African Adventure - 8. Chapter 8 - Who invited her?

Dr. Meenakshi Ghosh was bang on 35. She was working for the NGO, America Against Malaria (AAM), had been working in Malawi for four months and was taking her first long-weekend off. She descended from the Ghosh line of indentured labourers from Indian extraction who arrived from Calcutta on the second such ship from India aboard the Belvedere in Durban, South Africa, on 26 November 1860. Great, great grandfather Ghosh was no labourer but rather and accountant seeking his fortune outside India. Within two generations the Ghosh family had developed a medical tradition with grandfather Ghosh being the first in the family to obtain a medical degree. Since then it has become a tradition for the Ghosh children to enter the medical profession. So it was to be for Meena who graduated as a doctor at the age of 25 with both her parents and her two elder brothers doctors as well. She married her childhood sweetheart, who was also a doctor, at 26 and could be forgiven for thinking she would now live happily ever after in the style of fairytales.

This was not to be as her husband developed a roving eye and as time passed he became more brazen barely bothering to conceal his liaisons. Her parents would not consider any thought of a divorce so she sought council from her two brothers. After five years of work in a district hospital Meena had taken work in the medical research field with the US NGO America Against Malaria (AAM). It was when an opening in AAM in Malawi became available that Meena on the advice of and with the support of her brothers decided to act. She applied for the position and was successful. She then left her husband and moved in with her elder brother until she departed for Malawi. She had made her mind up, she would not be persuaded otherwise.

During her first four months in country she buried herself in her work. Her hard work was beginning to pay-off and with the systems in place she decided she deserved and indeed needed a well earned break. Asking around she heard about Hippo Bay as being a budget tourism venue on the lakeshore which catered for budget tourists and backpackers and was located in the most beautiful natural setting. She decided that this was to be her four night get-away.

~~~~~

It was Friday afternoon Charlie and Joshua were sitting on the veranda of the bar when the white Toyota Land Cruiser pulled up outside the camp office. It had America Against Malaria sign written on the door. Used as the Hippo Bay crowd were to the single pick-up’s once daily routine these unscheduled vehicle arrivals attracted attention. The driver was, predictably, a local. The single passenger was a tall slim Asian Indian female wearing a flowing calf length cotton dress. Her long hair fell to below her shoulders. They disappeared into the booking office only to emerge shortly thereafter and were led to one of the bedrooms on the old hotel wing by the clerk. The driver helped to off-load a small suitcase and a hold-all after which he took his leave and drove out of the camp site and away.

Eventually after about half an hour she appeared in a similar but different cotton dress, with a woven straw shoulder bag and a thick novel in her hand. Her movements were regal and flowing and she sat at the table next to Charlie and Joshua having nodded her head in recognition of their presence. The waiter came and she ordered a gin and tonic.

“Welcome to Hippo Bay,” called out Joshua, “I’m Joshua and this is Charlie.” Charlie smiled his handsome smile.

She acknowledged the greeting with a beautiful smile and a confident, “Hi guys, I’m Meena.” Looking around she said, “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?”

“If it wasn’t for the mosquitoes and the malaria it would be truly paradise,” Joshua responded. “We’re working on that,” she replied with that lovely smile adding. “Come and join me,” gesturing to the seats at her table. They did.

They chatted about the malaria programme, where they were all from and how long they planned to be there until she asked, “Tell me about this man called Captain, he seems an interesting character from what I’ve heard.”

“What have you heard?” the boys asked almost together. “Oh that he has this boat he lives on and seems to enjoy the company of the village boys.”

“And other boys like us,” ventured Joshua, with a mischievous grin.

“Really, do you two also stay on the boat?”

“Yes, it’s a great fun boat,” smiled Joshua. She nodded and smiled back.

There was a pause in the conversation then Joshua asked, “do you do any swimming or diving Meena?”

“No, not really other than what I did in the pool at school.”

“Pity, otherwise there’s a lot to see and do around here."

“You mean like the girls over there,” she said pointing to the two girls who were enjoying the company of the village boys on the beach.

“You mean sex?” laughed Joshua.

“If I were, what would you suggest my options were?” Meena laughed back.

“Depends whether you are into boys or girls?”

“Men.”

“Men… hmmmm… the manager, the clerk, the barman?”

“No thanks.”

“Then you can try to save Charlie from himself, Captain and me,” Joshua laughed and slapped Charlie on the shoulder.

Charlie responded, “Speak for yourself Joshua.”

“Now, now boys,” Meena was enjoying herself, “I’ll have to settle for Captain then. How did I get him to buy me a drink?”

Charlie responded, “Ask Joshua, he is the smart guy around here.”

“Well let me think… you after conversation or more?” asked Joshua.

“You young guys have sex on the brain; adults can just be good company and yes, good conversation, with no ulterior motives.”

“Boring,” responded Joshua. Charlie nodded in agreement.

