A Spanish lady
- Part 3 -

By Nameirakpam Bobo Meitei *

Although I could court relief on the other hand I was guilty for being unable to offer her the aid at the very spot where I found her. After the second period I was sent for again and this time it was the director of the establishment and she was in her crammed cabin, where there was hardly any space for any visitor to move.

I believe she rather enjoyed what her visitors had to go through, when the person was going through a hard time she enjoying an upper hand and could comfortably talk from her huge chair. Her face was stern and I presumed she was suffering from menstruation, my greeting was acknowledged but she was deliberately decided to be irresponsive.

Before I could inquire why I had been sent for she spoke, ' I believe you precisely understand this is a learning centre and there are children.' Hearing this I nodded and I wanted to ask where she was driving at, but she resumed ' despite that understanding you brought in a scary looking lady and put her in a kindergarten classroom.

Were you aware that the sight of her could have frightened many children? And I want to tell me why you didn't seek permission from someone from the officer.' I told I was astonished by her reaction that at a place, run and managed under the strict supervision of a church, compassion was such an alien thing and to the latter query I said ' I'm an early bird.'

This was not what she had expected from me, she would have expected me to 'shut up and kowtow.' While this was going on the preacher from the church came down in her large gown, the hem of it sweeping over the dust-covered concrete floor. When she swept in the director rose and bowed with utmost servility and she offered her huge chair to the preacher. She stood beside the preacher like a secretary would do.

The gracious and feared preacher sat down and she brought up her hands and with them a cane basket, containing flowers and cakes, came up and it was placed on the desk, and then the basket, blocking her view, was pushed aside towards the edge of the desk requiring the standing director to move and hold it.

She was surprisingly very mindful and her servility was vivid. The preacher's face framed in long black wet hair was thickly powdered. She could have been mistaken for some part-time theatre artist. Her tiny short hands were clasped and the painted lips smacked at the same time, probably announcing she was going to taste something good, but the sight of yellowish crooked teeth undermined all the beautification she had unsuccessfully done to herself.

Her dull eyes below the artificial eyelashes observed me carefully for a while and then she spoke ' You know, this is no place for dangerous people. This is a sacred place where we have no dealings with danger. You brought into a lady, who you don't even know, and very soon the police will be here to interrogate all of us.

First they will come to me and then the whole staff will be involved. You know I run this place and you must know this.' I had a feeling that she would explode and would fly over the desk to take me by the throat and this noticeable rage had pressed the standing director hard against the wall and her face, the small face, was stricken with terror as though she was in the firing line.

I wanted her to release the gathered-storm within her so that I could give her my reason and I knew the lady would soon be brought to her knees since she was petrified of the fact that there would be police interrogation. Her painted lips smacked and this time they remained pressed against one another suggesting she was not going further.

For a while I wondered whether I should make any attempt to reason with them or I should just get up and walk out, but the philosophical thought that one should communicate with others whenever possible so that the clouds of illusion could be swept aside, so with this understanding I spoke ' My respected holy lady why do you fear when you haven't sinned?

All that has happened today was an act of compassion although I wasn't able to offer it at the right place where I found that poor woman. I pray that you extend your religious compassion to that lady and that compassion alone will overcome any anxiety you are going through at this time.' Her face was blushed and I believed she could sense the reverse role and in this defeated state she was not herself or she was like that all the time, ' How dare you try to explain compassion to me! I'll summon a board meeting and shall see what can be done!' With grace she had arrived and with exploding fury she left the room.

I had no doubt that the pinned up director wished to sack me right away but she was not entirely senseless to ignore the fact that I could also strike back. The following day life went on as usual but my senses could tell that something was brewing beneath the calm surface and it would soon surface like some preposterous conduct of some wicked people.

One fellow in his denim pants and a black T-shirt, who introduced himself as a detective, asked me several questions, the man only wrote down my name and he sat there with a smile half-seriously observing me. He tried to probe me with few questions but he wasn't able to comprehend the answers because of the language problem.

Then he spotted the preacher standing by the door and beckoned her. She rushed in and helped translate the simple queries. He looked gratified for he was able to confront an alien and with a proud smile and he darted off the room leaving behind the preacher shrunk and more charged up with additional fury.

Two days later I was in my apartment watching a film, my phone beeped for few seconds. When I called back a voice announced ' I'm from Zoo police station. You come tomorrow. We want talk. Ok? 3pm?' without bothering to ask whether it would be convenient for me to come around at that particular time he powerfully concluded.

And he knew he could have his way since people like him were vital to the robust and marauding establishment called corruption. This imposition from a pitiable soul required me to reschedule so many plans and I dropped in to see the man. He was a thin man with eyes constantly flitting between things and people, and he was an important person in that office.

He came out to greet me and I was seated in a chair at his computer desk. First he asked for my passport and sent someone to make photocopies, then he had a form in the local language and asked me to sign on it. I refused since I didn't know the contents. Understanding that my refusal was adamant he shoved it aside and began asking in his pidgin English.

This worried me since I wanted him to understand each and every word to prevent any misunderstanding. He put to me several questions half in English half in his language, my responses were ' I don't know.' Finally when he realized that it was leading nowhere ,he rose and virtually slammed against the computer desk with his clenched fists.

I said he could contact the preacher lady at the school as I would soon be giving a written statement to her. The man was relieved and he patted me on my back and saw me off making me feel " even their wrath isn't consistent." Few weeks after the semester was coming to end there were talks of negotiation for another contract.

I knew the preacher and the director would conveniently grab that opportunity to achieve what they had been eagerly waiting for. I could linger around and fight but I wasn't sure whether I would be able to win them over since they all appeared quite relentless in their follies, and I didn't want to be complicit to their crimes.

I didn't want my world to be touched by malicious hands and without waiting for them to deliver their gloating verdict I packed up few days before the semester had ended and abandoned the place as quiet as a mouse. I abandoned for I had no desire to please the alley-Caesars.

Concluded.....

Nameirakpam Bobo Meitei

* Nameirakpam Bobo Meitei, a resident of Bangkok, contributes to e-pao.net regularly. The writer can be contacted at bobomeitei(at)hotmail(dot)com
This article was webcasted on November 07 2010.