Three is a Crowd

“There is no water and there is a man sleeping, with his head on his table.”
“I know.” He replied. “He is dead. I killed him”
I stood up and drained the glass of rum.

* * *

It was freezing cold. I wanted to see snow. It had been 25 years since I watched snow falling. They all said it would be freezing cold but I had made up my mind long ago.

The shops were closed and I was dying for a drink. I realized this place hadn’t changed one bit. And then he spoke
“ Are you a tourist?”
“Yes”
“All the shops are closed for the day. Want to join me for a drink?”

he seemed to have a faint accent that I was unable to place. I had nothing to do and wanted a drink. What had I to loose?
We walked down the road, the fading light casting long shadows. His house had the colonial charm of places built for relaxing. It was not far down the road but the deodars, like sentries, isolated the place from the bustle of the town.
We sat down and he produced a bottle of rum without a label.
The fire crackled and threw eerie dancing shadows on the wall. I asked him for some water and he directed me to the kitchen.

* * *

With great control, which till now had eluded me, I turned around to pick up my bag.
“ 20 years ago I fell in love with a girl.” his voiced seemed so far away, lost in some glory day. “ She was very pretty, like flowers in spring. She lived next door and we used to walk down the hills, on forest trails. She was pretty and her voice was music to my ears. She called me Ritchie.” He spoke, staring into the fire, oblivious of my presence.
“ Leave, leave” a voice screamed in my head but I sat down and poured myself another drink.
“ I thought she was in love with me but Sam proposed and she married him. I still love her and may her soul rest in peace.” He looked straight into my eyes “ they buried her yesterday.”
I was at a loss for words and was completely confused.
“ Sam and I were good friends.” He went on” we made a deal. She would choose the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and the other would leave town and never come back. Sam cheated and won. I had to kill him.”
“How?” one word escaped from my lips.
He didn’t seem to hear my question “ I wouldn’t hurt Rosa. So I had to wait 20 years.she was in love with him.”

It was becoming harder to understand his words and the rum was playing tricks on my mind. I stood up and walked out into the cold night. A warm glow spreading through my senses.

* * *

Rosalyn d’souza.
I had come to attend my mother’s funeral but ended up attending my father’s. I wondered who was Ritchie and what I should tell the police. Walking towards the church a lonely grave caught my attention.
Richard Burns
19th September 1935 to 4th march 1959
“ A true friend and a kind fellow”