Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

By early September it was clear that a very bad storm was on its way. Already there were heavy and violent winds tearing at the rocky coves, howling like rockets and keeping the residents of Abude Hotel and Towers and its environs awake at night. Massive waves bounded over the sea wall, washing over the empty promenade where all the small kiosks were closed and boarded up, well protected from nature’s wild elements. Throughout Maffia Island, anticipation was felt as the residents waited the long stormy period ahead.

Despite nature of work, at Abude Hotel and Towers the atmosphere had already become extraordinarily peaceful. Most of the holiday makers had gone home driven away by the heavy winds and now the only guests were a couple of men from Europe savouring a late vacation.

Imara herself was kept busy getting the rooms prepared for the harmattan season during which they would not be put in use. She covered the furniture with dust sheet and stripped all the beds; this was how it would all remain until later in February of the New Year. She was still determined that she and Thounder would take a holiday to either South Africa or Bithynia during december and stay away from the hotel completely. She wanted to take Thounder away on a second honeymoon and also to get him away for awhile in case Fefah decided to strike back.

“But it’s strange to me,” Imara said to Klara,! “That Fefah just vanished into thin air like that.”

“The filthy dog has gone back to his vomit,” Klara said with a vicious tone in her voice.

“I’d feel more relaxed if l could be sure,” Imara replied. “Anyway, l’ll be glad to get away at the end of the month, especially with the harmattan already here and that criminal still on my mind.”

“Don’t worry dear” Klara assured her. “I’m still here and if he comes back together we shall deal with him”. Imara looked at Klara and smiled. Where in all the wide world would she ever find anyone as loyal and affectionate as Klara.

Thounder had quickly forgotten about Fefah’s disappearance and so he continued spending time with his friends at the harbor. He had recently become interested in the life guards club whom he met once a week in the bar of their hotel. Thounder had put on quite a lot of weight since coming over finally to Maffia Island and had also been having a great time joining some the men in their business runs between Maffia Island and the mainland..

Therefore when the lifeguards club went out training on Sunday mornings, he was always there putting his muscled body to good use in the act of saving lives. The lifeguards club was housed on the harbor not far from the hotel and when Thounder was nominated as a member of the second lifeboat crew he was very ecstatic over the development. “Come on don’t be a spoiler, Imara,” he said when she mentioned going to South Africa.” How can l go off to South Africa? Maffia Island needs men for the lifeboats during the harmattan. If l go, it will be seen as cowardice and that’d be the end of my membership”.

Imara was beside herself with anger over Thounder’s reply. “This club of yours will be here when we return and who knows the weather might even have improved too,” Imara pointed out.

“Please do me a favour, Imara”, Thounder replied, “take Klara and both of you go to South Africa or Bithynia or even Itharkar but l’d rather stay here.”

“Thounder my dearest, my heartbeat,” Imara wailed again. “I was looking forward to this holiday for both of us to celebrate our beautiful destiny ad to get away from the dust and crazy winds of Zomaliland. Either south Africa or Bithynia the weather will be different.”

But Thounder just kicked off his sea boots and lay back on the chair. “You just don’t get it look at you, you have indeed created a destiny of your own,” he replied. “ Back home l was a nonentity a hired killer, a nuisance and a burden to society. Here, l’m accepted without any questions or inhibitions. It means a lot to me, it does.”

“Well,” Imara snapped, “this is a very risky undertaking but you’re popular because you do the boy is good with my beer.” She added sarcastically.

Thounder smiled, “you still don’t see my drift, do you? When l’m at sea, the winds and the waves thrill me a lot.”

“Now listen my dearest, you’re not from this part of the world and you didn’t grow in the creeks and l don’t think you know the sea so much so don’t get carried away.”

This statement made him to look down cast. “If you say so,” he began” l’ve found what l was looking and joining the lifeguards was like a dream come true. Do you know a lot of lives have been saved in the past years.?”

“I know and some few would have been lost too,” Imara retorted with irony.

“Don’t give a dog a bad name because you want to hang it the boys look up to me and l’ll not let them down. And that’s final, Imara.” He suddenly lost his temper and walked out of the room:

“Well,” Imara sighed sadly. “There goes my Christmas holiday.”

October slowly advanced into November, dark dusty storm clouds chased over the choppy sea. The air was dry and the harmattan sun remained partially obscured by the dust laden winds.

Having dismissed all thoughts of a holiday from her mind, Imara settled down to make improvements to the hotel. She even began to feel pleased that she had left Thounder to his vices, for he seemed very happy and it pleased her to see him so. He still went out fishing and other runs on these occasions; he would come home in the early hours of the morning. Imara would listen to him thumping across the room in heavy boots, his frame coming into the bedroom looked so burly in his black wind cheater and smelling as he drew near of fish and the fresh salt of the sea. Imara would always sit up in bed and hold out her arms to him.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he would say laughing. But Imara would nestle close and kiss his rough face.

