THE PRICE OF ...

FROM PAGE XVI

It was busy, as usual, near the coconut vendors, but he found her a nice little spot away from the jostling passersby so she could enjoy the delicious coconut water.

“Aah,” she expressed satisfied, “that was good.”

They had to walk back a little way to where the car was parked and suddenly he took hold of her hand. She looked at him surprised and he said, “Just keep walking calmly in front of me, there are two young guys behind us.”

They reached the car without incident and the two boys walked past giving Sachin a hard stare.

“Gosh,” Ahana breathed with relief.

“Sorry about holding your hand.”

Ahana shook her head and smiled at his discomfort.

“It’s okay, you were doing your job. Come on, it’s time for lunch.”

It was at a Brazilian restaurant and she said to him, “You’re coming in too to have lunch.”

“No, that wouldn’t be right.”

“You don’t have to sit with me,” she assured him, “You can sit at another table nearby. I’m treating you to lunch, okay?”

He sighed and said, “Okay.”

At the end of quite a leisure lunch when he took her home, she said, “Thank you for today.”

He nodded with a hint of a smile.

Whatever renewed spirit she went out to find today, she found it because there was a satisfied glow on her face and light in her eyes.

She looked at him for a short moment, as though wanting to say something but turned and walked to the house.

He took a deep breath as he watched her go and as he parked the car, he said, “It was indeed a good day.”

A few days later she went away on a two-week vacation in Europe and Sachin felt he could also take a short break until she returned. But the family had visitors who came in from the US to vacation in Guyana so he had to continue working. It was constant driving every day with trips to resorts, Berbice and Essequibo, and if being tired and overworked weren’t enough, he encountered Chris with a few of his friends at a resort in Essequibo.

“Well, well, look who’s here,” he mocked, “the driver-bodyguard.”

It was early and Sachin had been sitting alone under one of the benabs whilst the visitors went out for a boat ride.

“Hey man, I don’t have a problem with you.”

“Oh yeah?” Chris sneered, “But I do.”

And he punched Sachin in the stomach.

“I never liked you, loser,” he said with disdain and hit Sachin with some quick blows to the body.

Sachin stumbled backwards but did not fall, the breath knocked out of him but the last thundering fist to the jaw knocked him down.

“And that one is for Ahana breaking up with me,” he said with a cruel grin on his face. Sachin took some time to get himself back up, the heavy blows having hurt him. He groaned quietly in pain, “Why do I have to pay the price for that break-up?”

To be continued…