I was going to say, ‘That’s all right,’ but the words felt too free. So I opened my mouth and made an unintelligible noise.
‘You never knew my son, Romesh?’
‘I only saw him once,’ I lied; and instantly regretted the lie. Suppose she asked me where I had seen him or when I had seen him. In fact, I never knew that Sheila’s baby was a boy until he died and the news spread.
But she wasn’t going to examine me. ‘I have some pictures of him.’ She called in a gentle, strained voice: ‘Soomintra.’
The servant girl opened the door. ‘You want something, Miss Sheila?’
‘Yes, Soomin,’ Sheila said (and I noticed that she had shortened the girl’s name, a thing that was ordinarily not done). ‘Yes, I want the snapshots of Ravi.’ At the name she almost burst into tears, but flung her head back at the last moment and smiled.
When Soomintra left the room I looked at the walls. In the dim light I could make out an engraving of the Princes in the Tower, a print of a stream lazing bluely beautiful through banks cushioned with flowers. I was looking at the walls to escape looking at Sheila. But her eyes followed mine and rested on the Princes in the Tower.
‘You know the story?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’
Look at them. They’re going to be killed, you know. It’s only in the past two days I’ve really got to understand that picture, you know. The boys. So sad. And look at the dog. Not understanding a thing. Just wanting to get out.’
‘It is a sad picture.’
She brushed a tear from her eye and smiled once more. ‘But tell me, Romesh, how are you getting on with your studies?’
‘As usual.’
‘Are you going away?’
‘If I do well in the exams.’
‘But you’re bound to do well. After all, your father is no fool.’
It seemed overbearingly selfish to continue listening. I said, ‘You needn’t talk, if you don’t want to.’
Soomintra brought the snapshot album. It was an expensive album, covered in leather. Ravi had been constantly photographed from the time he had been allowed into the open air to the month before his death. There were pictures of him in bathing costume, digging sand on the east coast, the north coast and the south coast; pictures of Ravi dressed up for Carnival, dressed up for tea parties; Ravi on tricycles, Ravi in motor cars, real ones and toy ones; Ravi in the company of scores of people I didn’t know. I turned the At last we exhausted the snapshots. Sheila had grown silent towards the end. I felt she had been through the album many times in the past two days.
I tapped my hands on my knees. I looked at the clock on the wall and the Princes in the Tower. Sheila came to the rescue. ‘I am sure you are hungry.’
I shook my head faintly.
‘Soomin will fix something for you.’
Soomintra did prepare something for me, and I ate in the kitchen — their food was always good. I prepared to face the farewell tears and smiles. But just then the Doctor came. He was Sheila’s husband and everyone knew him as ‘The Doctor’. He was tall with a pale handsome face that now looked drawn and tired.
‘Hello, Romesh.’
‘Hello, Doctor.’
‘How is she?’
‘Not very happy.’
‘She’ll be all right in a couple of days. The shock, you know. And she’s a very delicate girl.’
‘I hope she gets over it soon.’
He smiled and patted me on the shoulder. He pulled the blinds to shut out the sun from the veranda, and made me sit down.
‘You knew my son?’
‘Only slightly.’
‘He was a fine child. We wanted — or rather, I wanted — to enter him in the Cow and Gate Baby Contest. But Sheila didn’t care for the idea.’
I could find nothing to say.
‘When he was four he used to sing, you know. All sorts of songs. In English and Hindi. You know that song — I’ll Be Seeing You?’
I nodded.
‘He used to sing that through and through. He had picked up all the words. Where from I don’t know, but he’d picked them up. And even now I don’t know half the words myself. He was like that. Quick. And do you know the last words he said to me were “I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places”? When Sheila heard that he was dead she looked at me and began to cry. “I’ll be seeing you,” she said.’
I didn’t look at him.
‘It makes you think, doesn’t it? Makes you think about life. Here today. Gone tomorrow. It makes you think about life and death, doesn’t it? But here I go, philosophizing again. Why don’t you start giving lessons to children?’ he asked me abruptly. ‘You could make tons of money that way. I know a boy who’s making fifty dollars a month by giving lessons one afternoon a week.’
‘I am busy with my exams.’
He paid no attention. ‘Tell me, have you seen the pictures we took of Ravi last Carnival?’
I hadn’t the heart to say yes.
‘Soomin,’ he called, ‘bring the photograph album.’
1950
5. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN’S OCCURRENCE BOOK
November 21. 10.30 p.m. C. A. Cavander takes over duty at C — Hotel all corrected. Cesar Alwyn Cavander
7 a.m. C. A. Cavander hand over duty to Mr Vignales at C — Hotel no report. Cesar Alwyn Cavander
November 22. 10.30 p.m. C. A. Cavander take over duty at C — Hotel no report. Cesar Alwyn Cavander
7 a.m. C. A. Cavander hand over duty to Mr Vignales at C — Hotel all corrected. Cesar Alwyn Cavander
This is the third occasion on which I have found C. A. Cavander, Nightwatchman, asleep on duty. Last night, at 12.45 a.m., I found him sound asleep in a rocking chair in the hotel lounge. Nightwatchman Cavander has therefore been dismissed.
Nightwatchman Hillyard: This book is to be known in future as ‘The Nightwatchman’s Occurrence Book’. In it I shall expect to find a detailed account of everything that happens in the hotel tonight. Be warned by the example of ex-Nightwatchman Cavander. W. A. G. Inskip, Manager
Mr Manager, remarks noted. You have no worry where I am concern sir. Charles Ethelbert Hillyard, Nightwatchman
November 23. 11 p.m. Nightwatchman Hillyard take over duty at C — Hotel with one torch light 2 fridge keys and room keys 1, 3, 6, 10 and 13. Also 25 cartoons Carib Beer and 7 cartoons Heineken and 2 cartoons American cigarettes. Beer cartoons intact Bar intact all corrected no report. Charles Ethelbert Hillyard
7 a.m. Nightwatchman Hillyard hand over duty to Mr Vignales at C — Hotel with one torch light 2 fridge keys and room keys, 1, 3, 6, 10 and 13. 32 cartoons beer. Bar intact all corrected no report. Charles Ethelbert Hillyard
Nightwatchman Hillyard: Mr Wills complained bitterly to me this morning that last night he was denied entry to the bar by you. I wonder if you know exactly what the purpose of this hotel is. In future all hotel guests are to be allowed entry to the bar at whatever time they choose. It is your duty simply to note what they take. This is one reason why the hotel provides a certain number of beer cartons (please note the spelling of this word). W. A. G. Inskip
Mr Manager, remarks noted. I sorry I didnt get the chance to take some education sir. Chas. Ethelbert Hillyard
November 24. 11 p.m. N. W. Hillyard take over duty with one Torch, 1 Bar Key, 2 Fridge Keys, 32 cartons Beer, all intact. 12 Midnight Bar close and Barman left leaving Mr Wills and others in Bar, and they left at 1 a.m. Mr Wills took 16 Carib Beer, Mr Wilson 8, Mr Percy 8. At 2 a.m. Mr Wills come back in the bar and take Carib and some bread, he cut his hand trying to cut the bread, so please dont worry about the stains on the carpet sir. At 6 a.m. Mr Wills come back for some soda water. It didn’t have any so he take a ginger beer instead. Sir you see it is my intention to do this job good sir, I cant see how Nightwatchman Cavander could fall asleep on this job sir. Chas. Ethelbert Hillyard