It was the familiar sound of the inflatable approaching, “Speak of the devil,” said Joshua nodding in the direction of the sound.

“Captain?” asked Meena. Joshua and Charlie nodded. Charlie stood up to looked at the approaching boat. Picked up his soft drink and downed it then excused himself.

“He’s in a hurry,” remarked Meena.

“Yep, he’s the new kid in town and they are like two peas in a pod.” Remarked a resigned Joshua.

“And you,” asked Meena.

“Well I walked out a few weeks ago, so I am now at the back of the queue, I guess.”

“Problems?”

“Kind of. A little him, a little me, avoidable stuff, you know?”

“I know about stuff, Joshua, I wish mine had been avoidable.”

“Oh?"

“Another time honey.”

Joshua liked Meena, she was confident and forthright. He wasn’t sure whether this was because she was out of her constraining work environment of what. Already he could see that she was fun to be with. He wondered how Captain would respond to her.

Meena stood to watch the inflatable beach. She could see local boy riding in the bow and the white man riding the steering console. As the boat beached the boy jumped off and together with Charlie who was waiting on the beach pulled the boat higher out of the water. The boy jumped back into the boat and started to unload a few items.

Captain jumped off and greeted Charlie with a warm handshake and she noted the handsome smile of Charlie and how Captain reached out and squeezed his shoulder. The intimacy and affection between the two was obvious. They were an item for sure.

She watched as Charlie turned to help the boy, Matti, with the unloaded items as Captain started to make his way in the direction of the bar. He moved like a cat she thought, lithe and alert yet seeming so relaxed at the same time. How different to the self important manner in which her ex-husband used to arrogantly strut his stuff.

He waved to Joshua as he approached and stopped to greet and shake hands with two of the younger village boys. They spoke briefly and then pointed in the direction of the boat and continued towards the bar. He went straight to their table and he and Joshua shook hands. Joshua turned and introduced Meena.

“Hi Meena and welcome… not often we get an unaccompanied Indian lady visitor here.”

“Well I must admit I am relishing the freedom I have at the moment,” she replied.

“How are your drinks? I must just greet everyone in the bar.”

“I’ll have whatever you are having,” she replied.

“That will be a straight Coke then?”

“No, make mine a gin and tonic then, thank you.”

“Josh?”

“Beer, please."

He turned and entered the bar. In a few minutes the waiter brought the drinks. There were two beers. Joshua put the bottle and glass opposite Charlie’s chair and poured the tonic for Meena.

Charlie arrived and settled back into his seat. He looked at Meena, “So did he buy you a drink?”

“Did you have anything to do with it Charlie?”

“No,” and winking at her, “I have enough competition around here already.

“Oh Charlie darling, I saw how he greeted you. You have no competition. You’re the one.”

Charlie looked relieved. Joshua pretended he wasn’t there and Meena sipped her G&T.

Captain arrived with his tall ice filled glass of Coke, stood behind Charlie’s chair and dropped his free hand onto the boy’s shoulder. Charlie turned and looked up at Captain and smiled. Captain ran his hand through his hair as he moved to take the empty chair between Charlie and Meena.

Turning to Meena, “So doctor tell me all about AAM.”

“That would bore you all to tears. So let’s talk about something interesting like … you.”

“Not nearly as interesting as what brings a beautiful Indian women to Malawi and to Hippo Bay.”

Joshua to the rescue, “Meena is desperate for adult conversation and company.”

“OK,” and turning to Meena Captain saying with a smile, “I have my hands full with these two and others, so you want to be careful how involved you get with the queer people of Hippo Bay.”

“You mean queer – queer or queer – strange?”

“A little bit of both I think.”

“I’m fascinated, any chance of me being included?”

Captain laughed, “You don’t want to go there.”

Meena changed the subject, “Are those drums what I think they are?”

“Yep, it the good old circumcision season coming round again,” offered Joshua.

“It’s the same down at my part of the lake. Is everybody around here?” she asked.

“I am,” said Joshua raising his hand, “It also big in the States.”

Charlie interrupted, “Meena wasn’t asking about us Joshua, she meant around here, with the locals and all that.”

Ignoring Charlie Joshua said to Meena, “Oh yea, and he is too.”

“JOSHUA.”

Meena looked at Charlie and nodded then turned and looked at Captain.

“Oh yea and him too,” Joshua added. Captain laughed.

Clearly embarrassed Charlie responded, “What’s the matter with Joshua? Just now you will be giving away all our secrets.”

“Secrets,” said Joshua, “Oh yes, Charlie’s got the littler one.”

“JOSHUA.”

Captain cut in, “Enough… Joshua go and get some more drinks.”

He looked at Meena and she nodded, then he grabbed Charlie by the arm and said, “Come you help me carry.” Charlie reluctantly followed him into the bar.”

“They are two nice boys you have there Captain,” said Meena looking serious.

