Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

. And if Thounder got restless by reason of the cold Mediterranean weather they could, she was sure, take a nice long holiday and travel out to another island , where it was pleasant and warm. How happy she felt, so warm and mellow-life could not be better, she thought. Suddenly she noticed that Thounder had moved into the centre of the bar and was heartily slapping a newcomer on the back. This person was short and thin with no hair on his head; his face was gaunt with deep sad eyes. It was none other than Fefah the fox, who met Imara’s startled gaze with a sneering smile. Imara only just stopped herself crying out aloud and she nearly dropped a glass as she heard Thounder giving his old friend an overwhelming welcome. “Well, talk of the devil” Thounder exclaimed, ‘What are you doing here, my friend? Imara felt like fainting as she watched Thounder get Fefah a bar stool to sit on and ordered him a pint. Thounder then stood beside Fefah waving and gesticulating in a very excited manner, and talking about old times and new. Her head was swimming as she tried to go about her chores, and the voices in the bar around her grew louder, adding to the confusion. Fefah spelt trouble she knew that. What did he want? He must have just been released from prison by the look of him. And how did he ever find her? After a while, a drink-drenched Thounder brought Fefah over to meet her. “Remember Fefah?” He asked. ‘He was in the crude bunkering business” he told her. Imara stared at Fefah with burning hostility in the eyes, but she murmured coolly, “How are you, Fefah?” “just popped in out of the thin air” Thounder said looking very pleased with himself. Fefah seemed a little sheepish. “You’ve got a fantastic place here, Imara” he muttered. “Was on my way home, after a business run, so I thought I’d have a little holiday. Was amazed when I walked in and bingo saw Thounder all tushed up like that, and he tells me he’s the landlord”. Imara’s gaze did not flinch. “amazing’, she murmured, her voice loaded with sarcasm. “Wow, nice to meet up with old pals’, Continued Fefah, with a semi-concealed sneer on his lips. Imara just stared back at him wide-eyes with fear. Fefah was not going to go away easily, she told herself, not without a rip off of some kind. She knew him well enough to be quite sure of that. “Give us some beer, Imara!” Thounder called to her, ‘We’ll go into the lobby and talk over old times!” Imara obliged Thounder’s request and watched them go with fear and hatred in her eyes. Asking Kedah to clean up for her, she ran upstairs to find Klara who was in her little office, watching a horror film from a cable channel.

“Oh, Klara” Imara cried breathlessly that devil Fefah has just walked into the hotel”. At first Klara turned her face towards Imara without any feelings, but then noticing how distresses her friend was, she turned off the television set and looked concerned. There was fire on the mountain. “Oh God! Why now? What am I going to do? Imara wailed. “Has Thounder seen him yet?” Klara asked. “yes! He’s with him now. They are both getting drunk in the lobby?”Imara said “Well, Imara’, Klara said, “Looks like you are going to have confront your worst nightmare. But cheer up, we’ll go through this together”.

Imara sat down and chewed her nail in agitation. She had completely lost her cool. “I don’t trust that fox”, She muttered. “Supposing he still has the letters?”

“Well, If he has he’ll want a price for them”, Klara said shrewdly. “But am sure he won’t rush to do that yet. Now don’t lose sleep, Imara, he might just disappear one night”. “I hope so!” Imara added. “I just hope the little fox will just go and board the filthy, rat infested ship that brought him to this island and sail away”. But as she thought about the threat he represented, she wailed. “Oh Klara, after all the hardship we’ve been through, some dirty little crook is going to spoil the happiness we’ve found here. It makes me very angry” Imara said bitterly “Go to bed, my dear”, Klara said turning on the television once more. “Worrying will only get you grey hair and high blood pressure”.

In bed, Imara pulled the sheet up over her head and tried to shut out the drunken sounds coming from the dining room as Thounder and Fefah sang street songs. She clutched her hands nervously. She had to get rid of Fefah at all cost, she told herself. She had, to within her she felt desolate and empty. At one point she even toyed with the idea of sending him to the great beyond by dropping rat poison into his food or drink. She was desperate and just wished she could do something to get him away from here. For she was quite convinced that he would bring her nothing but trouble. If only the cursed ship in which he was had not been stopped on Zomaliland water the fox would not be anywhere near her. At midnight Thounder crawled into bed fully dressed and very drunk. Lying on his back he fell asleep immediately and snored loudly. Imara crept out of the room to look for Fefah, and found him lying in one corner of the lobby completely knocked out by the drinks. Imara gave him a sharp kick in the ribs with her pointed slipper, he merely grunted in his sleep and turned over. Imara toyed with the idea of bashing his head with a blunt object thereby getting rid of him once and for all. But she instantly checked herself. How could she seriously think such murderous thoughts? That was not any solution at all and it would destroy her business. She went into the kitchen and got herself a glass of juice and then returned to bed. Perhaps she could face it better in the morning. The next morning, she woke up to the sound of Thounder singing in the shower next door. Her head felt as if elephants had walked on it last night and she felt terrible. Yet morning was here, and she knew that she had better confront the problem before her. Thounder sang while rubbing himself briskly with a towel. “Going out in the boat”, he yelled. “I’ve put Fefah in one of the rooms. The fellow is suffering from hangover and not fit for any activity today”. “ I see”, Imara said as she walked out of their room.

