A Bend in the River of Life (26 page)

I remember having good time with my parents and despite all the difficulties related to the civil war, my early childhood was pleasant. Because of my father's job at the American Base, we used to get American and Japanese products in plenty at a cheap price. I used to get nicest toys and dolls that were beyond the means of ordinary Chinese people. Anyway, my father became ambitious. He wanted to become rich. He quit his job with the American Base for a better
life. In partnership with his best friend, he began a business that used to supply a whole lot of things to the Base.

Soon he became well-to-do. Ironically, that was the beginning of the end of our family peace. That was a self-inflicted tragedy. My father took a liking for a younger woman at the Base and gradually moved away from my mother and me and began living with that woman. To start with, he used to give our living expenses to my mother. But after a couple of years when he had children with his new wife, he stopped giving any money whatsoever. My mother started a grocery store on one side of our homestead, which is an hour's drive from our hotel.

Her small venture was successful because there were no markets close by and not many shops around our place either. My mother never stopped sending me to school. I used to help my mother during my off-time and my mother always paid me for my work. I have had an excellent relationship with my mother. Be that as it may, I graduated from the High School and completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Taipei before joining Hamilton International Hotel as a Trainee. Because of the odd hours of duty at the hotel, I rented an apartment near the hotel. Nevertheless, even today I spend my off-days and vacation time with my mother and help her as much as I can.

Despite my father's estrangement, I still love him, because having a mistress in spite of being married is not uncommon in my society. In my country, men are machos. They always try to keep control over their women. Though he virtually abandoned me and though I am not dependent on him, my father still wants to impose his control on me.”

Food was served, bringing a pause to the story-telling. Perhaps that was the most delicious Chinese food Rana had ever had. While eating the sumptuous food Kim said, “Mr. Roy, you heard my uneventful story. I am also curious to know about you.”

Rana said, “Kim, I think that your story is one of the most
compelling that I have ever heard. Though no two stories could be exactly alike, perhaps my story is almost an exact replica of yours. However, in all fairness, I will fulfill your curiosity.”

So Rana also narrated his story to the rapt attention of Kim. He said, “You might know that the British India was one large country before independence. Because of its size it used to be called Indian Sub-Continent. But colonial British Rulers divided British India into India and Pakistan before declaring independence to them. My family, which originally came from the Pakistan side of the border, left our hearth and home and ran away to India for the safety of life and limbs. I was not even three at that time.

But even before the partition of the country when I was not even two my parents also separated. My mother went to her father's place, but I was told that she had passed away. Consequently, I was brought up by my grandma and a young aunt from that tender age. My mother came back when I was nine to the utter surprise of my family. I was horrified to see a dead person coming back to life.

Despite encountering many inconveniences and injustice in exile and parental disharmony, I graduated with Honors in Economics and got a job with American Inter-Continental Bank. As you can see, I still work with them. I met my departed wife Keka while vacationing at my aunt's place in Darjeeling on the Himalayas. I courted her for five years before our marriage was solemnized. We had a good life together. I have a son and a daughter with her as you already know. They love me very much and they are my life. As I told you, my wife passed away one and a half years earlier and I feel her absence all the time.” He added, “Kim, this is my humble story. What else you want to know?”

Finally, Kim wanted to see their pictures once again and he obliged. While looking at the pictures, Kim kept shaking her head in total disbelief at the uncanny likeness between her and Keka.

Kim and Rana found a lot of commonality in their uncommon childhood. They were merely three and one respectively when they
were uprooted from their place of birth under the siege of hostility. Both of their families had to abandon their hearth and home in their flight to safety and survival. To cap it all, both had suffered unspeakable mental agony in the disharmony of their parents. Both recounted their unpleasant memories of childhood to the uneasy attention of the other.

An extra-ordinary friendship, therefore, was in the making at a time when there was no diplomatic relationship between their two countries. For friendship is the product of the ecstasy of mind, the greatest gift of God to His greatest creation mankind. The mind in its rapture knows no boundary, no border, and no bondage. The ecstatic mind sees no barriers of race and religion or creed and culture. The afflicted mind seeks a common ground of fellowship out of the rubble of tragedy. Mind is like the bird of the endless sky, gliding past the mountains and valleys, and dales and deserts; migrating easily from one place to the other of its choosing; often soaring high above the sky and then diving down to its earthly nest in a joyous expression of its boundless spirit. Nay, mind is like the air of the space, invisible but free-flowing; pervading everything in earth's orbit. There is no limit to which mind can soar. In its most expansive state, mind can even merge with Eternity. Yet mind is nothing by itself. It needs a vehicle, a human frame to take its flight of fancy. Without man mind does not exist. Conversely, without the mind man does not remain man anymore but is degenerated into a beast. At the dinner table, the minds of Rana and Kim were in perfect alignment. They were not only relating to each other, they were glued to each other. Their dreamy minds were even weaving a glossy picture of the future.

When the dinner was finished, it was just nine in the evening. They wanted to cling together some more time. So they decided to go to the seashore to take a stroll. After a while, they felt like sitting somewhere and sipping some tea. Then the idea hit Kim like a lightning. She said, “Mr. Roy, you have to pass by my house to go to
the hotel anyway. Why not we go to my apartment and enjoy jasmine tea quietly?”

Rana said, “If it is not inconvenient for you.”

Kim smiled and said, “Had I expected any inconvenience, I would not have invited you in the first place.”

Rana said, “Kim, what can I say? I am delighted to accept your hearty invitation. It was so nice of you to have opened your door for me without any hesitation.”

It was a small one bed-roomed apartment, but very cozily and tastefully decorated like a cabin in a cruise ship. Rana complimented her for her excellent taste and fine artistry. Kim was almost embarrassed at his sincere praise and thanked him. Then she prepared a pot of jasmine tea. Rana promptly helped her to carry the tray with the tea pot, cups and plates to her small but beautiful dining table.

