Taylors Tea Garden – by Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy

Image Source – Janatha Estates Development Board 

CHAPTER ONE (1)
James had finished his day’s work. He was fifteen going on sixteen. He wanted to go out to be away from the dormitory. He stayed in the dormitory because he was an apprentice teacher. He had started his apprenticeship at fourteen. In Scotland it was an early start to earning a living during the nineteenth century. You chose your work early. James chose to start his apprentice ship because he was not happy to work on his father’s farm. His father was not happy that James chose to be a teacher. He thought James was wasting his time trying to become a teacher. The pay was not good. The profession was not an important one. It paid just enough for James to survive in life. Never enough to save and improve his lot in life. James’s father wanted James to work in the farm. The farm provided a better opportunity in life. It was an independent way of making a living.

James felt a little lonely. The dormitory felt very quiet. James took a walk to his family house. He passed by the Luther river with it’s power mill. He felt a bit lonely even though he had people around him at the church owned dormitory. The Scottish village of Auchenblae was a pleasant one. It was full of nicely trimmed trees and gardens. Even in the 1850s, the local government was strong. The Presbytarian Church played a prominent role in this part of Scotland. He passed a girl and they stopped and talked. Janet was mentioned to him as a girl he should be courting. But he never got excited by her. His father had mentioned that Janet was a good match for him. She was from a known family that lived not far from James’s house. They belonged to the Presbytarian church. Her father and mother were well known to James’s family. She was a pleasant looking girl. Very traditional in her dressing. James was not attracted to her unfortunately. She did not display any undue excitement either. But they both knew that they were supposed to show interest in each other. But they were still young, only sixteen years of age.
They smiled at each other. They spoke a few words when they met, exchanged formal greetings and inquiries about what was happening in each other’s families.
“ When is your Dad going to London?” asked James.
“ He is going next week. I think he is not happy about it.” she replied.
“ My Dad said your Dad is going on some Church work.” James said.
“ Yes. It’s Church work. London’s a terrible place from what I hear.” she said
“ I never hear anything good about London. Even the Queens Palace seems grotty from what I hear.”
“ Are you going home now. Have you finished working for the day” she asked.
“ Yes. I’ve finished for the day. I wanted to take a walk. I thought of dropping into the house.” he replied.
They said goodbye to each other.
James kept walking towards his house. It was quite a nice house. It had a thatched roof. The farm that was next to it looked neat and well kept.

James’s father was attending to a flower bed . James was a big headed, large chested , burly lad. His shadow fell across the flower bed. His father did not look up from his work.

“ Hello father” said James.
“ Hello James. How are you getting on”
“ I’m doing fine father” replied James
“ Why do you want to become a teacher son” he asked young James.
“ I’m bored with farm work father. It’s very dirty work cleaning out the cow sheds and cleaning out the piggery.”
“ Awe. You don’t worry about that son. Its only at the start. Once you get to know everything in the farm, you can hire a farm hand to do the work. There is a future for you in farming. You can take it easy after getting to know all the work. Us farmers take it easy.”
“ I already know what the work is. I can see what you do. You are working all the time. Its not the way i want to be.”
“ So you want to be a teacher. Look at all the teachers. They barely make a living. They don’t get a real chance in life. They get their salary and it all goes on buying their food and cloths. That’s not a good way of life.”
“ Ive got to go now father. See you later.”
“ That’s another thing. I don’t like your staying in the Church building, like you had no home. They should let you stay with us and go for your apprentice work. Its not right.”
James felt annoyed. He was not angry but he was upset about being told that he had chosen the wrong career. He knew in his heart that following his father’s footsteps and being a farmer was not what he wanted to do.
“I’m going home to see how everyone is.” said James and walked away heading towards the house. His head shook involuntarily.
As James knocked on the door he could hear Bounce barking. The door opened and Bounce darted out and put his feet up as if inviting James to shake hands. James took both feet and then bent down to carry the dog. Bounce was delighted to see James. Bounce had shaggy hair which was combed down. James felt happy to be with Bounce. He smiled a gentle smile as he carried the dog into the house.
“How are you James?” asked James’s sister ……..
“I’m fine. How are things with you” James responded.
“ We are missing you. Papa is not happy that you are away” she said
“ Yes. i know. I met him on the way.” James said.
“Are you happy doing the work” asked ………..
“ I’m happy enough. It’s not always very nice. My tutor is not doing anything to help me to understand what I’m supposed to do. I might try to find another job” said James
“ You should look for something else If you are not happy” replied…….
“ I’m thinking of asking Uncle …………..if he can find something better for me to do.”
“ He has sent cousin Harry to Ceylon. Terrible thing.”
“ I don’t mind going to Ceylon. I hear it’s a nice place. I might like to go there.”
“ Don’t go James. It’s so far away. We wont see you for a very long time.”
“ Don’t worry. Its not easy to go there. So many are interested. Only some get to go”
“ By the way, I met Margaret. She was asking about you” said………
“ I might meet her on Sunday.” said James.
Ever since his mother died when he was a young boy of nine, James felt a sense bitter loss and loneliness. His mother was his comforter. She held him close and gave him a kiss on his hair, making him feel better. His father always upset him with his harsh words about the shoddiness of James’s work in the farm.
His mother would say: “ Don’t worry son. When you grow up, you can choose your work. Do something you want to do. Your father won’t be able to stop you.”

James was feeling very sad thinking about his mother. The only consolation was coming home and talking with his sister. She was almost a mother to the children. But James had heard that his father was meeting with another woman. The children heard that the new woman in their father’s life was living in another part of the county and that their father was visiting her. James felt resentful as he could not imagine any other woman replacing his mother in the family. He even wanted to ask his father about this woman and ask his father not to bring her to their home. But his thoughts could not be made into actions. His father was a strong man. His father would give him a severe scolding and make him feel very downhearted.
But he decided that he would leave the house forever if his father brought another woman to the family home. He would even run away from home, even run away to London. Nobody wanted to go to the smoky , smelly London. But he would take the risk and run away. He would miss his sisters and brothers. But he could not accept another woman in place of his beloved mother.
He even spoke of this to his sister.
“ You won’t see me coming to the house if father brings another lady to our house.”he said to his sister.
“Don’t be silly James. Father needs to have a some company. He is not happy living by himself.” she replied.
“ I don’t care what happens. I’m not going to live in this place if we have to have another mother. It’s just not proper.” he said.
“ Don’t worry James. She won’t be so bad as you think” she replied.

James continued his apprenticeship as a teacher. The rumour that his father his wanted to get married again turned out to be a true. James’s father got married and the new wife came to reside in the house. James was extremely upset even though he was not living in the family house. He was determined to get away and find a job even if it meant that he would have to leave Scotland. London seemed a possibility. Any thing to get away. James’s sister was not happy about James wanting to leave Scotland for London. She tried her best to persuade him to stay back.
Her efforts to persuade James to stay back came to nothing when an incident happened in the house, when James was visiting. James was in the habit of going to his old room which he shred with his brother and going through his old cloths and small toys and items of stationery and four or five books which he was very fond of, all of which in a cupboard. While he was fondly examining his old possessions , his stepmother walked in without warning.
“ There you are James. I wanted to ask you to empty that cupboard. You are not living in the house any more. Why are you keeping these things? These are of no use to you or anybody else.”
“ Sorry. I just wanted to keep them for the memories.” replied James.
“ These things are taking up space in the house. I really need the space to put away your daddy’s cloths. His old cloths are filling up the cupboard in our bedroom. Can you arrange to take them away?” she asked.
James was incensed. He did not see as a reasonable request. After all he was now out of the family house and working as an apprentice teacher. It was causing problem for the newly arrived wife who was looking for space for her belongings. She needed the space to keep he husband’s cloths. he was upset.
“ Im going to pack things and take them away.” he replied.
“ Thats a good boy.” she replied.

He packed his cloths and books into a bundle and used an old shirt as the wrapper for the bundle. He walked out of the house carrying his bundle without saying goodbye to anybody. He was determined to avoid going to the house as much as possible.
Whenever he was free, he took to walking around the neighbouring areas. He wondered around and noticed that some of the girls in the neighbourhood were quite nice. He would be pleased to get to know them. But he was a farmer’s son. He could not behave like he was a well known person and talk to the girls. Some walked with their sisters and cousins and class mates.
One girl in particular made him feel extremely uncomfortable as he was rearing to talk to her but she was from a rich family with a large house and a large farm and workshop. CamIlla was one girl he could not look at without feeling helpless. He wanted to rush up to her and hold her by the hand and stare at her beautiful face. She was petite. James was a well built boy, of above average height. He was always attracted to petite girls. Camilla was petite but her golden blonde hair made her irresistible. He sometimes made elaborate preparations before he set off for an afternoon walk in the direction of her house. he combed his hair to perfection. he made sure that his cloths were neat and attractive, washed and ironed perfectly. But when he actually saw her , he was in sixes and sevens. his shyness overcame all his preparations. As he passed her on the other side of the road, he pretended that he did not see her. Camilla was little annoyed with the boy that always walked on the other side of the road when he saw her. And refused to even look at her. she wanted to greet him with a smile as he was not bad looking and quite tall and strong looking with a pleasant face.
All this shyness made James want to run away. His father had gone on about his farm work. It was never satisfactory. James was not interested in the work at the farm. Hid father was not keen on James getting an education.In the end James managed to get the apprenticeship to become a teacher. he had even wanted to run away and become a soldier. The idea of getting away from his father and newly arrived mother came back to James. All his problems will go away if he could run away and become a soldier.
James was getting bored and feeling frustrated in the school. His mentor was not taking any interest in his progress. he did nothing to help James with learning about the skills of teaching.
It was a pleasant afternoon. James was taking a walk past the Luther power mill when he saw his relative Henry Stiven. Henry was a cousin of his mother.
“ Hello James. How are you getting on?” asked Henry
“ I’m not very happy at the school. But I don’t have a choice Uncle Henry” he said.
“ Sorry to hear that lad. I know you were very upset when your mother passed away. But I heard you joined the school to learn to teach. Are you not happy?”
“ No Uncle Henry. I’m not happy at all. I had to move my things from the house. My mentor at the school never talks to me .”
“ Sorry to hear that. It must be hurting you to be asked to take your things from the house. After all you were born in that house.” said Henry.
“ Yes. I’ve been thinking I should join the Army” said James.
“ James. Don’t do that. The Army gets involved in fighting and your life is at risk. If you can get a commission as an officer, it won’t be too bad. “ said Henry.
“ Can i go to India to work Uncle Henry” asked James.
“ Ah. That’s a thought. I can help you with going to Ceylon not India. In fact I’m hoping to get a job as planter in Ceylon. Your Uncle Peter Moir is helping me. He is working for a coffee agency in Ceylon. Things are working out alright. It won’t be long before I’m off to Ceylon. I will put your name forward to the company. The company is getting more land in Ceylon. The company owners , the Haddens, are also our relatives, your mother’s cousins. I’ll ask them if they would like to give you a job in Ceylon” said Henry.
“Thank you Uncle Henry. Thank you so much.” said James smiling. He was happy.
“ I’m sure they are going to say ‘yes’. How old are you now?” asked Uncle henry.
“ I’m seventeen” said James.
“ That’s fine. Good age to start a planting life.” said Henry smiling.
*
CHAPTER 2
Before long Henry called over at the school and told James that he was being offered a job with a coffee estate in Ceylon. He would be a planter. He would be in charge of a large coffee estate or he could be asked to work on a new coffee plantation, clearing trees and clearing the ground to make it ready for the plants brought from the nursery. Henry dropped in at James house to inform James’s father about James getting a job as a planter. James’s father was pleased that his son was going to be a planter in Ceylon.
James was at a loss thinking about Janet. Should he be telling her about his getting a job in Ceylon? This was a vexed question. He decided that he would not do anything unless he bumped into her. Camilla was another matter. He really felt brave enough to talk to her. He could try to meet her. He walked along the road that she used to walk but he did not meet her.

The day arrived and James left Auchenblae for London. He went to see his family to say goodbye. His sister was very distressed. James was surprised because he felt he was only going away for a while. The dog hung close to James as if it knew something more. It barked and jumped up and down as if it was saying goodbye for a long time. James’s sisters shed tears. Even his brothers seemed upset. Only his father and mother seemed happy to say goodbye. His father beamed as he expected James to return a rich man. James could even be sending money home. That would be a proud moment for him.
*
James was not happy to be in London. It was smoky and the streets were dirty. He felt uncomfortable. Everything was different from his Scottish village and town. He was able to visit Westminster Abbey and Hyde Park. He had heard of these places but did not aspire to come to London to see these places. But he could not go the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851 as it was difficult to travel there and the admission was expensive. His mother’s cousin Henry was busy making arrangements for their passage. James heard that Ceylon coffee was being exhibited at Crystal Palace. He also heard about the fire that caused much damage.
The ship they were sailing in was called Sydney. It was meant to be one of the better ships. But it was quite small compared to other ships in the vicinity. The journey was tedious at times but very exciting when it anchored close to the African lands. The sight of strange people and tropical secenes was interesting and made him look forward to his arrival in Ceylon.
*

It was a beautiful morning when the ship sailed into Colombo harbour . The land could be seen from the boat. James and Uncle Henry stood near the helm of the ship looking towards the island’s shore. Behind the harbour, there were green hills. The harbour was large. There were several ships anchored close to the shore. They were charmed by the blue skies and the green shoreline. It was tropical haven. James felt excited.
“ Look to the right James. That white building is called the Fort. Thats where the Governor lives” said Uncle Henry.
“ I can see it. Nice building. The place looks so green and sunny. The hills are lovely” said James.
“ We won’t be able to meet the Governor. But we can meet the company people. They are not far from the Governor’s house.”
“ Are we travelling today?”
“ I’m not sure.”
“ It will be good to meet the company people. I would like to see my contract.”
“ I nearly forgot. It’s a good thing you reminded me about this. “
“ I was thinking about what would be a good salary.”
“ I’m not sure what salaries are being paid.” said Henry.
“ I was thinking I will ask for what I was getting in Scotland when I was doing my apprenticeship.” said James.
“ Mind you , they will be providing your housing and even food will be delivered.” said
Henry.
“ Let me try and see if I can get the same salary” said James.
Later in the afternoon, they met up with the company officials. James asked them about his salary. They did not want to Pay £100 per annum from the start. But James argued that he was getting this amount already. Eventually, The contract was signed for £100 per annum.
Colombo town was an interesting place. There were shops selling clothing and jewellery. James thought of his mother. He felt sad that she never travelled like he did. He wished she was with him.
“ James you know you will be working in a coffee plantation”
“Yes Uncle Henry”
“ But you could also be learning about tea planting. The owners of the estate are thinking of planting tea.”
“ That’s fine. Tea is an expensive drink, Isn’t it ?”
“ Yes. it is. Tea was first brought to England, Scotland and even Ireland by a Portugese princess who married King Charles the Second. Her name was Catherine of Braganza. The King of Portugal’s daughter. The Portugese were trading with China from Macau even in 1550s when tea was only found in China”
“ Sounds like they know all about tea”
“ Its not easy to grow tea even today. Its a difficult crop to grow. Nobody has been successful so far in Ceylon. Tea bushes in Ceylon come from Assam, near India’s border with China.”
“ Are they any different from tea grown in China?
“ They are little bit different. That’s what i heard. The tea bush in Assam is related to the Chinese tea bushes but a slightly different variety”
“ Sounds interesting. I can have a go at growing it”
“ You will. There is a big demand for tea. And the price is high. So only people with money can buy it”

TAYLOR’s TEA GARDEN –  CHAPTER 3

              The journey to the hills began the next day. James was feeling happy to be in Ceylon. It was a green and peaceful place. Not at all like London. In some ways it was as peaceful as his home town Auchenblae.  He wished his mother was there. Ever since she passed away, he felt a sense of great loss. It was as if he had lost a part of himself. He missed her warmth and a feeling of being with some one who truly loved him. His father was alright. But he was more a helpful person, a person who had James’s  best interests at heart. But there was something very special that was missing. A sense of warmth. I was as if the world was a secure and happy place when his mother was there. When he was with her, he felt secure and he felt he could be happy. When she passed away he could not believe it at first. He kept dreaming that she woke up. Surely she did not leave him for good? Why did she leave him? She never told him that she will leave him for good. Ever since she left him, he felt he was alone. He had his father and his sisters and brothers. But they were only compensation for his the loss of his mother. Now he did not have that person with whom he could be at peace with the world. The separation was unbearable. Yet he had survived. He had lived to become a young man. Ready to live a life of his own.

              The journey by coach began along the Kandy Road. This road was used to transport coffee and some spices grown in the hill country down to the harbour for export. Some of the goods were transported by bullock cart. Some bullock carts  had two bulls tethered to the cart. The bulls had long horns and looked quite sturdy. The cart drivers were wearing the sarong and were bare bodied. They sat at the front with their legs dangling, ready to use their feet to prod the animal to move faster. 

“ Why don’ t people here use horses, like we do Uncle” asked James.

“ The horses  are used by some rich families. They need to pay more for horses. I suppose because horses run faster, the price of a horse is much more. The cattle here are quite sturdy. The people in Ceylon have always used cattle and even the poor farmers would have a pair of bullocks for transporting their produce and for travelling to other villages.”

“ The trees are really green. I like these red flowers.” said James.

“ That is the flamboyant tree. It is really useful .It spreads in all directions and provides a nice shade for people.” 

“ How long will the journey last” asked James.

“ It will take much of the day James”

“ I guess these people don’t wear many cloths because the Sun is very hot.”

“ Yes. The sarong they wear is very comfortable. We will get you a sarong. There might be one in the house for you. It’s very comfortable and ideal for the warm weather.”

“ Some of the ladies seem to be dressed differently”

“ Its called a saree. It’s only worn when they are going to some important place like visiting some official or attending a wedding. The people here dress a bit different to the women in the hill country. You will see it for yourself.”

“ It’s a nice way of dressing I think.”

“ Ah James. i can see you have an eye for the ladies.”

“ No. I’m just looking at the women.”

“ It starts like that James. Just Looking. Next thing you want to take a closer look.”

“ No. No. I’m only interested in the dresses”

“ No need to feel shy lad. The woman here like white men. I can assure you that.”

“ Really. Maybe we look different and they like it.”

“ More than that. We are white people. We are the bosses here. When we say dance, they dance.”

“ That’s not fair, I think. “

“ Its not about fairness James. Its about ruling the country. If we get too friendly with the natives, we won’t be able to get anything done. Like we need to export coffee and spices and sell our British goods here. If we are very friendly we won’t be able to order them around.”

“ I see what you mean. I guess we need to keep our distance.”

“ Exactly. If we get married to them, heaven forbid, we will be just another group of Ceylonese living and working here. Not the bosses who get the work done and export the coffee.”

“ Agree Uncle Henry. The work has got be done.”

“ Exactly James. Why are we coming here? We are coming to work and get the workers to dig the land and plant the coffee trees. And then get them to harvest it. And of course, packing and exporting.”

“ I can see what needs to be done”

“ Some of our white people have got married to local people. Some Portugese, Dutch and even British are settled here. They are not going back ever.” said Henry.

“When did the Portugese and the Dutch come over ?” asked James.

“ The Portugese arrived in Ceylon about three hundred years ago, around 1505. They were in India and in East Indies, Java and Sumatra and all those islands. They stopped the Indians from trading with Java and Sumatra and in command of West coast of India until the Dutch came.” said Henry.

“ When did the Dutch come Uncle?” asked James.

“About two hundred years ago. They had naval wars with the Portugese and took command of Ceylon and most of the islands like Java and Sumatra until we British got interested and came over to Ceylon and took over from the Dutch. They had their headquarters in the North in Jaffna and called the North the Holland of the East.”

“ Did the Dutch leave peacefully?” asked James.

“ They left Ceylon after an Indian King attacked their ships and destroyed their ships near the Southern tip of India. But they did continue their trade with Java and Sumatra. We the British have been ruling in Ceylon and India since I would say beginning of the eighteenth century.”

                             The coach stopped in Kadawatta. The horses were changed . A new team of horses took over. The next stop was in Nittambuwa. The hill country was taking shape. There were low lying hills around the area. There were paddy fields covering the low lying land. 

“ The plantations will start after we pass these low lying areas” said Henry.

“ Any coffee in the low country ?” asked James

“ Yes. Some coffee is being grown called low country Robusta coffee. This is growing in the South of the country in the Kelani Valley, Rakwana . These are all in the South of the country”

“ I guess the better quality coffee is grown up in the hill country”

“ Yes. The prices are much better for the hill country coffee.”

“ The country side has a different smell” said James.

“ Yes. The fresh air is different here. It must be the hills making an impact here. The type of trees growing and the type of crops”

“ I see that the dogs around here are mostly brown. They look very skinny too.”

“ The breeds are different. The native dogs are sturdy and suited to the climate. Our Scotch Terriers will find it very hot.” said Henry.

              After a few hours, the coach stopped at  the town was called Kegalle. The packed sandwiches came out and they had lunch while seated in the coach. 

“ The bread tastes different. “ said James.

“ Yes James. The bread made here is more like the Portugese style bread. The continental style bread is drier. The yeast has a different taste.”

“ I like it. It has a different flavour” said James. 

They got out of the coach and walked a little. 

“ This town is about half way to Kandy.”

“ I can see some tall hills from here” 

“ Yes. From now on we will be starting to climb steadily.” said Henry

“ Yes. There is freshness to the air as well.”

“ We will be climbing at a steady pace until we get to Kadugannawa. That’s when we’ ll see the strongest climb.”

              A new team of horses took over. The horses  worked hard to move the laden carriage. Their heads moved up and down as they pulled the coach up the  road.

              Occasionally, they passed a small family groups walking. James’ s eyes alighted on the young girls each time. They seemed to be very attractive. Brown but with a golden hue. Some were very fair with attractive features. They smiled in a charming way, with shyness but the smile was radiant. The women were very slim and shapely. They seemed to enjoy the sight of white people. Some little kids waved their hands. Henry and James waved back. 

              They started seeing paddy fields with water buffaloes working with half their feet  inside the mud and water. Often, they could see a pair of buffaloes or cattle pulling ploughs along. Sometimes only one animal pulled the plough. The farmer had his sarong tied up tight around his buttocks and waist so that it did not get wet in the paddy field. He held the leash with one hand and a cane with a string in the other hand , ready to slash it down to move the animals when they slowed down. 

              Smoke rose from  some roof tops. James noticed that the houses did not have chimneys.  The houses did not need any heating. Smoke rose from gaps in the roofing.          Small openings in the roofing could be seen for smoke to escape from the kitchens . These openings had a raised roof to allow the kitchen smoke to escape while the raised roof over the kitchen kept the rain out.

                 The coach stopped again after about an hour. There were road side markets. The horses got fed. The coachman bought himself some vegetables. He offered to get some coconuts for Henry and James and the other passengers. Everyone got down and drank the coconut water out of the coconut. 

“It tastes delicious” said James.

“ Agreed. it’s great refreshment James.  This is one of the great delights of being in a tropical country. Drinking coconut juice from a coconut. The soft flesh inside can be eaten. When you have had your drink,  give coconut back. They will use cut it in two halves and  you will be able eat the soft pulpy fruit inside with a spoon made from a piece of the coconut.”

              They drank from the coconut and ate the soft jelly like fruit inside with a spoon made from the husk of the coconut. Soon they set off again. The horses were tiring as the gradient was very steep in some places. A new team of horses took over. The coachman made frequent stops. The road made a very steep curve at Kadugannawa. The road was tunnelled  through a rock. Henry, James and some of the passengers got out of the coach and walked to make it easier for the horses. 

“ The engineers have been commended for their good engineering and honoured in the Queens awards” said Henry.

“ This looks like very difficult work. The boulders are really huge and the cliffs are steep. It must be very hard work.” replied James.

              The views from  Kadugannawa were magnificent. It was as if one could see all the way to the coast. 

“ Queen Victoria has a special interest in Ceylon. She has praised Ceylon’s coffee.” said Henry.

“ We are working here to make sure that that the much commended coffee is grown and sent to England I guess” said James.

“ You and I will not be coming to live and work here if not for coffee. Mind you there are other products that can be sold in London” said Henry.

“ You mean spices?” asked James.

“ Spices and other things like gems. You see there are gem pits not very far from this place. It’s not very far but the roads have not been built yet. The place with a lot gems and gem mining pits is called Ratnapura “ said Henry.

“ That must be a place worth visiting.” said James.

“ Yes. There are local Muslim merchants who do come to Colombo with these wonderful gems. They trek through the hill country to reach Ratnapura and Kandy which is at the centre of the island. The road has been built and a railway is about to be built. Red rubies from Ratnapura are some of the best in the world. The sapphires are very attractive and the gem polishing here is excellent. The workers sit down on the floor and use their tools to great advantage. The London merchants buy them at any price. The ladies in the Royal Palace are very keen to wear Ceylon gems.”

“ It’s for the rich folk I guess. But ordinary people would be able to buy spices. Spices are not so difficult to find I suppose.” said James.

“ Yes. Spices are to be found closer to Colombo. Cinnamon and pepper grow well in the South.” 

“ Do we send any coconuts to England? Will they last the journey ?”

“ Alas no James. The coconut does not survive the journey very well. But the flesh inside the coconut is  dried in the Sun and this is called copra. They make desiccated coconut from copra. The copra is shredded and made into desiccated coconut. It’s used to make tasty biscuits called nice and other biscuits. Very much used in cakes too. This is a rare commodity in Europe.”

“ I’ve heard my mother mention desiccated coconut.” said James.

“ Ah! Yes. Desiccated coconut is much sought after. It can be transported by sea once the drying and desiccation is completed. Dried coconut  is called copra. Copra can be turned into coconut powder for baking and cake making.” said Henry. He seemed to relish the thought of eating cake for he smiled as he spoke.

              The vegetation was very different here. There was a lushness that seemed  to have a special green hue all it’s own. The freshness of the air was invigorating. Here the air was impregnated with coolness that made James feel long for home. He thought of his family. He felt sad that his mother could not be come with him. She would have been delighted to look at these hills and the greenery and feel the freshness of the cool air. He even missed his sisters and brothers. If Uncle Henry was not there, he would have been ready to take the next boat home.

              They passed a temple. The building was like a dome with a pinnacle at the top of the dome. Drummers were beating the drums and walking towards the temple. A small group of people walked in a procession , behind the drummers.  They were carrying pots on their heads. The procession was headed towards the temple. 

“ That’s the Buddhist temple James. These people are headed for the temple with some offerings of food.” said Henry.

              They could hear birds chirping as the coach passed a tall tree. There was a breeze but they felt hot. The breeze had been heated by the Sun in the plains. The smell of the paddy fields was comforting. It reminded him of home, the smell of the fields after harvest. He felt as if the farmers here were people he already knew. He felt it in his bones. Thoughts of home and his father and family rose in him and fell away as the carriage moved along.

              James was taken with the  unusual trees and plants.  The tropical orchids interested him enormously. He noticed them growing on trees. One tree looked like a palm tree but it was taller and had a heavy bunch of what seemed like flowers hanging down from the tree. There was a tall tree with what seemed like huge thorny fruit hanging from its trunk. Each fruit could have been two feet long and  more than a foot wide. He pointed out the tree to Henry.  

“What is that tree with those enormous fruit. Are they really fruit ? They are so large but somehow  cling to the tree trunk” he asked.

“ That’s the jack fruit tree James. I saw it in the market in Colombo. It’s a famous fruit in most tropics. Jack fruit is delicious. We will find the fruit being sold in some shops and vegetable markets. You must try it. Very sweet and has a very distinctive taste. It’s full of nectar. You will enjoy it.” said Henry.

              When the coach stopped, he could hear many birds singing. He was reminded of his mother. She always pointed out the birds to him asking him to listen to the bird songs. 

              The horses were changed. A new team of horses took over.  They got out of the coach to stretch their legs. The air was cool, extra fresh.

“ There was another strange looking tree. It seemed to have flowers stretching down from the top near the palm fronds to about half way down the tree, thick bushes surrounding the trunk.” said James.

