Thechildren, despite their challenges, were all looking beautiful andgaily dressed. Maria and the other teachers ran around, making surethat every one of them was happy.
I was ahit at the party. The children were engaged and had a terrifictime.
“Monkey, dance! Dance! Dance!”They screamed and I danced with them.
“Monkey, jump! Jump! Jump!” AndI had to jump until I felt my head almost touching the ceilingboards.
“Monkey, eat! Eat! Eat!” Andthey tried to force many bananas at a time, into mymouth.
“Do it again!” they shouted. “Doit again!”
And Iwent “Grump! Grump! Grump!”
I was exhausted, when I cameback with Maria at about 8:15pm.
“Thank you,Philip,” said Maria, as we entered the lounge. She was smiling and leaning tiredlyon me. I liked the feel of her against me. I felt protective overher.
“Grump! Grump! Grump!” Isaid.
“You can stop being a monkeynow,” she said laughing.
“Oh, I see,” I said smiling. “Ienjoyed myself.”
“The children had a good timetoo. Thank you for coming,” she said.
“The pleasure was mine, Maria,”I said.
“Maybe we can have that drinkafter all, Philip,” she said with a wink.
“In my room?” Iasked.
“No, not your room, Philip,” shesaid. “And not today. I’m dog tired.” And she yawned.
“I’m monkey tired,” I said, alsoyawning. “How about tomorrow, Sunshine?”
Shelooked up at me with a puzzled expression on her face. She wasalmost sleeping on her feet.
“The drink,” I said.
“Oh sure. I mean, no wait!” shesaid, holding up a hand. “We have the prize-giving and award ofcertificates tomorrow and also a parent-teacher get-together in theevening. I don’t think I’ll be done before 10. How about comingover, then? Say, between 10 and 11?”
“You won’t be too tired?” Iasked her, my pulse quickening at the prospect of spending theevening with her.
“No, I won’t be,” she said.“Come to my room at that time.”
“What’s so special about yourroom?” I teased.
“You won’t find out if you don’tcome,” she replied, laughing.
“Goodnight, Sunshine,” Isaid.
“Goodnight Philip,” shereplied.
Actually, it was goodbye for us.
On the day she died, I woke upearly and went to a gym close by, where I have been working out regularly sinceI camehere. When I finished there that day, I went for a walk on thebeach.
There were just as manytourists as there were locals, hanging out. Seaweed grew close tothe shore and a dense thicket of trees lined the beach. I walked for a long timealone along the beach watching the deep blue sea, as it raced toshore on waves after waves. I was just about turning back, when Iheard voices in the dense thicket.
“It is my turnnow,” said a young voice, eagerly.
“Oh boy, thisis good,oh!” drawledthe first voice. I went closer and peered through the thick shrubs.I saw two young boys who couldn't have been more than 16 years old.They often ran errands for us at the Lodge. They were sniffing awhite powder.
“Give methat!” I shouted at them, breaking through the shrubs with forceand taking them by surprise. They were so startled that the onewith the paper containing the powder dropped it. They were shakingwith fright. I ignored them for the moment and picked up the paper.I saw the powder properly now. It was Megamix! A distinctive, crystalline white powderthat looked like chicken feed.
“I know youvery well.And you, too,” I said pointing at each of them one after theother, myeyes wide and wild. “You, your father is Diepriye Douglas, the tallfisherman with the long beard, and you, your mother is Ekamma, thewoman who fries bean cakes by the roadside. I know you very well.If I ever catch you with this stuff again, I will tell yourparents, then lock you in prison, before throwing away the keysinto the Atlantic Ocean.” I could see from their trembling forms that Ihad put the fear of God in them.
“Please, sir!” they bothpleaded. “Don’t tell our parents!”
“Then, promise me never to touch this thing, again.” I said.
They both promisedand even swore toit.
“Who gave this shit to you?” Iasked them.
“There is a man who comes aroundto sell it,” they said.
“Well if youever see that crazy man again, run for your dear lives because heis trying to destroy you. And if I am around, just show him to me. Isthat clear?”
Theyaffirmed that it was clear.
“Now, disappear home!” I orderedand they took to their heels. As I stared at the powder inside thepaper, I sadly remembered my own experiences. I wrapped up thepaper and put it in my breast pocket.
I walked back and scanned thebeach, trying to spot the Megamix peddler. I was expecting to catch the seller inthe act. But they were so many people on the beach and he could beany one of those swimming or even relaxing on the sand.
When I got back to theLodge, itwas evening.I went up to my room and took a shower. It was about8:00pm when I came down to watch TV. John and Tonye were the onlyones around.
I stayed there till9:30pm, then I went back to my room. The corridor was alivewith a lot of foot traffic that night. At about10:00pm, I heard footsteps that I thought, sounded like Maria’s own. There was the lightest of knocks on one of the doors. Thedoor opened immediately and was quickly shut. I had tried to rushto my door to see the person, but the door had been shut even before I couldbring out my head. Nagoth had also opened his door and was lookingdown the corridor. We stared at each other. I knew the samethoughts had occurred to him, that the footsteps were Maria’s. Wewent back in and shut our doors almost at the same time.
I put on myradio, and jazz music floated out of the speakers and enveloped me.It soothed me andI decided totake a nap, before going downstairs to see Maria as we hadarranged. I must have been more tired than I thought, because ‘theshort nap’ became a deep sleep. I woke up with a start at about 11.That was when I heard footsteps passing by my door. A door opened,the owner of the footsteps entered and
