A Sahib's Daughter (16 page)

“I’ve played a little tennis, too,” said Lorraine. “But on grass courts that really weren’t very good.”

“Well, that’s all we have here,” said Tom. “There are four courts at the club. I hope you’ll both come on Sunday. I’ll see if I can find a set of golf clubs for you, Justin.” Obviously, he hadn’t quite taken it in that it was Lorraine who was the golfer.

The couple took their leave feeling greatly encouraged about life in tea.

“You were wonderful!” said Justin, taking Lorraine’s hand. “And I hope you’re going to enjoy the golf here as much as you did in Portrush.”

“Oh, I’m really not sure I’ll play. I was only a kid, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

“Why don’t we just play together to start with?” suggested Justin. “That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”

“Darling, that would be lovely,” said Lorraine, willing to do anything that would keep her husband beside her in this alien land.

The following morning, Justin was woken by screams from the bathroom. He jumped out of bed to see what was wrong and was horrified to see Lorraine pointing at a large yellow and brown snake curled around the base of the toilet. He grabbed her and shut the door. Then he ran to the back of the house shouting for the servants.

The bearer was confused at first but quickly understood there was something in the bathroom. He looked inside, unperturbed and shut the door again. He went to fetch one of the walking sticks on the umbrella stand and went into the bathroom brandishing it with both hands. Justin watched in horror as he manipulated the snake around the stick and took it out the back door of the bathroom. One of the gardeners killed the snake quickly and painlessly with a curved swathing knife. The bearer walked back into the house to replace the stick in the umbrella stand. He indicated to Justin that someone must have left the back door open.

“It was me! I opened it last night to let some air in. Jesus. I don’t think I can bear this.” Lorraine was aghast.

Justin was shaken, too. A snake in the house! That was a little hard to take. Was it dangerous, he wondered? What if it had attacked Lorraine? He would have to get some advice from Gordon Mills, his manager, or from Tom. He just couldn’t afford to take any chances. He hated to leave Lorraine after what had happened, but he had no choice.

“I’m sorry, Lolly, but I have to go to work. I’ll try to get home a little earlier at lunch time.”

Lorraine had the jitters and didn’t feel safe anywhere in the house once again. What if there were other snakes curled up elsewhere? She didn’t want to be left alone but couldn’t very well keep company with any of the servants, could she? Suddenly, they didn’t feel as threatening as they had before. They were actually very polite, and she began to realize that they were human beings just as she and Justin were. She found a notebook and pen, went into the back verandah and summoned the bearer.

She decided that she was going to learn their language and that he was going to teach her, starting now. She pointed to herself and said,

“Lorraine Memsahib. You?” she pointed at him.

He was of medium height, probably in his thirties, with a pleasant demeanor. He already knew a little English and seemed to realize that she wanted to learn to communicate with him. He pointed at himself,

“Rama, bearer.” He was proud of his title.

The lesson continued, with Lorraine taking notes. “Eidher ow” means “Come.” “Jow” means “Go.” They progressed from words to phrases, Lorraine trying to think of all the things she would need to say from day-to-day. Finally, she was able to indicate that she wanted the house searched for snakes and that the doors were to be kept firmly closed at all times. When Justin came home for lunch, he was relieved to find her with her notebook and pen, looking cool and collected.

“Are you feeling a little better, darling?” he asked, kissing her neck.

“I think so,” she replied. “I had the entire house searched in case there were any other snakes lurking in corners.”

“I take it they didn’t find any?”

“I sincerely hope not. Are you hungry, darling?”

“Starving.”

“Good.” She called to the bearer in her high-pitched voice. “Ramu, khana liaw!”

Justin looked at her in admiration. “You’re a wonder! You never cease to amaze me. I’m a very lucky man to have you as my wife.”

“And don’t you ever forget it!” she said.

That afternoon, they went out to do some serious shopping. First, they went to look at the car that Tom had recommended. It was a blue and white, two-door Standard Herald that Lorraine fell instantly in love with. The young planter who was selling it had a wife and three children and needed a bigger vehicle. After some heated discussion, they agreed on a price, and the car was theirs. Their driver drove home in the garden jeep leaving Justin and Lorraine to continue on in the Herald.

Their next stop was another plantation, also at Tom’s recommendation. There they purchased a set of used golf clubs from a planter who was retiring. He wanted to get rid of most of his household items, and they found a few things that they had not thought to ship. They also bought a pair of Wilson Tennis racquets and an old typewriter. They loaded up the little car and drove home elated with their spoils.

“You were robbed on the car but stole the racquets and clubs,” Tom told them later. “Don’t ever pay for anything major again without consulting me, not for a while, anyway.” He revealed to Justin that the snake was most likely a viper with a deadly poisonous bite.

Everything was strange and new to the young couple. Lorraine continued to learn Hindi with assistance from Martha and Ramu. She made copious efforts, poring over her notebook and practicing her pronunciation. Later that week, she told Ramu what groceries she wanted from the local market. She thought it would be nice to have chicken for Sunday dinner.

“I was horrified when he returned home with a live chicken,” she told Martha the next day. “But didn’t know enough Hindi to tell him we wanted to eat chicken, not rear them.”

Martha and Tom laughed.

“You have a lot to learn, Lorraine,” said Tom. “That’s how chicken is sold in these parts! Don’t worry, the cook will slaughter it. Just don’t get too attached to the bird before you eat it!”

