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Short Stories
The drive in the fog
Sajendra Kumara
The time was 11.30 p.m. Eddy was at the wheel as usual. The scarlet
Volkswagen was crawling along the winding road cutting through the thick
fog.
 Eddy's weary eyes could catch a glimpse of the dark shapes of the
monstrous mountains rising into the murky sky. A dim lamp-light
occasionally glittered like jewels studded on a huge purple cloth.
Eddy crushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray after one last puff
of smoke. He has been driving along this rugged road for the past 40
years. Hence he meticulously knew the exact length and breadth of the
road; every hair pin bend and many a major pot holes in it.
The Volkswagen proceeded with the beams of the head lamp slicing
through the rolling thick fog. Eddy hummed a tune to drive away the
queer icy solitude enveloping him, with a gentle tap on the wheel in a
rhythm.
Eddy was just 13 when his family moved to Nuwara Eliya. The vast
Evergreen Plantation and the massive tea factory was his dad's ancestral
property.
His two sisters Emily and Nancy migrated to Canada. Emily, the eldest
was married and had two children. She was not likely to return home; the
education of the two children being the foremost as she said. Eddy saw
her last on her visit home when she was expecting Jude. Ronnie, her
eldest, was just eight then. His playfulness and witty prattle stole his
heart. Ronnie occasionally came to him on the phone.
Nancy was a professor at a university in Quebec. According to Emily,
Nancy; a middle aged spinster, was a devoted academic. Nancy was a
reticent girl even when she was at home. She was always studious, wore
rimmed glasses and carried a bit of his dad's characteristics: a touchy
and hardworking girl who averted company. If there was one thing she
hated among other things, Eddy mused with a gentle smile, it was his
presence in her room. He had seen her all in smiles just once in his
life, that was when she announced home that she had been picked up for
the university.
Dad often had to stay out on business. When he returned he stayed at
home just three or four days on end but it never exceeded six. He came
home like a stranger and left home like a stranger. There was little
talk about dad at a home. No one inquired his whereabouts. He was a
heavy smoker. Eddy could not picture his dad without the long black pipe
which adorned his face with thickly grown eyebrows that joined right
between his eyes.
Dad often kept ponderous books beside. And silence broke when a
barrage of angry words escaped between his tobacco tainted lips probably
over some lapse on the part of some manager or some other subordinate.
Dad had never taken him though he would just pat Eddy's head with a
hoarse 'Hallo' when he came out with mum to see him off in his white
limousine driven by a chauffeur.
Yet there were some peculiar nights when he dined with the family.
Except Nancy, others didn't dare to break the silence at the table. Dad
was often lost in thought as Nancy did. Now and then he would raise his
voice and inquire about the college. Yet Eddy was not sure whether dad
listened to what they told him.
However the departure of the sisters to Canada brought Eddy more
closer to his mum. Eddy spent most part of the day with old Simon, the
faithful driver of the black Opal which mum used to go out.
Dad's sudden demise was a turning point in Eddy's life. Simon brought
him from college earlier than usual. On that day, Eddy remembered, Simon
was dead silent till he brought him home. Mum broke into a loud sobbing
to see him getting off the car. It didn't take long for Eddy who was
then a little matured to realize as to what had happened. Dad had died
in an accident; his vehicle had plunged down a precipice due to a sudden
fall of fog.
For the first time he saw the real woman in his mum: a courageous
woman who faced life as it was. He did not really know as to why she
cried so wild: Whether driven by the shock of losing her husband or due
to any other unknown reason.
Sisters returned. He could see many new faces who called themselves
relations of dad and mum. A few seemingly pathetic aunts stroked his
head while talking with mum; probably about her future plans.
Sisters left for Canada after a couple of weeks. It seemed they were
so eager to leave home than to stay: they were in such a hurry as if
they had forgotten something out there.
Soon Eddy and his mum were left along in the great wilderness of
green mountains surrounded by a never ending stretch of the tea estate.
With almost a half dozen servants it was just like some alien community.
His mum was busy. She had to be out most part of the day as they said
'on businesses'. She had to continue the estate management from where
his dad had left. Though it was an uphill task to take over such
stupendous responsibility as Simon said she had inherited 'the
management stuff' from her parents.
The Volkswagen, suddenly, got jolted up as it had run into a pit fall
in the rugged road. He woke up from his reverie with a jolt and found
that the fog had almost built a wall around the car. He switched on the
extra fog lamps fixed to the roof and moved on.
He could see mum smiling through the intense fog. Her hair had gone
grey when Eddy finally took over the management. It was a same foggy
night when he had rushed her to the estate hospital with Simon after she
seemingly suffered a stroke. A few hours later she closed her eyes
forever. Tears welled up in Eddy's eyes when he remembered the strange
gaze which she fixed on him at the last moment. She tried to tell him
something which he never understood.
Eddy's life shuttled between the bungalow and the estate. It was like
a journey between two alien planets. He worked till late into night and
often drove home alone.
Another jolt woke him up from his thoughts. "Damn pits" he muttered a
curse avoiding another on time. Before long he was at the huge old
fashioned gate.
The percing beams of the fog lamps brought Simon instantly to the
gate. Shivering, he opened the gates with a creek. Eddy signalled the
old man to follow with a short quick honk.
Eddy was dead tired. "Simon"! His voice echoed loud and clear. The
grey haired old man made his presence in no time. "A glass of brandy on
the rocks please, Simon". He felt a strange chill running through his
flesh. It was pricking him like thousands needles together. He fixed
eyes on the grand Piano at a corner. He saw a bleary vision of his
mother standing there with her unforgettable innocent smile. She was
playing his favourite: 'Clementine...'
Women and marriage were two words hard to find in Eddy's vocabulary.
'The Estate management' had swallowed up half his life, the best part of
it. He knew he needed a change. Yet he could not understand as to how he
could bring about it. Rather he did not have time to spare on it.
The old bungalow, the estate and the factory had built a strong
rampart around his life. Eddy was a stranded prince in this isolated
citadel; a crowned prince in a strange foggy mountainous land. He felt
Bruno enjoying the warmth of his feet. Eddy looked at the big canine
companion. He didn't see any difference between him and old Bruno. The
old bungalow was its whole world. The poor dog didn't recognize any
other world beyond its walls; or like Eddy it did not bother about it.
Dannie, one of his old college mates had called him a couple of
months back from England. "Isn't it enough wasting your life in this
prison, Eddy. We can start all over here. There is much one can do in
one's life Ed...", Dannie's words echoed in his ears. After many
sleepless nights Eddy made up his mind to approach an auctioneer. He
negotiated the matter and was in the process of finalizing the deal when
the unexpected happened. It was a letter from his nephew Ronnie.
Canada
13.04.1972
Hi uncle,
Hope you are getting on well? We're all keeping alright. Mum often
talks about you. You have good news too. I graduated from College with a
first class in management. I never forget it was you who always
encouraged me to take up management. So I did. And I want to surprise
you now. I have decided to come back to mum's country, settle there and
start a different life away from the hustle bustle of the city. I am
really tired of this life over here. So probably by the end of this
month I'll be with you........"
Eddy dropped into the settee looked up, and closed his eyes. It
seemed the fog was rolling towards the bungalow earlier than usual. |