“ You are describing the kitul tree I think. This tree is really a palm tree. I was reading about it” said Henry.

“ Yes. It was a palm tree. It looked like a thin coconut tree but there were no fruit at the top So I knew it was not a coconut tree. There were bushes dropping down all around the tree.”

“ That is the kitul tree. It is a type of palm tree. The fruit are used for making treacle. They cut the trunk of the fruit at the top and hang a bucket under it. The treacle pours out into the bucket. It’s quite delicious” said Henry.

              Some green coloured birds flew overhead in formation. They made loud screeching sounds as they flew.

“ Parrots are very pretty here.” said Henry.

“ They are quite pretty with their yellow beaks and green festhers. The sound they make is very nice too. It’s not a chirp or a whistle but more a cry  ” said James. 

“ Yes. They are pretty creatures. The woods in the hills can support a large population of birds.” 

“ If I’m in a suitable place, I would like to have some birds around the place.”

“ Your place could be quite good for birds. It’s a new plantation that needs to be cleared and planted.” said Henry.

“ I might end up chasing the birds away. Looks like I have to roll up my sleeves and get to work immediately. I don’t mind it. I like this place. It’s warm and sunny and why would i want to be indoors?”

“ Good attitude James. That’s the spirit. They would start you in a place where you can learn some things about how  plantations are developed. And then you will be sent to work. You will learn by doing.”

“ I’m happy with that Uncle Henry. I like the smell of the earth. The  smells of the soil. I  enjoyed digging the soil In Scotland. But I spent most of my time cleaning the barns.”

said James.

              The coach was approaching a large boulder.  It was dominating the road and the surrounding areas, threatening to bulldoze everything around the area. 

“ I don’t like to think how this massive rock came to be in this place. It’s so large that it can crush everything in it’s way all the way to Colombo harbour.” said Henry.

“ Our Scottish highlands are so different. They are amazing in their own way, craggy and huge. I like both type of highlands. I think i will never leave this place unless I have to go because the company wants to send me away.” said James.

“ James you must be level headed. I agree the country is very beautiful and a great place to work. But you must also think of your life when you are an older man. You will want a family. You will want to send them to schools back home. Your wife will want to be with her parents and brothers and sisters.” said Henry.

“ I’m only wishing I can stay and work forever. It may not happen.” said James.

“ You are a young lad, just starting out in life. Everything is possible. You are master of your destiny.”

“ In that case I will stay on as long as i can.” said James.

“ That’s a reasonable way to plan your career. The planters life does not suit everyone. It’s not so much the work as the society we will live in. The local people have their own lifestyle, their own religions and styles of cooking.  Most are Hindus or Buddhists. Only a handful are Christians.” 

“ Yes. I understand. I was only wishing. I know things could turn out to be different.”

              The road was rough and the horses had to pull hard to move along it. There was a curve and the road seemed to flatten out.

“ We are now on a fairly flat road. It’s really a plateau. Our next stop will be Peradeniya. The Peradeniya Gardens is rather important to us planters. The coffee trees and tea bushes are brought to Peradeniya Gardens for trials. The scientists and botanists develop nurseries and observe how they grow. There is also the Haggala Gardens which also important for trials when the plants are brought from overseas.”

“ Are we stopping over at Peradeniya?” asked James.

“ No. The gardens are very large, spreads out a lot. We could get carried away and not get to the place where we are supposed to go to while the light is still good.”

              A dog came out of a small house and started barking at the coach and the horses.

“ I feel very home sick  hearing this dog” said James, whistling at the dog.

“ Don’t worry. There will a dog at your place. Lots of dogs around. “

“ Thanks for that. it does feel nice to be able to have birds and dogs around. Makes me feel very cheerful.”

“ The people are nice too.  You must be careful about the girls though. They are attractive and you could find yourself in a situation where you could get tied down. You are only sixteen years old.”

“ Thanks for that Uncle Henry. I will be  careful about this. Back home, I was told that Janet Ross was a good match for me. But I was only fourteen then. I  wanted to run away and join the Navy or Army. I  don’t want to get involved in a family situation. Children are the last thing in my mind. I don’t think I’m inclined to be a family man anyway.” 

“ Good. Think carefully. Be aware of the pitfalls. Plan your moves.” said Henry and continued.

“ There it is,  the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. It’s on the left. We will turn right here and head up the road towards Hewaheta.”

              The coachman slowed down as the turn right approached. The gate to the botanical gardens was on the left and open. The coachman tugged at the reins  and the horses turned right, slowing down to a gentle walk as they entered the Hewahata Road.

“ Now we are heading for the Narangghena Estate. It’s been growing sugar but they want to change to coffee. George Pride owns it . He owns a lot of coffee estates in Ceylon, maybe about a thousand acres. He also owns about another thousand acres of land which he wants to develop into plantations.”

“ That’s a lot of land to develop. There is a lot of work involved I can see.” said James.

“ Coffee was introduced by the Arabs and the Persians. Sinhalese cultivated it for both the leaves and the seeds.”

“ I didn’t know coffee was already growing in Ceylon.” said James.

“ Yes. It was but not in plantations. People grew the tree in their gardens along with fruit trees and vegetables. Coffee plantations were started by us British planters. Mind you we are facing problems with coffee blight. But we are fighting it off. ”

“ That would be a disaster if the trees died.” said James.

“ We should be thinking about tea . It’s all up in the air a bit. Tea was tried out maybe about ten years ago, around 1840 by two Germans, Gabriel and Maurice Worms. They imported tea to plant at Rothschild’s estate in Pussellawa and at Condegalla Estate in Ramboda. Objections were made about importing Chinese labour. It was a failure.”

“ Looks like tea is a big challenge. I hope they ask me to try growing tea.  It’s something I would like to take on.” said James.

“ That will be a big journey James. Chances of succeeding are not very good.  Lots of clever planters have tried growing tea. It’s not so much growing tea but rather making a profit from it. The tea rollin process is very time consuming and labour intensive.”  

“ Time will tell I guess.” said James.

                                           *                *                 *

              The carriage continued towards Hewahata.

              The trees on either side of the road were in bloom. There were flowers of every colour.  Purple, white, pink, red and blue. It was as if the trees were planted by a gardener. 

“ The road is lined with beautiful trees. It’s amazing.” said James.

“ Maybe it was  a sort of park where the rulers came to spend their leisure time. Peradeniya is very close to Kandy. Kandy is where the royal palace was.”

“ Sounds very interesting. Don’t the royalty rule any more?” asked James

“ Of course not. We British had to wait a long time to get a foothold in this part of the country. The hills were steep and terrain  so bad that the Army could never carry out a proper attack. The Kandyan King’s army was able to simply throw stones and roll boulders at the the British Army.”

“ And how did we finally manage to get into this part of the country?”

“ That’s  a long story. What happened was that the King’s Chief Minister was upset about not being made the King or something like that. He was overlooked and the Council of Chiefs brought a prince from South India. In addition, I think one of the Chief Minister’s  relatives was sentenced to death for plotting against the King. The outcome was that the Chief Minister sneaked away and met with the British commander in Colombo. He showed the way up into the hill country by taking a route which avoided any clashes with the Kandyan Kings Army. So we had no difficulty capturing the King.”

“ That is an interesting story. And what happened to the King?”

“ The King of the Kandyan Kingdom was taken away to India and dumped back in his old place some where in South India.”

“ I guess we had no problem in doing this as India is also under our rule.”

“ Exactly. Even during Dutch rule in Ceylon, we had some English people living in Kandy. There was a young man called Robert Knox who lived in Kandy during Dutch rule about a hundred years ago. He wrote a book about hid nineteen years spent in Kandy. The book created a lot of interest in Kandy. The British wanted to capture Kandy and they did.”

              The coach waded through a small brook and entered a slight climb and the horses slowed down. The birds chirped and the Sun was golden as it was now low over the horizon.

“ That brook should be sorted out. The carriages can’t wade through it loaded with coffee or tea. The carriage will get stuck in the mud.” said Henry.

“ Yes. We should have a pipe under the road for the water to run through. The coaches can can have a smooth journey.” said James.

“ Maybe something for you to arrange now that you are a planter using this road.” 

“ Agree. I might have to do something about this brook. It’s a problem for the transportation ”replied James.

                                             *                   *               *             *                 *

CHAPTER 4

              The coach continued it’s way and reached Narangghena Estate. A dog came out and barked. The coachman shooed the dog away. Henry and James got down and walked towards the small house while the baggage was unloaded. The accommodation was  bare. 

It was no more than a big hut with one reclining chair and two other old chairs in the front sitting room. There were two bedrooms followed by a store room with boxes. The bed looked neat and tidy but  needed a proper mattress.  There was a small dining table with four chairs. The last part of the house was the kitchen. It  had a wood burning fire place for cooking. 

              “ Sorry about this place James. I guess that’s how things are at the start. Somebody has to live here and start the work. You can ask for a carpenter. There should be a plumber too. But the well or a brook should be able to provide water.” said Henry.

              A man appeared and spoke English mixed with the tones of a local language. He was welcoming them with a smile. He wore a short sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and boots. The long socks he wore came up to his knee. 

              “ This is Sinniah. He was in charge of this place while waiting for you to come.” said Henry. 

              “Hello. Glad to meet you Sinniah.” said James.

              Sinniah was a well built man. His hands looked very strong. He had an embarrassed expression on his face. It was a refined face, that of someone who had been educated and capable of assisting with the work. He was light skinned for a local. 

              “ Sinniah says there was no one  in charge of the place. That’s why nothing has happened to finish the house. It can be built to suit a Dorai. Dorai means boss or Coffee Estate Superintendent.  He means a white man as a Superintendent.” 

              “ Don’t worry about it. I did come prepared to begin everything. Even build a house. Sinniah, with some help from a carpenter, we can do some improvements to the house.”

              “ That can be arranged.” said Sinniah.

                             “ Sinniah, if you don’t mind I would like to have a rest. I think Uncle Henry would like a rest too.” said James.

              “ The beds are ready, Sir. We also made some dinner. It’s a soup made with vegetables and some meat cooked in a gravy with onions and potatoes. There is bread to go with it. My daughter does the cooking. She has been cooking for Coffee Estate Dorais. She will come when we send word to her.” said Sinniah taking a few steps towards the rooms and taking a peak to make sure that the beds were ready.

              “ Excellent. You have been busy arranging for everything. Thank you Sinniah.” said Henry, smiling and shaking his head in appreciation.

              “ Yes. Thank you very much for all the trouble you have taken.” said James.

              James and Henry went out with Sinniah, rolled up their sleeves and washed in buckets of water.

“ The water is pretty cool  Uncle Henry.” said James.

“ Yes. The water in these areas is always a little cold.  But there will be hot water for the mornings.” replied Henry.   

              They sat at the little table and ate their dinner. It was surprisingly tasty as if a Western cook had prepared it. The gravy with onion was delicious. 

“ It’s excellent cooking. Please give my compliments to the chef” said Henry.

“ Thanga comes in the mornings to do the cooking and then goes away to our family house which is about half a  mile away. She is an expert cook.” said Sinniah.             

“ The stew tasted like my mother’s meat stew with onions.” said James his mind casting him back to the happy days of his childhood.

“ She has been a cook with many dorai’s. Some of the the dorai’s wives were teaching Thangam how to cook Western food.” said Sinniah.

              “ That’s great. Thank you for making such excellent arrangements Sinniah. Very good of you to think of everything.” said James. 

              “ You are welcome. We will do our best to make you comfortable in this country.” said Sinniah.   

              After some conversations about the estate, the management staff and visits to the coffee estate, Sinniah took his leave, saying he will return in the morning. The other staff also left. Only one remained.

              “ The outlook for this estate is pretty good. The managing agents seem to be having a good budget for developing the plantation.” said Henry.

              “ It does look good. The staff are very nice too.” said James.

              “ I guess it’s time to get some sleep. I have a journey out to the office to sort out some problems there tomorrow.” said Henry.

              “ It’s time we got some sleep” said James. He went into the first room and James went into the second room. 

              They both slept soundly. The duty guard slept outside the house in the portico. Nobody could enter the house without disturbing the guard. The dog barked a couple of times. Maybe there were some foxes or some other animals out foraging for food.

                                                                                      * * *  *    *    *

              It was a glorious morning. James was the first to get up. He walked outside. The morning dew sat prettily on the leaves. The brown dog barked and came up to James wagging it’s tail. James was almost in tears seeing the dog. It reminded him of a dog back in Scotland. He stroked the  dog and it snuggled close to him. He bent down and hugged the dog. 

              Sinniah was around when James went into the kitchen area. He must have arrived early in the morning. 

              “ The bathing area is just outside Sir, near the kitchen. It’s got a fence around it and a drum with water. The hot water is on the stove in the kitchen. When you are ready we can fill the the drum with warm water for your bath. The towel is on the fence. The toilet is next to the bathing area.” said Sinniah.

              “ Please go ahead and get the warm water into the drum. Thanks.” said James.

              James looked outside. There was a shower area made from coconut leaves woven together and tied to posts providing an enclosed area for having a bath. A towel hung on the entrance to the shower area. One entered by pushing the makeshift door made of coconut leaves and stepping inside.

              “ I’m ready for a bath Sinniah. Thanks for the warm water” said James and walked towards the coconut leaf shower cubicle set away from the kitchen. 

              There was a pit toilet made with coconut leaves separated from the bath area adjoining the bath. James had a shower using the little bucket to pour water on himself, after using the toilet. He made a mental note to improve the toilet facility. 

              The soap was smelling of something nice. He could not say what it was. He learned later that it was the smell of sandalwood.  He finished his bath and was walking to his room wrapped in the towel when he saw a young girl working in the kitchen. She was pretty. Her complexion was fair. Her hair was in a neat bun with white flowers inserted into the bun. She wore a blue skirt and a smart white blouse. For a few moments James forgot that he was walking wrapped in a towel as he gazed at her. The girl turned around and looked up at him and smiled a shy smile. He smiled back. He had seen many pretty girls during their journey up to the estate but this girl was stunning with pink cheeks and dark pink lips.

              “ Good morning”  said James.

              “ Good morning sir” she said 

              Her voice was was pleasing and surprisingly close to that of a Scottish girl he knew. James could smell the eggs and onion being cooked in a pungent oil. Only later he learned that it was the  hunger inducing smell of coconut oil. He realised he should go and change.

              He walked to his room feeling a little sheepish for walking around in a towel, carrying his cloths. He was excited and wanted to get to the dining area so he could see the girl again. He remembered Sinniah mentioning her name as Thangam.

              Henry had his bath and Henry and James came to the dining table. James was looking forward to seeing the girl and hearing her voice. They sat at the table which was properly laid  with a table cloth and napkins. The bread smelled freshly baked.

              Thangam came with two plates and laid them on the table near Henry and James. the omelette was looking appetising and the smell inviting. There was fried tomatoes, sliced potatoes and onions.

“ Thank you for the nice breakfast Thangam. This is really delicious” said Henry, tucking into the food.

“ Yes. It’s really tasty” said James his eyes feasting on Thangam’s pink cheeks and dark  eyes. He was feeling an urge to get up and kiss her pink cheeks.

“ Thank you sir. I’m happy that you like my cooking.” said Thangam. 

The smell of the fried onions and taste of fresh tomatoes made James feel as if he was eating a meal cooked by his mother. He felt an urge to get up and touch Thangam.

                             Sinniah walked in and announced that the coach was ready.

              “ I’m told that in Ceylon, names of people mean something. Does Sinniah mean something?” asked James.

“ It’s a common name among the Tamils, in the North. It means small boss or something like that.”

“ And what does Thangam mean?” asked James.

“ Thangam means gold.” 

“ Ah, a golden person. That’s nice. It’s time for me go I think” said Henry getting up. James and Henry went to their rooms.     

              Henry was carrying his metallic suitcase when he came out. 

              “ All the best James. There will be someone coming to see you to give you instructions on your work. I will keep in touch. You can contact me in Colombo when transport is available.” said Henry and got into the coach.

              “ Thanks a lot Uncle Henry. Hope to see you soon.” said James. 

              The coach moved away. James stood watching and waving as the coach disappeared from view.

                                                                             *       *          *                                             

              James started looking for Thangam. She was washing up in the kitchen. He went up to her and said:

“ Hello Thangam. You look very busy. When do you relax?”

“ I’m always busy sir. I cook at home also.”

“  I’m sorry to hear this. Maybe I can help you with the washing up.”

 “No sir. That will cost me my job.”

              James resisted an urge to hold her. He felt that she would not respond. Instead he kept talking to her, getting closer to her.

“ Let me help with the drying.” he said.

              “ We don’t use a dish cloth and dry the plates. The plates are left on the rack to dry.” she said.

              “ What flowers are you having on your hair?” he asked.

              “ It’s jasmine. We collect flowers in the morning for saying our prayers. I use some for my hair.” she said.

              The pretty white little flowers added  to Thangam’s charms. They smelled glorious and James could not resist bending slightly towards her hair and taking a deep breath while she was washing up. The flowers combined with the natural smell of her hair made James feel slightly giddy.

              She did not move away from him. She seemed to allow him to enjoy the feeling of closeness. She even seemed to want him to be close to her.

              It was the first time that James had ever been that close to a girl, almost touching her. He felt as if he had become someone different from what he was before he met Thangam.

              She had a smile on her face as she continued to arrange the cutlery and the crockery. She seemed to like James being close her. He even felt that he could touch her and she would not withdraw. But he did not risk it. He wanted her to respond to him in her own time. 

“ When you are not busy please come and talk with me.” he said.

“ You will be out in the estate sir.” she said.

“ I will be coming into the house for a break and to have some thing to eat. And I will be sleeping here.”

“ I will be here until afternoon. After cooking your dinner, I have to go home and attend to my brother and mother.” she replied.

“ Is your mother not well?” asked James.

“ She is alright. I only help her with the cooking, and house work.” she replied.

“ And your brother. What does he do?” asked James.

“ He is not expected to do housework sir. He is expected to do his school work. He has to walk a long way, about an hour to get to his school.” she replied.

“ That’s a long way to walk.”

 “ We are lucky to find a school for him. Most people don’t go to school because there are not enough schools. He is lucky and I was lucky to attend school.”

“ You speak good English. It must be a good school.”

“ There are nuns teaching in the school.” she responded.

“ Good. i’m happy at least some schools are there and some nuns are doing the teaching.”

“ Yes sir. The nuns were very good teachers. Some were from France and others from England.” she replied.

              The Sun was rising fast. The skies were blue with a few clouds looking cotton balls floating in the sky.

“ Have you finished washing up? James asked.

“ Yes. Now I have to make the beds.” she said.

“ You don’t have to make the beds. I can make them.” he said.

“ No. I’m supposed to attend to the housekeeping.” she replied.

“ If you insist. I can at least help you.” he said.

“ It will be alright.” she said and went into the bedroom.

              Jamed followed her to the room. She started folding the cotton bed sheet  .

“ Here let me help you to fold the sheet.” he said, taking one end of the sheet. They folded the sheet taking turns to come closer to each other as the sheet was folded smaller and smaller.

              And then she burst out laughing. James moved close to her and placed his arm around her shoulders. She did not resist. 

              “ What makes you laugh?” he asked.

              “ You are our dorai, our boss. But here you are helping me to fold the bed sheets. That’s making me laugh.” she said.

              “ Ah. I must also do some work. I’m not going to sit around bossing people all the time.” he replied. He gently squeezed her with the arm that  was around her shoulders. She was against him and he could feel her take a long deep breath. 

 “ I really like you.I know we only know each other two days” he said.

“ Thank you.” said Thangam.

              James bent down and gently kissed her cheek. Her face felt soft and the scent of the jasmine flowers in her hair seemed to have wafted down to her cheeks. He could see her eyes gazing down at the floor. She had accepted him, accepted his wanting her. He felt a sense of warmth towards Thangam. He wanted to protect her and give her whatever he could to make her happy. They were similar in age but she seemed much younger.

              Thangam felt the gentleness of this giant of a man with his large head and huge body. She felt she was safe in his company. She felt he would never harm her physically or in any other way. She felt his warm, protective feelings towards her. She felt no fear. He was a stranger, just arrived in the country. He was a white man, a revered person placed in charge of a large area of land with many workers including her father. He had the power to dismiss all the workers and replace them. Yet she felt safe when she was with him. 

“ I must go to the kitchen. My father would be looking for me.” she said.

“ Sorry. i’m holding you up. I will look through some papers that are in my suitcase.” said James. He felt calm.

              He stayed back when she went out of the room. It was silent. Nobody was talking. He came out of the room and entered the front area of the house. He was taken by surprise to see a white man seated on the chair nearest the front door.

                                     *                                  *                   *                  *                *

CHAPTER 5

              The white man did not get up when James walked out to the sitting area.

              “ Taylor. My name is McKenzie .”

 They shook hands.

              “ I came to see you to tell you about what you will be doing here. I hope you like it so far.” he said.

              “  Nice to meet you Mr. Mckensie. Henry did tell me that you may be dropping in some time. Welcome. Can I get you something to drink?” said James. 

              He was somewhat embarrassed as McKenzie would have seen Thangam come out of the room.

              “Don’t worry Taylor. I’m fine. Sit down. I will tell you about the plans.”

              James sat on one of the other chairs.

“ We need your services at another place urgently. You can get ready to move to Loolecondere  in about a week.” he said.

              “ Oh. That is a bit sudden Mr. McKenzie. I did not expect this so soon after my coming.” said James.

              “ Yes. Things happen. You must realise that we are required to produce results. The investors are very concerned that their hard earned money is being put to good use. We need estates to produce coffee or whatever that they are being set up for.” Mckensie said.

              “ What seems wrong about this place? Why not develop this block of land? It’s as good as any other block. I think this is a nice estate that can be worked on for good results. I can promise you that.” said James.

              “ You are very stubborn about moving out to Loolecondera . What’s keeping you here? Looks like you have very sentimental reasons for not moving out. But it’s not your decision that counts. You have to follow instructions or ship out of the country.”

              “ I have to do as I’m told. But what I’m saying is that this is a very good piece of land and I can produce the results that are needed.”

              “ You have follow instructions. I must go now. If you are having problems with taking instructions, let me know. I will inform the firm about your position. Goodbye.” said McKenzie getting up and walking out to his carriage. The carriage moved away.

                                                                                      *

              The first thoughts that came to James was that he had made sure that he had a signed contract. He had insisted that a contract be signed giving him a three year work contract at £100 per annum. But the contract did not allow him the choice of where he worked. The company could send him to any estate. He liked the Naranghena Estate even though he had only been there just a few days.

              James stood there looking at the estate, the trees, the little hills, the blue skies. He heard a bird twitter from inside a tree. The sweet smell of the earth made him think of Scotland. The feeling of being brutalised by McKenzie did not go away completely. He knew he had to go. But he was determined to stay on as long as he could. He  could not leave Thangam and Sinniah suddenly. He surprised himself with a thought. He could try to take them over to his new place. Or he could even offer to look after both plantations. The company will save the money it would have to pay to another British planter and he could be coming to visit Thangam and Sinniah. He was very pleased with himself. He could even move right away to please McKenzie and show that he was no shirker. But there no assurance that the company will accept his offer of looking after two estates. It seemed a long shot but worth trying.

              Thangam had made her way to the kitchen having noticed McKenzie seated in the front of the house. She stood close to the kitchen door listening to the conversation. She could not hear everything that was being said. Sinniah walked into the kitchen and looked at her and said:

“ You were with him in the bedroom for a long time.”

“ I was making the bed but he was trying to help me. I told him that I was doing my job and not to worry about helping me.” she said.

“ You must be careful. He is our dorai.” said Sinniah.

“ Nothing happened. He didn’t do anything.” 

“ Many white dorais have given children to our girls and gone away.” he said.

“ I understand. Nothing happened.” she said, thinking of the way James touched her softly and hugged her gently. She wanted to tell her father that James was a good man but caution made her hold back what she wanted to say.

              “ Be careful daughter. The white people are here for a few years. They go back to their country after that. Sometimes they come back bringing wives from England.”

              “ Yes. I understand father.”

              Sinniah went out of the house to check on the water tub. It needed topping up. Thangam would have to go and fetch some water. He went to the vegetable garden and the banana bushes near by which provided valuable fruit and vegetables. The potatoes, onions, chillies, aubergines and other vegetables they produced were valuable sources of food both his family and for the dorais. The plants looked well. The watering was being done.

                                                                        *   *    *                                              

              James told Sinniah that McKenzie told him to go to Loolecondera. Sinniah looked startled. He looked at James with his eyebrows raised.

              “ All right sir. That’s not very far from Hewaheta. Its not much different to this estate.” said Sinniah.

              “ I like this place Sinniah. I know it’s only been a few days, but I guess being the first estate I’ve been to, I like this place.” said James with a faint smile playing on his face as he looked out towards the hills.

              “ When are you supposed to go over?” there was a note of anxiety in Sinniah’s tone of voice.

              “ I was asked to go there immediately.” answered James shaking his head from side to side, his shoulders moving up in an involuntary movement.

              “ Oh. We must get prepared for the move sir. I’m not sure who will look after you in Loolecondera” said Sinniah looking out of the door pensively.

              “ I want to take a few days to prepare for the move” said James, taking a deep breath.

              “ That’s fine. That will give me time to visit Loolecondere to check out what accommodation is available.”

              “ We can go together Sinniah” said James.

              Thangam came in to the front room and announced that lunch had been cooked.

              “ Thank you Thangam. I’m going to miss your great cooking very soon.” said James. 

              “ What is happening sir. Are you going away?” asked Thangam looking at James with her eyes staring hard, her eyes darting towards her father and James in turn.

              “ Yes. McKenzie  told me  I’ve been transferred to Loolecondera estate.” replied James. His voice showed  he was resigned to his fate.

              “ When are you going sir?” she asked, her voice had a note of sadness.

              “ Your father and I will be visiting Loolecondere tomorrow or day after depending on the transport.” said James, taking a deep breath.

              Sinniah kept his silence. He seemed to be thinking hard, planning the trip.

              “ I will have to arrange for transport Sinniah. Can you go and find out who is able to take us to Loolecondere”  asked James.

              “ I can go now and find out. Would you like to go tomorrow?” asked Sinniah.

              “ If possible the day after. If not I can leave tomorrow.” replied James.

              “ I will go now and get back soon. You can have your lunch sir” said Sinniah getting up and walking out of the house.

              James looked at Thangam. She was looking down. Her face wore an expression of grief. James walked up to her and placed his arm around her. She stood looking down. James hugged her and said:

              “ Thangam you look sad.” The perfume of jasmine from her hair charmed him. He wanted to hold her and enjoy the warm feeling.

              “ I didn’t expect you go so soon.” she said.

              “ I will be back. I’m planning to be around. This doesn’t mean I have given up seeing you.”

              “ But you will be in Loolecondere sir.” she said.

              “ But I will come to see you and your father.”

              “ But it’s a long way out sir.” 

              “ Nothing will keep me away from you.” said James. 

              James felt he had changed. He felt  he had grown older suddenly. He kissed her cheeks. She looked up. Her browny pink lips were so close. James planted a gentle kiss on her lips. The light brown skin on her neck made him kiss her neck. It felt soft and warm. He felt an urge he really had never felt before. He lingered on her neck running his lips gently and noticed that Thangam had closed her eyes. He kissed her on her lips, parting her lips with his tongue. She responded . He felt her lips and tongue caressing his lips. He felt a stirring in his loins. He felt an urgency. He resisted it. He wanted to enjoy her nearness. He hugged her and she responded by snuggling up close to him. He could hear her heart thumping and  her breathing close to him. He walked with her in his arms. When they went to his bedroom and shut the door. He realised that there was no lock on the door. They made love. She allowed him to enter her whispering that he should not go to far inside.

              James was in a daze after his first experience of making love. He had imagined that it would be heavenly moment when the world was a golden garden. It was different. He felt very close to Thangam. He felt he was in a different world. It was a secret world where he was with Thangam to the exclusion of all others. In this secret space, he was happy and Thangam was happy. Even though he withdrew at the last moment, he felt that heavenly feeling, a moment of lingering bliss.  