“Take your things off Thounder,” she would whisper enticingly. “Imara wants to feel you.” And in spite of his numerous protests, she would have her way. Their two strong bodies locked together making passionate love in the early dawn. Then afterwards, Imara would lie contentedly in his arms, smoothing her hands over his perfect body. “Oh, my darling, my love, l could never lose you now, it would kill me” she would whisper.

In December there were heavy rains and the thatched cottages and lawns looked very picturesque with their washed roof tops and green lawns.

“This is the first rainy Christmas l have ever seen here” Klara remarked as they decorated the hall and rooms with Christmas garlands and ribbons on the pictures in the wall.

“Put a big Christmas tree out in the hall, Klara,” Imara told her. “I’ve been lucky really!” Imara said.” We’ve got some guests coming for Christmas – from Port town who have a family on Maffia Island but they’re sleeping here. I think l’ll have a Christmas Eve party. Tunde would like that, l’m sure he would invite all his pals from the lifeguards club.”

Klara could not help having gloomy thoughts. “I hope Fefah won’t be among the guests that will turn up.”

It was as if a dark shadow crossed Imara’s path. She scowled. “Oh, shut up, Klara! Don’t remind me of that walking corpse. I just hope that we’ve seen the last of him”.

The next morning, wearing blue jeans and sky blue shirt, Imara took a brisk walk down to the harbor to look at the little boats after the down pour. Sea gulls uttering shrill cries, circled over head while some perched on top of the masts of the boats which rocked gently from side to side at their moorings. From the look of things these were holiday boats which would not be back in action until after the Christmas season. From the boats, Imara found herself looking at the massive expanse of water before her, “so this is what the ocean is?” she pondered within her. What an awesome thing, full of mystery and powerful in its own right oh dear God…! The words came from her lips involuntarily and almost unconsciously, she began to pray.”Do not let this terrible sea get my beloved Thounder,” she whispered looking up to the heavens.

In these awesome, mighty waters there’s just no way the passengers on the Titanic would have survived, she said to herself. Feeling depressed, she went and sat on the sea wall for a while, to listen to the relentless waves pounding the shore.

Klara after searching for her in the hotel had finally come down to meet her, well wrapped in a black jacket and big woolly hat. “I’ve brought you a wind cheater” she said. “Imagine going out like that! You’re risking getting a serious cold.”

“No way! I’m not cold,” Imara insisted, “on the contrary, l’m quite warm inside.”

The Christmas party went with a bang. All the people living near the hotel turned up in a very festive mood, and all the hotel staff joined in the fun. Imara gave free drinks after awhile and served a good supper of turkey and fried rice. The Port town family was most impressed by all the celebrations. They let themselves go and danced and sang all that came their way. At last, every one went rolling home singing and Imara was able to relax at last. Putting her long legs up over the arm of the chair she sipped her last drink.

Thounder was quite flaked out and fast asleep on the three seater in the bar. After watching for a few minutes, Imara went over and smoothed her hand over his head. She kissed his lips and covered him with a blanket. Klara was at a corner nodding from time to time till Imara came to release her and she then went to bed. The whole place seemed full of memories as the dawn light came across the sea. This had been the best Christmas eve she could ever remember. Last year Abude had still been alive but he was never one to entertain and before that, well she had been in Itharkar where she virtually sold her body, she shuddered and tried not to think about it. But the bad memories still persisted, pushing aside the good ones so she kept thinking about how the men were very drunk and often violent and Klara fighting with them and pinching their money. It all seemed unspeakable to her now. She could not bear to think about any of those days in Brass City and she knew that it was because if Thounder ever found out, he would never forgive her.

The sea seemed to get rough once more, and the howling of the wind was tremendous as the tide came in. Imara shivered a little and kissed Thounder once more. “Happy Christmas, my sweetheart,” she whispered. “May we be together for the rest of our lives. I’ll ask for nothing more.” Then as tiredness overcame her, she went off to bed. On Christmas morning a strong wind had risen and rain viciously lashed at the window panes. She turned restlessly in her sleep as Thounder’s big hand thumped her on the shoulder.

“What’s up?” She sleepily asked.

“Hear that – the wind’s rough l’m going to the lifeguards base in case we’re needed.” He said.

“My God! Thounder in this weather?” Imara queried. “Don’t be selfish,” he said kissing her on the fore head and strode out. Moments later she heard the front door bang shut and she managed to rouse herself enough to sit up and listen to the howling winds and roaring sea. Then she flopped back and covered herself with the blankets. There was not much point in her getting up, she would not be needed.

