Tragedy in a Foreign Land (3)

He threw the letter down after reading it.

“Money! Money!” He muttered under his breath as he gulped down his beer in frustration. He opened his suitcase and took out another bottle. He took a few gulps, feeling it go right to his head, making him feel hot all over. What a miserable life! Here he was working hard in a foreign country to make his fortune, so that he could go home one day and provide his family a better life, and that was his wife’s way of showing her appreciation and encouragement! Send money! Send more money! Rajoo gulped down more of the beer as he thought of his youngest son lying in bed, waiting for death - or treatment – if Rajoo could send some money home.

Rajoo flung the empty beer bottle down onto his mattress. It rolled over to Siva’s mattress. Rajoo reached over for it, and saw something sticking out from under Siva’s mattress. He looked around to make sure nobody was in the room, and reached underneath the mattress and pulled out an envelope. Sitting with his back to the bedroom door so as to shield his actions, Rajoo opened the envelope slowly. Money! The envelope contained money!

“Hey! Give that back!” Rajoo felt a wet towel whacked across his back, and a naked Siva leaning over his shoulders to reach for the envelope in his hand.

“I need the money. Lend me the money!” Rajoo held the envelope out of Siva’s reach.

“No! My hard-earned money! No cigarettes, no beer! All for my family!” Siva reached for the envelope desperately.

Rajoo held the envelop in his fist in a tight grip, as he turned to face Siva.
“My youngest boy is dying! I NEED the money!”

“No! You lazy bone! You would have money if you didn't spend it all on cigarettes and beer!” Siva was desperate and pounced on Rajoo.

Rajoo lost his balance and both men fell onto Rajoo’s mattress, with Siva on top of Rajoo. Siva tried to pin Rajoo down while one arm reached for the envelope in Rajoo’s hand. Siva was a big man. Rajoo felt out of breath, with Siva’s weight upon him. He tried to push Siva off with his free arm, while still extending the other arm above his head so that the envelope was out of Siva’s reach. Siva kept his weight on Rajoo, while at the same time frantically extending both arms towards the envelope. Rajoo felt himself gasping for breath. He waved his arms wildly, trying to push Siva off. His hand touched something! It was his beer bottle. He grabbed it by the neck, and brought it down on Siva’s head.

“Crash!” Fragments of the glass flew everywhere. Thick blood trickled slowly down from Siva’s head. It reached his eyes, which were opened wide with shock and disbelief. Rajoo pushed Siva off. Siva’s lifeless body fell onto his own mattress. Rajoo watched in horror as the circle of blood beneath Siva’s head grew larger and larger, slowing dyeing the dirty mattress red. Siva’s eyes remained open, staring vacantly at Rajoo. The air in the room hung thick with the odors of blood and sweat intermingled.