              It was her first time as well. There were traces of blood on the bed sheet. She changed the bedsheets. She removed the stained bed sheets and took them to the washing place. She heard a crow cry “ caw ,caw”.

              Superstition had it that it was not good to hear a crow at an important moment. She soaped the sheets with  Sunlight bar soap and gave them a good bashing on the stone that was placed in the washing area to help to clean out dirt from cloths. She soaped the sheets again  and bashed them again and again until they were clean and  put them out to dry.  

              When she came from the washing area, she could hear a bird singing. She always felt happy when she heard that bird. But on this occasion she heard the bird but did not respond with pleasure. The dog came and wagged it’s tail at her. She would normally have given a dog a pat. Her worries overcame her. She went to the dining area to check that everything was laid out well. She walked to the front and told James that lunch was getting cold. 

              “ Thanks Thangam.” he said getting up and walking towards her and continued.

              “ You are very kind to me. I will always want you. I will look after you even if it means that I lose my job.” he said.

              “ I want to be with you. You are a very nice man. My father and my people are very careful about being with outside people. You are a very important man. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing .”

              “ I understand your feelings. If you don’t want me to see you, I will go away and not come back” said James.

              “ Oh no. Sir. Don’t do that. I want to see you and I want to be with you. I will do all your cooking and cleaning.”

              “ You are a very nice girl Thangam. I’m lucky to have found you. I feel very happy when you are around.” 

              “ I will be there to do everything for you sir.” she replied.

              James held her tight. He was a very large man. She was a small made woman. He felt blissful holding her tight and hearing her breath and make a sound as he squeezed her. She was his Thangam. He will always cherish her. McKenzie can do what he wants but James will always want Thangam around him. If it comes to a push, he will apply for land and plant coffee and even tea, though he knew little about coffee or tea.

              James was having his lunch when the dog barked and they knew somebody was coming to the house. Sinniah was back. 

              “ I have spoken to the person who normally does our transport sir. He said he will come tomorrow morning. It’s a bullock cart sir. Will it alright?” asked Sinniah.

              “ Certainly Sinniah. Don’t worry.  I’d  like to walk but the suitcase could be a problem.” 

              After lunch Sinniah and James talked about the journey the next day. Thangam took her leave wished James a safe journey to Loolecondere and went back to her house.

              The carriage arrived in the morning and Sinniah and James were on their way. It was really a local cart. James took a look at Thangam and noted that she had been crying. There were dark spots under her eyes. He felt embarrassed to do anything about it. Thangam would feel ashamed if he showed affection when her father was there.

              James and Sinniah planned a few days stay in Loolecondere and a return to Narangghena Estate to get a few things like a change of  cloths for James. This meant that he was already working in Loolecondere but returning to collect his things and possibly make arrangements for work to be done in Narangghena as well.

                    *                 *                   *                  *                    *

CHAPTER   6

              James’s  journey to Loolecondere was very pleasant even though the road was rough and the cart shook a lot. He noted that the old coach he had travelled in from Colombo was a luxury coach compared to the cart he was now travelling in. The cart had a flat surface, a floor  like a wooden tray where people could sit and keep their goods. The protection from the weather was a thatch roof over the wooden floor . It was a curved hood made of rattan and woven coconut thatch. It provided shade and protection from rain and the Sun for passengers and goods.                              

              James felt sorry for the bull that was pulling them along. He offered to walk alongside the cart to relieve the bull but Sinniah refused his offer saying that the bull was a strong one even though it was not a big made bull. The carter also told Sinniah that the animal was a strong one, young enough to enjoy the ride. James made up his mind that he will jump off the cart when the opportunity came, when the bull slowed down for climbing a hill.  

              The opportunity came when the bull slowed down when there was steep hill. The bull seemed to be passing out steam as it shook it’s head straining to pull up the hill. James slid off the tray walked behind the cart. Sinniah jumped out of the cart as well and followed James. The road was not paved or tarred. But the gravel seemed to hold together.

              The skies were light blue and clouds drifted lazily. There were bushes on both sides of the road. Some gave off a pleasant, aromatic smell of wild mint. The air was bracing, invigorating. James felt happy. He wished Thangam was with him. It would be perfect.  He knew he faced a problem with meeting Thangam regularly. McKenzie might be keeping tabs on his activities. 

              James’s  shoes were coping with the road. But they were getting a good bashing. He would try and get another pair when he could. A spare pair was essential in these rough conditions.

              There was a curve along the road. The hill on the right hand side climbed up sharply. They could not see the road ahead due to the bend in the road. There were a few small stones scattered around and the cart wheels made grinding noises as the stones were betting crushed under the wheel . 

              As the road straight up having taken the curve, there was a sound like thunder and a huge boulder came crashing down. The carter shouted “ bija mak” several times at the bull  and kicked at it’s balls trying to make the bull go faster. But the gradient was too steep and the gravel too stony for moving faster. As the bull struggled to move faster a boulder acme down, broke the wooden mantle and hit the bull on it’s side. The bull fell over. The cart turned on it’s side. 

              James ran to the other edge of the road and back towards where they had come from when he heard the sound coming from the top of the hill. Sinniah followed him. They were both unaware of the boulder hitting the bull .

“ That must have been a big stone coming down Sinniah” said James looking up.

“ Yes. Sir .This is a dangerous place. Big stones keep coming down. People hear the sound and run away. Some times somebody gets hurt.”

“ Maybe they should place a warning sign.” said James.

“ Yes. This is small road. We have to be careful.” 

“ It was made for people to use their carts and travel to other villages I guess.”

“Yes. There are villages along this road. No villages near this place because of the stones falling.”

“ Since this road is connecting our coffee estates, we must do something. i will come here with some workers and see if there is a way of clearing the loose stones.”

“ Yes. There are road workers who can do this.” 

“ Let’s go up and see what happened.” said James.

“ I think it’s safe now sir. I’m sorry to have brought you to this dangerous place.” 

“ It’s not your fault Sinniah. If it’s anybody’s fault, it’s the fault of the British Government. The government is responsible for keeping the roads free from danger. It’s actually my fault that I asked you to make arrangements for going to Loolecondere.” said James.

              They walked towards the cart. The carter was missing. They walked towards the bull. It was dead. the boulder had crushed it’s head. It had no means of escape as it was tethered to the cart.

“ Sorry about this Sir. It’s very bad.” said Sinniah.

“ At least we are all safe. Could have been much worse” said James.

“Yes, sir. It could have been worse. I’m told that the government is going to give this land to people to grow coffee. ”

“ In that case I might try to get this land. I can make it safe for people passing” said James.

              The carter climbed out of the side of the road. He had dived out of the way of the rocks.

“ My bull is dead.” he said ruefully.

“ Don’t worry about it. I will speak tot the company and arrange for you get get money for the dead animal.” said James.

              Some villagers arrived to check on what had happened. Some scolded Sinniah for bringing the Dorai along the road in a bullock cart. Sinniah pleaded that there were no horse drawn coaches available.

              The villagers  arranged to move the dead animal away from the road. It took two or three hours before James and Sinniah were away from there on another cart. 

              They arrived in Loolacondere just before it was dark. Sinniah changed into his clean shorts and made a simple meal. They ate their dinner, had some coffee and went off to sleep.

              The morning was sunny and the skies clear. The birds were singing the their songs. James got up and went out in his pyjamas. The dew on the smaller trees made him feel happy but some thing was missing. A pair of small brown birds were mating. He wished he could be as happy as they were. He wished he had  Thangam’s welcome presence. 

              Sinniah was up early .He was boiling water in the metallic kettle over three stones between which the wood fire burned. The tiny kitchen would barely accommodate James inside it. He would have to bend over to keep the wood fire burning. Even Sinniah was squatting as he blew into the fire with a metal pipe to keep it burning.

              After a breakfast of roti, a flat bread made with flour and coconut, dipped in a source cooked with tomatoes and chilli, they went outside. They walked around the place assessing what needs to be done. James could see that he would have to chop many trees down to clear the land. 

“ Plenty of work Sinniah. Clearing this place is going to take a lot of work.” said James.

“ I can arrange for a Kankanee to come Sir. You can speak to him about how many men are needed for the work.” said Sinniah.

“Thanks. That would be fine. I can see at least ten men are needed or else we will spend weeks just chopping the trees and clearing the bushes.” said James.

“ I heard that some men have arrived from India Sir. Mr. McKenzie had arranged with the kangkanee  to go to India and make the men come. They have come to work for one year”

“ That’s good. Since we already have them here, we can start tomorrow.”

“ Some are sick sir. They might have caught malaria while travelling through the jungles.”

“ Sorry to hear that. I was told to be careful about catching malaria. I’ve got some tablets.”

“Up here in Loolecondere it’s not bad. Hardly any mosquitos. It’s too cool for the mosquitoes. They don’t breed in the cold places.”

“ Great. The poor fellows from India  must have been bitten when they were walking through the jungles.”

“ Yes. The dry jungle areas between Jaffna and hill country are full of mosquitoes. Sometimes they have to walk through swamps They don’t wear long sleeve shirts or trousers. It’s easy to be bitten when you are wearing a sarong and banion.” said Sinniah.

“ What’s banion Sinniah.? asked James.

“It’s a vest sir. What you wear under your shirt. The banion is a thin cotton vest.” 

“Okay. Then the mosquitoes will have no difficulty biting. Sinniah. I have yet to see a coffee tree. We have been so busy moving from Colombo and then Naranghena.” said James.

“ We can go to an estate which has coffee trees. It’s quite close and will be the closest to Loolecondere. It might be part of Loolecondere. I’m not sure”  said Sinniah.

              “OK. lets’s go there now. I’m very keen to see coffee trees.” said James.

                                                                        *            *             *

              Sinniah and James walked to the nearest coffee plantation, also owned or managed by the same company. The coffee trees stood with coffee beans grown  to full size, the red berry about the size of a cherry. It was shining and ready for plucking. James was impressed by the sight of all the coffee trees with their fruit waiting to be plucked. The workers had arrived and plucking could commence any time. 

“Do you see the brown shade on the leaf sir?” asked Sinniah.

“ Yes. A little dust seems to have settled on the leaves.” 

“ That is the coffee rust sir. It’s causing problems. If the brown colour gets strong the leaves will die and the tree will die.” said Sinniah.

“ Thanks for that Sinniah. I heard about coffee rust but now I can see the problem.” said James, his eyes lighting up and the boyish expression and burly figure showing his youthfulness. 

              Sinniah could see that James was really a schoolboy released into the world of work. He felt a great sympathy was the boy. He was really a nice sensitive boy sent by the company but to do a man’s work. He was very taken up with Thangam and that could be a problem. White man rarely settled down in Ceylon. Some did but many did not. Thangam was his only daughter. He was hoping she will get married to a young man from the same community in Jaffna. He left it to God to decide what should happen. If Thangam wanted to be with James that will her choice and he will not interfere. But will James marry her or will she become one of those girls with children fathered by foreigners outside marriage? That would bring shame to him and his family. His family will blame him for leaving his Northern area of Jaffna to seek his fortune in the hill country. And ending up with a shameful problem for the family.

              They heard dogs barking at a distance. The sound of dogs barking was usually close to a house. but they were not near any house.

              “ That sounds like someone is coming Sir” said Sinniah.

“ Really. Someone is walking along with dogs, like they were on a hunt?” asked James. 

“ Somebody could be riding a horse, sir. It could be a dorai. One of the Periya Dorais sir. The dogs sometimes come with the dorai.”

              Sue enough, they could a figure on a horse riding towards them. As  the rider approached them, they could see it was McKenzie accompanied by almost a dozen dogs.

McKenzie was riding towards them. He was with them and the dogs stopped barking and surrounded Sinniah and James.

“ I see you have moved out of Naranghena Taylor. As I said there is no room for defying orders in our company. But what are you doing here” asked McKenzie.

              James felt insulted. McKenzie’s  supercilious and condescending tone upset James. James felt anger rising. He could easily have thrown McKenzie out of his horse. But he stood in silence. Sinniah moved far away so as not to hear the words that may be spoken in anger.

              “ I came to see the coffee berries. It’s my first time to see the berries.” said James refusing to apologise or  to say any words of regret.

              “ Alright. Are you able to carry forward the programme of clearing and planting the coffee trees?” asked McKenzie.

              “ Yes. I don’t see any problems with it. Sinniah will help me with anything unusual.” said James.

              “ But Sinniah won’t be there my dear chap. He will be given other work to do. Neither will you be comforted by that girl, Sinniah’s daughter. She has been given orders to pack up move over to the Periya Dorai’s bungalow.

“ But I need some assistance with cooking and washing.” protested James.  

“ No such thing dear chap. You have had time to settle down. You were helped to get started in the way things happen here. Listen, if you want a woman you have only to send word for her. The women are obliging. They don’t expect anything in return. They won’t accept money either. Enjoy yourself but don’t get involved. That’s my advice to you. Goodbye.” said McKenzie using his spurs to get the horse trotting way. The brown and white dogs barked and followed the horse. 

                                                                *            *             *

              Sinniah appeared after McKenzie left. James told him about McKenzie’s orders regarding Sinniah and Thangam.

              “ Alright sir. McKenzie Dorai is a very difficult person. We don’t like him. But there is nothing we can do. They are big people. We have to take orders.”

              “ Yes Sinniah. I also have to take orders. Let’s get back to Loolacondere and I can start the work. When will the person who arranges for the workers come over?” asked James.

              “ He should be coming today. He must have spoken with the men in the line houses and arranged for some to come with him.” said Sinniah.

              “ Alright. Let’s get there as soon as we can.” said James. They walked briskly. There were red flowers in the tall trees. Some birds twittered. The distant bark of dogs could be heard. It must be McKenzie’s dogs thought James. The air was fresh. They reached the Loolacondere estate before nightfall.

CHAPTER 7

              When James woke up, he could see that  there were several people assembled at Loolacondere. The kankanee  had brought his group for the work. James went to the makeshift coconut leaf shower room outside and poured water on himself from the drum using a can. I must get at least a small bucket he told himself. He got dressed and ate a meal of bread, butter and jam. He was not sure how Sinniah had managed to find the food. . The kankanee must have brought these he guessed.

              “ This is Arumugam Mr. Taylor. He is our kanakanee. he has brought this group of workers for your work.” said Sinniah.

              “ Hello Arumugam. Nice to meet you. How are you. Thank you for bringing these people. I can get started today.” said James, smiling at the group and walking up to Arumugam and shaking hands with him. His boyish looks and pleasant manner impressed the workers and they all smiled and said “Good Morning” in awkward English.

              “ Sorry sir. They don’t speak English. If you explain to me , then I can translate into Tamil and give them their work orders. They will spend the day with you sir. I will arrange sleeping accommodation for them.” said Arumugam.

              “ Thanks Arumugam. Very good of you to help in this way. I have to do two things. One group will clear the bushes and cut the trees so that we can plant coffee trees. Another will help me to work on the house.” 

              “ That’s fine sir. I’ll tell them that both jobs must be done. There is one person who could pick up some words in English. You can explain anything to him. He knows only a few words but he can help. I have to go and make some arrangements for their accommodation. But I will be back as soon as possible.” said Arumugam in halting English.

              “ Alright. Thats fine with me.” said James.

              Arumugam took excused himself and left. Some of the workers were slashing at the bushes with long knives. Two pairs of men were chopping at trees with gusto. James took off his shirt and got to work himself. Around midday, he could see that a good area of land had been cleared of bushes and trees. James was happy to note that the rather lean bodied men were quite capable of hard work. They were good workers. They  stopped to drink water from their brass containers with lids but hardly stopped for a break. He wanted to ask them to stop and take a break but decided to let them work the way they were used to. He felt very sorry to see them work so hard, their lean bodies shining with sweat. He thought about Thangam. It would have been nice to have had her around. He could ask her to tell the workers what he wanted to do. He thought about visiting Thangam the next day. He could make an excuse and go back as if to collect some of his things. It would be great if he could have a horse. He could ride a horse. He used to ride one now and then when he felt like it. 

              The days work was nearly over when Sinniah returned with Arumugam. James was working along with the labourers when they arrived.

              ‘’ Sir, you should not be working like this. The labourers are here for the work.”

said Arumugam.

              “I’m only doing something to help. They are doing most of the work.”

              “ We have arranged a horse for you, sir. You can have it tomorrow for a whole day. The horse is owned by a man who takes it to the Dorai’s house every other day. You can have it tomorrow.” said Sinniah.

              “ Very good of you and Arumugam. I would love to be riding it tomorrow.” said James, his eyes brightening and a smile playing on his face. He could ride along the boundary to check on the whole estate. He could even ride further. He could ride along the road and visit his old house to see if Thangam was still there. 

              The workers left along with Arumugam. James had his wash using a bucket of water. He poured water on himself with a small cooking pan with a handle which had seen better days. He had a surprisingly good meal: rice with fried chicken, fried aubergines and potatoes. He was asleep almost immediately after his meal. The coir mattress felt hard but he was too tired to think about ways of changing it.

              When James got up, he took a walk to his favourite spot overlooking the valley and sat on the rock and gazed at the scenery. The blue skies and green hills made him feel energised and sit for a long time. He imagined how nice it would be to be able to fly like a bird over the Gurugal area. The pleasant valley made him feel a little bit nostalgic for Scotland. He walked back home.

              The workers were back in the morning. Arumugam was giving orders in Tamil. Some workers were mixing cement. Others were carrying bricks. James had not noticed that under a canopy of cadjan (coconut fronds weaved into a mat) leaves, there was a pile of bricks. James was happy that they were going to build his house, transform it from a hut to a house. He will give a hand with the work he told himself. 

              Everyone stopped work to stare at the horse being ridden to the site by a local man. 

“ Sir. Your horse is coming. If you are not sure about riding it, the muthu (horse keeper) will come along with you.” said Sinniah.

“ I should be alright with the horse. I ‘m used to riding horses in our farm in Scotland.” said James.

              After a briefing about the horse, James had no difficulty getting on the horse and riding away. He was exhilarated to be on a horse in Loolecondere. It was such a nice cool but warm day, like a Summers day in Scotland. He rode around keeping a lookout for any fences which might show the boundaries. He could hear the cry of a hornbill, startled to see a man on a horse in Loolecondere. The countryside smelled wonderful, a breath of pristine air. The horse was a gentle mare, well trained and responsive to his commands with his heels. He was delighted and wanted to do something really exciting. He noticed the place where the boulder came down and crushed the bullock. He looked up to make sure that there were no loose boulders and started riding towards the dirt road.

              When he reached the road, he could see it winding it’s way towards Narangghena. The horse was on the dirt road and trotting ahead. He decided to let the horse follow the road. He felt a yearning for Thangam. He urged the horse to move faster and the horse trotted at a fair pace. The road was in good order. No signs of boulders or fresh soil on the road. There were some trees with red flowers, shading him and the horse quite a long way. Gradually, he recognised that he was well on his way to the old house in Narangghena. He felt a surge of excitement. If she was there, he would enjoy Thangam’s blissful company . Thangam’s   gentle ways and tone of voice made him feel happy and contented. Scotland was a long way away. Maybe he should write a letter to his father. The thought sprang up suddenly. He decided he will write a letter. But he must check with Sinniah about the postal arrangements.

              The house came into view. It seemed deserted. Even the dog was not to be seen. he dismounted and tied the horse to a tree. He felt deeply disappointed, almost in tears. Be a man, he told himself. Be happy you had a wonderful morning with Thangam only a few days ago, he told himself. She was generous with her love and made him feel happy. He will find out where she is and bring  her to Loolecondere.

              There was the sound of a dog barking and the brown dog came into view, wagging it’s tail. James bent down and patted the dog. When he stood up he saw Thangam standing there, smiling deliciously. He ran to her and held her tight. The sound she made when he tightened his arms around her was what wanted to hear. It was a lovely sound, the sound of deep breathing, the sound of contentment. He kissed her and they stood there kissing, her lips touching his lips in short jabs. It was delicious. He knew she loved him. Only someone in love with him could make him feel that special sweetness.

              “ I was sure we won’t see each other again” said Thangam.

“ No Thangam. Nothing will keep me away from you. Even if it means that I won’t be having a job.” said James.

“ My father said that Mr. McKenzie has warned you about seeing me” she said.

“ Yes. That’s true. But I love you and I won’t be giving you up ever.” James said.

“ I love you very much.” she said and she started crying, tears flowing down her cheeks.

“ My darling Thangam. Don’t cry. I will never leave you. I will live in Ceylon and look after you.” said James.

              He gently wiped the tears from her face and kissed her on her cheeks. Her love for him was plain to see. She feared that he would be forced to leave her. She needed assurance that he would never let her down. His youthfulness  may also be a source of worry to her, he thought. He was a young boy expected to behave as a young man. She was his age but wise enough to know that young men flirt and want the company of other girls as well, he thought.

“ I’m scared that Mr. McKenzie will stop you from meeting with me. My father said that Mr. McKenzie is a very bad man. Might even send you back to Scotland.”

“ Don’t worry. I’m not going to listen to him. i can look for another job.” replied James.

              Her tears kept welling up. James wiped her tears once again with his hand. She was so sweet and tender,all he wanted to do was just kiss her face, kiss her on her nose, kiss her all over her face. As he kissed her, he a felt an awakening below, a stirring which grew stronger with each kiss. she also moved closer to him, as if she could feel his awakening below and wanted to move closer to feel it. He held her tight. It was a warm satisfying feeling. When she moved closer to him, he could feel her body against his and he was mesmerised and the feeling of wanting to feel her body again took over. The shiny brown skin on her face made him kiss her over and over again. They moved to the bedroom and he helped her to remove her cloths. His body covered her naked brown body when he entered her. He was afraid that he might crush her with his heavy weight but she only moaned with pleasure as he entered her. He looked at her and felt a heavenly feeling that he was in another world. Her face was angelic and her brown skin made him feel stronger down below. He felt a softness in his heart he could not compare with any other feeling he had ever felt. The jasmine in her hair smelled like no other sweet smell he had come across before. It was a smell from heaven. They kissed again and again as they made love, again and again.

              He heard the horse neigh and he woke up from his nap. He was still on top of her. An angelic smile played on her face.

“ Sorry Thangam, my honey.  I slept on top of you. I must have crushed you” he said.

“No darling. You did not crush me. I did not feel any  weight” she replied.

“ Maybe you should be on top more often.”

              She giggled and was on top and he felt a surge of power when he saw her brown breasts dangle in front of him. He savoured their smoothness and softness while she rose and fell in a gentle movement.

              He got up when he heard the dog barking. Thangam dressed quickly.

 “They will be looking for you. It’s the first time for you to go out by yourself.” said Thangam.

              “ I will ride back now. I hope you will be here when I come next time. It might be tomorrow.” said James mounting his horse.

              “ Be careful. Ride carefully. There could be some landslides” said Thangam.

              “ I will be careful Thangam. I love you.” said James as he rode off. 

                                *                  *                     *

              James arrived in Loolecondere in half an hour. He was surprised to see how much work had been done during the day. Almost all the walls of the house extension had been completed. A window frame had been put in place and bricks laid. The vast area had been cleared as if a bull dozer had been at work during the day. 

              “ Sinniah please tell everyone that I’m very happy with the work that has been achieved today.”

              Sinniah walked towards the middle and spoke two or three sentences in Tamil. He clapped his hands and everyone responded including James. They smiled and they clapped their hands. All the workers looked very cheerful inspire of having been at work all day.

              James spoke with Sinniah about bringing seedlings to the Loolecondere site. Instead of waiting for the whole area to be cleared to start planting, James suggested that the area which had been cleared could be prepared for planting while the rest of the crew could continue with the clearing. Sinniah agreed after thinking for a while.

              “ But it’s best to ask , Mr. McKenzie first sir. “ he replied.  

              “ That is a good point Sinniah. I agree I should contact McKenzie and talk to him.” said James.

              “ Yes. I also found out that there are many places with the leaf going brown. They call it coffee blight.”

              “ Yes. That is a very good idea. I really must go and meet McKenzie to make sure that we are doing the right thing.”

              “ I can arrange for the same horse sir. You won’t need a cart or coach. Its about two hours walking and about half an hour riding.”

              “ In which direction?”

              “ That way.” said Sinniah. He pointed in the direction  and continued “ This road comes to a junction where another road cuts across. If you turn right, you can’t miss the house. Its on a hill. Can be seen from far away.”

              “ Thats fine. I can go there in the morning.”

  “ I will speak to the moothoo sir. He can bring the horse in the morning.”

                                            *                   *                     *

              The bed he was sleeping on was a rough one and Sinniah brought some blankets and placed them under the sheet to soften the bed. He was very concerned about James’s well being and keeping a fatherly eye on James.

              The horse arrived in the morning ridden by the moothoo. James had clipped his trousers so that he could ride to McKenzie’s house. He rode off early morning so that he could be at McKenzie’s house before eight o’ clock. It was a fine crisp morning, a little nippy, reminding him of a Spring morning in Scotland. He could hear the birds twitter and he knew he was somewhere different, like a palace with vast grounds where the birds showed their presence with a lot of chatter. He rode off at a gallop heading for the first cross road. There were a few people on the road. They moved aside and stopped for him to pass. He waved at them as he passed. He was hoping that McKenzie would tell him to plant tea because it was one of James ambitions to learn about tea, how it grows, how it was made and how it was sold in London.

              He thought once again about becoming the owner of a tea plantation where he could employ Sinniah and Thangam and all the workers who were doing a good job in Loolecondere. He could be the boss. He could own his own horses and have a coach. Sinniah and he had talked about the coming railway which will make it easier to transport the tea and coffee.

              When he reached the turn right, he met some village people walking along. He could only say “ Mr. McKenzie” to them and they pointed to the direction he was riding and he was happy that he would be arriving at McKenzie’s house  in about half an hour. He could see a house on a hill a good distance away and he was sure he was going in the right direction. He arrived at McKenzie’s house by eleven o’ clock.

              He tethered the horse and walked up the steps to the beautiful green and white painted house. He knocked on the door and a man wearing a white coat and a white sarong came to the door and let him in. Mc Kenzie was seated on a lounge chair.

              “ Sit down Taylor. I was told you will be coming. So I stayed back. I’m glad you came because I wanted to come to Loolecondere to speak with you.” McKenzie said.

              “ Mr. McKenzie I wanted to speak with you regarding the situation in Loolecondere. We are making good progress but we need more workers.”

              “ Taylor you may have heard about coffee blight. The scourge has taken hold everywhere. Did you know many planters have been forced to go back home because of coffee blight.”

              “ I did not realise that the situation is that bad.”

              “ Taylor you must think about returning to Scotland.”

              “ I’ve hardly been a month in Ceylon sir. I’m not happy that you are thinking of sending me back.”

              “ I’m really thinking of your future. If you settle down here for a while, it will be even more difficult to uproot yourself and go back. It will be that much more difficult.”

              “ Mr. McKenzie if coffee blight is that serious why don’t we grow tea instead of coffee.” asked James.

              “ Taylor, even the bankers,  the Rothschild family tried to grow tea and failed. Even with their immense wealth they could not succeed with tea. They brought tea planters from India, British as well as others but nobody could grow the tea that is needed to suit he English palates or palates any other place.”

              “ Is it that bad. i would like to try growing tea sir.” said James, feeling down hearted.

              “ Your best bet is to return to Scotland. I can make all the arrangements.”

              “ I would like to be given a chance to plant tea.”

              “ It must that native woman that must be holding you back. I’m telling you don’t get involved. Enjoy yourself by all means. They have no resistance. If they are not married you can take any woman home at any time. You know that don’t you.”

              “ I’m sure you are right Mr. McKenzie. But all I’m saying is that I need to be given a chance to work in this country” said James.

              “ I’m telling you you are wasting your time here. The sooner you leave the better.” said McKenzie.

              “ I will get back to to Loolecondere sir.” said James walking towards the door.

