The clouds hung low and the early morning sun broke through only in patches,letting sparkling light glisten off the wet overhanging leaves. A cool light breeze spread it’s ethereal fingers and ran through the open French window and between the folds of the gossamer curtains . I shuddered a bit . Not that I felt cold,but apprehensive.
Darren and Su stood on the terrace outside,among the rose bushes and dahlias, their shadowy figures silhouetted against the light and it added to the gloom I felt .He leaned on the baluster with his back to me observing life as it unfolded on the street and Su sat sideways on the railing with a coffee cup in hand,looking up at him . It was a vantage point where Darren stood, two floors above ground and with an eagle eye one could peer and get a deeper look between the crevices in bobbing T shirts.
The two should have been there quite sometime, the coffee cups probably empty and her lilting laugh carried across the hall to the couch where I sat trying to read the morning paper .Obviously Darren said something corny. For the present ,I would have been glad if it stopped there ,my mind was in turmoil and eyes would not focus and I sensed a subterranean rumble, a surreal notion of things about to explode, a feeling compounded every minute they stood there. I wanted then off the terrace
I poured myself a coffee and prepared to hail him .I cleared my throat for a rehearsal and communicate a joy I didn’t feel.
"Hey , come here Darren, did you see this, a goddamm Frenchman was caught "….. I croaked,....my voice cracked and trailed, my gut stalling in tension, which he heard and he said,
"Shut up, asshole, get a tooth brush and a salt gargle, I can smell you here,"…. horse laugh…ha hah hha ….ngi ngi ngi … and clamped two crooked fingers around my wife’s nose .I was angry at Su, I know their friendship was deep and platonic, oh yes, there was this one time when they had discovered each other; two long lost brother-and-sister souls had met and the scene turned treacly, sugar syrup pouring out of their eyes that I had to quietly tiptoe out of the room to avoid being caught in a mushy three way embrace. The loving quasi-sibling relationship had held and I trust my wife, but the least she could have done at that moment was to bring him inside and not play side kick to the idiot.
The clock inched towards seven fifteen, about time Radha and her mother would turn the corner, head our way and then go round the bend on the left before disappearing from view, a short interval, but big enough to ruin my life. I hoped and deeply prayed for the murky morning and drizzle to keep them them home. I also wished she had also changed and not retained the poise, exuding the same sexual appeal and allure as she did many years ago . Darren would scent it from a mile and I had to somehow get him off the terrace. Bastard, he had a way of being there when you least needed him and then it would turn around and you’ll need him then. Like that day in March in Kuwait.
My wife came in from the terrace, a fresh rose in her hand and placed it in a crystal vase on the coffee table and said…
“My god, Darren will never change, ask him what he did on the flight.” As if I didn’t know,
“That bastard would have flashed in the aisle, what else?" I feigned total disinterest and said
And then it happened, exactly as I had foreseen.
“Radhaaaa”……he shouted and flew past me ,giving me a sidelong glance and ran down the stairs and through the hall and on to the street. I ran to the terrace in time to see him catch up and clamp his big hands around Radha's eyes
“Guess who” he hollered," guess wh..... tulips…mon cherry…".The sudden attack and the noise frightened her mother that she tottered to the middle of the street . Radha shrieked and twisted and desperately tried to claw herself free, while he put his face to close her ear and nibbled and crooned...
“Guess who, my love" ,nuzzling her and then he turned to see the old women tilting over and falling down in the middle of the road .He let go and ran to help the old lady, who cowered as he approached. Radha saw the opening ,picked up a fist size stone , sneaked from the rear and cracked it on his head as he bent down to help the old lady up .I could hear the stone echoing off his empty skull, the shot could have debrained an elephant and I let go a whoop in sheer exhilaration of a goal eventually driven in to even the scores.I hoped he was dead but Darren survived,got up and faced her. She was always gutsy and kneed plenty of men who had tried to impose unwanted attention on her, and socked him in his balls ,the excruciating pain further contorted his ugly features and she recognized him. Her hands flew to her mouth,
"Darren, you? Same ….Darren Darren?" she cocked her head in inquiry while unknown to her he was bleeding to death or so I wished. Su had heard the clamor and was beside me and saw Darren's shirt turn red .I stood there unable to move a muscle and hoped that Radha would walk away,but before that Su gave me a searing look for my inappropriate response, and ran down to help. And they came in with the bleeding bastard propped between them and that act brought together two women who should have never ever met and lived their separate lives oblivious to a blood bond that tied them in a fatal embrace that could see one of us dead .I cursed all.