Imara and her husband Thounder were now at logger heads over Fefah’s sudden appearance in their hotel, and Imara was adamant in sending Fefah away. On the other hand Fefah who seemed to be enjoying the friction he had created between them did not show the slightest desire of wanting to leave the hotel.

He followed Thounder around the hotel like his body guard with a mocking smile on his face. This development made Imara sad, very depressed and bad tempered. She vented her frustration on the staff in a relentlessly vicious manner, day and night.

Even |Jemima who was her sweet heart and a favourite was not spared and she commented, “what’s eating madam?. She’s behaving like a crocodile that has lost its eggs”.

“it ‘s that two-faced, usurper Fefah” Kelly replied. “Well, what about him?” Jemima asked “I thought he’s a nice guy”. Fefah was exceedingly charming and had also swept Jemima off her feet with his charming ways, while she in turn, chatted to Fefah about her fiancé. Kofi, and her forth coming wedding at the end of November, with a fumy smile, Fefah would listen with affection to her and Jemi” as she was fondly known by all would give an extra flick of the wrist whenever she served him drinks.

When Jemi and Fefah were not hanging in the bar talking, he would be out in the boat with Thounder. A cold and tense atmosphere had built up between Imara and her husband Thounder. He now kept as far away from her as possible, and there was a sulky expression on his face when they met at meals or in their room.

“I don’t think that I can stand this any more”, Imara confided to Klara. “I feel as if I am living on the edge of a volcano, something’s going to blow any minute”.

“Let both of us attack Fefah and beat him up or if that is not possible then let’s hire some bay side boys to beat him up”, Klara suggested. “I’m sure he’ll go away”.

Imara sighed and shook her head. “No, Klara, that’s not the answer. Fefah’s very vicious with daggers. I”ve seen him use them, you know he’s a vicious thug. But that won’t stop us from dealing with him, I can assure you. The next time he goes out with Thounder, we’ll search his room-and if he’s still got the letters we had better take them”.

So the following day, the moment Fefah had gone out in the boat with tuned, Imara and Klara searched every space of his room. They looked everywhere -all the pockets of his clothes, all the articles packed in the battered suitcase he had brought with him, under the bed, inside the ward-robe-but they found nothing of interest. Defeated, they sat on Fefah’s bed wondering what to do next. Suddenly they heard footsteps echoing along the corridor and before they cold move, Jemima walked in. in her hand she was carrying a glossy Magazine. “What’re you doing in Fefah’s room?” she asked without any hint of what was gong on. “Doing the usual cleaning up”, Klara replied. “It’s horridly dirty”. “Look!” Jemima exclaimed holding out the magazine. “Isn’t that lovely, that long wedding dress? It’s just the right dress for me and I’ve got the exact amount in my account to buy it. Wait a minute, I’ll show you” she dashed off returned moments later holding a cash box that she saved all her tips in.

“My goodness”, exclaimed Imara as she exchanged amused glances with Klara.

“How much do you have in there?” Klara asked.

“Nearly three hundred and fifty shillings”, said Jemima, proudly. “it ‘s enough to buy that dress-isn’t that exciting?”

“ Waoo three hundred and fifty bucks? That’s nice, dear”, said Imara kindly. “Please go now, ensure you keep your box in a safe place”.

With the box clutched under her arm and still admiring the dress in the magazine, Jemima went off down to the kitchen to talk to Kelly-the chef about it.

When she had gone Imara and Klara still sat gloomily on the bed, pondering on their problem.

“The fact is”, Imara began, “we could knock him off but sure as eggs is eggs we’d yet get caught and end up behind closed doors or even be hanged. It’s just not worth the risk”.

“I agree with you-but what do we do now?” Klara asked. Imara smiled sadly, “Trust me to take care of such challenge”, she replied.

Meanwhile, Fefah was out in the beach with Thounder in his boat. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and in the hold of the boat were three cartons of beer. Thounder pointed to a shoal of mackerel dashing past the boat, darting here and there like slivers of silver. “I’m sure a bigger fish is chasing them”. Thounder said, driving them inland. “Watch out for the big fish. You see I’ve learnt a few good tricks from the local fishermen”, he added proudly as he threw out his nets with great skill. The two friends laughed and chatted about the old days in Itharkar. “The boys would have a fit if they saw us now”, commented Fefah.

“Well, it’s certainly a great life”, Thounder said. “Nothing will ever take me back”.

“Do you know Imara resents me?” Fefah asked cautiously sounding out Thounder.

“Just look at it as the way of Women”, Thounder replied “I’m on your side Okay and I’m in charge

“Indeed, sneered Fefah. “You two have come a long way since you went to jail and she was left fending for herself.”.

