The Visitation
I fumbled
in the dark
And dropped my keys
SHIT!
After a long day
With the obligatory beer and noodles for a Thursday night
it was the last thing I needed
Clutching a briefcase, a portfolio
I unlocked and shouldered open the door
The door resounding against the wall
Into total darkness
SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIZE!
The light blasted everything out of my hands
crashing to the floor
along with my jaw
As a gaggle of faces, beamed, shouted
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday to you…
Reverberating through the house
Totally taken aback
I stumbled
Stepping over my case of scattered papers
Leaning into a cascade of hugs
Mouth opening, words escaping
A cacophony of noise, as kids hugged my legs
As I frog marched into the fray
Slowly registering the gathered multitudes
Everyone was there
Everyone I knew in Terengganu
Ray the Indian surveyor and his Thai wife with their four kids
Mohammed the draughtsman with a really good sketching hand
Woo and his Taiwanese Princess
My curry making neighbours
Everyone
Eng Go jostled through and gave me a kiss on the cheek
Explaining Lee is on the island and will be here later
I gave her a hug, that was fine
Lee was a mechanical engineer working on Pulau Redang
The refugee island
so it would take a couple of hours
we will see him later
as the crowd fragmented, migrating to the food
the uniting cultural force
sparking a feeding frenzy
then out to the terrace facing the South China Sea with the rising, ejaculating moon, lighting the beach
with the flares lit
as the drinks flowed
dancing rippled over the party
the dancing soon degenerated into our Tai Chi dance
Clowning around with Tai Chi movements set to gyrating music
It was a hoot, with the kids joining in
I saw Eng Go to one side, on the phone
I approached
Lee had missed the usual boat and took a fishing boat instead
He is not answering his phone though
But he should be here later
The island has been hit by a big storm
it’s on the way
I instinctively looking to the north east
as the black, flickering, bulbous clouds ran low over the emblem green ocean
As we watched the clouds, enveloping the moon
announcing
a torrential downpour that drove everyone inside
As the rain bounced through the louvres
atomising into the rooms
The party was literally sodden
The kids were taken home
The people began to thin
Eng Go
again on the phone
The fishing boat should have docked by now
There is no word, the island radio operator knows nothing
I make some tea and joined her looking out to the surging, angry surf, slamming the beach
Sitting under the eaves
A frozen, concern gripping her face
She had
rang her mum, brothers, sisters and Lee’s friends to see if they knew anything
nothing
He could just have gone home or the power could be out
Ringing
ringing home
Nothing
Then the phone rang
The island radio operator finally got through
The boat has been listed as missing
There was no word
She collapsed into tears
sobbing
knowing what the this could mean
she exploded
defying the rain
we have only been married four months
we were just planning our honeymoon
It was all still new, a wonderful delight
A future
Together
From near hysteria, she dived into silence
It was raw
Stunned
Recollecting that Lee
was on a rolling shift 2 weeks on, one off
The realisation hit me with a thud
a spike to the heart
He was coming back
especially
for MY birthday
we sat in silence
hugging one another
in a mist of rain next to the louvered windows
strobing lightning opening up the horizon
Lifting the head
Maybe there is something wrong with his phone?
