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short story:
The malefic factor
Lucien PERUMADURA
That phone call completely changed my life, dragging it to the
opposite extreme, affecting it more than what tsunami wave did to my
life. Only after calmly replacing the receiver back in the cradle
something exploded in me liberating all the evil characteristics bundled
up in dormancy in a human ego and I controlled some words which was
about to be spat out. I was still in a state of shock, far from
aggression as it was just a couple of days after the tidal wave disaster
and that was why I didn't react instantly to mention some harsh remark
about his pedigree.
Even now, four years after that tragedy, I feel like screaming out in
some instances when my thoughts rush back to the past but whenever this
phone call surfaces in my mind the die hard rationalist in me make me a
granite pillar wanting me to divert my fate without letting his views
becoming an authentic phenomena. Although I didn't try to make any
changes to do that, things began to happen. With no family life or
homefront any more, it really happened to be the way without caring for
anything or anybody and living like a footloose hobo.
"I eat at Hilton and sleep on the pavement and some days I eat in the
pavement and sleep at Hilton." I made them laugh whenever my staff mates
asked about my meals but exactly that was how the things had been
happening.
Having no family life to spend my time with and no homefront to
attend to, I could spend all my evenings for a means of some extra
income. Although I started this as a pastime to spend the unbearable
lonely afternoons, within a few months it turned out to be an avenue of
immense flow of easy money as the reputation gone widespread and demand
gone skyrocketing. Her salary with mine accumulated in my back account.
I could deposit a matching amount each month from this easy money after
spending lavishly. That phone call made another repeat playback whenever
I was looking at the balance in my bank account and I grinned to his
face registered in my mind.
"Is this really an unfavourable period for me?" I thought many many
times and the recollection of those words every time ended up with
controlling the same unprintable remark.
In a visit to Colombo with Peter one of those days, we had a series
of disappointments and frustrations. Other than finding with great
difficulty a new battery for my digital camera, there was nothing we
could finalize after spending the whole morning driving around Colombo
and suburbs.
"Nothing is working for us today," he said starting the car. "Stock
market has gone down, the land is sold, now no bidders for the van and
what next?"
"Must drink a lot today," I grinned.
With a wry smile he looked at me. He knew that I am a teetotaller.
"If I can drink Peter, I would be dead by now. I would have drunk to
death hundred times being unable to bear up those lonely evenings in
that deserted house with all her belongings sobbing here and there."
He drove without commenting.
"Why don't you marry again," he broke the silence.
"Peter, a first marriage is an asset. But the second one is a
liability," I replied.
"My god. From where did you learn these big business talks?"
"Don't you like to see me live like this. Like a free bird. You want
me to get a spinster with sugar, cholesterol and of course with varicose
veins?"
"But you are suffering deep inside. Why don't you live like that
forgetting the tragedy."
Again that phone call ballooned up in my memory.
Before I could say something he turned the car into an expensive
looking pub.
After finishing a goblet of orange juice he went into an inner lobby
and signalled me to join him. There was no time for me to protest when
he pushed me into a room and disappeared into the next. Without starting
an embarrassing scene I walked in. Pumping of adrenalin to my blood
stream made me shaky but steadying my wobbling knees it struck into my
mind again as hard as never before, that damned phone call.
The girl inside the room was not my type of a girl but recalling
those words which were still echoing in my memory and controlling the
same unprintable remark that materializes at the end, I sat on the bed.
When she stepped out of the shower I nervously tested my new battery
to take a close up. Instead of protesting she showed an encouraging
smile which made me use the camera with more freedom in various angles
for more and more exposures.
"Next visit, it will be on your account," Peter started the car.
"Will there be a next time, I doubt," I grinned.
I wanted to start our conversation from where it is stopped and I
became unusually talkative during the next few minutes, probably due to
the excitement in me.
"I can't imagine how I survived these four years Peter, I had no
appetite what so ever and most days I inquired from myself whether I
have eaten something sufficient for my existence. My life which I used
to say in the past that it was like a carnival all the way had become an
absurd joke insulted by fate. I was ready to die without being a coward
seeking blessings or protection of any spiritual myth, die in any form
at any time as life was so bitter, so bitter but... but there was
something that has been torturing me and become a real challenge...."
"A challenge?".. You didn't tell me. What is it. What?" he was
inquisitive.
"Peter, one of my associates mentioned that she died because of my
bad time and due to the unluck brought to me by malefic stars." It was
the first time I mentioned about the phone call to anybody.
He laughed hysterically like a mad man for a while before speaking.
"Another typical fundamentalist! People are dying of sicknesses, meeting
with accidents or losing wealth and the loved ones due to natural
disasters and it comes to everybody irrespective of time of birth or the
effect of planets. It is something to do with the mathematical theory of
probability or due to coincidences. We all die some day invariably due
to natural causes or accidents but that is not due to bad stars or any
other factor. Only one thing happens to a man due to bad luck of his
malefic planets. Just only one thing. Do you know, only one thing?" he
paused.
"That is getting caught to your wife in your extra marital
activities. That is the only bad thing brought by the malefic planets.
Next time when he calls, ask him the number of times of his extra
marital activities are caught red handed by his wife."
"How many times did that nice lady go to counselling centres in
search of relief from where she has got no consolation," my thoughts
flashed into the past. Once she gave two of us the details of such a
disgusting visit.
"Why can't this fool do these silly things without getting caught to
his wife," my wife commented.
"Just like me" I added and the two women burst into laughing.
