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Part four of Do you know the Monkey Man by Logan Niadin
They reached the end of the cave and emerged into bright sunlight that initially blinded them. Richard and Noel couldn’t believe their eyes. They were tired, and hungry, but all that was forgotten as they looked around in wonderment.
They were in a valley, a huge valley and it was beautiful. Everything seemed so colourful and bright. Everywhere they looked there were busy, happy, smiling, people. There were animals too. Horses, dogs, cows, bullocks, chickens, ducks and geese. At the far end was a paddock with what looked like pigs but, ‘Richard, look’, said Noel. ‘Wild boar, wild boar Richard’. They had never seen a live wild boar close up. There were birds flying around and perched in the numerous trees. Parrots noisily feasting on ripe figs, and from the far end came the evening call of the peahen.
The sun was just about to dip behind the hill and the chill in the air reminded them it was December. It all became too much for our little captives and Noel began to cry. ‘What’s going to happen to us Richard? I’m cold and tired and hungry, and scared. What are we going to do?’
Before Richard could answer, they were pushed roughly forward. ‘challo, challo’ (go, go), Said their captor. With him was a woman dressed in a ‘Shalwar Kameez’ she was smiling and took the boys by their hands towards a covered cart. Their captor went off towards some other men close by. Looks like the woman was in charge of them now. The woman went inside the cart and after a while came to the door and called the boys in. ‘Bytoe’ (sit) she said and went away. She came back with a bowl of steaming curry and chapattis, which she put in front of the boys and said ‘kaaoh’ (eat). The curry was a bit chilly hot and had potatoes and cabbage in it. They soon polished off the lot.
It became dark very quickly and they were tired and cold. ‘Richard , said Noel, I feel like a pee’. ‘So do I’ said Richard. They both crept out of the covered cart and had a pee under the cart. ‘I’m sleepy’, said Richard. ‘I’m scared and I want my Mum and Dad’, said Noel. ‘Lets go to sleep and see what happens tomorrow, I’m sure everyone at home is looking for us‘, said Richard. They climbed back into the covered cart, lay down, covered up with some gunny (Hessian) sacks and were soon ‘dead to the world’.
Sitting around a campfire not too far away from where the tired friends slept, were the woman who fed them and two men. One of them was the ‘monkey man’, yes he was back. They sat in silence while he wolfed down some food.
The woman said. ‘Well Charlie, what are you going to do?. ‘I’ll think of something’, said ‘the monkey man’. ‘Charlie, its been nearly eight years since we had anything to do with any Anglo Indians and now you have really messed up. The parents of those two boys will be worried sick.’ Said the woman. Her name was Lorna, she was Charlie’s sister.
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Do you know the Monkey Man? Contd---
Written by ernest on 2008-05-07 04:07:35
Charlie’s Story.
Charlie Huggins was a little bugger. Always up to something or another. He was the youngest of four children, in a railway family in Asansol, (near Calcutta). He was a gifted lad, everything came easily to little Charlie. As a youngster he was the first in his peer group to ride a bicycle, the first to climb a tree and as he grew up, he excelled in the classroom and on the playfield in all sports. He was a happy youngster, but became moody and a bit nasty as a teenager. His two elder brothers either ignored him or belted him. His Mum was the local midwife so she was always busy, and his Dad who, worked as the store keeper in the ‘railway shops’ was a drunkard. He knew only one way to bring up his children, violence, and now since the others were big enough to fight
back, poor Charlie got the brunt of his fathers drunken rages.
The only person who paid any attention to Charlie was his sister Lorna. She was four years older than him and practically brought him up. She was the only person who would take the time to try to understand him and maybe talk some sense into him.
As in all Railway colonies across the country Anglo Indians didn’t need any excuse to have a good time. So when the circus came to town it was time to have some fun. In those days ‘ The Gemini Three Ring Circus’ was the ultimate Circus. There were a lot of European performers and also Anglo Indian performers. One of the stars of the show was a man
who did ‘The Globe Of Death’ on a ‘Red Indian’ motorcycle, which he used to start by putting the bike in gear, lifting the back wheel off the ground with one hand and jump starting it, by spinning the wheel with the other hand. ‘Awesome‘. (as our web master would say --Where is he??) He was also the ‘Strongman’ who pulled a truck with a rope gripped between his teeth and gave an exhibition of lifting unbelievable weights. (Hold on I haven’t finished) This guy, was also a great singer who played a huge ‘Hawaiian Guitar’ strung around his neck, and sang haunting Hawaiian love songs. He was an Anglo Indian God and his name was Eustace Morrison. (What?? Eust-- What??) Now obviously this was not a suitable name for an Adonis, A Strongman, A Matinee Idol, so he went by the name of ‘Sandow.’
As it happened the Easter Ball at the Asansol railway institute that year coincided with the circus being in town and a lot of the performers came to the ball after their evening show. The main band was from Calcutta and they had the place jumping. They were soon joined by the circus band .(who were Anglo Indians and Goans) The hall was filled with the
sound of that fantastic ’war time’ favourite ’In The Mood’ that had everyone ’Jitterbugging’ vigorously.
Lorna was sitting with all her friends and (as young ladies of that era would,) they were eying up all the handsome men, while pretending to keep themselves cool with their fans and hankies. ’Gentlemen, choose your partners for a waltz’ said the grand Master of Ceremonies. The men would all move towards the girls intent on being the first to get to the prettiest, while the girls would sit calmly in their seats and pray that a nice handsome man would bow and say ’May I have this dance with you please’.
After the initial dignified scramble was over, and the couples were
whirling to ’Tulips From Amsterdam’ and ‘Under The Bridges of Paris‘. there was a second wave of men who came along. These were plain ugly. (ha ha) Lorna was still sitting, simply because she had refused two requests to dance. From the time that Eustace had entered the hall every woman had their eyes on him, but he had eyes only for Lorna. She was quietly pleased that Eustace had not as yet asked any other girl to dance.
Everything from now on happened in slow motion. Lorna declined another invitation to dance. Eustace watched her and allowed himself a small smile as he caught her glancing at him. He has a drag on his ’Markowich’ cigarette, blows a couple of smoke rings, looks at Lorna with one raised eyebrow. Now she does the ‘small smile thing’ and waves her fan twice. He stubs out his cigarette, hitches up his broad belted trousers and starts to walk across the hall, just like John Wayne, towards Lorna. The dancers part like the red sea and allow him clear passage to her. He bows to her and holds out his hand, she walks into his arms. Bingo!! Three months later he came back to Asansol, married Lorna and took her off to join the circus. | MORE
Written by delicep on 2008-03-10 23:19:39
Ernest, I can't help myself but ask for MORE. Just one more twist to the tale
Please 
| Hmm very interesting!
Written by domestic engineer on 2008-03-09 21:00:15
Ernest, you are such a good story teller. This one has me intrigued and wanting more NOW! 
It's like a little kid listening intently, mesmerised by every word, to the story being told and saying at every pause, "and then, and then, what happened, what happens next?...tell me more!" LOL
Cool Twist! Oh! one more thing the description of the valley made me think of Shangri-La in the movie "Lost Horizon"!  |
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