Thounder shot Fefah an angry look. “we never look back, he said sharply. “Imara and I live for the future”. He pointed to the silver glint of the mackerel shoal to the right. “Come on guys! Yelled” Thounder. “Get ready! Here they come!”

A little before 3p.m. in the afternoon Thounder slopped into the hotel kitchen and began removing his wet clothes and sea boots. He was excited. “What a great catch-three baskets of fish”, he boasted.

Imara cast him a side-long look and then went forward to pull off his sea boots as she used to do when they were friendlier. She knelt down and looked up at him where upon Thounder bent forward and kissed her full on the lips. “oh, my darling, don’t let us quarrel!” He pleaded.

With a wonderful sense of relief, Imara put her arms around his neck and immediately they were locked in a passionate embrace. Imara worked feverishly to get Thounder out of his sea boots, while Thounder’s hands created waves and ripples in her body. And so they disappeared into their bedroom where they spent the rest of the afternoon making love to each other, oblivious to everything except themselves.

“Where’s the madam?” everyone asked, “madam is very busy right now”, Klara answered patiently while patrolling up and down the corridor like a guard. Meanwhile Imara slept a deep sleep of exhaustion and did not emerge till around half ten in the night. “Thank God, you’re awake”, Klara said. Imara merely smiled as they walked down the passage, they passed Fefah and Jemima chatting to each other, but both of them did not hear the conversation between them.

“Kofi is away to Dubai”, Jemima was telling Fefah. “and when he comes back in three weeks time, then we shall go home and wed”.

“Oh la-la” exclaimed Fefah, “that’s good”, he added looking very interested. “And I’d be off to buy this nice wedding dress”, she waved her magazine at him. “Look at this”. But Fefah’s mean, narrow eyes missed the page and focused on her neck and soft bosoms. Reaching out with his finger, he touched the tight pink jumper stretched over them. “Baby girl, you’re nicely endowed, “he said cockily”.

“Naughty! Naughty boy”. “Jemima replied drawing away and blushing. But Fefah just laughed softly and ignored her. “So when can, you and I just go off to a simple, quiet place for a nice time?” he asked grinning mischievously.

“But I told you”, replied Jemima, “I’ve got a fiancé”, she walked away hurriedly, her bottom waggling in her tight trousers. “Okay’, Fefah called after her, “I heard you loud and clear-but are you sure he’s worth waiting for?” Fefah released another round of wicked laughter, “soon my dear I shall have you where nobody will be able to save you”, he said to himself as he moved towards the bar in search of a drink.

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The next morning, after they had dressed, Thounder kissed Imara again with great passion. “You were right, Imara”, he said. “At the end of the year-that’s in December let’s close up the hotel and go off to Abidjan for Christmas holiday. “And that would be the moment I’ll give Fefah the red card”. Imara was overjoyed. “Are you really serious, Thounder?” She asked. Thounder nodded. “But for the time being just ignore him. He’s useful to me in this fishing busine business”.

“No problem, I’ll do as you’ve said my love”, Imara promised delightedly.

That evening, Imara waltzed into the lobby and took over the operations for the rest of the evening. Looking more like her old self than she had for says. She wore a nice tailored olive green dress and some pretty jewellery to liven it up. She observed that Jemima seemed a bit over excited and was muddling up things.

“What’s it with you, Jemi’?” Imara asked sharply after she had spilled drinks on a customer.

“Sorry ma’am, I’m not feeling well”, Jemima replied, on the verge of shedding tears

“Alright! You can go home early today”, Imara said kindly, “I’ll advice you take it easy concerning your wedding”. As Jemima gratefully went off duty, she passed Fefah at the Casino machines. He looked furtively at her as she hurried past. Noticing this, Imara reminded herself to keep an eye on them, since she knew how easily Fefah could corrupt innocent little girls like Jemima, who was obviously missing her boy friend.

Early the following morning, the entire hotel was woken up by serious racket. A distraught Jemima was running about the place weeping terribly. Someone had rifled through belongings and taken away the money she had kept for the purchase of her wedding dress.

“I know it’s that slimy snake – Fefah, he is at it again”’ Imara said to Klara. Jemima was almost hysterical.

“What will l do now? L can’t buy my wedding dress,” she wailed, wringing her hands in distress.

“Come on darling, pull yourself together,” Imara begged. “I’ll replace the money so you can still buy the dress. I’ve always warned you to lock your bedroom door. Relax l’ll give you the money on Monday as l am paying your salary for the month. Then during the week you go into town and open a savings account. And when you open the account let the money remain there until you go home at the end of the month.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Jemima said wiping her eyes. “Now go and get ready for work. And forget about it,” Imara told her gently. When she had gone, Imara sighed to herself. “I shall be very pleased when Jemi’ finally weds,” she murmured to herself.

“He’s after her,” Klara announced later.

“That filthy swine, he-goat,” declared Klara. “Didn’t you see them yesterday when we were coming to the lobby?”