At ten 0’clock Klara woke her by bringing in breakfast on a tray.

“Happy Christmas,” Klara said.

“Same to you and where’s Thounder? Imara asked with a touch of panic in her voice.

“Do you need to ask?” Klara said disgusted, “he came back from the harbor moments ago and is getting drunk at the bar.”

Imara jumped out of bed. Dressing hurriedly, she was down stairs in a jiffy. Behind the bar, Thounder was serving drinks to his friends from the lifeguards club, and they all seemed so happy especially Thounder. Imara was very pleased for him and even her anxiety about Fefah began to wane. “Thounder has really settled down so nicely here,” Imara said to Klara.

Klara merely screwed up her mouth and muttered, “well, he’s got everything going for him” she still had very little affection for Thounder and was eaten up inside with jealousy of him.

On Boxing Day it had stopped raining at last but the sea was still like a raging tornado. Thounder and his club member’s patrolled the shoreline in case of any emergency.

Imara could see the small knot of people walking about as she looked out of the window. “They want a bloody job,” Klara said, “must be very cold out there”.

“Yes”, Imara agreed. “Well you know Thounder; he can’t stay away from the sea for long.”

As Tunde stood on the half wall a bed ragged figure in a long dirty coat edged up close to him.

“Hi bros, how are you?” a thin voice piped out. Looking down, Thounder discovered it was Fefah. “My goodness,” he exclaimed. “From which hole did you crawl out from?”

“It’s alright no probs,” Fefah whined. “And a very nice way to great an old friend.”

“Sorry, bros,” Thounder said giving him a thump on the back.” You just vanished without a word. Where did you go if l may ask?”

“Just went to the other side of Maffia Island, there the police arrested me on a crime l did not commit and for almost two weeks l was in the police cell. I was released just before Christmas.”

“Oh God, you poor thing,” Thounder said sympathetically, “let’s go have a drink then?”

To Thounder’s amazement, instead of grabbing the offer, Fefah sidled furtively away from

him a little and said, “Not now,” bros, “and looked quickly from side to side like some cornered animal.

“Come on! What’re you afraid of?” He asked. “Let’s go up to the hotel and see Imara.”

At this remark Fefah behaved even more oddly. He hunched his shoulders and turned away. “No”, he said, “Imara doesn’t want me around the hotel anymore. I’ll see you tonight when it’s dark”

“Just a minute, what have you been up to you crook?” Thounder demanded menacingly

“Me ? nothing” Fefah said, shaking his head. “Just something that might interest you. I’ll meet you at half past six by the boat house.” With these words Fefah vanished into the mist.

Thounder walked to the hotel wondering what Fefah was up to. “Must be careful with this crook”, he muttered to himself. “I won’t get involved in any shady deal, now that I’ve settled down here”.

Thus on getting home for lunch he did not talk about his meeting with Fefah to Imara, knowing that she would start to nag him. Imara was in a lazy, languid mood and after lunch she sat with her feet up on the setter reading a love story in a woman’s magazine. The warm, cosy atmosphere as a result of the heaters made Thounder feel nostalgic. “Looks nice in here,” he said. “This room’s got a nice warm feeling. It brings back memories of home, especially when l got home to my family after a long time in jail.

Imara looked up from her magazine and shook her head. “Mummy’s boy – l know you miss home badly – why don’t you call her?” Imara suggested.

Thounder grinned. “She’d weep with joy if she could see me now”, he said.” However I shall call her on the first day of the new year”.

Thounder’s stomach was full after the big lunch and he was soon dozing peacefully in front of the television set. And Imara, unaware that her fate was in the balance continued to read her magazine.

At six 0’clock, Thounder was woken by Klara who grudgingly handed him a glass of chilled juice. He yawned and stretched, drank his juice and got up. “I might take a walk to the beach,”

he said casually. “Won’t be long, Imara.”

“I’m not saying you should not go but just take good care of yourself.” Imara replied. Putting on a wind cheater and a woolen cap over his ears, he went off into the cold evening to meet Fefah.

“I can swear on my grand fathers that Fefah’s up to no good,” he told himself as he walked down the hill. “I’ve got to get rid of the crook. Don’t want him to drag me into any mess.” Thounder said to himself knowing what he had gone through in the past years he was determined to keep his nose clean and stay away from trouble by leading a respectable and responsible life and this meant he would have to watch that crook of a friend he had shared some moments with and ensure that he did not allow him to mislead him into anything that would embarrass Imara and cause the authorities to come down hard upon him, prison was not a decent place to be in therefore he must watch his tracks by living a responsible and crime free life.