Amazon Best Selling Novel “Malabar A Flame” in Lima World Library
10. Puppets
Antony suddenly halted. In the fog, he could make out
that it was Ali facing him. “Antonyachhaya, what happened?”
he asked. Antony did not answer.
Mary chchi sent me to enquire what happened. You
haven’t come for lunch and that’s why”. He said he had gone
to the Store as well to check.
`”What’s the matter, Achaya?’
Antony’s silence scared Ali. Antony handed took the
cover from his pocket and handed it over to Ali. A £10,000
cheque. Ali was stunned. For the first time in his lefe he was
seeing a cheque for such a large amount. Ali was shocked,
dismayed and felt envious of the beholder as if he had hit a
jackpot.
Antony told him the while story. From the beginning to
the end. When exhausted, he felt a little relaxed as though he
has become his own master. But Ali would not be silenced
“Didn’t you worship muthali as a visible god? He is a satan
whom Allah would not forgive. He is wicked. Tear the
cheque in his face like a himar!” Ali was exulting over the fall
of Antony who had the gumption of warning him of losing
his job over his peccadilloes with a white girl.
But Antony would not accept it. “Don’t be childish, he is
a good person”.
He reminded Ali that muthalali had asked Ali to feed
the horses that day. But Ali pretended not to have heard it.
“Ali, muthalali has asked me to vacate the house within three
months” Ali pretended to be winked as if bewildered.
“Antonyachaya, he will do that and even go beyond. He
is wicked. It is the need to slain the unchaste. Is this the way
to treat a servant who toiled to make him happy all through
his life?” Is he no wicked, inhuman?”
Nearing their home, Ali tried to console him as a true
friend, “Antonyachaya, it is easy to get a job here. Workers
are being brought here from other countries. Easy for you to
find one, God will provide a good one for you”.
On turning to his home, Antony once again reminded Ali
“Don’t forget to feed the horses”. “Now he lost his job and is
about to lose his home too. He is asking me to do my chores.
What will happen to the horses if I feed them at 4 o’clock
instead of 3?” Ali muttered to himself and parted.
Mary opened the door but her face was not bright as it
used to be.
What happened? You have kept us on our toes,” she told
him. Antony grinned.
“Did you take some drinks at noon? Why didn’t you come
home?” came the next query.
Sara came out from the bath drying her hair,. “Appa why
don’t you answer amma?”
Mary grabbed the towel and wiped her lustrous hair.
“Today there was pressure of work. Where is Danny?’’
“He is studying upstairs”, Sara said casually. Antony kissed
her on her cheek and asked her to go and study. E was a little
tired and wants to lie down after a bath. “Mary make some
tea for me, “ he told Mary. Sara kissed him by and went to her
room.
When cold water fell on his face and body, Antony felt
more relaxed and back to his own senses. Wearing a banian
and kaili (printed dhothi) he came out. With tea and ariyunda
(sweet balls made of rice powder) Mary was waiting for him.
“Why is it that your face is little cloudy. I can make out
there is some problem there,” Mary started. That was the
moment he was waiting for.He narrated what happened that
morning till the largesse of a solatium of 10,000 pounds
from muhatalai. Mary listened with great anguish but cal and
collected. Throughout.“Muthalali has given three months
time to stay here. In the meantime we shall buy a house with
this amount. Should find out a job, Antony said. Her eyes
brightened. “Don’t worry over that. It is not for us to worry
over all this, but it is the culprits who must worry. If God is
just he will wake up and act”, clasping his right hand Mary
said.
“If muthalali was honest, he would not have convicted
me’’, Antony tried to interject. He was sore that his muthalali
gave precedence to his engineer rather than his!
Antony did not take part in the family prayer that night.
Despair and fatigue led him to the bed.
“Don’t fear, I am with you. If I brought your offspring
from East I shall rear them in the West. Remember, among
those who have eyes there are blind, those with ears are mute.
Not be sorrowful. Those who split the Red Sea into two
halves is with you”—Mary’s prayer reched his ears as he tried
in vain to sleep of his worries.
It was drizzling outside. He could not sleep. He got up
and sat on the bed. Mary woke up and watched Antony.
What happened in the day might be pounding his head. Mary
clasped his hand.. He pressed her palm. Mary embraced him
as if fondling a baby.
Antony nestled on her lap. Slowly he slipped into oblivion
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