"I firmly believe one thing about her death from what is overheard
from survivors." I broke the silence. "She could have walked to the
safety of uphill along the main road if it is not for the other one who
kept her waiting at the doorstep while gathering treasures inside their
house." I turned to Peter. He changed the subject.
"Ask your buddy to refer any of the almanacs which states that
December 26 of 2004 was a very lucky and fertile day for everybody.
Anyway, anybody with a slightest knowledge of human psychology wouldn't
have commented like that when you were in such a helpless state.
There are pundits who know all about the origin, birth, marriage and
death of demons and mythical gods relevant to nobody's religion but
nothing about the mentality of human beings especially when a person is
grief stricken in a disaster like that. Is he getting the systems and
canals of his body dried up and swollen twice a day during the low tide
hour and the high tide hour if the planets are so effective on him. I
wonder what will be happening to his brains in strongest spring tides,"
he was furious.
A few days later I was shocked to see what appeared on the screen
when I connected the camera to the computer. Nobody would say that it
was the same plump girl in that room as the charming smile and the
innocent looking face created a masterpiece of an attractive teenage
model.
I couldn't believe that I could have done such marvels with a tiny
digital camera. I have done photography from my late teens with a 35mm
camera which was a luxury those days and I have tried some model
photography with the daughter in her teens before she left the country
but I have never produced something extraordinary like these before.
During the days that followed I couldn't help gazing at those
stunning appearances once every few hours, disrupting a lone chess game
with computer or in the middle of viewing a TV program. How astonishing
would be the results if a better model is used. A better model!
Thereafter, I couldn't help looking at every young woman I happened to
see in the bus or on the road, imagining what she would produce on the
monitor screen exposing above her bare shoulders. I was obsessed by this
fantasy and many a time resisted with great difficulty the temptation to
ask from the stylish girl seated next to me in the bus whether she would
like to do modelling thus saving a slap across my face.
"What are you doing these days? Peter gave me a call a few days
later.
I am starting glamour photography, I replied jokingly.
Wow, now you are so advanced. But it is very expensive I hope.
Yeah, I have funds but still I couldn't find a model.
A Colombus without a ship, he laughed loudly. "OK, will try some
barge from that joint".
I was reluctant but those words echoed in my mind again. Is this a
bad period for me to suffer but why should I?
During the months that followed I discarded a chain of models,
studying my work on the screen after a couple of outings with them.
Probably due to the influence of trends of TV culture of modern days
I could find them a plenty and most of them were very cooperative and
prepared to expose more in front of the lens and provide more services
which really made sensual temptations. We had to change locations as
well as costumes but everything took place in rooms of motels as they
were reluctant to be seen outdoors with such costumes.
My god, from where did you find this harem, dear Casanova? that was
his first comment when I showed the collection of video clips animated
with modern software to Peter. Even an American playboy would be jealous
of you. Luckily there is no opposition to take these to court for a
divorce case and you are licensed of all these. He continued "These
creations remind me of the professor who completed the masters and
doctorate at the age of twenty and started collecting bus tickets and
bottle tops." But he never took his eyes off the screen. And you being a
mathematics-man, have a god sense and taste in figures and curves it
seems".
"What about your geography degree. You have an upper second in
physical geography and contours of opposite sex," I complimented.
"Though your camera angles and techniques are commendable, the models
obviously novices add nothing to it in posing and expressions except
more and more skin." All of a sudden he click paused the moving picture
and took a little time to scan aesthetically and muttered finally. "But
this one is exceptional. Really exceptional. Who is she? You are really
a lucky guy".
I also had the same feeling on the day I photographed Nizmia Begam.
Only after pleading several occasions over the phone, she reluctantly
took up the assignment. Although it was her first outing of this nature
she proved to be the ideal model with a silkily Caucasian tan, sharp
Eurasian features and of course those incredible curves that would suit
for the cover girl of any American magazine. When we ran out of
combinations of costumes, and then she gave way to my last fantasies
with no resistance, I had the same feeling perhaps for the first time
after that tragedy.
It is something I dared not even to dream of when I was a happily
married man. And we made it to some motel almost every week with
varieties of costumes in the next few months adding an aesthetic
collection to the glamour folder of my computer.
Although I didn't inquire about her background I couldn't think of
any reason for a young woman with such a dynamic personality to play a
role like that except for the way I spent money and her body chemistry
which determines all the tendencies in the lifetime.
"Marvellous", Peter was going through her video clips.
This is something behind the advertising industry and electronics
media today. See the visuals of the musical albums in our TVs in which
clips of scantily dressed girls flash on the screen every few seconds
which are of no connection whatsoever to the lyrics and where only the
artiste thinks that he is singing a song.
Have you seen Miss Beautiful Legs pageant of Miss Lanka contest in TV
channel recently. In the near future they would telecast Miss Beautiful
Bust pageant as well. The most fantastic creation of God Mother Nature
had become a merchandise on a grand scale.
In an interview with the artiste who performed semi-nude in some
scenes in a latest local move, our TV channel praised her performances
in a telecast recently and it was the same channel which strongly
supported the ban of adults only films at the same time. Therefore I
don't find your creations unethical as far as you are not doing this for
commercial purposes." Finally he took his eyes off the screen and
continued.
"Alas, I am truly glad to see a really happy man in you who has found
an objective to keep himself satisfied with his creations and enjoy the
fascinating side of his life. By the way, you had no chance to show
these to the guy who made that phone call."
"No. What do you think his reactions would be if I show these". With
a sarcastic grin he replied.
"Certainly, he would bribe you to swap your horoscope with him".
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