She said, “I really appreciate it. My father never helped my mother like that.”

He said, “I always found joy to help Keka in whatever she did and she used to be very happy.”

She said, “What wife will not be happy with a helping and understanding husband like that?”

Each of them admired the other so much that they were eager to know each other more without wasting any time. Kim still had a lot of curiosity about Keka. So Rana began her story right from the beginning with their first encounter at Darjeeling, their courtship, their pre-marriage sojourn to see the Tajmahal, their wedding, their short but joyful marriage and her sudden untimely passing. It was not at all comfortable for Rana to narrate the story of her demise. When he was struggling to suppress his emotion Kim consoled him. By the time Rana concluded his story, it was about midnight.

Kim listened to him with undivided attention and then asked him, “Mr. Roy, you said your seminar would end on Friday with the concluding remarks immediately after the lunch interval and you
would be leaving on late Sunday afternoon. Why not you check out of this hotel on Friday morning and I will assist you check into another hotel on Friday afternoon so that we can spend a lot of time together on the last two days without any fear of interference from my senior management?”

Rana said, “That's a great idea. I had virtually no plan for the last two days. I did not know where to go and what to do except to take a tourist bus blindly. So I will do whatever you say.”

Before the evening was over they both felt happy at the prospect of two additional days of unfettered friendship which began as a chance encounter.

The seminar concluded successfully as scheduled. Rana changed his hotel. It was one of the Holiday Inn outfits. Because of Kim's friendship with the General Manager, Rana got a special deal. In the bargain, he saved some money and got the precious companionship of Kim. Those two days Kim became her natural self because she was no longer under inhibitions of becoming too friendly with a guest of her hotel. She treated Rana as her own endearing guest and he asked her to call him Rana. She took Rana to places that he could not have known otherwise. They went to a short cruise, a Chinese carnival and the nicest family run restaurants not generally patronized by the tourists. She also took him to the lesser known shopping centers where brand name products were available at very competitive prices. Her trust and confidence in Rana reached such a level that she even took him to see her mother and her real home.

However, all good things come to an end. While eating dinner the night before his departure, the realization dawned on them that parting was just the night away. As they began feeling sadness in separation, Kim asked, “Rana, when shall we see each other again?”

Rana answered, “Kim, I will be lying to you if I say when. But I know that these training seminars will now be held more frequently than before in our region and I will also be attending them whenever my turn comes.”

Kim asked, “Can't you take a transfer?”

Rana responded, “Kim, transfers depend on the specific needs of the company at a specific location. Besides, I have two very small children. How can I leave them behind?

See, I am between the devil and deep sea.”

Kim said, “Rana, I want to let you know that if you bring your children here, I will look after them as my own children.”

Rana said, “Kim, having had the good fortune to know you for the last few days, I have no doubt about your sincerity. I'll certainly keep that in mind and explore the possibilities of transfer to one of the Pacific Rim countries. However, keep in mind that the most likely place with maximum possibility of transfer is Hong Kong because of its strategic location and its importance within the company. Kim, best thing would be to stay in touch and take appropriate decision when the opportunities arise.”

Kim said, “I think you are right. That is the best course of action for now. I will hope and pray.”

The last night after the dinner, they talked and talked till the wee hours of the morning. At one point Kim said, “You know Rana, if my parents were together, I would have gone with you wherever you are. But my mother is so simple, so vulnerable that it would be a cruelty on her if I leave her alone. After all that she has done for me, it would be a total betrayal on my part. I also want to let you know that she had some kind words for you. Hardly ever in her life she received any gifts from anyone. So the gifts you have given her have moved her so much that she keeps on saying that you are kind and gentle; that you have a heart as big as the ocean.”

Rana said, “It was so nice of her to have said that. It only proves how good she is. I can only imagine that your mother is as simple and as pure as my grandma.” He quickly added, “Please give my regards to her. Though we were with her just about an hour that day, I could make out her goodness and simplicity. Her mind is as spotless as a child. I agree that without you she would be totally lost.”

Kim said, “I have always thought so. She has given me the best with her paltry means. I will feel guilty forever if I run away from her in self-interest.”

Before they fell asleep on each other's arms, Rana said in the context of future expectations, “Kim, no one knows what is in store for us. But I can only say that there is a reason why we met under the pretext of a seminar that helped develop this relationship. Perhaps we will not know the reason ever. That should not preclude us from hoping for the future.”

On the morning of departure, Kim helped him organize his luggage that swelled up considerably in the last two days on account of his shopping spree. By arrangement with the hotel, a hotel car would take them to the airport and on the way back drop Kim at her home. Flight was on time. They started early for the airport. After checking in, Rana had about an hour left. So they sat at a coffee shop for some drinks. Watching Kim for the past few days, Rana seriously thought that Kim not only resembled Keka in physical appearance, but in mental make up too. He could feel that beneath the veil of her beauty and smile, behind her impeccable efficiency and sharp mind, Kim was a very lonely person. As the time for departure was drawing closer, she was becoming gloomier. With sadness written all over her face, she said, “You know Rana, I have never been at the airport with a sense of loss like this. I do not even know if I will see you ever again.”

Rana replied, “I can understand that, Kim. I can only say that I am also feeling helplessly sad for you. There is nothing else we can do at this moment except to keep faith.”

His mind flashed back to the last few moments of Keka's life when he helplessly watched her passage of life to an unknown world. He choked. He saw tears in Kim's eyes too and held her hand. Then the inevitable happened. The departure announcement on the public address system sounded too rude. They got up. Rana kissed her cheeks very discreetly and said once again, “Please keep faith.”