Roaming eau de cologne bottle
Rienzie Ivan Perera
Manisha was watching her favourite TV program in a relaxed mood on
reaching home from a hard day’s work at the newly-opened mega shopping
mall in the heart of Kandy where she worked as the
receptionist-cum-sales coordinator, when her mobile rang intermittently.
Checking on the number, she found it was an international call from her
cousin brother Malinda from Dubai and after exchanging pleasantries as
to what’s cooking at home and abroad, he confided in her that he is
expected to be in Kandy in the next couple of weeks and prevailed on her
not to divulge his arrival to her parents as he wanted to surprise them.
 Malinda asked her as to what she would like him to bring as a gift
for her. She without batting an eyelid said in one accord that she
preferred as a gift a jumbo-sized bottle of a branded eau de cologne, to
which, Malinda at the other end, burst out in a fit of uncontrollable
laughter because he never in his wildest thoughts imagined that Manisha
would make such a flimsy request which according to Malinda’s standards
was below par. However, when the laughter subsided, she wanted to know
what tickled him so much at the mention of this eau de cologne bottle.
He explained that he had expected that she would ask for a more valuable
gift such as a piece of jewellery or a precious stone. However, Manisha
was emphatic that she did not want anything else apart from what she had
requested. Malinda without much ado promised that her wish would be
fulfilled.
This unusual request of Manisha had Malinda floored and he was up
against a complex situation not that he cared much, but his curiosity
instead of killing the proverbial cat, killed him mentally as he was
wracking his brains over this trifle request made by Manisha which had
dislodged his thinking process. Anyway, he was able to surmount this
request made by Manisha sudden obstacle that had come his way, by
getting himself involved in selecting items for his household and
friends so that he could pack them in due time before his departure and
then again came the haunting eau de cologne episode. Since he had
promised Manisha, he shopped in most of the perfumery stores and malls
and finally managed to get a jumbo-sized branded one. It was a lovely
crystal glass bottle which he hoped that Manisha would love to have.
Manisha with her day to day involvements had brushed aside from her
mind the gift she had asked Malinda to bring her. As the days went by,
suddenly one evening when she was on her way home, she received a call
from Malinda informing her that he had left Dubai already and would be
arriving the following morning which was a Saturday. He enjoined Manisha
to keep mum about his arrival until he sets foot at Manisha’s residence.
On hearing this news, Manisha was all agog and it was with difficulty
that she controlled her feelings on arrival at home so that her parents
would not notice any undue difference in her behaviour.
Saturday morning dawned. Manisha was counting the seconds as to when
she could see Malinda. As the morning wore on, there came a strident
ringing of their door bell and she hastily ran to open the door and in
front of her stood Malinda safe and sound with a large smile on his
face. She lost no time in welcoming him and with her voice raised
beckoned the other inmates of her house to come and see who had arrived.
They too came in one beeline and with utter surprise on their faces
warmly greeted the visitor with a shower of kisses and hugs. After
having exchanged pleasantries, Malinda was invited to have breakfast
with them and he was really happy about the warm reception he received
at Manisha’s place. He told them that he had still not gone home and the
first place he visited on arrival was Manisha’s and that he would come
later in the evening to have a longer chat with them. Saying this, he
departed lustily waving at Manisha.
Late in the evening, Malinda made his appearance with a load of gifts
for the Manisha household. Manisha was eager to find out whether Malinda
had kept to his promise. Taking a cue from her looks, Malinda took
Manisha to a side and with moist-laden eyes produced a plastic mega coke
bottle well-sealed and made airtight which contained the eau de cologne
three-quarters filled. Her heart missed a beat at the sight but steadied
herself immediately. However, before Manisha could ask the reason as to
what exactly did happen,
Malinda blurted out apologetically that he had packed the original
crystal glass bottle in his hand luggage and while searching for his
Boarding Pass at the Airport before embarkation, he had taken out the
bottle and placed it on the arm of his chair and it had accidentally
slipped off the arm and had fallen to the floor cracking the bottle and
spilling part of its contents. Some of the passengers seated nearby
rushed to his rescue with an empty mega coke bottle and with great
difficulty salvaged part of the contents from the broken crystal glass
bottle into the mega plastic bottle. With disappointment written on her
face, she accepted the gift in that condition and thanked Malinda for
not forgetting her request. However, Malinda was at a loss for words.
She pacified Malinda saying that she would be able to find a jumbo-sized
empty glass bottle by contacting her circle of friends and the matter
was settled amicably without any misgivings or heartburn.
Manisha was brooding over the plastic bottle containing the eau de
cologne holding it in her hands and she was lost in thought as to who
the best person was, to contact in search of an empty eau de cologne
glass bottle. Her concerted efforts were rewarded when one day one of
her friends in Colombo phones her that she knew a friend of hers, one Ms
Iverine who ran a well-patronized salon on the outskirts of Colombo and
that she would be able to help. After a few weeks, Manisha received the
welcome news from her friend that Ms Iverine had managed to find a
jumbo-sized glass empty eau de cologne bottle and that she had asked her
to come to her Salon and collect it. After having fixed a date,
Manisha’s friend sent her brother, Rio, to fetch it on the appointed
date. On arrival at the salon, this lady was apologetic and said that
she had forgotten to put the bottle in her handbag and asked Rio to
please come on the morrow and that she would definitely bring it. Rio
conveyed the news to her sister.
The following day too in the morning, Rio made his way to the salon
but had to come back empty handed since that day too due to her numerous
bridal dressing engagements, she had taken the bottle to bring it to the
salon but instead of putting it in her handbag, had left it on her desk
at home, and wasn’t she apologetic! However, Rio had a bright idea and
told this lady to phone him when it is ready for collection and give her
his mobile number. After two days, this lady telephoned Rio and told him
to come and collect the bottle as she had it definitely at her salon.
Rio made one dash to the salon and collected the bottle after thanking
her for her time and effort. It was a beautiful crystal glass empty eau
de cologne bottle and when it was handed over to his sister, she
immediately contacted Manisha and assured her that she would bring the
‘roaming’ elusive bottle to her place in Kandy on the morrow.
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