Chapter 13

Assam, India 1974

Justin and Lorraine became popular members of the club, especially when it became apparent that Lorraine was quite the athlete. She had a charismatic personality that people warmed to, and Justin had a difficult time keeping up with her in her social interactions, as well as on the golf course and the tennis court. She became quite the social belle with her wardrobe of stylish gowns and shoes. Months went by, and they both learned to adapt to the new lifestyle. It was undeniably lonely at times. They missed home but found themselves increasingly involved in the closely woven community.

There was one vital component missing that would have made their happiness complete. More than anything, they wanted to start a family of their own. But month after month went by and Lorraine was unable to conceive.

“Hardly surprising with those tiny hips of hers,” Irene said to Edward, after receiving a letter from Justin saying that, no, Lorraine was not pregnant yet.

“I think I might suggest to Justin that maybe it’s time they ran some tests.”

The opportunity arose when Justin had to fly to Calcutta on business. They made an appointment with a specialist there, and Lorraine accompanied him on the trip. Despite the circumstances of her visit, it was wonderful to be in a city again. Calcutta was very different from Belfast, but after Jorhat, the shops and restaurants and hotels seemed extremely exciting.

They were put up by the company in the magnificent Grand Hotel and enjoyed eating at the fashionable restaurants on Park Street. They went to Mocambos, where they had delicious European food and danced to the strains of a sultry crooner accompanied by a four-piece jazz band. They had a fabulous tea at Flurys, and Lorraine went on a shopping spree at Newmarket, a shoppers’ paradise where shoes, clothing, jewelry, curios and just about everything under the sun could be acquired. She loved the shoes made by Chinese craftsmen and added several pairs to her collection.

On their last day in the city, they went to the food hall for provisions to take back with them. A tantalizing aroma of new bread came from Nahoums’ Bakery. The floral hall was redolent with the scent of roses, geranium, dahlias, marigolds, chrysanthemums and carnations. Vegetable stalls were laden with mountains of produce. Exotic species of fish wriggling on slabs of ice fascinated Lorraine, but she averted her eyes hastily from grotesque animal carcasses dangling from hooks in the meat market.

Brightly dressed housewives flitted from store to store followed by coolies balancing baskets with their purchases on their heads. It was difficult for Justin and Lorraine to restrain themselves, but there was only so much they could take back on the plane. They made do with bacon, sausages, sticks of barley sugar and a lump of cheese.

“Let’s come back soon,” said Lorraine, relishing the energy of the city despite having spent two mornings at Woodlands Nursing Home undergoing tests. Now, all they could do was wait for the results. They tried to avoid the subject on their little vacation. There was nothing to be gained by dwelling on it, although the subject weighed heavily on their minds.

Two weeks later a bulky envelope arrived, addressed to Lorraine. Justin brought it home with the rest of the mail at lunch time.

“You open it, darling,” Lorraine said, faintly. “I can’t bear to look.”

He tore the envelope open and tried to decipher its contents. “It seems that everything is normal,” he said. “They say you’re in perfect health and can see no reason why you shouldn’t get pregnant. They suggest….” his voice trailed off. “They’re recommending that maybe I should be checked out.”

Not in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined that the problem could lie with him. The notion was inconceivable. Surely all they needed was to be patient to give it a little more time.

“You?” gasped Lorraine. “Surely not?”

How could this be happening to them? They were both young and athletic, and their sex life was more than healthy.

“Let’s give it a rest for a while,” Justin suggested. “We have plenty of time. I can’t go back to Calcutta right now. Besides the Golf Championships are coming up. We should focus on getting ourselves ready. You have a real chance of winning.”

“You’re right, darling,” agreed Lorraine, though she wondered if she’d be able to summon up any interest in participating. All she could think of was the child she so badly wanted. She had assumed responsibility for not being able to conceive. The fact that the problem might lie with Justin only made the situation worse and more final.

“Come home,” Irene urged Justin, in response to his letter. She knew there could be nothing wrong with Justin. They just needed to run some proper tests on Lorraine. God only knew what the level of health care was in that country.

“Come home for a while. It will do you both good to get away from that place.”

Secretly, she hoped that coming back might entice them to stay. Adrian had remarried in England and didn’t want children. He was too busying partying with his young wife, who definitely didn’t want babies. She was still a baby herself. And Irene worried terribly about Edward’s health. The bakery shop was up for sale, but there were no buyers. Every time there was a bomb or sectarian shooting on the news, their hearts sank. The economy fluctuated according to the level of violence.

Actually, Justin was due home leave in a few months. He would have served three years in tea and was entitled to a paid trip home with his wife. It seemed like a good idea to have themselves examined in Belfast. The city had some of the best hospitals in the world, thanks to the troubles.

So in a matter of weeks, Justin and Lorraine landed at Aldergrove Airport, met by both of their families. Lorraine was amazed by how pale everyone looked. She burst into tears when she saw her mother who had aged tremendously in the three years since she’d last seen her. Her hair’s brassy tones had subsided into dirty streaks of gray, and her skin sagged like that of a much older woman from all the years of smoking. Toby and Edward had both lost a little hair, and Edward had gained weight. Only Irene looked better than ever, resplendent in a green mohair coat and freshly set hair.