              “ You will hear about the company’e decision very soon” said McKenzie in a final comment as James stepped out of the house. 

              James was very upset. He got on the horse and rode away. He could hardly wait to get back home. But home was confusing. Home was where Thangam was. He really wanted her comforting him. The rain tree that he passed on his way out passed in a blur. He did not really see the tree as his mind was in turmoil. He was riding towards Loolecondere but his mind was directing him to Naranghena. He did not have to make a decision. He was going to ride past Loolecondere and go on to Narangghena. He had to at least try to meet with Thangam. At least lie down for a while on that bed where he felt a sense of peace. He thought he heard a distant sound of thunder. He feared for rolling boulders. But nothing stopped him from riding on.

                                                          *         *          *

                                                          CHAPTER 8

              He arrived in Naranghena and there were no signs of anybody living there. He needed rest and the horse needed rest. He found the old bucket and filled it up and gave the water to the horse, after drinking some of it from the little bucket. He went to lie on the bed and there was Thangam lying on the bed smiling.

              “ My darling Thangam. You were here all the time.”

              “Yes. Dorai James. I wanted to surprise you. I’m always making out reasons for coming here. I’m always hoping you will come here.” she said.

              James held her tight and lifted her up and kissed her as if she was a child. They kissed deeply. He carried her and swung her around  and they got into bed. James came inside her. She did not remind him to come outside, as she normally did. He revelled in her child like beauty, fine brown skin and pearl like teeth. Her body somehow seemed to be a perfect fit. She came over him and he enjoyed watching her move up and down. Then she lay on him barely covering half of his big body. 

              “ I’m applying for a piece of land  Thangam.” said James.

              “ That’s good. You can be the boss and employ me and a lot of people.” she replied.

              “ Yes. I’m tired of being told what I should be doing.” 

              “ I can help you with running your house. House keeping, cooking, washing, cleaning.” she said.

              “ Yes my darling. You will be with me all the time.” said James.

              “ Did you hear about coffee plants dying from the disease?” she asked.

              “ Yes. I saw some of the plants with the brown colour on the leaf.” said James.

              “ Some estates have closed. Some of my people have gone back to India.” she said.

              “ Yes. A lot of planters have gone back too. McKenzie wants to send me back. But I have a contract for another ten months. He can’t send me before that. But I will apply for land before that.” he said.

              “ I love you James. Please don’t leave me.” 

              “ I love you my precious. I am not going to leave you or this country.” he said.

              She hugged him and kissed him, her lips on his and her tongue searching for his. He was aroused again. 

              “ I’ll coming from behind.” he said.

              Her perfectly round behind and it’s brownness made him more excited as he entered her. The jasmines in her hair aroused him even further. He wanted to stretch himself and bury his face in her hair as he moved.

              He was lying on the bed resting when they heard footsteps. He dressed quickly and stepped out of the bedroom. It was Sinniah.

              “ I came to go home with Thangam sir.”   Sinniah said.

              “ Alright. That’s fine. I’m not happy with McKenzie. He was very rude today. He wants me to go back to Scotland. So I’m going to apply for land. That way I will be able to get some funding for developing an estate. I’m thinking of tea.” said James.

              “ I agree with you. Coffee is going bad. It’s happening everywhere. A lot of dorais have gone back. A lot of estate workers have gone back.”

              “ I know tea is not easy. It’s been tried before and it failed. But I want to try it. I want to go to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and talk to the botanist there. i want to go to Haggala Gardens too. They have a lot of tea plants I was told.”

              “ I’m not sure how you can apply for land sir. The Government Agent is in Kandy Peradeniya gardens is on the way to Kandy. You can go to both places.”

              “ Thats’s good. Thanks for that. I will make my way to Kandy as soon as I can.” said James.

              Finding transport to Kandy was not easy. Several people were contacted by Sinniah. As the matter was not a company matter, James did not want to make use of the company transport system or any coaches or horses owned by the company. He did not want McKenzie to find out that he had been to Kandy to apply for land.

                                           *                  *                     *

              Sinniah managed to contact various people and a coach arrived and James set off for Kandy with a change of clothes. It was a very pleasant day. The trees were more green than usual. The rain must have done it , James thought. Sinniah had told the coachman about Peradeniya. The coachman stopped at Peradeniya on the way. Robert, the English botanist in charge was very helpful. 

              “ James I’m very glad that you are keen on tea. McKenzie and all the rest are not very hopeful.” Robert said.

              “ Yes. I’m very interested in tea. I don’t have much money, that’s my problem.”

              “ I realise that. The investment is the problem. Tea was tried by many people. When they succeed in growing the tea, they fail in making good quality tea. Tea making is an art. Its something I wish I knew.” said Robert.

              “ I’m very interested in the way they make tea in Darjeeling. I wish i had the means to go there and work with those planters.” said James.

              “ I agree. I can help you with the growing, the manure needed for a healthy growth, the soil needed and the slopes and so on. I can help there.” said Robert.

              “ I’m so happy that met you Robert. I feel so much better about planting tea.”

              “ Don’t worry too much about the tea not growing well. It’s very rare for the soil to be completely unsuitable. Its more to do with the quality of the leaf and what happens after the tea has grown.”

              “ You mean the plucking and the fermenting?”

              “ Yes. It’s a trade off between how much leaf is gathered from the tree and the way the tea is rolled and prepared for drinking.”

              “ I see. I wanted to meet some of the planters who came from India. They have been doing tea a long time in India.” said James

              “Yes. Most of the tea plants we have here in the gardens came from India. The special variety that grows on the slopes in India especially Darjeeling is more suited to the climate in Ceylon.”

              “ I’m hoping to go to Darjeeling one day. I’ve heard so much about the place. But for now I’m more interested in planting tea on some land which is mine. I’m having problems with my company.”

              “Sorry to hear that James. I might join you to go to Kandy. It’s not very far from Peradeniya. I guess it’s walking distance. It could be a nice to walk along the Kelani River.” said Robert.

“ That’s great. Why don’t you come with me? We could stay in the same hotel.” 

“ But it’s not safe during the rainy season. You could slip and also the soil is soft and you could fall under a boulder. But I can come. My house is right here inside the gardens. We could come back here for the night. I was planning to go to Kandy. The Perahara is on.”said Robert

              “Sorry what is Perahera?” asked James

“ It’s the big event in Kandy for Buddhists. The Buddha’s tooth is supposed to be in the temple in Kandy. The temple of the tooth. An Englishman called Robert Knox lived in Kandy around two hundred years ago and wrote a book about it.”

“ I heard about the temple and Robert Knox . I wanted to go and see the temple.” said James.

              “ It’s not the best day to go inside because it get very crowded and queues form to get in. But you can see the Perahera from outside. It’s really a parade of drummers and nicely decorated elephants  strolling along the road with their bells ringing and Kandyan dancers dancing.” said Robert.

              “ That’s fine with me. I’m happy to be on the street to watch the Perahera.” said James. They got on the coach. 

              The road was well laid with trees in bloom and nicely built houses lining the road all the way to Kandy. 

              James and Robert sent the coachman away for the night. They went into a hotel in the middle of town with a clock tower distinguishing it from the others and had some dinner with whiskey  and soda. James was very impressed with the elegance of the hotel and quality of food. He did not expect anything like this. It felt like it was the best hotel in Glasgow. 

              After booking in, they came out and stood on the street as the Perahera was expected to pass the hotel. There was a lake not very far from the hotel. They walked up and stood looking across the lake to the other side.

              “This lake was built by builders from South India. The King of Kandy was from South India and he brought the builders to design and build the lake.” said Robert and continued.

              “ You see the bright flares on the left James. That’s where the Temple of the Tooth is.” said Robert.

              “ That’s really nice. So many flares there. What do they use for making the flares?” asked James.

              “ It mainly cloth wound around a wooden pole and soaked in coconut oil.” said Robert.

              “ You are right. I can smell the coconut oil burning. Its got a nutty smell to it. Its almost like a biscuit factory making coconut flavoured biscuits.” James said.

              “ Funny you should say that. It’s true.”

              Two white gentleman walked out of the hotel with two white ladies. The ladies came out of the hotel but stood close to the door while the gentleman walked towards James and Robert.

              “ The two people walking towards us are George Pride and Dr. Tom Barron. They are old timers here. Well known planters.” said Robert.

              Robert introduced James to George Pride and Tom Barron.

              “ Nice to meet you young man. Your cousin Henry Stiven  mentioned you had come. How are you doing?” asked George Pride.  

              “ Going alright. But the Superintendant is McKenzie. He has been saying that I should go back home.” said James.

              “ But you have just arrived. He can’t ask you to go.” interjected Dr. Tom Barron.

              “ I told him I’m not prepared to go back. My contract is for one year.” said  James.

              “ Exactly. You did well to sign the contract. Some arrive without a contract. But I can help you out if things get really bad” said George Pride.

              “ Yes, James. We feel very much for you. George owns hundreds of coffee estates. He can give you a job at anytime. How many coffee estates do you own George, if you don’t mind my asking?” said Dr. Tom Barron.

              “ About eight hundred. But as you know coffee estates are being decimated. Only about a hundred are actually producing coffee. The rest are suffering from the blight.” said George Pride.

              “Very sorry to hear that George. As I always maintained, tea is the way to go. Even when coffee was doing well, I was always supporting anybody willing to grow tea.” said Tom Barron.

              “ Don’t listen to him James. He is always going on about tea.” said George Pride.

              “ Actually I’m very keen to grow tea. I’ve seen tea bushes and like the tea aroma in the leaf. But McKenzie is not talking about growing tea.” said James.

              “ Actually Tom could be right. Ceylon’s climate is good for tea, even though the soil is not as good as in Assam. Ive had to let lots of planters go. They went on furlough leave and I told them that they should wait until things get better. I’m struggling to pay their salaries. But to tell the truth I’m trying out Cinchona. Maybe you could try Cinchona” said George Pride.

              “ What is Cinchona” asked James.

“ Cinchona is a plant from which anti malaria drugs are extracted.” said Robert.

“ Loolecondere could do Cinchona instead of coffee. I will speak to McKenzie” said George Pride.

“ I have hundreds of Cinchona plants growing in our nursery.” said Robert.

“ Since you are not doing anything with them, you should send to James. He can do Cinchona.” said George Pride.

              “ You should start on tea my dear fellow. Cinchona is not going to last. There are newer plants and sources of anti malaria drugs.” said Dr. Tom Barron.

              “ Don’t listen to Tom. He is always on about tea. But if tea ever becomes a success in Ceylon, we will owe a debt of gratitude to him because he is really the father of the tea enterprise in Ceylon. Unfortunately tea has failed so far. People like the Rothschilds tried it many years ago and failed.” said George Pride.

              “ The problem is that we have not really experimented with growing and processing tea. We have only brought planters from Assam and Darjeeling who were not given enough time to experiment and adopt the methods to suit this country.” said Dr. Barron.

              “ Alright. I think our young friend here can experiment with growing and processing tea while at the same time growing Cinchona plants which are fetching a very good price at the London market.” said George Pride.

              “ I can send the plants I have to Loolecondere Mr Pride. There are plants growing in Haggala and some other places as well.” said Robert.

              “ Thanks Robert. Please do arrange for these plants to be taken Loolecondere. James can do Cinchona while trying out ways of growing and processing tea.” said George Pride.

              “ Thats a good solution George. I’ll assist with the tea growing. Robert has even more experience than I when it comes to growing the tea plant. But I have to check out how the plucking and rolling happens. I’m a firm believer in two leaves and a bud.” said Dr.Tom Barron.

              “ Ah. I don’t know much about that part of the process. But I do know that the quantity of green tea gathered using the two leaves and a bud method makes it very difficult to make a profit.  When you only gather two leaves and a bud, the amount of tea leaf gathered during the course of one day is so small compared to plucking a bunch of leaves” said George Pride.

              “ We have to find a solution to this problem. We can’t really expect the prices paid for tea made in China . It’s hand rolled and is made with a a lot of skill and care.” said Tom Barron.

              “ There has to be a process that produces tea without incurring the huge labour cost that is involved in making tea in China. Here in Ceylon we have to bring workers from India and the cost is much higher.” said George Pride.

              “ Let’s hope James will experiment with making tea in a different way so we don’t end up with tea that we cannot sell at a profit.” said Dr. Tom Barron.

              “ We need to make a profit if we are going to stay in business. You know very well that hundreds of planters have gone back because the coffee plants are dying and the cost of making tea is too high.” said George Pride.

              The sound of drums beating and bells jangling could be heard clearly.

              “Looks like the Perahera is getting closer” said Robert.

              “ We must go back and be with the ladies.” said George Pride. Dr. Tom Barron and George Pride walked back towards the hotel.

              The Perahera was a within sight. James and Robert could see the temple dancers dressed in traditional white and red sarongs jumping up and spinning their bodies while their red and white head dresses moved left and right as if in a frenzy. The flares soaked in coconut oil gave off a nutty smell. James felt excited to see the spectacle of elephants  with decorated jewelled mats on their backs strolling, their trunks swinging left and right and occasionally swinging up towards their heads. The elephants had boxes on their backs which could have been books or sacred items with a religious significance. The tails of the elephants moved constantly going left and right. 

              Some men carried what seemed like decorated fans mounted on painted and decorated poles. They walked on either side of the elephants. The drumming was strong. The drummers  leapt up and danced and moved left and right. The dancers and the drummers made James feel he was in another world. The elephant in the middle of the long line of elephants was the biggest and carried a large box on it’s back.

              “ The big elephant in the middle is carrying a sacred document and the tooth of the Buddha dating back thousands of years. That’s what I was told.” said Robert.

“  It must be very special whatever it is. The elephant is really big . I would hate to be in it’s path.” said James.

              The procession passed along and sounds became more distant.

              They walked back towards the hotel and had some refreshments. 

              “ Are you coming back to my place for the night James.” asked Robert.

              “ I think I will stay over in the hotel. It will be easier for me to meet the government agent in the morning” said James.

              Robert spoke to the hotel manager and made arrangements for his coach to take him  back to Peradeniya.

                                                                        *            *               *

              In the morning, James made inquiries with the hotel manager and was told to go   with one of the young local lads who will show him the government agent’s office. James competed his application form for a piece of land at the government agent’s office. He was told to that it would take about a month for the decision to be made as to who had been granted the land. It seemed that he will get it as he was already in the country and ready to start work on the land.

              James wrote a letter home and posted it in Kandy where there was a post office and shops to buy stationery.

“ Dear Father,

I trust all at home are keeping fine. I had a good trip sailing from London to Ceylon. Uncle Henry came with me and helped me to get to my work place up in the hills where the coffee plantations are.   I have been very busy since coming to Ceylon. There is a lot of work to be done clearing the trees and bushes before planting coffee. I have a lot of people working in the coffee estate. They come from South India. They do a good job of cleaning up and digging the land. I have a supervisor who looks after the workers. 

              “They even built a house for me. It was strange though. Because the masons came and built little huts for themselves first. Then they found a place which had a lot of red clay and started digging up the soil. They started making bricks from the red clay and fired the bricks with wood fires until the bricks turned hard and dark red. Before a couple of weeks had passed they started building the house. I gave them a hand. I enjoyed laying bricks. Within a few weeks the windows were made by carpenters working inside their huts with hand saws. The finish was done with a mixture of chalk and sand and some kind of soft rock they called kabuk. The walls were lime washed and they look fine.”

              “Coffee planting is going through a bad patch. The trees are affected by a disease called coffee rust. It’s a fungus that settles on the leaves and makes the leaf look rust coloured and stops the tree from getting the Sun and the nourishment it needs. The tree does not die but the coffee berries stop growing. The only thing that can be done is to cut the tree and start again. Some planters have been getting human excreta and using it as manure hoping the berries and the trees will grow better. But it has not worked. So more planters have left the country. The outlook is very poor. I have been without a good house and have barely managed to build a house.”

              “Looking on the bright side, I have applied for land. They call for bids and everyone can apply. Even some local people apply and get large parcels of land if the government thinks that the  person has the funds and is able to use the land to grow coffee.” 

              “My contract has some months to run. So I will try to do some thing here during this time. We are going to plant cinchona which is used for preparing medicines to treat malaria. Some of the plantation owners are trying to grow tea. Tea plants are sent here from Assam in India. It’s not been a great success. The prices for Ceylon tea are not good. The taste is not what the tea tasters want. But I’m trying to work on this. There is a Dr. Tom Barron who is helping me to grow tea and try different methods of making tea. Tea rolling by hand is the best. The quality is good but the cost is high. It’s difficult to compete with tea made in China and India. But I’m going to try. I’m thinking of using a machine to dry the tea and roll it. This will keep the cost of labour low. But it’s not easy to find companies that can build a machine even if I can find the money.”

              “The mosquitoes are a problem but it’s not bad at all up in the hills. It’s very cool most of the time. There are plenty of insects around.”

              “Please give my love and best wishes to all at home. “James”                                                                                

                       James posted the letter. He felt a little dizzy at the post office. He put it down to the beers he had been drinking in the hotel. The return trip was not easy as finding transport was always a problem. He managed to get on a coach which was going in the direction of Loolecondere. 

=======================

CHAPTER 9

              When James arrived, Sinniah was waiting anxiously. 

              “ I’m not happy about Periya Dorai McKenzie not giving you transport Mr. James. He should be sending you two horses and a carriage. That’s normal. He is not treating you like a dorai. All of us are not happy about the way things are being done by the company.” said Sinniah.

              “ Don’t worry too much Sinniah. Tell everybody that I will do my best with what the company is giving. My trip to Kandy was to apply for land. Keep this quiet. Don’t tell anybody about it. It might reach McKenzie.” said James.

              “ Yes. I will keep it secret. No need for all to know about this.” said Sinniah.

              “ I feel a bit hot. Maybe I should lie down for a while. How is the work going? I will come out and see what’s happening in a little while.” said James.

              “ It could be malaria. It’s best to rest. I will get some tablets.”

              “ I’ve got some tablets. I’m going to take them. By the way we will be growing chinchona which is a plant used for treating malaria.” said James.

              “ I’ve heard about this plant. I’ve never been to any plantation where they are growing cinchona.” said Sinniah.

              “ Robert, the botanist at Peradeniya,  will be sending us these plants. George Pride is arranging for us to get more from Haggala.”

              “ They say George Pride is the owner and McKenzie is the manager sir” said Sinniah.

                          James felt dizzy and tired. He felt he was about to drop down.

              “I’m going to lie down. Call me if you want me to do something.”

              “ I’m bringing a glass of water. Take your tablet before going to lie down.” said Sinniah , walking away .

              James was in bed for three days. He only saw a blurr when his eyes opened. He did not know whether it was day or night. He thought he saw Thangam. But he was too weak to check it out. He did get up and go to the toilet. He drank hot soup. It felt like he was drinking watery rice. He fell asleep. He thought he heard Thangam talking to him. Asking him how he felt. He could not answer. He only wanted to sleep. He heard Sinniah’s voice and the voices of several people. But he could not sit up and talk. Talking was out. His head felt like it was in a vice, things pressing his head from all directions. More voices could be heard. One voice was Thangam’s. He could feel soft fingers feeling his forehead and saying some words in Tamil.

              After three days, he finally felt he could hear voices and people walking outside the bedroom, he opened his eyes and looked around. The fever had left him. He had no strength in him to get up and go outside. He lay in bed and lazily looked out through the window. His eyes could barely open as the Sun was bright. And then he heard Thangam’s  voice. Thangam was there talking in Tamil. He had a feeling he was in safe hands. He wanted her to come in. He did not have the strength to go outside.   

              He heard some one walk in. He opened his eyes. Thangsm walked in as if she heard his wishes. Thangam bent over and kissed him on his cheek. They embraced. She walked to the door and closed it without making a sound. She came back and slipped into the bed. They held each other tightly. 

“ Are you feeling alright” she whispered into his ear.

“ Much better. I’m feeling almost normal.”

“ You were very ill. The doctor came and said that it must be malaria. We had to tell Mr. Mckenzie that you were having fever.” said Thangam.

“ Yes. I understand.”

“He sent the doctor from Kandy.”

“ I cannot remember seeing a doctor”

“ You were still sleeping when the doctor placed the thermometer under your arm.”

“ I must have been asleep.”

“You look much better now”

“I’m feeling much better. Can I have a bath?”

“ Alright. I’ll get the hot water ready. Before I go I want to see you.” she said. 

              She removed the sheet and stroked him below. The response was quick and hard. She bent down  and sucked it and sat on him, leaned over and offered her breasts. He was delighted. He felt more than normal. He felt fully energised and happy. Her pale brown breasts were beautiful. He looked at them, sucked them and licked them. She moved gently and then moved with a sense of urgency. He felt himself releasing. She began to breath heavily and then gently fell over him.

              “ Is Samuel around.” asked James.               

              “I brought him with me. He must be playing in the garden ”

              “  I must see him. Did I tell you that I applied for land.” 

              “ I know you went to Kandy to apply for land.”

              “ Yes. Thats what I went for . Don’t let anyone know.”

              “ My father told me about it and he warned me not to tell anyone.”

              “ I also met Mr. George Pride and Dr. Tom Barron. Mr. Pride wants me to grow chinchona.”

              “What’s cinchona?”

              “It’s a herbal plant. It can be used for treating malaria.”

              “ So you won’t be growing coffee?”

              “ I will be growing both coffee and cinchona.”

              “ It must be the cinchona plants that came this morning.”

              “ That’s good.  Robert has sent it. But tell me, how come you are here.”

              “ I heard you were very sick and the doctor came.”

              “ It’s good you are here. I’m going to be very busy now. Dr. Barron said I can grow some tea plants  to see if it grows well in Loolecondere. He will help me to make it grow well. If it grows well, I can stop coffee.”

              “ That’s good. The coffee plants  are not growing well.”

              “ I know but right now there is no choice. I’ve got to keep McKenzie happy.”

              “ McKenzie dorai came  when you were in Kandy.”

              “ And what did your people tell him.?”

              “ My father told him that you went to the botanical gardens to check out if there were any medicines for coffee blight. My father had shown him the plants which were already catching coffee blight.”

              “ That’s good. I don’t want to talk to Mckenzie.”
“ Are you feeling alright now. Do you want me to boil water for a bath.”

              “ Yes. I’m feeling much better” said James grabbing her waist and holding her tight, her slender body almost disappearing into his. They kissed again.  

              “ I’m going to boil the water and make some breakfast for you. You haven’t eaten well for three days.” said Thangam getting into her dress. She wore a sort of saree sometimes. A shorter version of the saree. This version of the saree was attractive as a little bit more of the waist could be seen below the blouse. 

              She went out and he could hear her talking to someone. He could hear the sound of the bucket clanging. Water was being poured from the fifty gallon drum into a cauldron. He could hear the water being poured. The sounds stopped. He knew the cauldron was on the fire. It would be ten or fifteen minutes for the water to heat up enough to take a hot bath.                 James felt confused. McKenzie had come when he was away. He must have come to try to get him to go back. Mckenzie can reduce his expenses if James goes away. He can even cut down on the labour force expenses. Being a manager, he was interested in reducing his expenses and showing a profit.  James had a contract for another six months at least. But what would happen if the six months is up and nothing has changed. Where could he find work? George Pride was his only hope. But Pride was also facing a severe problem with most of his plantations being hit by the coffee blight. What was more confusing was the tea situation. Now he had to start cinchona. And get it going well to prove that he was a good planter who could be relied on to produce the goods. 

              Thangam came in. She looked lovely. He wanted to get her in bed again but he also felt a tiredness and a need to have a bath and freshen himself up. He took the towel she had left on the bed and walked towards the door. Thangam called out to him to take his change of cloths. He came back to the bed and took his freshly laundered cloths and walked to the bathing cubicle. The water felt refreshing and warm as he washed away three days of sweat.  He felt good. He even forgot that McKenzie was likely to come back at any time. The ground had been prepared for the new batch of coffee plants. The soil had been dug up about two metres apart leaving enough room for the plants to grow. It would be at least an year before it becomes clear that the plant had taken hold.

              James changed after the bath and walked out knowing that Thangam would collect his cloths and wash them. He felt good about it as it felt as if there was someone like his mother who really cared about him and did everything to make him happy. He found Samuel in the garden Punya the girl helping Thangam was with him. He carried Samuel and kissed him. They walked out together looking at the flowers. Samuel stopped near the jasmine plant and picked up a few of the flowers. They walked back to the house.

              After taking Samuel back , James walked out towards the place where the new plants had been planted. There was visible progress, enough to impress Mckenzie or at least enough to show that work had been done. James could not have had a better team. Thangam felt part of the team. She was in fact the most important part of the team, making sure that James’s health was sustained. Malaria had killed many workers during the rainy season. His team had lost three workers. All taken away to a crematorium where a funeral pyre was built with logs and the body placed on the pyre and burned all night. He had to make sure that he was not a victim of malaria. Thangam was there to look after him and Sinniah was there to keep the team moving. She had never asked for money. 

              His falling ill suddenly and without a warning made him realise that living in a tropical country was not all fun and enjoyment. There were hidden enemies, the bugs that got you very sick suddenly. Many warnings were given by the company officials but at the time it seemed like they being over cautious. But it had been now proven that the warnings had to be taken seriously. Malaria and dysentery were rampant and it was important to heed the warnings and take precautions. 

              After inspecting the new plantings, he watched the workers prepare the soil for the next batch of plants. The holes for the plants were dug using mammoties, a strange looking tool. It was meant to dig the soil, like a spade. In Scotland, the spade was the tool used to dig the soil. Here it was a mammoty which was swung in the air and brought down onto the soil to dig into the soil. James came back to the house. 

                                                                        *                 *                *

                             Thangam had made breakfast. There was bacon and eggs. She had made coconut roti, a type of flat bread. He enjoyed it with the taste of coconut coming through. There was coconut milk, coconut sugar, ripe bananas and sambal, chilli mixed with coconut, to go with it.  He found the chilli sambal quite hot but used very small amounts along with coconut milk.   Samuel sat and ate some breakfast with his father. Thangam stood aside while they ate. She did not want to sit with them even though he had asked her to join him. She would be around making sure that they took extra helpings of the meal she had prepared. 

              The lunch food preparation was called puttu. It was one of his favourites. Samuel also seemed to enjoy puttu. It was made with rice flour. Coconut was scraped on a coconut scraper. He had heard this strange sound of scraping and had walked towards the kitchen to investigate. Thangam was seated on the coconut scraper. It was a low slung stool just enough to sit on. The metal scraper was protruding from the stool. The coconut was split open with a heavy knife. She sat sideways on a scraping stool  and scraped the flesh of the coconut against the metal teeth of the scraper. The scraped coconut fell into a round basket made of coconut leaves. The scraped coconut  was mixed into the rice flour with salt added. He had watched her make it. It seemed a difficult process but interesting.  The rice flour mixed with coconut was placed in a hollowed out bamboo steamer and steamed. The steam produced a delicious flavour and aroma stirring the appetite. He looked at Thangam while he ate. Thangam also looked at him as he ate. A smile played on her face. He found the colour of her skin irresistible. She must have been equally attracted because she kept looking at him with a smile.

              He finished eating, thanked her for the meal and walked out of the house with Samuel  telling Thangam that he will be coming after he had finished his rounds of inspections to check on the progress of the plantings. Punya followed to take Samuel back home.

              There was a cottage next to the kitchen. It must have been built for Sinniah as he was now helping out in both locations, Narangghena and Loolecondere. Thangam must be sleeping in the same cottage to avoid being seen by Mckenzie. James carried Samuel and gave him a big kiss before Punya took Samuel and walked back home.   

              Walking further, he could see that several acres had been cleared and coffee trees had been planted. Some tall trees had been left standing. It must be to provide shade for workers working in the hot Sun, he concluded. Walking further towards a hill he could hear the faint murmur of water, which brought memories of Scotland. He kept walking towards the area where the familiar sound of water was coming from and came to the waterfall. It became clear that this was where they got much of the water for the plants to grow, when the dry season set in. It would also provide water for the watermill.  