“Nothing is permanent Meena, nothing. Just when you think you have everything you possibly could want it can be taken away from just like that,” and he clicked his fingers.

“Yes, I’m sorry, I heard about your wife and children.” Captain nodded.

“Is there something wrong with my sandals, you keep looking at them?”

“Not your sandals your feet.”

“Really. Why?”

“They’re beautiful.”

“Well thank you.”

“You look after them very well. Being out here away from the city I suppose you do that yourself?”

“I have too.”

“Very nice nails. I hope you don’t mind me looking.”

“Not at all, it’s a complement. You find anything else interesting?”

“Well as you must be aware you are a beautiful woman. Very attractive.”

“Thank you, so what do I know about you. You look good for someone continually exposed to the harsh African sun for years. Kind of lean and hungry look about you and… circumcised too according to Joshua. Makes you a person of interest.”

“What you need to know is that I haven’t been with a woman for over three years since….” his voice trailed off.

“Haven’t been that active myself, what with the bad marriage and the divorce.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Charlie arrived with the drinks and poured the tonic for Meena.

“Thanks Charlie. You don’t need to get embarrassed about things like Joshua mentioned, just remember I’m a doctor,” she winked at him. Charlie just smiled.

Meena took deep drink from her G&T. Then another, then turning to Captain, “I’d like to see your boat.”

“We can arrange that… how long will you be here?”

“Tonight.”

It took a while for Captain to register and slowly he turned and looked her full in the face. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”

“I’m not sure I am either but together I don’t think either of us should wait any longer.”

“Is it the G&T talking?”

“No,” she paused, “I believe we both need each other tonight, maybe a whole lot more than we appreciate right now. Please take me to your boat, NOW.” The emphasis on the last word was clear. Captain looked at her. It was all taking a little time to compute it all.

“Yes,” and he stood up to leave. She rose, finished for drink and they bumped gently into each other as she bent over to pick up her bag. She looked up into his face and smiled. His smile met hers. He placed his arm across her shoulders and they made to leave.

“What about Joshua and I?”

“You stay in Meena’s’s room,” and turning to her, “give Charlie your key.” She dug it out of her bag and dropped it on the table and Charlie stood and watched as they made for the boat with purpose.

Matti who had been dutifully waiting on the steps ran ahead, as usual, to prepare the boat. Charlie walked to the veranda railing to watch. Matti pushed them off and then hopped into the bow. Then there was a roar of the engines as they took off for the boat. Charlie pictured Meena sitting behind him on the console seat, rather than standing for balance like he had done and he thought she would be holding on tightly to him. He smiled to myself. He was happy for Captain.

Joshua appeared out of the bar, “Where’s the boat going?”

“He is going to the boat.”

“With who?” Joshua glanced around the veranda, then mouthed the word ’NO.’

“Yes! … Meena, and we get to sleep in her bed tonight,” Charlie held up her room key.

Joshua came and stood next to Charlie and put both his arms around his waist, “What happens to us now?”

“That’s tomorrow’s problem…” then holding up the room key again, “Tonight I fuck your brains out.”

“You’re full of shit Charlie I'm the top and you know it.”

Joshua was right he was the top and afterwards as they lay in bed under the mosquito net they tried to figure it all out.

“This will be his first woman in three years,” Joshua had his head resting on Charlie’s chest.

“Good luck to him, I say.”

“I wonder if he makes love to her in the same way he does to us?”

“I’ll ask Meena tomorrow,” Charlie teased.

“Charlie, please be serious for a moment. This is important. I mean I’m lying here and while half of me is happy for him and the other half is jealous as hell,” he paused, “I never realised I loved him as much as I do, until now.”

“True… how many girls you been with Joshua?”

“Five or six.”

“How did it work out?”

“I’m sure it was better for them than it was for me.”

“How so?”

“Well they all wanted to come back for more.”

“Maybe they just wanted to be on the arm of a good looking guy so they ignored the shitty lovemaking?”

“Oh shut up Charlie, you can be such a prick sometimes,” he reached over and pinched Charlie’s cock.

“Hey, don’t do that.”

“Then get serious.”

“I’ve been with two girls, didn’t last more than ten seconds with each. They both looked at me with that big ‘Is that all’ expression on their faces. It was terrible.”

“So you’re a real queer then?”

“I’ll have to live with that, and you?”

“I can do it if I need to, I’ll just have think of you to be able to keep hard.”

Charlie hugged him.

“Where do we go from here, Joshua?”

“I don’t know, but I want to go where you go.”

“And we can both cum together.”

Joshua gave Charlie a sharp slap on my belly. “You see, you are such a fucking prick, you can’t take anything seriously.”

“The one thing I do take seriously Joshua, is you.” They hugged and rolled over so Joshua lay on his back with Charlie on top.

“OK Charlie, do me.”