You know the storm, maybe he is at home with the power out
She pulled away, ran through the house
jumped into her V dub
disappearing into the wall of water
me yelling into it
keep me informed
let me know if there is anything I can do
Soaking wet, dripping I slouched into the house
Leaving the door open
I looked up
The music played
to a forest of stationary beings
bewildered
looking
one to the other
The word had got around
People silently drifted away, nodding adieu
I poured myself a drink
Went outside
Flopped
leaning against the house
under the eaves
in the rain
I knew the Terengganu river bars were dangerous
It had taken many lives
Particularly Malay fisherman who cannot swim
Lee was a short, stocky man
athletic
Muscular and a good swimmer
He was coming for MY party
Echoing in my brain
MY party
with the rising sun
red lining the horizon
the storm cleared
as I shook and roused myself
Progressively discarding the wet clothes on the way to the bedroom
Showered
Dry
Clothed
Coffee in hand
I tried to call Eng Go
It was busy
Then
Later
It kept ringing out
no message bank
As the sun was setting on a languid day
I was into my second gin & tonic under the dilapidated atap shelter
Looking over the beach with the chameleon sky heading to dusk
When the V dub pulled into the granular drive
Startled
Jumping
We meet in a silent embrace
I was terrified to ask
I asked her if she wanted a drink instead
as I lead her over to the other twisted cane chair under
the shelter
She was sitting quietly when I can back with the drinks
I hesitantly
lowered myself to sit, directly opposite her
Sipping from the glass of gin, with both her cupped hands
She slowly put the glass down
took both my hands
elbows on knees
looked into my soul
with a slow, sad sullen look
she
not leaving my eyes
began
She had gone home to a ruthlessly empty house
Then went to her mother’s
Where all the family was gathering
Phone calls were constantly scouring the coast
Nothing!
Her Mother insisted that Eng Go see the Malay Village shaman
collecting Lee’s personal items on the way
she and her elder brother drove to the village
parking on the outskirts
walking under the palms
nudged by a lazy wind
passing a villager collecting coconuts
pushing a bicycle
with a monkey sitting on the seat
they entered the darkened timber atap house
hands to the heart
in the traditional greeting
they sat on the carpeted floor
speaking in Malay they explained why they have come
and handed the bundle of Lee’s personal items to the shaman
a wizen, old man, in a white singlet and sarong
gathering Lee’s apparel to his heart
breathing deeply
closing his eyes
he began to softly sway
in a low, paced manner, words flowed
Lee was on a fishing boat entering the river as the storm reached its peak
The boat swivelled sideways and capsized
The fisherman could not swim
Lee tried to save him
But the fisherman panicked
Hitting Lee around his head and shoulders with immense force
Lee had to let go
He floated with the currents
Taking him northward along the beaches
He is exhausted
but alive
If you get to him quickly
thanking the shaman
they backed out into the light
turned and ran
the V dub skidding away
as Eng Go called the family marshalling the search to above the mouth of the river
then the police
each car was sent to different spots along the beaches
immediately north of the river mouth
wading through the surf
running to each piece of the storm’s flotsam and jetsam
trees, coconut’s, pieces of the boat
sifting in hope
Eng Go just started walking north from the river mouth
When a call came through from her elder brother further up the beach
They found Lee
Washed up on the beach, face down, but had only just died
His body had colour
And
He was heavily bruised around the shoulder’s and face
Everything stopped
I dared breath
The police arrived and everyone defaulted to getting the task done
Lee was taken to the morgue
The wailing would come later
Eng Go’s hands dropped
Too exhausted for tears
She faltered, then continued
After identifying the body
she spent the remaining day with the family
before going home
She pulled into their drive
With a quizzical, sideways glance
as the front door was open into the house
She sat in the car
unsure
Gathering courage
she left the car door open
Slowly
entering the house
straight into the living room
with the kitchen at the back
The red light on the rice cooker glowed
the lid gyrating with the escaping steam
she could now hear the shower running upstairs
stalled
bewildered
Backing up to the edge of the stair
She listened intently
Ascending
One step at a time
All the doors were open walking down to the bathroom
Steam tumbling through the doorway into the hall
Disappearing into the steam
She calmly
slowly turned the tap off
Still to a presence
the front door slammed
jotted into the now
She turned and ran downstairs, out to the car and just drove
Disorientated
Ending up here
She grabbed my hands again
intently
with a tortured brow
It was Lee
Looking down
He always put the rice cooker on when he came home from work
then went upstairs to have a shower
It was Lee returning home
For the last time
I fell on my knees giving her an enveloping hug
As silent tears trickled down my cheeks
He was coming home for my party
MY
bloody party
roco