              The hill was planted with coffee trees. It was a pleasant walk. He felt he had recovered from his illness. He could walk a long distance without feeling tired. The hill had a steep drop on the other side. He walked up there and he could see that there was road at the bottom. It could have been one of the roads connecting various plantations. He also remembered that Robert had spoken of a railroad that was going to be built from Colombo to Ambepussa, a small town about half way to Colombo. He wondered if the railway would come all the way to Kandy where the hills were steep and even the roads seemed to be very risky for travellers. 

              He took a walk to his favourite spot overlooking the valley and sat on the rock and gazed at the scenery. He never tired of the view over Gurugal area. The mild pleasant valley seemed to hypnotise him. He wanted to walk. 

              He had walked for almost two hours and was ready to come back home and take a rest. On his return  home, he noticed a flock of red and green parakeets  on one of the trees chattering and tweeting. He stopped to take a long look at them. They were very beautiful birds. It seemed a good thing that some trees were left standing so that birds could come and take a rest from their daily flights looking for fruit.

              When he walked to the far end of the estate, there were bullock carts travelling on the road laden with timbers and bamboo for scaffolding. Some carried tiles made from red soils. There was construction going on somewhere close by.

              James got home before the Sun went down. Thangam was cooking. The small girl was helping her. He went inside the house, took off his shoes and socks. He sat on the chair for a few minutes and went to the bath area for a wash. The water was warm, ready for him to have his wash. He thought of installing the kind of outdoor shower seen in catalogues made by the Army and Navy store. It seemed a waste of effort trying to place an order for a shower  when there were many things to do. He had his dinner. Samuel sat on James’s lap for a while eating bits of food from James’s plate. Thangam was there standing close by . 

              After dinner, James played with Samuel for a while before Samuel was taken to bed.James went to his room for a little rest after his long walk. He fell asleep almost immediately. He felt the bed moving slightly and woke up. It was Thangam snuggling up to him. He was delighted. He hugged her. Her warm body against him. Her hand was on his him,stroking it, and bending over . He was floating in a sea of bliss as she got on him and moved gently. It was a feeling he could not describe.  He was happy as never before. He had everything he would ever want, he thought. 

              When he woke up in the morning, she was gone. He did not notice any movement. He could hear the coconut being scraped for breakfast. It could have been for making sago pudding which he loved. Or it could be for making coconut roti which was delicious with a dab of butter while it was still warm. 

              He gathered his towel, toothbrush and shaving kit and walked out towards the bath enclosure. After his bath and shave he returned to his room. He could see Thangam laying the table. If only he had no problems with Mckenzie, he could have relaxed and enjoyed his life with Thangam. Samuel had to be hidden to avoid  McKenzie will take advantage to put pressure on him. Even Robert had mentioned in some conversation that having a baby with a local woman was considered a serious situation.  He had no solution right now except  to face the problem when it happened.

              Thangam came into his room and whispered in his ears: “ Come for breakfast. But before that give me a kiss.”  He was delighted to grant her request but the deep kiss gave him excited. He closed the door and took off his cloths. Thangam was getting out of her dress. He kissed where he could taste her . He made love to her, relishing the sudden impulse and delightful feeling of being content with life, at least for the moment.  

                After breakfast James walked through the plantation again. Work was going on in various points where groups of workers were planting coffee trees. He gave instructions about planting the cinchona trees on the side.

              He walked out to the furthest point where there were no workers and saw a row of plants which seemed different. On closer inspection he found them to be straggly tea bushes. When he returned to to the house he spoke to Sinniah.

              “I saw tea bushes at the furthest point of the plantation. Who planted them?”asked James.

              “ I planted them. These bushes were brought by some workers and I told them to plant them somewhere in case you want to check them sometime.” said Sinniah.

              “ That’s good. Please have some leaves plucked because I want to see how they roll the tea leaves.” said James.

              “ I can show you the way the Indian workers do it.” said Sinniah.

              “ Ah. That’s good. I was reading about the way they do it in China.” said James.

              “ That’s good. Some of the workers were talking about tea being planted in a place called Ootacamund in South India.” said Sinniah.

              “ That’s interesting. I want to go to Assam and Darjeeling to learn about making tea. I’m very interested in tea.”

              “ That’s very good Mr. Taylor. I’m also very interested in tea. I want to become a tea maker one day Mr. Taylor.”

              “ That’s very good Sinniah. I might go to India and  learn as much as I can from British planters working in India. You can learn from workers whom you meet. We can compare notes.”

              “ That’s a very good idea sir. Tea seems to be the good plant for Ceylon.  The coffee trees are dying.”

              “ Yes. I agree. But there is a very good demand for coffee. Tea is only being drunk by rich people in England. Maybe because the price is high.”

              “That’s not good. We can grow tea as you can see. This area Loolecondere and even Narangghena is good for tea growing.” said Sinniah.

              “ Yes. I can see that. Have more tea plants growing but grow them where McKenzie can’t see it. He will use any excuse to get me out.”

              “ Alright. We will place the plants out of the way or  on the roadside where it will only be a decoration and it will stop the soil from breaking down.”  said Sinniah.

              “ That’s fine. I’m going to try out the hand rolling. Have you done it?” asked James.

              “ Yes. I’ve tried it. It’s very slow but it come out as good tea after it’s been dried.”

              “ Okay. That’s what I want to try. Then I will work out how I can build a machine that will do that work” said James.

              “ So far there are no machines to do this work Mr. Taylor.” said Sinniah.

              “ That’s okay. I’m going to design one.”

              “ Alright sir. Are you going to send the design to England?”

              “That won’t be easy. Nobody will build a machine without the order coming from a reputable company. I’m thinking of finding a company in Ceylon.”

              “ Very few companies in Ceylon that can build machines.” said Sinniah.

              “I’m going to look around for one in Kandy. If not, I may have to go to Colombo. McKenzie will make a big deal about my going.”

              “ Yes. He will find out somehow.”

              “ Can you arrange for someone to go and get some tea leaves. One basket of tea will do.”

              “ Alright. I ‘ll send someone who knows about tea leaves” said Sinniah walking away.

              Seeing that Sinniah had gone, James wanted find Thangam. He walked around  and heard washing sounds in the bathing cubicle. He walked to the cubicle and called out:

              “ Thangam please come over to the house.” 

              “ I’m coming” responded Thangam.

                             He heard her talking in Tamil to Punya, the small girl.

              He walked way back to the house and changed into a pair of shorts. Thangam came into the room and shut the door and locked it. 

              “ Hello. You came back early.” she said. 

              “ Yes. I sent your father to find some women to pluck some tea leaves. Meantime I wanted to be doing something nice with you.” he said. 

              Thangam took off her dress and got into bed. He took his shorts off.  

              “ Are you going to make tea from green leaves?” she asked. Her words came in bits and pieces as she bent down on him. James fondled her pinkish brown breasts while she was massaging him.

              “ Yes. I’m planning to learn how to make tea. I will need some help.” he said as she climbed over into bed. James went inside slipping easily through as she was ready.

              “ Is it alright for you to plant tea. Won’t McKenzie dorai make trouble?” she asked  kissing him on his lips and giving his lips a quick bite.

              “ Yes. McKenzie will make a fuzz. But I’m doing this in secret.” he mumbled, quickening his movement.

              “ Don’t let anyone see you. We don’t know if some of the workers are going to be questioned by McKenzie about the work going on here.” she said offering her breasts, the nipples enlarged by the excitement.

              James  savoured the smoothness and wanted to stay inside her forever. He felt her tightening her muscles around his erection.

              “ No. I’m going to try this out in this room. Rolling tea by hand seems to be a difficult  way of making tea. I want to make a machine. I want design a crusher which will gently crush the tea. And a roller to roll the tea. Maybe you can come and we do it together.”

              Thangam laughed. 

              “ I don’t know anything about making tea. Oh..Oh..” she said with a moan  as she let out a groan. 

              “ What happened” asked James.

              “ Do it yourself.” she said closing her eyes and relaxing her body.

              “ That was quick” 

              “ You do it by yourself.” she said closing her eyes.

              Looking at Thangam’s peaceful face, James felt a surge of love for Thangam. She looked angelic. He was happy to stay inside her. He kissed her on her cheeks and when he kissed her on her lips he felt himself releasing.

              They got dressed. 

“ I will get the lunch ready.” said Thangam walking out towards the kitchen.

===========================================

CHAPTER  10

              James walked out after lunch. it was a sunny afternoon. A very pleasant one.  He felt happy. He put his worries away and enjoyed the walk. He looked out any signs of coffee blight on the young plants. They were growing well. There was no sign of any disease.  This could be one of the few plantations that will survive the blight, he thought as he walked briskly, his boots digging into the soil. He needed to bring some aggregates and stones to make the paths stronger. It may all wash away when the rains came. He stopped to examine the trees that were looking taller and stronger. Some of the coffee trees were much taller and the leaves bright green with no signs of any insect attack. 

              He walked towards the East where the Cinchona plants were growing. They were in a good condition. He could make a success of the Cinchona. He thought about the railway that was going to come to Ambepussa. This could mean that even tea could be grown in addition to coffee and Cinchona. He was excited to think that he would be able to grow three crops in the same estate and coffee in Narangghena. 

              He became a regular walker along the estate. He enjoyed his walks and looked forward to his walking. He returned at lunch time and rested awhile after lunch. Thangam   cooked carrots, beetroot, cabbage, and turnips regularly which made him feel that he was much appreciated. He in turn appreciated Thangam, Sinniah and the workers. They worked without supervision. The kankanee was hardly needed as they seemed to share their work among themselves, cooperating with each other in getting the planting done at a fast pace. 

                                                                        *                 *                 *

              He had had a peaceful two weeks before McKenzie arrived suddenly. Getting off his horse he looked around.

              “ I can see you have been working hard.  Narangghena is also coming along even though the coffee plants seem to be suffering already. But I must warn you that these coffee trees are likely to produce nothing. They grow well when planted. It’s when they come to fruiting that the problem begins. The fruits fail to grow. The blight hits them at that stage. So my advice is the same. You are young. You career is ahead of you. Coffee planting has no future. We all know it. That is why eighty percent of planters have gone away. Just a couple of hundred are still left.” he said.

              “ Yes. I realise that it’s not going to be easy. But the Cinchona is growing well. I believe tea will grow well. Dr. Tom Barron believes tea is the way to go.” replied James.

              “ Tom Barron is a fool. He should know that even the Rothschilds failed to produce tea. They brought experienced planters from India. They tried everything. It all failed. You should know that.”

              “ Yes. I heard about their trying out tea in Ceylon. But I think we should give it a go again.”

              “ James you are a young man. You are barely twenty. You must think of a career away from coffee and tea planting. I heard that you were training to be a teacher. Why not go back to a noble profession.”

              “  I was an apprentice teacher. But I did not like it very much. I wanted to get away from being a teacher.”

              “ That’s understandable. You tried to become a teacher but it did not suit you. Why not try some thing else. Why not be a farmer. Like your father. I know you come from a farming background.”

              “ That’s not something I want to do. I did help my father with his farm. It was not something I want to do. I like Ceylon. I want to do my best for the company.”

              “ I want to have a look at the coffee trees again. The Cinchona seems alright.” said McKenzie walking out into the plantation followed by James.

              The well laid out plantation stretched before them. Birds twittered and some flew out as they walked. The black and white dog walked along with them. It barked a few times as if to warn the birds that he was coming to visit them.

              “ Did you know that forty thousand planters have left Ceylon in the last six months.” asked Mckenzie.

              “ I didn’t know the numbers. But I did know that many had left,”

              The sky was a deep blue. Clouds were arriving and gathering. It was certain that it will rain later in the day.

              “ George Pride doesn’t want to face the facts. He thinks Cinchona will be a success and all the planters will be back working for him.” said McKenzie.

              “ Cinchona is growing well and the prices are holding, from what I heard.” said James.

              “ Ah. That’s the problem. The prices are holding because the new plantations are still growing and there is a shortage of malaria drugs. The price will drop as soon s the plantations start producing and the cinchona hits the market.” said McKenzie

              “ That might happen but for now it is a good idea to grow cinchona” replied James.

              “ Yes and no. What happens after the hard work has been done for cinchona. That investment has to be recovered. Besides some Ceylonese have been given land. They have the funding too. These Ceylonese are employing Indians to plant their land.” said McKenzie.

              “ Are you saying the Ceylonese might oust the British planters?”

“ Yes. That possibility exists. The government does not do much to help us planters even though we are British planters.George Pride has been lobbying Governor Gregory to help by spending on roads. But Gregory is saying the Treasury has no budgeted funds for roads in Ceylon. The only hope he is offering is railways. There is a plan is to complete the first section of the railway by two years. That would be 1864. We can rely on the railway to carry the coffee from Ambepussa to Colombo for shipment.”

              “ That’s great news. It could mean that the railway will come to Kandy soon after.” said James.

              “ Ambepussa to Kandy is the difficult half. The worst areas are in Kadigannawa. You must have noticed that horses had to be changed every few hours when passing that area.  I have to go I have to visit several plantations today.” said McKenzie as they walked back to the house.

              As they passed the bathing enclosure McKenzie heard water being used in a bucket and looked at the enclosure.

“ Listen here Taylor.” he said quickening his walking. “ I have to warn you again. I know you are with this woman. That’s not something that the company encourages. So you have to do something before the woman gets into family way.”

“ I will be careful Mr. McKenzie” he said, knowing well that he was lying and that the matter was already beyond a remedy. 

              “ Taylor, my salary has been reduced. I am making preparations to travel in case there is a more serious situation.  I’m getting ready for the worst. You should be doing the same. Get ready to go. Don’t rely cinchona. It’s a fad. There are much better remedies for malaria. It’s not likely to catch on. No. Not at all. A dozen labourers passed away last month no doubt due to malaria. You don’t want to catch malaria or any of the other diseases like dysentery. These are tropical diseases. We have no resistance to these diseases. It’s touch and go. Cinchona hasn’t helped to save these labourers.”

              “ Thanks for the warnings, Mr. McKenzie. I will be careful” said James.

              “ Being careful will not help. Things happen which are beyond your control. The native woman you are having is against the rules. This is how things happen beyond your control.” 

              James did not respond. He stood in silence.

              “ Well. I’ve got to go. You think hard about what i have said. Goodbye” said McKenzie before getting on his horse and riding away.

                                                                        *      *       *

              James felt depressed. He had thought about leaving. But what had he look forward to? Nothing really. He won’t be able to become an apprentice teacher once again. He did not want to work in his father’s farm. He did not want to leave Thangam. That was the point. He did not see how he could be happy without Thangam in his life. Life in these warm countries was very pleasant.     

              He went to his bedroom and laid down on the bed. It was getting too much. McKenzie was not lying. He was stating facts. Only about ten percent of the planters were left in the country. Coffee was definitely on it’s way out. Coffee blight  was happening in many countries. There was little defence against it. Here he was planting coffee trees hoping against hope. Even George Pride was doing the same, hoping against hope. Things could change around by some lucky chance. Cinchona was growing well but the price was still not known. Nobody knew whether some other anti malaria medication would be a better bet.

              There was a tap on the door. Before he could say anything the door opened and Thangam came inside and locked the door. She came and stood near him smiling. He could feel his excitement even as she stood beside him. Her hand unbuttoned his shirt. After unbuttoning his shirt, her hand unbuttoned his trouser. Her fingers were inside his pants stroking him and gripping him. He pulled her pants down slowly rolling it. They were hand-made pants with strings to tie. He untied the strings and the pants were on the bed. She removed her dress. Her small belly button made him fondle her tummy and kiss it. The soap smell was still there on her skin. He sat up and hugged her. She stood between his feet. Her naked body made him feel a rush of love for her.  When he first saw her belly it was flat and he loved it.  He never failed to kiss her belly. 

              “It’s all yours” she said. He kissed her from her belly going down. He could feel her wetness.  She bent down and offered her full round brown breasts. She felt the softness of his tongue. He stood up and she was below his chest. He had to bend low to kiss her on her lips. She climbed up on the bed and they lay feeling each other until he could not bear it any more. He entered her.    

              The dog barked and he wondered who could be coming. Seeing the expression on his face she whispered: “ That’s my father. He had to visit some relatives who were ill. He is coming back.” she said. They made love. She moaned and sighed each time he moved. It was a delicious sound. It gave him deep satisfaction. She was such lovely woman. She responded wonderfully. And she groaned and went silent. Sometimes she said a word or two as if she could not bear the pleasure. He knew she was in a world of her own. And when she went silent, he continued slowly savouring the the pleasure.

                                                                                      *

              James was up early. Thangam was out of the room making breakfast. Samuel was with Punya. James stopped and carried Samuel and gave him a kiss.

              James went out with his towel towards the bathing cubicle. the dog came along and snuggled against him. James stopped and squatted down patting the dog. The dog wanted to raise it’s front legs and he held the legs and the dog seemed to be pleased with it. 

              James brushed his teeth and had a bath. He got back to his room and changed. He went for breakfast. Thangam was ready with fried eggs, bread and home made jam. He ate his breakfast. 

              After breakfast, he walked out and was walking towards the Cinchona area when Sinniah walked towards him briskly.

“ Hello Sinniah.” said James.

“ Good morning Mr. Taylor.” said Sinniah.

“ I wanted to go and see the Cinchona” said James.

“ That’s good Mr. Taylor. I wanted to discuss my problem with Thangam” said Sinniah

“ Go ahead. What is it?” asked James.

“ Thangam is not married and she has a child.”

“ Oh! Sorry. I have to say I am responsible for this situation.” 

“ In our traditions, it is not allowed Mr. Taylor. Only married women can have children”

“ I understand. It’s something that I regret. But I am not in a position to stop this. As I said,  I’m ready to face my responsibilities. I’m not going to run away.” said James.

“ I have to face my responsibilities too. Our families will be very disappointed if a child is born outside marriage.” said Sinniah.

“ Okay. You go ahead. Make your arrangements,” said James somewhat annoyed but he controlled himself and walked away.

              The dog followed him and they walked towards the Cinchona. He inspected the  plants. They were in a good healthy state. He walked on towards the coffee plantation. There was no denying that there were little bits of dust settled on the leaves. The dog seemed to know what was going on because it twitched its nose under the tree in a grave manner, as if it knew that something nasty was going on.

              Finally, James made his way towards the corner where the tea plants grew. He plucked a few leaves to add to the tea he was rolling in the house just to get more experience in the art of rolling tea. He had a little bag in his pocket for collecting tea leaves from plants he saw while walking. These  tea bushes along paths were planted  as a decorative addition.He walked home. It was a pleasant day. There had been some rain the previous day, signs of the monsoon. The rain he was assured did affect the tea during the rolling. The moisture in the air was a factor when it came to making tea.

              He looked at the tea that he and Thangam had rolled. They looked like cigars that had been unrolled. The tea was placed on woven mats which were suitable for rolling tea. The mats were made from palm trees. Rolling on metals seemed to produce a flavour which was not highly prized. Rolling on mats made from coconut palm fronds seemed to be the way to go. Perhaps it was the additional ventilation that was available from mats made from palm fronds.

              Thangam came in and they sat together rolling the tea that was gathered by James that afternoon. Thangam sat on the floor and James sat on his chair.

“ Would you like your dinner early. I’m nearly done.” she said.

“ I would like to have you early since I’m done rolling tea” said James holding her tight. James felt she was more mature suddenly, a woman rather than a girl. He kissed her as they stood, feeling her tongue meeting his in gentle jabs. She was taking his trousers off as they stood. He lifted her dress off her shoulders as they continued to kiss and dropped the dress down to the cement floor. He entered her lifting her up and placing her on his hips. It took only a few kisses to make her wet and smooth inside. 

              Thangam and James lay on the bed exhausted after the standing for nearly ten minutes, James carrying her on his hips.

“ Your father was talking to me yesterday. He is worried that your being pregnant will cause family problems.”

“ Yes. He was talking to me as well. I’m happy to have the baby.” she said.

“ I told him that I’m happy as well. Company has rules about getting married. The terms are different for married people. That’s why the company gets difficult.”

“ Any way, I told him I will cooperate” said Thangam.

“ Alright. You know how I feel about it don’t you?” said James.

“ Yes. Darling I love you.”

“ Thank you honey. You are my gold, because your name means gold,  and my honey.” he said. 

              She kissed him. 

“Okay dinner time “ she said and walked out of the room.

              After dinner, they sat together rolling tea and experimenting with various ways of rolling and crushing tea leaves.       

                                                                       *                *                  *

            CHAPTER 11

              Thangam went home to visit her mother as she was having a fever. Sinniah accompanied her. She took Samuel with her. They did not return that night.

              James decided to go to Sinniah’s house. The company rules did not allow him to visit worker’s houses unless it was to attend to a maintenance problem. He could always say the he went there to check out a roof or other problem, in case McKenzie questions him. When he got to the house, he was surprised. In fact it was just one room with a pit toilet outside. There was no furniture except two small chairs at the entrance door. There were only two tiny windows. They were covered by two home made curtains made from cheap clothing. 

              “Thank you for coming Sir. We are honoured.” said Sinniah.   

              “ Not at all. I’m very sorry that your house is so small.” said James.

              “ We have got used to this house. It’s not very good but we manage.”

              “I’m not happy about this at all. I’m not happy that our workers are having to live in these conditions. It’s not fair at all. But there is little I can do about it as money is tight.” 

              “It’s how they built the lines. They were like temporary houses. But the permanent houses never got built.” said Thangam.

              “ You are right. This is meant to be temporary. I wish I could do something about it. But the company seems to be having money problems too.”

              “I will come over soon. Sorry that the girl Punya is not very good at cooking.” said Thangam.

              “She is doing well. Your father helps her. ”said James.

              “ I hope you are getting good food.” she said.

“ The food is fine. I can cook a few dishes as well. I do a broth sometimes. Punya cuts the vegetables. I make a stew with the vegetables, potatoes, a piece of mutton  and whatever is there.”

              “That’s good. I must try your broth sometime. Are you getting late” Thangam asked.

              “ I must be getting along. I’ve got to do a report for the company on the coffee trees. I’m expecting Robert to come over sometime next week. He is interested in looking at the tea plants. He has been getting new batches from Assam. He might bring some seedlings when he comes.” said James as he got up to go. James waved goodbye as he left.

              James went to the coffee plantation to check on the condition of the plants. There was some coffee rust on the leaves but it was not as severe as in some other plantations. Sinniah had told him that the situation could get worse when the fruiting season comes along. When he returned from the inspection, he wrote a report for the company about the situation in Loolecondere plantation. He planned to go Narangghena the next day. He had to inspect both plantations and write reports. Six months had passed by and the reports had to be sent to Colombo.

              He went to bed feeling tired. He put it down to his walking around. He was up early as usual but felt rather tired. His body seemed to feel sluggish. He stayed in bed an extra ten minutes but the tiredness persisted. He forced himself to get out of bed and go out with his toothbrush and towel. He brushed his teeth. He had his wash, got dressed, had breakfast and went out on his rounds. He felt a little dizzy. He could feel tiny flickers of pain on the right side of his head. That did not stop him. he kept moving along but he had a buzz in his head. He really must get back and rest, he thought. James completed his planned tasks for the day. But he felt exhausted when he got home. He had his favourite soup with potato, cabbage, carrots, sweet potato and meat and went off to sleep. All he needed was a good rest.

              The next day he felt worse. He even felt feverish. He got dressed and was having his breakfast. Sinniah came in with an anxious look on his face.

: Morning Sinniah” said James.

“Good morning Mr. Taylor. Punya had sent word to Thangam that you were sick. Are you feeling alright Sir”

“ A little bit under the weather but nothing serious”

“ There is a lot of malaria going around. Are you sure you are feeling alright. It’s drizzling out in the valley sir. Best to stay at home.”

“ I’ll be alright. I want to mark out some areas for the plants that Robert will bring” said James.

“ Alright.” said Sinniah.

                             James walked out wearing his hat. The drizzle seemed to turn into steady rain. The umbrella he carried helped but the wind had picked up and he was wet all over before long. 

              He inspected the tea plants. They were growing well but the leaf was rather thick and seemed to be unsuitable for good quality tea. There had been talk that Harrison, a plantation owner, had brought over many new plants from Assam. He had a reputation as a planter who wanted high-quality tea. He was even known to be evangelical about tea, being a member of the temperance movement in England which was aiming at stopping beer being consumed in homes as the water was not fit for drinking. Harrison had become a part owner of many estates including Loolecondere and was keen to grow good quality tea. It seemed like James would be planting the new variety very soon.

              James returned home after about three hours. The little boy Samuel was there. The boy was six months old. James carried him and sat on the chair. He normally enjoyed his time with Samuel. But today he was not feeling his usual self.

              He was definitely feeling feverish. He could hardly eat. The lunch looked good but his sense of smell was had disappeared. He wanted to eat something to show Punya and Sinniah that their effort was worthwhile.  Each bite of food was tasteless. The whitewashed walls seemed to be dizzying him. The wind seemed to be howling and buzzing inside his ears. He felt he could just about get up and get himself into bed. 

“ Thank you very much for the lovely food” he said getting up after eating, feeling unsteady. Punya came in to clear the dishes but looked at him and went back to the kitchen.

              He wanted to get up after an hour’s nap. But spent the afternoon sleeping. He realised he was not fit to go out. The weather was wild out there too. The wind was howling like the monsoon had reached Loolecondere. His body felt numb. He drank a little water. But the water did not taste normal. He could not smell anything in the room, not even the jasmines that Thangam had planted near the window. He went back to sleep. He woke up very late at night. There was a kerosene lamp burning outside. He tried to go outside. He could barely walk. As he stepped outside the room, he could see Sinniah sleeping on a bench. Sinniah had heard the door opening and got up.

“ How are you feeling?” he asked.

“ Not very good. I wanted to check on the kerosene lamp.” said James.

“ We wanted to wait till you got up. You did not eat any dinner. Its ready.”

“ I don’t feel like eating.” 

“ Have something, maybe a piece of bread with the soup”

“Alright. If its all ready.”

“ Yes. It’s ready. ”

“ Alright. I’ll eat something”

              The soup was brought on a soup plate. James dipped the bread in the soup and forced himself to eat his dinner. He went to the toilet and was back in bed.

              The fever gripped him the next day. He was feeling hot and cold at the same time. He was sweating profusely. His sight was affected. The vision was blurred. He curled himself in the bed. Sinniah was coming in and going out every few hours.  When he was awake, James could hear Sinniah’s boots coming close to him and walk away. 

              He could hear someone talking. He could hear Sinniah say something.

“ Have some soup. You will feel better.”

He heard those words three or four times.

He forced himself to get up and drank the soup. He tasted the soup and felt he could not taste anything. He drank the soup, went to the toilet and was back in bed.

              The next day, he could hear voices, including Thangam’s. He felt reassured. He was getting the best attention that he could have.

When he heard Thangam and Sinniah talking in Tamil, he said:

“Hello Thangam.”

“ Hello.  Your fever is bad. We have informed the office in Kandy.”

“ Don’t worry. It will go very soon.”

“ Mr. Robert was also told because he is your friend.”

“ Thank you.”

“ He is coming tomorrow. He said he was coming anyway to talk to you about the tea seedlings.”

“Okay.”

“Will you have some food and some tea?” she asked.

“I’m not hungry.” 

“ Eat at least a bite or two. Drink the soup. It’s going to help.” she said.

              Robert nibbled at the toast but drank the soup. He was thirsty. His body felt like he had been fighting in a boxing match, sore everywhere. He was back in bed. After he had slept for a while, he realised that Thangam was asleep by his side. He kissed her shoulder gently, because he did want her to wake up.. He realised how important she had become in his life. There was a bond that he could not deny. A closeness. A warmness. He had never imagined that he could be feeling so close to a woman. He also had a new bond, the child Samuel. He felt an urge to look for and carry the child. But felt too tired to get up. Besides the fever he was having could be dangerous for a child, he thought.

              It was a week before he felt his strength returning. Meantime, he had a visitor. Robert from the Peradeniya Botanical gardens. 

