A matter of taste!

I was in Goa a while ago-the land of sea,sand,sussegado.Relaxing on the beach,sipping wine ,watching the waves singing their song.It was sheer serendipity!And then I thought of writing a story....this one:

''Another time ,another place, but not the same familiar faces. She was on an assignment in Goa. The tourists paradise, the ideal holiday, serendipity and fun. Her instructions …blend ,be one of the tourists, nothing cop like. She understood, wearing shorts ,a colorful tee, floppy hat ,dark glares ,she blended. She was in the market place. Hordes of people, a street band playing loudly, swarms thronging, laughing , drinking, eating ,dancing, merriment galore. Her Brahmin soul was a bit aghast, but she was here for a purpose, her duty was paramount. Her assignment : Foreign tourists were disappearing ,no trace ,no clues ,no reasons, she had to get to the motive ,the reasons, the method ,and the culprits. Now she had no clue ,she stared at the crowds cluelessly.

She walked to a small roadside café ,perched herself to observe. A voice, a deep baritone ,velvety voice asked ‘May I join you ?’ Her eyes moved to the possessor of the voice. Tall , dark handsome. Denim cut offs ,a faded blue shirt ,a floppy straw hat, a dazzling smile. She smiled a yes. He sat down, made himself comfortable. He asked ‘May I get you a feni?’ She smiled, she shook her head ,she declined ‘I don’t care too much for their drinks, I am having a coffee.’. At that he smiled ‘Nor do I.’ He extended his hand ‘Hi, I am Mike De’ Cunha. ‘’ She shook his proffered hand ,and replied ‘ Julia Mancini, pleased to meet you. Are you from Goa, that’s a very Goan name.’ He blushed, rather strangely ‘Is it ?I thought it was Spanish.’ She was confused ,she was too polite to pry, she kept quiet. She ordered two beers ,after asking him, and getting a smile in return. She took a largish sip, or rather a swig. Oddly he did the same, she decided he was a foreigner.

This was not her beat ,but it was still her country ‘Are you on vacation ?’ she asked. ‘Well ,sort of ,more a foray….’Amazed she wondered was he man right in his head, who came to Goa for a foray. This was the land for revelers, partygoers, the rich and the dregs of society, the perverts ,the druggies ,the musicians, the ‘wannabees’, and the genuine holiday goers who thronged for the package tours. She remained silent ,sipped her beer ,observing the crowds. She decided to meet the local police chief later. A couple was approaching, very ‘rich, very South Bombay ,very high’. They came closer ‘Got any good stuff dude? We know you keep it ‘’ Mike transformed. Mike became a smooth wheeler dealer , his eyes were predatory ,his gestures abject, his actions repulsive. ‘Please come with me’ All three were back in seconds ,the couple left after something changed hands. She got up abruptly ‘Are you a drug dealer ?’ Mike laughed ‘Of course not ,are you ?’ She shook her head ‘Of course not. I am here on business.’ Mike smiled ‘So am I ‘’.

His easygoing charm was hard to resist, and she didn’t. They chatted, heard music, drank their beers ,relaxed ,he had a lazy charm ,it soothed her. But not enough for her to forget her reasons to be here. Mike smiled, ‘Where are you from ? ‘’.She almost answered. She didn’t. Another couple was approaching, fair skinned ,barely clad, eyes vacant , they spoke to Mike ‘You got stuff man? We were told you do. ‘’. Mike smiled ,nodded, took them away. He returned alone. ‘I ‘ve got them’ he said gleefully. She didn’t reply, she couldn’t, she had no idea what he was talking about, she waited. She wasn’t one of the best cops in the force for no reason. She waited in silence, she sniffed a kind of danger.

Mike smiled. Another man was coming, small, stout ,sullen. He stopped at their table, Mike introduced them ‘Leo, this is Julia, she is one of us, Julia ,Leo.’ The small ,fat man stared ‘Why are you here ? And for what purpose ?Where are you from, which planet ?’ She stared, Mike answered ‘Leo, that’s no way to talk to a lady. She is one of us, she is here to get something, just like us’ Leo wasn’t appeased ‘Answer me.’ Something was very wrong, Julia sensed it ,these weren’t ordinary tourists ,they weren’t ordinary ,and she realized something was very wrong .She smiled, out of her depth, but acting ‘Hey Leo, you are here on business ,so am I. What’s yours ?’

The small, fat man smirked ‘Just to collect my cargo’ She smiled innocently ‘Cargo, of course. Is it ready ? ‘’.Leo smirked ‘What is yours? ‘’ Mike interrupted ‘ Its sand. They need it to survive. OK? Now take your cargo and leave, I will follow soon ‘’ Leo seemed satisfied, with no more questions ,he said his farewell, left. She turned to Mike ‘What was that about ?’ He was silent ‘You don’t want to know …’. ‘I do. What planet ,what cargo, what was that gibberish ?’ Mike smiled ‘We are aliens. I have assumed the form of a human, I am not one. I am a tracker and hunter, its my business. I come here to collect cargo, Leo delivers it. I thought you were also an alien like us…..’ She jerked as if someone pulled imaginary strings ‘Aliens! Ridiculous! And if so, what are you collecting here ?’ Mike got up, smiled ,tipped his hat, waved a goodbye. Julia insisted ‘Answer me, what were you collecting ? ‘’Mike said ,a bit sadly, a bit apprehensively ‘Meat. The whiter ,the better’’ …… Somewhere her mind registered ‘That’s why the foreigners are disappearing…….’Mike had gone.




-Jayashree Tawadey.