I first met her. Was she going to drop him for me now? I knew that he could not match me. I did not mind visiting her village and exploring the countryside but I did not want to marry her. I smiled and said to her “I would like to visit your village. What was it like?”
She had to take the train home that night. I was walking her to the railway station. The station was quite. I was mooting the thought of going to hers. I knew that she wanted it. I walked very close to her, body to body and my right arm nearly touching her bum. I was almost going to kiss her when my phone rang. It was about 9.30pm. It was a number from my hometown but I did not recognize it. I answered. It was one of my father’s brothers. I knew it he wanted to claim the ownership of my grand parents’ house and land. They promised us it in returned for looking after my grandma. Now when my father was gone, they wanted it back. I was flaming with fury. When I was with a pretty girl, last thing I wanted was this. He threatened me but I could not say anything in front of her. I just listened until he put the phone down. She knew, however, that something was not right. My face sank. I was worried about my family. I wanted to go home as soon as possible but would have to wait till the next day now. No busses. The train arrived, she boarded and it took off. I walked back home clenching my fist not knowing what to do next.