“ How are you feeling. You could be having malaria,” said Robert.

“ Very poorly. It’s driving me mad. The cold feeling and the same time the hot body.”

“ That is a classic malaria attack. You have been bitten by mosquitos that were carrying the parasite. It’s passed on from other people with malaria.”

“ I guess i was out there where the workers live about a week ago. I was there for about an hour.”

“ That’s all it takes.”

“I’m getting better. Much better. Should be back at work in a day or two”

“ I’ve brought more seedlings for you. The seeds were sent from Assam.”

“ Thanks.  Thats very nice of you. I’m looking forward to working with these seedlings.”

“ You are welcome. Let me know how they are doing. I can come over if you need any help.”

“ That’s very good of you. Yes. I will let you know if there is any problem with the plants.”

“ I should mention that Harrison dropped in to see me. The Harrison who is the joint owner with George Pride of Loolecondere and Naranghena estates . He came to see me and we discussed prospects for planting tea. I told him that tea grows well in this part of the country. I had been experimenting with the tea plants in Peradeniya Gardens and I knew tea will grow well in this part of the hill country.” said Robert.

“ Alright. At least we know that there will be no problem with the tea gardens. I guess it’s the tea making that is a problem.” said James

“ That could be the problem. The difficulty is making high quality tea. The plucking is very labour intensive. The tea rolling is also very labour intensive. They tried to bring Chinese labour. It did not work. Locals objected strongly.” said Robert.

“ What we have to do is to use machines. That’s my answer. You can’t avoid the cost of labour when it comes to plucking. We need the labour from India. We all know that locals don’t want to work in plantations. It’s  not their way of life. They are rice farmers. Mind you I was surprised to find that there is a lot of yams and sweet potatoes growing as well.”

“ You are right. Up here in the hill country, it’s more sweet potatoes. They have them for breakfast and as a snack with coconut. the combination is fantastic.”

“ Agree. I have it sometimes for breakfast.”

“Look, I won’t keep you up any more. If you need a doctor please send word.”

“ Thank you for all the trouble you have taken. I will come over and see you when i feel better.”

“ Not a problem James. Get well soon.”

              Robert left for Peradeniya. Thangam came in quietly after Robert left and got into bed. The fever had subsided. Her hand was on his chest as she lay her head on his shoulder. Her lips touched his cheeks. James felt her soft kisses on his cheeks. He felt his erection stirring and this was a sure sign that he was on the mend. He could see that the skies were a little cloudy. A drizzle was more than likely later in the day. Thangam had placed a fresh bunch of jasmines flowers in her hair and this was a pleasure that enchanted James more than anything else. She felt his erection gently. He felt silky smooth feather like fingers run over his body. He felt energised. Her fingers were feathers moving slowly along his body. They worked a gentle magic. Without his knowing what it was, he could feel his body being energised. She climbed gently over him and inserted and lay quietly, stirring  only to move herself to kiss him. It was bliss.

              James was feeling fine by late afternoon. Thangam told him he should have a herbal bath. He agreed. The herbs were invigorating. She told him that the herbs were leaves and blossoms from the neem tree, a type of eucalyptus. He had heard that the oil made from the seeds of the neem tree was used for rubbing on the body to keep away mosquitoes and insects and was also used as a disinfectant, especially during illness. It had a pungent smell not at all unpleasant. It had a  a fragrance that was refreshing.

              James walked around the plantation feeling a new man. He had never felt better. Life was more relaxing and he was ready for challenges. McKenzie had stopped coming to visit him. His contract had come to an end. Nobody thought it worth their while to persuade him to do things their way. He had become part of the scenery. Not a a stranger any more. People were looking to him to provide leadership for tea planting and many persons came to him looking for work.

              The tea plants were planted along the roadside to provide easy access. There were rows of tea bushes growing. James walked along them and looked forward planting more bushes. he was anxious to begin tea processing properly. He sometimes lay in bed planning a tea machine that would roll the tea. Hand rolling was slow and made the tea expensive. Each person could only roll only a small amount by hand.

              James heard that there was a job coming up which meant that he will be visiting India and learning the tea making methods in Assam and Darjeeling. The job would make him an important man, travelling between India and Ceylon, supervising the planters and advising them on the better methods. He was excited. He applied for the job. He told Thangam about the job. They made plans for his travel. She would stay in the house with the baby Samuel. But he could try to take her with him. He could not do it officially as his status was a single person could not be changed. He would have to wait. If he was allowed married status, all the planters with local women would be entitled to married status. The expenses for the companies would soar at a time when coffee had become a serious problem. Coffee seeds did not grow well,  the way they did before.  Coffee production had fallen badly. Planters had been sent back. He was lucky to be holding onto his job. If he got the job he applied for, he would be made. His salary would be very good and he could be even travelling to Scotland.

              His excitement was short lived. He was told he did not get the job. he was very disappointed. He even felt he should not have come to Ceylon. He would have been treated better  as a teacher. He went about his work in a bad mood. Thangam was hid solace. She was loving and warm and made him feel bright. His life was not so bad after all, he told himself. He had come to be a planter and he was still a planter. He was doing alright. He would soon approach some companies with his design for a tea rolling machine. 

              The tea plants were growing well. He had planned twenty acres of tea. He had reason to be happy. Coffee was definitely going out. Tea was the way forward. Cinchona was a disappointment. The prices had fallen.  Cinchona grew well in the climate. One could say that  it grew well in any climate. It was being grown successfully South America, Asia and even in Africa. That was why the prices collapsed. 

              He was content with his life surely. He looked around the lush hills and the blue skies and he knew he was wrong to to think that life was treating him badly. He came home. As he walked past the window,  the jasmines were smelling lovely. There were birds twittering. He walked inside the house and there was Thangam seated with the baby in her lap. He felt happy. He walked up to Thangam and kissed her. Baby Samuel  saw at him and jumped out of her lap.  

              James looked forward to being with Samuel In the evenings. They took little walks now that Samuel could take a few steps around. Samuel was an early walker. James enjoyed having Samuel in his lap and chatting to Thangam. The baby was very pale skinned. the hair was light brown, very much like his own hair. His son was a beautiful boy. He was going to be a handsome man. the girls were going to be after him. James kissed the child and cuddled him. He was content.

              Two weeks passed by and he went to Kandy to find out the outcome of his application. They had rejected him. He felt numb. He was so sure he was the right man. He had the experience. He was in charge of two estates. He had been planting coffee, cinchona and tea. His coffee was being exported. Why did they reject him? He felt angry. He felt like going into the office and punching the manager. 

              He stayed in the hotel and planned a walk to the government office in the morning to argue his case. He had breakfast, got dressed and started walking towards the government office. He stepped inside the office when he thought of Thangam. What will she do if he is terminated? Will she be able to find a man when she had a white man’s baby? He calmed down. He had a lot going well for him. He had two estates to look after. He had regained his health. He had a loving woman, gifted in her own way, able to mind a house well and able to cook for even a King. He now had the gift of a child. His anger vanished and a smile played on his face. Don’t be stupid, he told himself. He walked out and headed for the hotel for a drink.

                                                          *               *                  *

                           He returned home late in the evening. Thangam took one look at him and went quiet. She was smart. She knew from his expression that he was not his normal self. She smiled a faint smile but did not say much. She could see that even Samuel could not make James feel better when he was looking that grim. She got up and was walking away with Samuel when James called out:

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not going anywhere” she said.

“ But you got up and walked away” he said.

“ i was only going to the kitchen.” 

“ No. You were not. You were walking away when you saw me.”

              She kept walking towards the door without saying anything. James moved fast and blocked her way.

“ Please leave me alone.” she said. Samuel hid behind Thangam sensing tension between his parents. 

“ No i won’t “said James.

“ What’s the problem. Why are you blocking my way. ”

“ No you are not. You are walking away from me.”

“ I’m not going to argue. I want to go out”.

Punya ran in and carried Samuel away out of the house.

              James swung his arms around Thangam and squeezed her tight. She made a choking sound as if she was finding it hard to breath.

“ You will never run away from me. Do you hear woman.” James said.

“Leave me alone. I’m going to take  Samuel to his bed.”

“ No you are not.” said James lifting her off her feet.

“ I’m going to scream.”

“ No you are not.” he said carrying her and walking to the bed.

              He laid her on the bed and locked the door.

              Thangam had turned away and was facing the wall. He pulled her skirt down and held her tight as he removed her under pants.

              “ Cheeky to me are you. I’m going to show you who is the boss here.” said James, dropping his trouser on the floor and getting back into bed. Her round naked bottom made him extremely excited. He felt her bottom with his hands. The silky smooth buttocks made him even more excited when he slipped inside her from behind.  The jasmines in her hair wafted into him as he moved towards the close. He could hear her moaning gently as he moved. The smoothness made him squeeze her harder and she made the sounds that he loved, a sigh almost, a sound of pleasure and happiness. He was in a frenzy. He moved with  extra vigour fuelled by alcohol. When he was finished, he moved over and lay back. 

              Thangam did not turn around. She faced the wall. He forced her to turn around and face him. She turned around but did not smile. He looked at her face. There was an emotion on her face that he had not noticed before.

“ What’s the matter. What did I do. Why are you silent?” he asked.

She did not reply.

“Talk to me. What’s wrong. Okay I went to Kandy and had a few drinks.”

“ You went to Stainton Hotel. You were drunk.” she said.

“ No I was not drunk.” he said

“ You were drunk. I could smell it from a distance” she said

“ Okay. Men must have a drink once in a awhile.”

“ Yes. But I know you have a quiet drink from the whisky bottle almost every day.”

“ How do you know that.”

“ I see the bottle go down a little every day.” she replied.

“ You have been snooping in my cupboard?”

“ No. i clean your cupboard and I can see that the bottle is going down.”

“ I have a quick swig that’s all.”

“ But you drink every day.”

“ Alright my dear. But I don’t get drunk every day, do I?” he asked.

“ You don’t get drunk every day, but you drink very day.”

“Okay. I will stop it.”

“ Is that a promise?”

“ Alright. That’s a promise. Why are you people against a drink?”

“ We don’t like alcohol being drunk especially in the house.”

“ You people are very funny. Alcohol is part of our life in England and Scotland. We don’t drink water like you people. We drink beer. Its safer to drink beer than water.”

“ But drinking alcohol is not good.”

“ Alright my dear. Dr. Tom Barron was telling me that he was hoping that everybody in Europe will drink tea instead of beer because beer was not good.”

“ That is a good man. He is someone i respect. We all respect him” she said.

“ The tea growing in Loolecondere is meant to be exported to England and to other countries like Australia so people will drink tea. The price is too high right now because rolling by hand is making it expensive. Thats why I’m doing all those drawings for a machine that will roll the tea.”

“ Alright. I understand.” said Thangam getting out of bed.

“ Won’t you have something to eat? Maybe a sandwich?” said Thangam.

“ Thank you darling. That will be nice.” said James giving her a hug. The jasmines in her hair clung on giving off their very pleasant scent.

“ You were angry with me. What got into you.” asked James.

“ I don’t like people who get drunk. Even my family noticed that you drink. They are not happy because I’m staying here with you. They want me to find a man to settle down with. There is a man who is willing to get married to me even though I have a child.” she said very slowly.

“ What? What’s all this nonsense?”

“ I love you. I’m not trying to leave you. But my family are unhappy about my not being married. They want me to settle down.” she said walking towards the bed and taking her handkerchief.

“ You know that I’m not allowed to have married status. The company can say I’m not working to the agreement. You know that.” said James

“ Yes. I know. I’ve explained everything. My father has also explained the situation. But the family are not happy. They want me to settle down.”

“ Very soon I will be replacing the tea plants with a new variety brought in by Harrison. We are going to have good quality tea. It’s up to you. I’m not forcing you to stay.” said James.

“ Sorry. i had to say it out. That’s the reason I’m not happy.”

“ Let’s hope the situation improves and the company makes good profits. It could happen if the company starts making money with tea. I know that the something like a tea rolling machine will change everything. The high cost of making tea will come down. Tea could become much cheaper and everyone will be able to drink tea then.”

“ I love you darling.” said Thangam, placing her arms around him and hugging him . James kissed her on her face. He felt a wetness on her cheeks. She had been shedding tears but wiping it very quickly. 

“I’m going to make your sandwich” she said walking out.

                                                          *          *           *

CHAPTER 12

    The next day, James gave orders to pull out all the tea plants that were planted. 

He was very disappointed with the taste of the tea. It was not like tea at all. Not good quality tea anyway. Robert had confirmed that they were a variety that did not suit the climate and soil conditions. They might have been better suited to low country areas. There was no doubt that the crop had failed. The new variety brought in by Harrison was much better.

              All the tea plants were dug out and left to dry in heaps. They could be used as twigs to start the fire, before fire wood is added. James could see the roots of the plants, still fresh with soil sticking to them. He had worked very hard to have them planted. Now he had to get them all pulled out. He felt sad and dejected. He felt he had lost his way. What will happen next? 

              Sinniah had been looking a bit worn out. He was present when orders were given. But he rarely made his presence felt after that day. He left it all to the workers. He may have felt the same as James. So much hard work had come to nothing. 

              It took several weeks to dig out the plants from the twenty acres. James walked around and inspected all the areas. The place looked desolate, acres and acres of land where only dried uprooted plants could be seen. The smell of the earth was everywhere. The pungent smell of exposed clay and roots. There were very few trees in between the plants.  

                                                           *                *                  *

              When he went home, he found Thangam in a sombre mood. 

“ Are you going to plant something else now that the tea plants are out.” she asked.

“ No. Harrison wants to plant the new stock he got down from Assam. The seeds have arrived and they are being grown in the nursery. We should have them ready for planting very soon.” he said.

“ But it’s the same plants again. Why pull out plants that have already grown?” she asked.

“ It’s just that the variety was not good for this kind of soil and climate. What Harrison has brought is better for this place.”

“ How do know this. It seems all a waste of time and effort.”

“ Sometimes i feel the same. But we have to do something. It’s no use waiting any more. Only thing left is to try another variety. If nothing happens, well, we have to admit that we have all failed, just like all those people before us, like the Rothschilds. We should all be packing our bags and go home. I’m only joking.” said James.

“ Packing your bags and going home? That’s exactly what my peole are telling me.  That I should be thinking about my future and that you are going to leave.” said Thangam.

              Her face showed the strain that she was undergoing. Tears rolled down. Her mouth curled into a sob. 

              “I’m sorry darling. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean that. I don’t plan to go away if the tea fails again. I’m going to do something else. Maybe try to get a job with the railways maybe.”

“ Ah! I can’t see you working in anything else. I can see you like to work in a plantation. You are always walking around and you look happy being a dorai in a plantation.”

“ Okay. I do like the plantation life. It’s very enjoyable. But if things go wrong, Ive got to think of other things.”    

                                                          *             *             *

              Robert wrote a letter to his father.

“ Dear Father,

              I trust everyone is keeping fine. i’m keeping well even though I had another malaria attack. I’m lucky that the people who work here are very good. They are doing everything and they look after me as well. My right hand man here is Sinniah. There is a young lady, Sinniah’s daughter, who is doing all the housework and I don’t worry about that side of things. 

              The coffee is definitely a dying thing. Very few plantations are able to grow the beans that can be exported. it’s the tree disease. The leaves get a rusty colour and then the beans stop getting bigger. It’s a big problem. It’s happening in every country growing coffee. The research done has not really helped. Only way out for planation owners, including our relative Peter Moir, is to pray and hope that tea will be a success this time round.”

              “ I think I told you in my last letter that Rothchilds tried to grow tea. They brought experienced planters from India to work in the plantations. But it did not work. I guess it’s not a big deal for them. It’s small money for them. But for the others, it’s going to be serious. It’s almost the end of plantations in Ceylon unless tea takes hold. So far things don’t look good. I hope that our new seeds will be a success. The quality has to be good to be able to ship to London. Nobody pays much money for tea locally.”

              “ Cinchona was a real success. We grew it here and exported it. The climate and soil are well suited for Cinchona. But it soon became clear that it was growing well in all the countries especially South America. There was so much available in the market that the prices collapsed.” 

              “ One of the joint owners of this plantation is Harrison. He has a big company called Harrison and Crossfield. They have big warehouses in Colombo. Harrison is very keen on tea. So we have planted tea along the roadsides and also on the main plantation. Everything depends on the success of this crop. In fact because the railway is coming half way up to Kandy by next year. This means we will be able to ship coffee and tea much more easily.  Lots of people are planning to do tea  because coffee is really losing money. It’s still being grown but the future is bleak because of the coffee rust. There are rumours that they are going to bring labourers from Assam to help start the tea.” 

              “ I’m thinking I may have to try for a job with the railway if things go wrong. Rumour is that engine drivers will be paid well. It’s not easy to drive the train because of the hills. But it’s only a pipe dream.”

              “The new tea plants are promising. My friend Robert from the Botanical gardens came over with the new seedlings. He was pretty sure that this variety will be growing well and the tea leaves should taste much better, less bitter in fact. That was the problem with the last lot.”

              “ I’m hoping to find a solution for  my tea rolling machine. The only company doing metal working in Kandy is called Hunter and Company. They are willing to have a go at it.”

              “The only hotel we got here is in Kandy and it’s called Stainton Hotel. It’s not a bad hotel. Stainton the owner and his wife run the hotel. It’s quite good. Good place to meet people from England and Scotland. Not to mention Wales and Ireland. The Governor here is an Irishman called Gregory. I met him at the hotel this time. He is quite a nice fellow. he asked a lot of questions about coffee. I told him that I don’t see much of a future for coffee because there is no spray or chemical we can apply to stop coffee rust. He was keen to find out about tea as well. I explained that even if we get  a good quality tea leaf growing well, the cost of making tea is making it difficult to sell. But if we had a machine that could roll the tea, we can make a good tea at a reasonable price. I’m also buiding a water mill like the one we have in the village.

              Please give my best wishes to all at home.”

                                                                                                     Your loving son

                                                                                                                   James

                                                          *               *               *

                      James went around the plantation by foot. He was greeted by workers gathering coffee seeds. He felt happy that the workers were friendly towards him. The coffee fermentary was set up at the middle of the plantation. James walked to the fermentary and he could smell the ripe and fermenting coffee berry. He walked around the tubs where the coffee seeds were  being removed from the berry. He could smell the pulped berry after the coffee seeds had ben removed. They were in the hessian sacks, waiting to be removed by bullock cart. The coffee berry pulp was normally used as fertiliser. He was careful not to use the pulp as the berry pulp could contain coffee rust infection. It was transported to the far end of the plantation and dumped into a pit. Human excrement was used as fertiliser. Toilet buckets containing excrement were taken by bullock cart to the sites where the coffee grew and buried below the soil to act as fertiliser. 

              Several weeks passed by as James concentrated on tending to coffee plants and the tea bushes. The yield from the coffee plants kept falling. No amount of fertiliser improved the output from the coffee trees. It seemed that the coffee plantations were doomed. The tea bushes were also suspect as the taste of the tea was bitter when it was planted the last time around. James felt depressed. The dog had accompanied him this time. it kept looking up at James as if it could sense James’s feelings. He patted the dog.            

              “ Don’t worry about me. I’m planning a visit to Stainton Hotel. That will cheer me up.”

said James to the dog.

The dog whined and moaned as if to say “ Please don’t do that. Thangam will throw a fit”

              It was a little windy. The wind blew through the coffee trees making them bend over and straighten up again. James wanted to head off to Kandy. He decided to tell her that Harrison wanted to see him. A letter had arrived from the office telling him about a person by the name of Jenkins arriving in Ceylon. Jenkins had been a planter in Assam for nearly thirty five years. He was coming to Ceylon to boost the tea production. He would also be planting tea and bringing tea workers from Bengal. It provided a good excuse to go to Kandy and have a night out with Robert. The last time he was there he did notice that there were some English women seated in a corner of the hotel.

              Thangam need not find out about his visit to Stainton Hotel, James told himself. If she did find out, she would be worried that he would be drinking a lot of alcohol. He will take the horse to the stable that was at far end of Malabar Street or leave it with Robert. James rode off the next day, having announced that he was having a meeting with Harrison about Jenkins coming from Assam and discuss making a water mill for Loolecondere like the one in his home town in Scotland. He carried the plans with him. He was not far off from the truth.  in fact Jenkins was going to mentor James about tea making as he was the acknowledged expert with thirty five years experience in Assam.

              James stopped at Peradeniya Gardens while riding to Kandy. Robert was there, happy to see James. They decided to get the carriage to Kandy to avoid problems with the horses while in Kandy. Their destination was Stainton Hotel. Robert was a regular there, well known to Mr. and Mrs. Stainton as well the staff. They were greeted by Mrs. Stainton. On inquiries about Mr. Stainton, they were told that he was not well, possibly malaria or dysentry. 

              The bar was well stocked with Scottish whiskies and beer made locally as well a few beers imported from England. Bottles of rum and gin and various liquor decorated the bar.  They started off with beer and moved over to whiskies. 

              The chandelier in the Stainton Hotel was impressive, the central point of attention. 

“This is quite nice considering we are in a remote part of the world.” said James.

“ Agree. This was a bit run down after they took this place over from the locals.” said Robert.

“ Okay. What was it before it became a hotel?” asked James.

“ Actually it was built by the King of Kandy. It was used as a kind of  residence. Maybe for his concubines. That was in1841. Poor guy didn’t know that he could never use it as he was ousted by the British tha same year or a year later.” said Robert.   
“ Really. And what happened.”

“ Well, the Governor took it over and used it as his mansion until the time when troops came in. So it became barracks as well.” said Robert.

“ It has a long history.” 

“It was called Malabar House at that time, being on Malabar Street. Maybe lots of people from Malabar lived here.” said Robert.

“ How did the Staintons get hold of it?” asked James.

“ The barracks were not needed. There was no possibility of a rebellion in the hill country. The old guard of chiefs had become used to the British presence. They were trying to join the race to grow coffee and tea.”

“ It was sold to the Staintons then?” aked James.

“Yes. It became a hotel used mainly by British planters.” said Robert

“ I guess it became the British watering hole in Kandy” said James

“ I guess so. Good place to meet woman too.” said Robert.

“ Are you able to meet the right type of women” asked James.

“ Yes and no. Yes there are some ladies who will visit you in your room, if you arrange with the waiters. They are mainly from  families who are in poor circumstances due to the husband passing away and the family not able to give much support.”

“ They must be quite nice women since they are not professionals, sleeping with a different man every day.”

“ That’s right James. I have a regular. She is very pretty and speaks good English.” 

“ That’ s the way to go. “ said James.

“  She is from a family living close by. She is quite willing to accommodate me provided she does not become pregnant. The family would be upset if she become pregnant,”

“ That’s the same story with me regarding getting pregnant.  My woman is not feeling good because her parents object to her having a baby. My fault I guess.”   

              The bar was getting busy with planters and others dropping in. The lights were bright even though they were kerosene and gas lamps. 

“ It’s getting too dark for you to return James. Why don’t you stay over.”

“ Not a bad idea. I could tell Thangam that Harrison wanted me to stay over because he wanted to talk about the Bengal people coming.” said James.

“ Alright. I can go home quite easily. But I will sleep the night here i think. What’s happening with the the tea seedlings, the second lot?”

“ They are growing quite well. No problems. The leaves are looking fine. I guess the proof of the pudding will be in the drinking.” said James.

“ I hope this will be the right one for the soil and climate for this area. The situation will be very grim if this fails. Coffee is definitely very poorly. Problem is that we have no answer to the coffee rust tree disease problem any where in the world.” said Robert

“ It is a disaster . There is no doubt about it.”

              They   ordered dinner. the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding was excellent. 

“ This is great cooking. Its always a treat to come here for the roast. Mrs. stain ton is an excellent cook.” said Robert.

“ Yes. Its a welcome change for me. Roasting is something that only works once in a while at home. Thangam does her best and it’s not too bad. Iis very good sometimes.”

“ The aroma is amazing isn’t it? Its the herbs that do it I guess.” said Robert.

“ Yes. Rosemary is important. Other herbs are certainly adding to the aroma and the taste.” said James.

              There was a buzz around the dining area as it was dinner time. Loud laughter rang out from some tables as jokes were cracked. There was the distinct sound of knives, forks and spoons clattering on the crockery. There were a dozen or so Europeans dining. Many were drinking seated on tables and at the bar.

              “ Did I tell you that there is a wonderful job I heard about and applied for. If I get it , it will be great.  I will have travel to and from Assam and Darjeeling.”

“ Hope you get it.”

“ It will be dream come true. Probably double my salary as well.”

              The bar was pretty busy. Lots people were coming and going. 

“ I like the name The Pub Royal. It’s sounds like royalty visited the place.” said Robert.

“ Yes. It’s a nice pub too. Maybe they were thinking of the last King of Kandy. I remember reading somewhere that his name was Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe. Poor fellow. Got bundled out back home in India. He didn’t make any trouble , did he?” said James.

“ Not really. Actually, the British troops could never find a way of coming up to Kandy to get him. The steep climb meant that the Kings soldiers could roll boulders down the hill. He sent his men to throw stones at the troops and that was all that was needed. The guns hardly had a role to play. Boulders rolling down did the trick.”

“ Oh. I see. How did they get him?”

“ By a stroke of luck, one of the big chiefs got upset with the King and wanted to get rid of him. He showed the way up through the easy passes. The King surrendered without a fight.” said Robert.

“ Thats life isn’t it? You win some and you lose some.” 

              A young English woman walked in. Her blond hair was flowing down to her neck. It was a rare sight. Her face was heart shaped and a smile played on her face. She wore riding cloths. Her body was compact and her breasts stood out proudly. She was aware that her presence was noticed by all. 

“ That is a woman I would do anything to get hold of.” said James.

“ Be careful. Her husband is a big time planter around here, a chap called Crosfield.” said Robert.

“ I’m only saying it. Don’t think she will want to spend time with a small time planter like me.” said James.

“ Time for me to go I think James. Call over on your way home tomorrow” said Robert getting up.

              They shook hands and Robert went out of the hotel. James sat back in his chair thinking about going to sleep and looking at the lady who had walked in. Her blonde hair reminded him of the girl who was supposed to get married to. He kept looking at her feeling a sense of loss, the part of him that was Scottish that he had laid aside. 

              To his surprise, the lady walked up to him and said:

 “Hello. How are you. I’m Daisy.”

“ James is my name Daisy. I’m glad to meet you. Why don’t you sit here.” said James pointing to the chair where Robert had been sitting, the whiskies he had drunk making him bold.

“ Thank you.” she said sitting down.

“ Can i buy you a drink?” asked James.

“ Thank you. I will have a drink. I’m feeling thirsty.”

“What can i get you?”

“ A gin and orange please. I know this is a house speciality.” said Daisy.

“ Fine.” said James getting up and walking to the bar. He ordered the drink , paid for it and walked back.

“ They will bring it to the table.” he said sitting down.

“ Do you live in Kandy” he asked

“ Yes. I live up on the hill overlooking the temple and the lake.” she said.

“ And where do you live?” she asked.

“ I live in Loolecondere about ten miles from here.” he replied. He felt quite relaxed. She seemed the sort of person who did not judge people, or so it seemed to James.

“ That’s a nice ride up there. I’ve been up where the valley begins. Never been all the way to Loolecondere.  I love that valley. It’s full of flowering trees. Maybe because the Peradeniya Gardens is almost at the entrance to the valley” she said.

“ Yes. You are right. The ride is very pleasant. And Loolecondere comes almost at the end of the valley on a slightly higher elevation.” said James.

“ I always wanted to go up those hills but it is just a little to far to be able to return to Kandy before dark.” she said.

              James saw an opportunity to invite her to his home. He feared what Thangam might think but ventured anyway.

“ You are welcome to stay the night at my house.” he said.

“ Thank you so much. I might come with the horse minder. He is very good with horses. I leave it all to him.” she said.

“ Not a problem. There is a spare bedroom and a store room.”

“ Where do you come from? Which part of Scotland? she asked.

“ I’m from Auchenblee. Kincardineshire. Mosspark area,”

“ I see. I’m from Guilford. The Whitehead family served in the Army. Are you affected by the coffee blight problem.” she asked.

“ Yes. We are badly hit with the coffee problem.” he said.

              Her face was radiant. The Sun had bestowed a wonderful colour to her fair skin. She smiled with a shyness hidden within. He wanted to get up and hug her. He had missed the blond women of his home. It was exciting to see an English woman, a rare sight.

“ Yes. My husband and I have to go back in a few months. His plantation not very far from Kandy.”

“ Sorry to hear that. It must be big shock for both of you.” said James.

              James was thinking of a way of enticing her to go somewhere where he could give her a hug and a kiss. After all, all he wanted to kiss her pink cheeks. Her blue eyes needed kissing too.

“ We knew it was going to come. Tea may be the answer but that is question how can tea compete in price with tea from China?” she said.

“ Yes. That is the problem. And of course the quality. That is equally important.” he said.

              James was fascinated by her knowledge of tea. She was not just a pretty face. She was a bright woman, very much involved in how tea was being produced. Her face fascinated him. He was carried away by the way she spoke. Her blue eyes captivated him.

              “ The other day we were talking about bringing Chinese labourers. Apparently their skills are welcome but not their presence here.” she said.     

              He saw her pink lips and he wanted to plant a kiss on them. Just a simple kiss. He could have done it if the crowd in the hotel lounge was not there. He felt she would allow it. Just a mark of appreciation. Her eyes and manner told it all.

              “ Yes. Sadly we cannot do that. But I am told that arrangements have been made for workers from Bengal to come and work in Kondagala estate in Ramboda pass.” he said.

              There was something about the way she looked at him which told him that she was interested in him. She was not in a hurry to go anywhere. She was relaxed and seemed to enjoy his company. 

“ I heard about this. A very experienced person, who had worked in Assam for thirty five years is bringing them.” said Daisy.

“ Yes. I was told  that Mr. Jenkins is going to help all the planters including me to make tea. He knows the techniques and is willing to pass on the knowledge.” said James.

              James was thinking hard all the while about how he could have a little privacy with Daisy. Could he ask her to come to his room? Surely that would be the end of his relationship with this beautiful woman. 

              “ He is due to arrive next week i was told.” said Daisy.

“ That’s sooner than I thought. I should prepare for his visit. In the meantime, I have designed the watermill. Walker and Sons are going to do the mill. I will help with it. It’s the same type of water mill that we have in Auchenblee.” 

“ Really. You are going to have a watermill? What will it do?” 

“ It’s going to work my tea making machine.” 

“ Are you sure? This is the first time that I came across the idea of a machine to make tea. The whole idea seems amazing.”

              James had an idea. He could say that his plans were in his room. In fact he did have a copy of his design in his leather bag. 

“ Would you like to see the design of the tea making machine” he asked, with little conviction of success in his request.

“ Yes. That would be great.” 

              James was in a quandary. Should he risk offending her by asking her to come to his room. She might walk away. That would be a disaster. He could be in with a chance of at least holding her and kissing her if he played it right. He might even get lucky and who knows? That was something he dared not think about. 

              “ I can bring it down. But it’s pretty crowded here.” he said, doing his best to look straight at her. He wanted make a grab for her, hold her tight and kiss her on her lips, touch her teeth with his tongue. But he stood straight, holding back his excitement. She must have sensed his excitement, maybe his eyes conveyed it all. She sat smiling, not saying anything.

              “ Alright. I will come up to your room and look at the drawings. But not now.” she said, taking a long sip of her gin and orange, nearly reaching the bottom of the glass.

“  Let me get you another gin and orange.” he said, getting up.

              His excitement was almost beyond his control. Here he was with an offer to come to his room. 

              He walked towards the bar. The excitement of her offer made him breath faster. What shall I do, he asked himself as he walked  towards the bar. When she comes to the room, shall I make a move or should I  wait for some move on her part, he asked himself. What if she doesn’t make a move. Should I let the opportunity pass. She could be the type of person who never indulges on the first date. Most women don’t indulge on the first meeting with a man. When will he meet her next? Surely not in Loolecondere? With Thangam watching every move?

              When he got back from the bar, holding the gin and orange and another beer for himself, he was plunged into total despair. A white man was seated next to her, seated on his seat. Must be her husband.

“ Thank you James, she said, this is my husband Timothy. James is looking after Loolecondere” she said.   

“ Hello James. Nice to meet you. I heard that Loolecondere is doing well with the new tea plants. It’s good news. I am hearing a lot about you. About your plans for a machine that will do the rolling for the tea. Great work. I hope it all works out. It could mean that Ceylon could produce tea at a reasonable price.” said Timothy.

“ Yes. The machine should help to bring costs down. The water mill will also help.”

“ Good work. I must be going along to the bridge session. Can’t let my partner down. See you later. The coach will come back to pick up Daisy. “ said Timothy getting up.

“ Have a nice evening.” said James relieved and in a better mood.

“ Bye dear. See you later.” said Daisy, smiling her warm smile.

              James resisted the temptation to stare at her and looked down. 

              “ Well. As I said, I was waiting for my husband to say good bye. If you like, we can go to your room to see your plans.” she said.

              She had planned it so that she could slot in some time to be with him, he told himself.

              “  I’ill go up and get the plans out. My room number is ten.” said James getting up and gulping the beer.

              He walked quietly up the stairs, hoping nobody will notice him. He opened the suitcase and took the plans out and put them on the bed. Five minutes later, he could hear the door knob being turned very quietly. Daisy came through the door and shut it quietly. He was excited. The room had a nice lamp on the table, a globe which gave out pleasant calming light and a larger light which hung from a hook on the ceiling.

              “ I see you have the plans ready” she said walking to the bed and sitting down. They sat on either side of the papers.

              “ This is my water mill” he said pointing to the water mill drawing. It was a large wheel with spokes very similar to the water wheels seen in Scotland and England which dipped into the running stream. The frame holding the wheel was large and sturdy. 

              “ I’ve seen these in England as well. It looks good. When are you going to get this done?” she asked.

              “Well, Harrison has seen it. He said I should be able to place the order next week as it will require an advance to Walkers who are going to make the water mill.” he said.

              He unfolded the other plan. It was his design for a roller for making tea. It was like a large rolling pin sitting inside a tray.

              He made his move while she looked at the drawing. He placed his arm on her shoulder. She kept looking at the drawing. It seemed they were good friends. She was looking at the details of the drawing.

              “ Why don’t you make yourself comfortable. Get your shoes off and rest your feet on the bed.” he said.

              “Thats a good idea.” she said removing her shoes and sitting on the bed with her feet extended. Her feet were nicely shaped with rounded toes. The drawings separated James from Daisy. He moved the drawings to his side and moved closer to her with his arm around her.

              “ When do you expect to get these machines completed?” she asked.

              “ I think it will be about a month, maybe two.” he said, touching her cheeks with his lips. 

              “ If I’m still here, i want to be there when you get it all going.” she said.

              “ No problem. I won’t forget to call you. I want to get this going “ he said kissing her ears softly, and then her hair, where it ran close to her ears.

              “ Can i kiss you?” he asked.

              Daisy turned her face towards him and said: “ I’m a married woman. You can’t kiss married women.” she said looking at him. Their eyes met. His disappointment must have been plain to see on his face.

              “ Oh. You are a boyo. Wanting to kiss a married woman” she said, kissing him on his lips, her tongue darting out to touch his lips.

              James was excited and wanted to return her kiss. He turned around and placed his arm around her and kissed her on her lips, touching her lips with his tongue. The tips of their tongues met and James felt a closeness he had never felt before. It was as if he had known her for many years years. He kissed her neck and tried to remove her brassiere but she helped him to remove it. He was over excited and licked her breasts. She watched him as he took her nipple into his mouth. Her hand gently felt his erection. He was amazed by her pink body. It was his first time to see a white woman’s body. He moved so he could see and feel her with his tongue. And they slipped into the sheets.

              After they made love twice. Daisy moved out of the bed and said:

              “ I’d better go now. See you soon.”

              “ Yes. definitely. I can’t wait. What about tomorrow?”

              “ No. It would be suspicious because I only come to Stainton once or twice a week, not every day,” she said.

              “When do I see you again?” he asked.

              “ Next week would be better as I’m regular here midweek usually Wednesdays.”

              “ Next week Wednesday then. No chance of meeting tomorrow?” asked James.

              “ Not much of a chance. Next week is alright.” she said going towards the mirror.

              She looked in the mirror and arranged her hair before moving to the door. After carefully checking that nobody was around, she blew a kiss before stepping away. James felt that he had changed to a new man. He felt an energy that he never felt before. He felt dizzy too. A feeling of happiness that made him dizzy. He felt love for Thangam and for Daisy. Can such a thing happen, he asked himself. Can a man love two women, he asked himself. He fell asleep thinking about the happy events of the day.

                                             *                         *                          *

              James met with Harrison the next day. Harrison was impressed with the plans.

“ I will be contacting Walkers tomorrow. They will want to see the site before commencing work. Have you decided on a site?” he asked.

“ Yes I have. the stream at the end of the road which is good for the watermill. Its got water all year round.” James said.

“ Alright. Expect a visit from Walkers sometime next week. Hunters supply the metal sheets and steel items. Both might come over.” he said.

“ Thats fine. We will get ready for their visit .”

“ They are unlikely to stay over. They would return to Kandy for the night. How is the tea coming along?” asked Harrison.

“ Good results with this batch. it’s growing well. Robert has been keeping an eye on the tea bushes growth.” said James.  

                                                          *                   *                 *

                             James returned to Loolecondere the following day even though he wanted to stay and try his luck. Thangam greeted him. Samuel was delighted to see his Daddy. He leaped out of Thangam’s arms and Thangam scolded him.

“ Hello darling. Did you finish your work. Did it go well.” she asked.

              Samuel wrapped his arms around James’s neck. James kissed him on both cheeks.

“Yes darling . Things are looking good. Harrison has seen the plans and is going ahead with placing an order for them to be made.”

Samuel wanted to play with James’s ears. He kept feeling James’s ears. His tiny fingers teased James’s ears and one finger was trying to go inside James’s ears.

“ That means you will not be going.” said Thangam. She held Samuels hand to stop him poking his finger into James ears. 

“ Its looking good. I should not be going unless we have another problem with the tea.” said James, carrying Samuel up into the air and placing Samuel on his shoulders. 

“ Alright. I will be telling my uncles that you will not be going.” said Thangam.

              It had not occurred to James that  Thangam might be under continuous pressure to satisfy the family that she was not going to be burden on them. Samuel was a little boy who will grow and his needs had to be met as well as Thangams. 

“ Yes. Tell them all is going well.” said James. 

“ It’s just that they think you will get married to a white lady.” she said.

“ Why are they worrying unnecessarily. i won’t be leaving you and Samuel.” said James.

              He carried Samuel up in the air and Samuel giggled and Samuel’s first tooth could be seen. 

“ Also tell them that I’m building a water mill at the stream at foot of the steam as it comes down. The water mill be turning as the water passes along. I will have a tea rolling machine by the side. As the watermill turns, it will move the tea rolling machine.” said James.

“ Alright. this means they will need to keep you here in Loolecondere. You showed me the drawings. They looked really nice. I’m excited to see this machines when they bring it. Are those are machines that you getting?”

              It occurred to James that the drawing were seen by only two women and theses two women were indispensable to him. They made him feel he had all he needed to make a success of his life.

“Yes. Those are two machines. They might finished in two months time.” he said . Remembering that Daisy was also keen to see the machines working, he said:

“ A lot of people will want to come and see the machines working.”

“ Yes. Even British tea estate people will be wanting to come and see them “ she said.

              Samuel was trying to get on the floor and crawl. James let the boy crawl and followed him to the door. It was a nice day. the skies were blue with a few clouds drifting like puffs of smoke.

              “ They also told me that somebody will come from Assam and will be working with Bengali workers in Kondagala Estae  in Ramboda Pass. His name is Jenkins. This could be all very good for us. Jenkins has been planting tea in Assam for thirty five years. he knows all about tea.”

“ Thats good. We can grow tea instead of coffee. My people have been worried about whether they have to go back to India.” said Thangam.

“ I think if we make good tea for sending to London, we would have no problems. Maybe more workers will come to work here.” 

“ Enough people to work I think. We don’t have enough houses in the lines.” she said.

“ Alright. Yes.  I want to see if things could be improved and we can have two bedrooms and a bathroom.”

“ The bullock carts taking tea out will be very slow. Can you get more horses. The tea can be sent faster “ she said.

“ Later this year, there will be a steam engine train  from Colombo to Ambepussa.” said James.

“ What does it look like. Will it be very fast?” asked Thangam.

“ Certainly, it will be very fast, much faster than horse drawn carriages  and bullock carts. It will start in the morning and will be in Ambepussa in three hours, even less.” he said.

“Really. Thats really fast. So you can leave Colombo in the morning and be in Ambepussa   

for lunch.” said Thangam.

“ Yes. in fact they are going to build a rest house at Ambepussa so that planters and government servants can go there for a rest and have meals.” said James.

“ I want to see a steam engine.” said Thangam smiling. She seemed like a little school girl when she smiled.

“ Don’t worry you can see the steam engine.” said James.

“ Will you be taking me and Samuel?” she asked

“ Yes . We can take a coach. I know some people in Kandy who can take us there .” said James.

              Two English persons doing  engineering  at Walkers arrived the next week. James took them on a tour of the  estate. They came to the site that James had selected. 

The water was falling from a height of about four metres and the area where the mill was going to be placed was only a metre deep. The engineers were not impressed.

“  I really don’t think the volume of water is sufficient to keep this water mill working for any length of time. Are you thinking of using this mill for your tea production?”

asked the older of the two persons.

“ Yes. I do. The water mill will move the machine which will roll the tea. It’s because the cost of hand rolling is too high.” said James.

“ We cannot guarantee that it will be a success. If you want us to go ahead, we will do the construction of the watermill and the rolling machine.” he replied.

“ There is no other way out. The cost of tea has to come down so we can compete with tea made in Assam and China.” said James.

              They walked back to the bungalow .

“ What’s that plant. Doesn’t look like a tea bush.” asked one of the engineers as they walked along.

“ Its cinchona. Its one of the plant’s used to treat malaria.” said James.

“ Alright. I heard about cinchona. never seen it.” said the engineer.

“ It’s still being grown here but the prices are low. We may stop growing it as the shipping costs alone use up all the money we get for it. We are growing it but the money we get for it just about covers the transport costs.” said James.

              They reached James’s house. Thangam prepared sandwiches. They had  sandwiches and coffee.

“ Nice coffee” said one of the engineers.

“ It’s coffee from our plantation. I roasted it. “ said James. 

“ Please thank your lady for the nice sandwiches. It’s a long time since I had beetroot sandwiches. The tomato and  cucumber sandwich was delicious too. The smell of the freshly ground pepper is superb.” said one of the engineers.

“ Yes. Delicious thank you. It’s time we went. We will be in Kandy before dark if we leave now”  said the older of the two engineers. 

              They were in their carriages and left for Kandy as the Sun was coming low. It was about four o’ clock.

              Thangam came out with Samuel.

“ Did it all go well.” she asked.

“ Not really. They don’t think the watermill will work properly.”

“ Why are they saying it. You know about watermills.” she said

“ Yes. But I’ve never designed one or installed one. These engineers have installed a lot of  machines and they have the experience.” 

              James carried Samuel and they walked around the garden. The cannas had come into full bloom and all the colours were there: yellow, red, white, gold. Samuel got down and wanted to grab some of the flowers. 

              James looked at Thangam and told himself that she looked like a canna flower. A very exotic golden canna flower. He felt horny. If they were in the house, he would have carried her to the bed and made love with her.

“ I’ll get you a nice one Samuel” said James, bending down and taking a yellow canna flower and giving it to Samuel.

“ Time for bed for Samuel. I’ll take him for his feed and warm up your dinner as well. It’s roti and your favourite lamb curry with potatoes and peas.” she said.

“ Great. I’m looking forward to it. Let’s go inside.” James said. He leaned over to her and whispered “ I want to make love to you.” Thangam smiled and looked at him with those  tinted eyes, full of love for James, frozen in space and time. She spouted a kiss at him and walked away with Samuel.

              James walked to the room and sat at his table in the corner. He looked through the plans again. They did need some modifications. He thought about the depth of the water. The water was a little too shallow.  If he designed a smaller wheel, it may not be enough to turn a heavy roller. He thought about making the water level deeper by digging and removing more gravel and stone from the creek, just where the wheel would be. He decided to make notes about the depth of the water.

                                           *        *             *                 *                  *

CHAPTER 13

The news that Jenkins had arrived came to James through Sinniah. 

“ Thanks for letting me know Sinniah. I have to meet him.” said James.

“ He is in Kondagala Estate.” said Sinniah.

“ You must be knowing that Jenkins is a very experienced tea maker from Assam.” said  James.

“ Yes Mr. Taylor. I heard that he has been working in Assam making tea for thirty five years.”

said Sinniah.

“ I’ll   be going to Kondagala Estate. I’ve got to meet him. Mr. Harrison mentioned this to me. Mr. Pride also mentioned this to me.” said James.

“ The road to Kondagala Estate is a bit difficult at Ramboda Pass but the estate can be reached easily.” said Sinniah.

“ Thanks. I will go to Kandy and make arrangements.” said James.

“ Plenty of coaches going to Ramboda Pass from Kandy.” said Sinniah.

“ I’ve got meet Mr. Harrison in Kandy. He has been telling me about Jenkins.” said James.

James planned his visit to Kandy for the Wednesday. He was in with a chance to meet Daisy in Stainton Hotel. He could travel to Ramboda on Thursday. 

*

James and Thangam retired to their bedroom after dinner. James lay in bed and Thangam nestled in his extended arm, with her head on his chest. James fondled her nipple gently touching her and kissing her on her hair as they talked.

“ I will be going to Kondagala Estate next week.” James said to Thangam.

“ Oh. Will you be staying there for long?” asked Thangam.

“About a week. I will be working with Jenkins to learn about tea making.” said James.

“ I heard he has been working in Assam for a long time.” she said, her arm extended and fondling his member.

“ Yes. I’m supposed to work with him. Harrison and Pride have made arrangements with Jenkins to help with making tea. But Jenkins will be having his own tea estate in Ramboda, at the  Kondagala estate. I’m going  there at least every other week to work with him. I’ ll be helping him and he will be teaching me about tea planting and tea making.”

“ Alright. My father will look after Loolecondere while you are away.” she said.

“ Yes. I’ve got your father I can rely on.” he said, turning towards Thangam and fondled her  breasts.

“ I will miss you when you go away.” she said and bent over to quickly fondle him.

“ Me too. But this could be the best thing that has happened for tea plantations in Ceylon.” he said, leaning over to  her intimate parts, the wetness making him even more keen to enter her.

                                                                          *

James left for Kandy on Wednesday. The carriage was small and was called a dog cart maybe because it was just enough for a man and a dog. He stopped over at Peradeniya. While at Peradeniya, it occurred to him that Daisy had been coming to Peradeniya frequently and enjoying the many trees with amazing flowers that had been growing both sides of the valley. No doubt that seeds for these trees came from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. Birds could have  pooped them on the slopes of the hills that flanked both sides of the road that James had come along from Loolecondere. He drove back to take a good look at the trees and beautifully formed hills that formed the landscape of the valley. He felt excited at thinking about Daisy. She was an English woman from Guildford and she was an English rose that he could hold in his arms all night, even for days and weeks. It was very nice of her to have spent time with him, as if she wanted him to enjoy a little bit of his home country while being so far away from it. 

It must be some thing that was worked out between Daisy and her husband Crosfield – James thought. After all, Kandy was a small town and news must go back to her husband that Daisy was seen in Stainton Hotel talking to men and having a drink and occasionally indulging in a bit of love making with men who were looking for some sex. After all, a man like Crosfield had any number women to choose from, fair skinned Kandyan girls, girls from Malabar with golden brown skins, darker skinned Tamil girls with stunning eyes, well formed attractive facial features and even some charming mixed race girls who were hard to find but willing to indulge a white man if she stood a chance of being a planter’s wife.  It was a gamble that paid off, sometimes. The girl risked her reputation but the prize was worth the risk. Always come out better off anyway as the men paid princely sums as compensation to the parents if a baby comes along. It    was a very costly outcome for the man,  even more costly if he was married.

James arrived at Robert’s office in Peradeniya, pondering these matters, the good things and the bad things about falling in love with local girls. The extra ordinary plants that graced the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens never failed to amaze him. He had never even heard of such plants or read about them in the books that he read for botany. Amazing trees from South America, exotic giant flowering  trees from Africa,  trees that had flowers drooping down almost touching the ground, palm trees that had coloured fruits in bunches, small bushes with exotic purple and blue flowers.

The horse and cart were taken charge of by Robert’s man. 

“Welcome James. How are things going at Loolecondere?” Robert asked.

“ Going fine Robert. How are things with you.” asked James.

“ Going alright.  I’m both excited and worried by developments with tea and coffee.”

“ Is that right? What’s worrying you. We know that there is little one can do to stop the coffee blight spreading. But tea is doing alright, so far as i can see. I’m doing well in Loolecondere. You said that when you came over.” said James.

“ Yes. Coffee is definitely finished as a plantation crop. Some pockets of coffee trees are surviving in the low country. But up country plantation coffee is all over as far i’m concerned. Tea from certain areas of Darjeeling is more suited to Ceylon. That’s what I think anyway.” said Robert. 

Tea and sandwiches arrived as it was mid day. James felt hungry and tucked into the sandwiches and drank some tea. The tea was served with sugar and milk in ceramic crockery with pouts for easy pouring. James sipped the tea without sugar or milk. 

“ Nice sandwiches and the tea is very nice too.” said James.

“ Well the tea is the same type that is growing in your estate in Loolecondere. I am very keen on this variety. But looks like Jenkins is bringing his own plants and having a nursery in Kondagala Estate. This is my worry about tea. We are taking a risk bringing tea plants from that part of Assam. We are risking a repetition of what happened when the Rothchilds brought planters from Assam. They did well in Assam but not here.” said Robert.

“ I see where you are coming from. But Jenkins has spent his whole life growing tea. I’m more or less a starter when it comes to tea. I may end up like Jenkins spending my whole life as planter in Ceylon. I wish I get a break in India.” said James.

“ Jenkins may or may not succeed. That is something we cannot be sure of.” said Robert.

James added some sugar in the tea and drank it. 

“ Tea does taste so different with sugar. I wonder whether tea in Europe will be tea with sugar.” said James.

“ They are trying to encourage Europeans to drink tea with sugar because the sugar industry in Queensland and the West Indies is trying encourage sugar consumption. All that land in Queensland is wasted doing nothing. Sugar will double and treble incomes of European settlers in Queensland.” said Robert.

“ Yes. i can see that. But tea drinking in China will not be changed easily. They are the real big tea drinkers. They don’t drink beer or water do they?” said James.    

“  I agree that tea will always be drunk the traditional way in China. No amount of persuasion will work in that part of the world, including Japan and Korea .” said Robert.

“ Time will tell. Thanks for the refreshments. Much appreciated.” said James.

“ Welcome James. I guess you are on your way to Kandy. “ said Robert.

“ Actually I’m on my way to Ramboda Pass to meet up with Jenkins.”

“ Please don’t mention my views to Jenkins. He may be offended. After all he is the most senior tea planter in the country. Tea has been his whole life’s work. i’m just a botanist dabbling in tea. My views are only thoughts that come to mind ” said Robert.

“ Don’t worry about it. I won’t mention it to Jenkins. We share our thoughts openly and we will keep them private, just between us. “ said James getting up walking out, followed by Robert.

“Exactly James. What are friends for if not for sharing our thoughts. Without fear of the consequences.” said Robert.

They stood on the verandah while the carriage was being brought to the front of the bungalow.

“ This is such a delightful place Robert. You are a lucky man to be paid for residing here.” said James smiling.

“ Yes indeed. I am a lucky man.”

“ And what about a woman to share your good luck?” asked James.

“ She comes over at the weekends. To study botany. She wants to be a botanist.  That suits me. She is a Sinhalese girl. Much younger, but with much experience in love making,” he replied smiling. 

“ I’m happy that you are enjoying life in these lovely gardens Robert. Let’s meet up in Kandy on my return. I’m at the Kondagala Estate for one week.” 

“ Sure. i will come to Stainton next Wednesday. I take it you will stay the night before leaving for Loolecondere.” 

“ Yes. I will break journey in Kandy next Wednesday. See you then.” said James getting into the dog cart.

“ Don’t get into mischief at the Stainton. Too many babies are conceived in that hotel.” said Robert smiling a great smile.

“ Oh. I hope no such thing happens to me. I’m already struggling to be a good daddy. Any more and I will have to give up hopes of being a man of substance.” said James smiling and waving as he rolled away along the gravel road.

He arrived in Stainton hotel and booked himself in. The hotel seemed some what different.  The cart and the horse were taken to the hotel’s mews at the back. Mrs. Stainton saw him and came to speak to him.

“ Hello Mr. Taylor. Good afternoon. Did you notice the new Board outside” said Mrs. Stainton.

“ No . Did something happen?” he asked.

“ Ah! Now this hotel is called Queen’s Hotel.” 

“ Have you sold it or is it a change of name?” 

“ It’s been sold. But we will stay on and manage it. My husband is not very well. You see he does get malaria quite often. This time he is in bed with something I’m not sure of . The doctor said it could be dysentry.” she replied.

“ Very sorry to hear that. Dysentry could kill you I’ve heard.” said James.

“Yes. It’s a dangerous disease. Are you comfortable in your room? Daisy mentioned to me that you are designing a water mill and a tea making machine.”

James was taken aback. He was under the impression that what passed between Daisy and him was a state secret to be guarded with his life.

“ Ah! Yes” he stammered, trying to recover his poise. 

“Yes. That’s right. I’ve designed a water mill and a tea making machine to the cost of tea making.” he said.

“ That’s very good. We are all concerned about what has happened to coffee. But tea seems to give hope.” she said, her green eyes looking at him with awe.

“ Yes. i agree . Our future is very much at stake. We need  good luck with tea or else we have to pack up and go home.” he replied.

“ Well. You are right. In fact Mr. Stainton is very sure that we will have to pack up and return to England. He doesn’t think that tea will take hold in Ceylon because it’s been tried twice before. Even the Rothchilds failed with tea. They never give up easily. They got all the money in the world.” she said.

“ The Rothschilds did the right thing. They brought European planters with experience in Assam and Darjeeling. But tea did fail in the end.” replied James.

“ Daisy wanted me to tell you that she won’t be able to come to meet to discuss your plans. That was last week. She was expecting you come last week I think.” she said.

“ Thanks for letting me know. “ said James.

“ She was not feeling well. She had a stomach bug or something like that.” she added.

“ Oh. I see . It’s not good news.” said James.

“ Yes. You have to be careful with water you know. ” said Mrs. Stainton.

“ I see. I must admit that I don’t always drink boiled water. I just drink any water I find. “ said James.

“ We try to make sure that drinking water is boiled just to make sure that guests don’t fall ill.” she said.

“ I must remember to check if our drinking water id boiled. It’s kept in an earthenware jug.”

“ It’s us Europeans that need to worry. The locals seem to be immune to these things.” she said.

“ I guess so. They are not immune to some of the other things like tuberculosis.” said James.

“ Yes. We die from their diseases and they die from our diseases.” she said.

“ Fair exchange, no robbery” said James smiling.

Mrs. Stainton smiled. 

“ That’s life I guess. What can I get you to drink.” she said.

“ My favourite is beer.” said James.

“ Alright. I’ll bring you a beer.” said Mrs. Stainton walking towards the bar.

“ I’ll come along.” said James.

James propped up the bar counter for a while observing the people and the lighting. The ceiling was definitely remarkable with a chandelier gracing the centre. The front doors opened out towards the middle of the town of Kandy. Looking out, there was the   large lake with reinforced embankments which showed pretty good civil engineering skills. 

He stepped out and walked along Malabar Street which flanked the hotel on one side. There were drains on both sides of Malabar Street. The houses on both sides of the street were well built with steps leading over the drain and into the house. The carpentry work was of a good standard. The doors were of sturdy tropical wood. Some had carved features on the doors and door frames. He saw a young woman and her mother walk out of one of the houses. They was clad in sarees. The mother wore her saree in different way. It looked as if the girl was wearing a skirt and a saree covered her upper body. They were both very fair skinned with fine features.  He thought about Thangam and Daisy. If Daisy had come to the hotel, he may not be taking a walk. He walked back up and walked to the embankment of the lake and could see the temple of the tooth where Buddha’s tooth was being kept. 

   He walked into the hotel and bought himself another beer and ordered dinner. He sat on a small table. Some Englishmen walked up to him and they shook hands and spoke for a few minutes. Most were planters but there was an engineer and a Government servant. Dinner was served. After dinner, he went up to his bed and a hotel worker who walked up to the room with him lit the lamp.       

It was a disappointing day. He was downhearted. But just as well, he told himself. He fell asleep. He heard a knock on the door. 

“ Hello. What is it.” he said, feeling annoyed.

“ It’s me Daisy.” came the reply.

He jumped out of bed. Almost ran to the door and opened it. Daisy walked in and hugged him. He locked the door. 

“ I heard you were not well.” said James.

“I’m feeling much better.” said Daisy.

“ But you must be careful.” said James.

“ I’m sorry James. I’m confused. I wanted you to be free of me. I don’t want to make your life complicated.” she said. He kissed her face. There were tears still flowing as he kissed her. He lit the lamp. He could see her well now. Her pink cheeks and green eyes made him happy. Their lips met and they kissed  . James felt his excitement coming through his pyjamas. She had her hand touching it. She kissed him again and he felt the tip her tongue and responded, gently probing the softness of her lips. He lifted her skirt and slipped his hand inside her laced underwear and pulled it down. 

She pushed her self forward to help him. But even though he bent his knees to insert himself, he could not do it. He kissed her on her chest, taking in the perfume that was mixed with the perfume of her body. He gently touched the space between her breasts with his lips. 

They moved to the bed and made love. He hugged her body and kissed her everywhere. The perfume that she wore added to his excitement. The perfume of her body intoxicated him,especially when he kissed the lower part. He felt his member get stronger as he went lower and felt her softness with his tongue. She lowered her self and sucked him. They made love again.

“I’m sorry” she said.

“ Why. I’m enjoying it.”

“I’m making your life complicated.” she said.

“ Life is complicated” he said.

“When will I see you again.” she asked.

“Next week. I am returning from Kondagala Estate in about a week. We could meet next Wednesday.”

“ Okay. Will you stay for one day or two.” she asked.

“ Maybe two. If you can make it. “ said James.

“ Alright. I must plan this out.”

“ i could stay longer, if you want me to.” he said.

“ No James. He might wonder why I missed out on my bridge night which is Thursday.” she said.

Daisy got her clothes on and they kissed and hugged briefly before she left. 

James felt tired after the days travel. He might had more beers than he normally did. 

He fell asleep, thinking about Daisy, Thangam and Samuel. It was confusing, he told himself. But it made sense, in some ways. He need not worry about Daisy. She had someone to be with her. She was an English woman. She has her own home. She may even be a rich woman, with a big house and property in Guilford. She was such a lovely person that he could not bring himself to keep her out of his life. It is a gift from God, he told himself. She came up to him the first time. came up to his table and spoke to him. If she had not done so, he may not have had the courage to even say “hello” to her.  

James was up early and had his breakfast before setting off to Loolecondere. He stopped at Robert’s bungalow.

They sat outside and had tea and biscuits.

“ This tea is delicious Robert. Is it the same as the last time we had tea?” asked James.

“ No James. I got these leaves from the plot I planted on the right hand corner , over there, near the palm tree.” Robert said pointing to the plot.”

“ It’s delicious.”

“ The variety is the same as the one I grew in the nursery for Loolecondere.” said Robert.

“ Okay. But this does taste different.”

“ I follow Cameron’s method. Two leaves and a bud.”

“ This is perfect Robert. I need to follow this method.” said James.

“ But it means that you double the cost. Most of the leaves are left unpicked.”

“ Yes. Quite right. It means the price of tea from Loolecondere estate will be much more than tea from other estates. I agree.”

“ But Cameron is certain that people will buy this high quality tea, regardless of the price.” said Robert.

“  I know what i should do. In fact I’m already half way there. The tea rolling machine I designed is nearly ready. When the water mill is installed, my labour cost will come down very steeply. I just need a good tea maker to do the quality control. Sinniah is the finest tea maker anywhere. With him by my side, Cameron’s formula will work.” said James.

“ I see what you mean. You are saying that  the cost of the tea leaf, your raw material, will go up. But you will reduce the cost of the labour drastically by using the machines.” said Robert.

“ That’s right. The raw materai cost will increase with tea leaves and a bud. But the quality of tea will be high. But the manufacturing cost will come down hugely with the machine I’m going to use. The overall price would be about the same as for hand rolled tea..”

“ It’s a very good argument James. I’m very much impressed by what you are trying to do. No matter how well you hand roll the tea, the tea it self is of a mixed quality with leaves from all parts of the bush. With your process, the tea itself is a high quality, no matter what process is used to make it into a drink.” said Robert.

“ Exactly. Robert,  I must be going. The biscuits were great and the tea delicious. Many thanks. Thangam will be waiting anxiously. I must admit that it’s Samuel that I miss hugely.” said James, getting up and stretching himself.

They said good bye and James’s thoughts turned towards Loolecondere.

*                    *                      *

James recalled the events of the previous night, as the dog cart passed through the valley that was opposite the Peradeniya gardens, one of Daisy’s favourite areas. He was somewhat taken aback by Daisy. She seemed to be more a little fond of him. He did not expect her to be taken up with him to such an extant.

When he arrived in Loolecondere, Thangam was standing at the door with a big smile, carrying Samuel. Her hair was adorned with jasmine flowers. James felt like hugging the two of them and taking a whiff of the jasmine flowers on Thangm’s hair. Samuel was straining to get down but she wanted to wait for James to come up to her and give her a kiss. James came up to Thangam and kissed her on her cheek. He wanted to hug her and carry her. But Samuel was straining to be carried, pushing himself forward, nearing falling away from Thangam. James felt a pang of guilt seeing the lovely smile of welcome from Thangam and the outstretched arms of Samuel. He had everything here. All the love and happiness a man would wish for. 

James carried Samuel, hugged him, kissed him on both cheeks and forehead. James always enjoyed kissing Samuel on his head. The aroma of a Samuel’s washed  hair was something he very much enjoyed. The pure joy of Samuel’s  body against him was something special, a moment of delight. He walked towards the jasmine bush with Samuel. Samuel stretched himself to grab a few of the small white flowers with his hands. Samuel’s chubby fingers held the flowers. Samuel stared at the flowers.

“ Smell it Samuel. That is your Mummy’s favourite flower. Your Daddy’s favourite too.”

he said to Samuel.

Thangam stood there watching the father and son. She seemed to take pride in the the scene. A father and his child enjoying each other’s company. She walked towards them and stood next to the father and son. James placed his arm on her shoulders and felt a sense of peace. He felt grateful to Thangam for giving him the joy of being a father. He was aware the these moments of peace and joy took him back to the days when he was a child and spent quiet moments with his mother and father.

Thangam leaned on him and put her arms around him. When she kissed him on his chest, she let go of him and said:

“ I can smell perfume. Where did the perfume come from” she asked, stepping back, away from him. James was shocked and flustered. 

“ I don’t know how perfume came on my shirt. Are you sure it’s not the flowers.” he replied, quickly recovering himself.

“ No. It’s definitely perfume. Have you been with another woman.” she asked, staring at him.

James was almost about to confess. But he recovered his posture and said:

“ No. I was with Jenkins. There is no woman. i have not been with any woman.” he said. Thinking quickly he added; “ It might be from the soap in the hotel. I took a  wash in the hotel. It could be the flower from Robert’s garden. We walked around his garden. He has a really good collection of flowers.” 

“ Okay. I want to get the food ready. You might want to have a bath. There is warm water in the big cauldron. I’ll take Samuel .” she said , carrying Samuel and walking away toward the house.

It was a close shave for James. He must be more careful , he told himself. He also felt guilty. He went to the bedroom . He carried the bag with the cloths he took  for his visit to Kondagala Estate to the bedroom and inspected it carefully just in case there was something there like a handkerchief or piece of paper which might give him away. He had a bath and made sure that he placed his cloths in a cauldron and filled it with water to ensure that the cloths had  a good soaking. 

*             *                *

      The following week, James made his way to Kandy on a Monday and took a coach to Kondagala Estate via Ramboda Pass. He was met by Jenkins. He spent the evening walking along the rows of tea bushes that had been planted. The new tea bushes were not growing as fast as expected. Jenkins was himself rather puzzled.

“ You know James, this is very strange. I have not experienced such slow growth in all my thirty five years involvement with tea.” said Jenkins.

“ It must be the soil. The climate is no different to Loolecondere.” replied James.

“ This is something I had not expected. As you say the climate is the same as the rest of the hill country except that we are more to the East are we not?” he asked.

“ Yes. Loolecondere is more towards the centre of the hill country” said James.

They walked further down the path between tea bushes. Enough space was left between bushes to give the women tea pluckers room to stand and pluck the leaves. The wind blew strongly suddenly.

“ Ah! That blowing is strong. Is it normal?” asked Jenkins.

“ It’s time for the rainy season to begin. April has been very hot. That is one of the reasons for the slow growth I think. The rain will come from the North East from next month. I guess it’s a little different from Assam.” said James.

“ It’s a just a few months different. Pattern of the rain is the same. Two rainy seasons. The South West monsoon and the North East Monsoon. But of course the monsoons along the Bay of Bengal can bring a deluge of rain ” said Jenkins.

Some rumbling could be heard as the clouds blew in.

“ You were telling me about the tea rolling machine that you are having constructed. When do you expect it to be installed ?” asked Jenkins.

“ In two weeks time. The installation will take about a week I think. The watermill will need some work. I have been making the spot a bit deeper to allow more water to pass through.” said James.

They walked along the footpaths that were designed to help the tea pluckers to move around the bushes, plucking the tea leaves.

“ I’m thinking of two leaves and a bud. This will make the tea expensive since there will be many leaves left unplucked but the tea tastes so much better.” said James.

“ Yes. I go along with that idea. We may end up with two types of tea. Two leaves and a bud style of tea making catering to the upper classes and the normal leaves catering to the others.” said Jenkins.

“ That would happen I’m sure. But I want to concentrate on the high quality tea.” said James.

“ I agree with you. I would go the same way. But we have to face the fact that the price of tea will be much more. It may not be competitive with tea made in China.”

“ My problem is bring down the cost of Ceylon tea by going away from hand rolling and using a machine to do that. I need your help with quality control.” said James.

“ Don’t worry about it James. I will be coming over to Loolecondere as often as you want me to.” said Jenkins.

“ Thanks a lot. I very much appreciate this offer.” said James.

“ I want to help you with your enterprise. Your approach interests me greatly. I will be doing everything I can to help you with your project.”  said Jenkins.

They returned to the bungalow as the Sun was setting and sat on the verandah having their tea and biscuits.

“ Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Your hot water should be ready if you are going to have a bath. It gets chilly though. Not unpleasant really.” said Jenkins.

They talked about the dwindling of the coffee crops and the uncertainty of the tea enterprise. After dinner, they walked around the bungalow a few times discussing the tea drinking habits of the upper classes in England. They retired for an early night.

Breakfast was served in the verandah. The household staff were as efficient as as the people who looked after his house, thought James.

“ Excellent breakfast. I see you have a very good team.” said James

“ Yes. I brought some of my people along with me. the workers are also from Bengal” said Jenkins.  

“ It’s a good idea. They know you and know what you want done.” said James.

“ Yes. Only downside is that these fellows from Bengal seem to have made friends in the local villages. They go and spend their evenings out in the villages.” said Jenkins.

“ Oh, I see. The friendship could develop and the young men could get married to local girls and then things could get complicated.” said James.

“ I suppose such things do happen. It happens to you and me.” remarked Jenkins.

“ Yes. I agree. We all need a little company. But I must say that the villages in Loolecondere keep themselves to themselves. Our workers do buy any vegetables and yams that the village people sell. ” said James.

“ I do encourage my workers to buy locally rather than go to Kandy. We need to make the local village people feel that we are of some benefit to them. We are using government land but it really belongs to them I suppose.” said Jenkins. 

“ Yes. The benefits of government services are not very much in the villages. The town people are enjoying roads and now railways. When is the railway having it s first cargo run.?” asked Jenkins.

“ Next week or the following week.” said James.

“ I guess the people are going to take the opportunity to travel to Colombo.” said Jenkins.

“ Yes. I certainly am very excited. I’m hoping to send a shipment of tea in about two months.”

“ Ah. Yes. Your machine will be churning out the best of Loolecondere to London.” said Jenkins.

“ I’m going to need help with the shipment. It will be first shipment using the machines.” said James.

“I will be at Loolecondere. You can be certain of that. Tea making has been my core skill. The fermenting is very important to my way of making tea. I’m also very keen to make it a success because I will be adopting your methods in due course.” said Jenkins.   

“ Thank you. It will be a great help to me. My experience is very limited in that area of tea making.” said James.

“ In many ways, your success will be our success. We planters are at the cross roads. Coffee is definitely out,  thanks to the blight. Cinchona prices are down and no signs that it will ever improve. Tea will be our saviour.”

“ Yes. Tea will be our road to success. I’m very confident. I know the risks. But I’m confident.” said James.

 They went out and walked along the tea plantation tracks. The tea bushes were not looking lush. The green colour of the tea leaf was not the green colour that was expected. A healthy tea bush had tea leaves of a different colour.

“ Sad isn’t it James. I took a lot trouble bringing tea plants and seeds from Assam. But this is a great disappointment.” said Jenkins.

“ Signs are not good. It’s no use uprooting it at this stage, is there?”

“ No we will wait until a few more months before deciding on drastic action.”

“ Yes. It’s too early.” said James

“ Are you leaving tomorrow as planned?” asked Jenkins.

“No I’m leaving today. It’s Wednesday and I’m doing some work on the water mill site on Thursday.” said James.

“ Alright. Let’s go inside. I’ve got some tea leaves. i will show you about how I do the rolling and fermenting.” said Jenkins.

They moved into the house. Jenkins gave a demonstration of the hand rolling methods used in Assam. The leaves ended up looking like cigars. They discussed fermentation and the methods used  for making Chinese green tea. The distinctive smell of green tea wafted around the tea leaves.

“ I guess the packing methods will also be different for green tea.” said James.

“ Not all that different. It’s almost the same. The tea chests we use are the same. The paper used to insulate the tea from the tea chest is the same. Mind you, with the railway starting next week or the following week, we will need to look at the packing methods again” said Jenkins.

“ Yes. Agree. Are you going to Ambepussa for the opening “ asked James.

“ I want to go. Are you going?” asked Jankins.

“ Yes. I want to go.” said James.

“ I guess we will meet there. What about travel and accommodation.” asked Jenkins.

“ The coach from Kandy will get us over there and back. I’m not sure if the rest house or hotel in Ambepussa they are building can accommodate everyone.” said James.

“ Alright. We might meet in Kandy. Depending on the time we get there. I guess it’s time for your trip back home.” said Jenkins.

“ Yes. I will get my bag.” said James.

James arrived in Kandy by late evening. The lamps were being lit in the Queens Hotel. James stepped back to look at the impressive sign board that had replaced the old sign board which said Stainton Hotel. Looks like the place is going to be posh place, James told himself.

He booked himself in and went to his room and left his suitcase there before coming down and having a beer. He spoke to one or two of the British men who were seated drinking their beer and eating snacks like potato wedges and fried prawns.

He felt cheerful standing at the bar and looking at the new curtains which seemed to declare that things have changed in the hotel. The price had gone up ten percent too he noted. He kept looking anxiously towards the door watching out for Daisy. She walked in and saw him but pretended that she was coming in to see Mrs. Stainton. She asked the waiter where Mrs. Stainton was and walked away towards the kitchen, only giving James a quick glance. 

She returned and stood talking to James. James placed the key on the table, The tag on the key said Room 10. She picked up the key and walked away. 

When James entered the room she was in bed, only in her pants. He kissed her on her lips, as he removed his cloths and stood naked.

“ I love you” she murmured, moving towards  him.

“ I love you too” said James getting into bed and removing her pants. The perfume of her body made his erection stronger as he enjoyed the softness inside, exploring her with his tongue. She made him tingle with her tongue and feel the delight of being loved.

When she slipped out later, she gave him a kiss on his lips.  She tip toed to the door , opened it slightly to make sure nobody was around , before dashing away. 

James went to sleep but his mind was disturbed by thoughts of Thangam. he would need to make some firm decisions. But there was no solution to be seen. He could not control events but events could overtake him.

*              *               *

CHAPTER 14

The company contracted to make the water mill came to Loolecondere with several workers. The installation was done in two days. A gate was built to divert the water temporarily to allow installation of the water mill . The gate became a permanent feature, allowing James to use the water mill as when required. The work began on the installation of the tea rolling machine. The building housing the tea rolling machine was extended to allow for fermentation of the rolled leaves, as recommended by Jenkins. Jenkins came to Loolecondere and was happy with all the trays and equipment to dry the fermented leaves. Jenkins enjoyed meeting Sinniah and making friends with Thangam and Samuel. Samuel became a great favourite with Jenkins.

The tea rolling machine was a success. The two leaves and a bud formula was also working well. Jenkins was very active in all the processing, advising and mentoring James, Sinniah and the workers. The tea leaves were ready for plucking every six weeks. Sinniah ensured that there was sufficient tea ready for an initial shipment to London. Many visitors came to see the water mill in action. There was festive mood in Loolecondere. Some village folk from local villages came to see the new mill.

“ Looks like your tea will be going to Colombo on the first railway run from Ambepussa to Colombo” said Jenkins.

“ I’m happy about it.” said James.

“ More than likely Governor Gregory will be there.” said Jenkins.

“ I’ve heard that the Governor is very keen on tea and getting tea exported from Ceylon.” said James.

“ Yes. In fact he was doing his best to get me over. He was talking to Harrison and Barron about getting me to come to help with the tea growing and tea making.” said Jenkins.

“ That’s good. He is our good supporter.”

“ That he is. He has even been contacting Thomas Lipton. You know about Lipton don’t you” asked Jenkins.

“ I’ve heard that Lipton has a lot of shops opened in Scotland and England.” said James.

“ That’s right. He is also a campaigner for tea. He is part of the temperance movement. The supporters of temperance want to stop people drinking beer. The alternative is tea and coffee. Lipton is hoping that he will improve his sales of tea and coffee by being part of the temperance movement.” said Jenkins.

“ I guess making people drink more tea and coffee is good for us planters.” said James.

“ It is very good for us. Gregory being a supporter is also good. He is certainly doing his best for tea drinking.”

“ I would like to meet him if he is coming to the opening of the railway in Ambepussa.” said James.

“ You should bring your family as well. It’s good to meet the governor.” said Jenkins.

“ Yes. I will bring Thangam. She is rather shy.” said James.

“ Just a matter of shaking hands with the governor. It’s time for me to get back and have an inspection at Ramboda” said Jenkins.

“ Thanks for all your help. Harrison was telling me that I can go to Darjeeling and Assam. he is pleased with our success with the machines.” said James.

“ That’s good news. You should spend some time there. It will give you more ideas about the way tea is prepared there.” said Jenkins.

“ Maybe next year if everything goes well.” said James

“ Good for you. I’m disappointed with the tea plantation in Ramboda. I brought all these Bengali workers here because I wanted make sure that this plantation will succeed. I know the set up costs for tea are very high. Just trying to make sure everything works out . It’s very sad that things have not been up to expectations.” said Jenkins.

“ It’s a big risk whichever way you look at it. Plantations don’t happen easily. I realise that only now. I was getting advice from Robert at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. He has been very helpful”

“ I will ask him to come and check how things are working out in Kondagala Estate. He is my last hope. I must get moving. Bye for now James. We will meet for the launch of the railway at Ambepussa next week” said Jenkins.

“ Yes. We will meet in Ambepussa. Thanks for coming over.” said James.
20pxJenkins got into his coach and returned to Ramboda Pass.

A week passed by and the day for the launch of the railway in Ambepussa arrived.

Thangam was fretting about her cloths, what cloths will be good for the occasion.

“ Don’t worry about the dress Thangam. Nobody will notice how you are dressed. Wear your favourite purple dress. It always looks great on you.” said James.

“ Alright. I’ ll wear the purple dress. I’m looking at something for Samuel.” she said, looking through the storage box where she kept most of her cloths and jewellery. It was a well designed storage box with brass fittings and a large brass key. Her jewellery was given to her by her grandmother. She treasured them. She wore them occasionally and James used to admire the fine workmanship of the ear studs. The studs were made in gold and held tiny bits of rubies. She would wear them for a day and put them away. He was also aware that it was customary among the Tamils to wear the Thali, a thick gold necklace, when you were married woman and Thangam never had one. James had noticed that her mother’s necklace had several pieces of jewel studded gold ornaments.

“ Don’t worry too much. Samuel is going to look good whatever he wears.” said James as he got himself his best shirt which had been washed and ironed the day before. This was to ensure that he looked his best when he met the Governor, if he did meet him. It was likely that the local planters will be formally introduced to the Governor by the Government Agent for the District.

They went to bed early because they had to set off in the night to reach Ambepussa in the morning. The carriage arrived in the early hours of the morning. They had brought a breakfast of sandwiches. They parked the carriage near the station. Jenkins and Robert arrived a little while later. They were pleased to have each other’s company. Some of the planters arrived. The discussion centred on the the capacity of the train and the coming of the Governor. The Government Agent based in Kandy arrived along with some of his staff.

The staff had been there before to make arrangements to welcome the Governor.

“ Hello there Taylor.” said a voice and James turned to look. It was McKenzie.

Thangam moved away from James.

“ Hello” replied James.

“ You are still around. I see you are a stubborn man.” said McKenzie.

“ I’m working on the newly planted tea bushes.” said James.

“ You are dreaming. Do you know that Jenkins is facing a serous problem with his tea plantation in Ramboda?” asked Mckenzie.

“ Yes. In fact I go there to meet Jenkins on instructions from Harrison.”

“ Well, what did I say. Jenkins has so much experience. Yet he is facing the end of all his efforts. Tea is a foolish idea. You are going to regret not taking my advice.”

said McKenzie.

“ I’m following Harrison’s orders.” said James.

“ Harrison is using you. You watch out.” McKenzie said and walked away.

Tables were prepared with table clothes spread over them. Frangipani flowers decorated the tables. Vases with flowers stood in the middle of the table. Chairs were cleaned and made ready for the dignitaries to sit and face the crowd that was gathering to witness the formal launch of the railway in Ambepussa.

The train was leaving Colombo at six in the morning. It was expected to arrive by ten and the formal cutting of the ribbon to open the railway station was to be at eleven. The Governor would give a speech, followed by the Government Agent and the village leader, a person who had retired from government service.

The hoot of the train was heard by nine o clock. They were all excited. Some persons had climbed the trees and kept shouting in Sinhala, describing the smoke coming out of the engine and the number of coaches the train was pulling. It had stopped they said to take water into the steam engine and then left again. The train arrived a few minutes before eleven. The smoke and the noise was deafening. Samuel screamed and looked at the engine in terrified manner.

The train was driven by two Europeans, who were wearing white overalls. The overalls were covered in coal dust. Even the faces of the men were covered in coal dust.

Coal was heaped at the back of the engine. The coaches were full of persons from Colombo. The man were dressed in white and cream coloured suits and wore ties. There were English and local ladies elegantly dressed in printed cotton dresses. There were a few local ladies dressed in sarees. There were some men getting down holding note books and writing on them as they walked. They had cards stuck on their hats. She realised they were reporters from the newspaper.

Governor Gregory was dressed in white cotton trouser and white cotton coat. He wore a red tie. His moustache was impressive. His grey hair was combed elegantly. His wife followed him. They were welcomed by the crowd with a round of clapping led by the Government Agent. The Government Agent made the first speech, welcoming the Governor and thanking him for assisting in the venture. The Governor made a speech thanking the local people for the assistance they had provided in building the railway and the station. The Government Agent spoke again thanking the Governor for coming all the way and the ceremony seemed to be coming to an end.

Thangam and Samuel went to the back of the crowd as Samuel was trying to get down which meant that he wanted to urinate. She took him to a tree and he pissed onto the tree. After picking Samuel up, she turned around and looked towards the crowd looking for James. She saw a white woman walk up to James and give him a kiss on his cheeks. James seemed to be happy to see that woman. He hugged her. And she hugged him. Then they were engaged in conversation. She saw James pointing in the direction of the tree and the woman seemed to hurry away from him.

Thangam had a intuitive feeling that they had known each other intimately. She decided to keep quiet and bring the matter up when they went home.

While she was walking back towards James, Sinniah walked towards her and talked to her.

“ Did you see that white lady. She is his girl friend. I did not want to tell you.” said Sinniah.

“ How do you know she is his girl friend. They could have known each other before.”

she said.

“ One of the cooks in the kitchen in the hotel had mentioned it. She is married but she comes to see him in the hotel.” he replied.

“ Maybe they are good friends. I will ask him when we get home.” she replied.

“ They are more than good friends. She goes into the kitchen and slips out through the kitchen back door. She goes to the his room without anyone seeing her go towards the rooms.”

Thangam’s face was grim. She had to admit that there was more to it than met the eye. She had tried to dismiss the incident as an innocent show of friendship. But there was no doubt that James had been seeing the white lady. She felt that her whole life had changed.

“ I’ll find out what he is trying to do.” she said.

“ It’s time you thought of finding a husband. These white people will be looking for a white woman when they want to get married.” he said.

She did not reply. Her father sensed that her silence was a type of consent. He could see that she was in a mood to entertain suggestions and proposals. He knew the time was right for her to move on. Time was right for her to have a settled family life, with a family of her own, with a reliable man from the community. Someone in a steady job.

“ I got to go and check the coachman. We may be leaving soon.”

The governor’s speech ended and there an announcement .

The government agent announced the names of various persons loudly. Thangam heard James Taylor’s name being announced. James stepped up to the little platform where the Governor and various dignitaries were seated. The Governor shook James’s hands and said “ I would like to thank Mr. Taylor was being very persistent. He has impressed me as the man who has been producing good tea at a time when many are finding it difficult to grow tea, leave alone making good tea. He has been pioneering water mill driven tea making machinery. I congratulate him. Please give Mr. Taylor a round of applause.” said Governor Gregory.

The crowd applauded and James stood up to acknowledge the applause. Thangam had not taken much notice of the people seated on the platform before. This time she did. Only when she looked at the raised platform carefully she noticed that Daisy was seated at the back on the platform along with two other white ladies. Maybe her husband could not come today, she thought. Maybe he did come but did not think that her kissing James was a more than a gesture of friendship.

The people who sat on the platform got up and went towards the rest house. Thangam stood frozen. She did not know what she had to do. Her mind was disturbed. She could see her father talking to James. What was he telling James? Maybe just letting him know that she was standing under the tree. After all, they had to get back to Loolecondere. Any moves will need to be made there.

Some people, including Governor General Gregory had reached the rest house grounds and were walking up the hill leading to the rest house. James walked up to Thangam.

“ We are invited to the rest house. Shall we start walking?” he said.

“ You can go. We will wait here.” she replied.

James knew that the rejection was a sign that she had been offended. He thought that she was offended because he had sat in the platform without her. He was also wondering if she had seen Daisy giving him a kiss.

“ Sorry Thangam. I had to go to the platform when they called me. You were not to be seen.” said James.

“ It’s alright. You can go and have lunch. We will wait for you.” she said.

“ I won’t go if you are not coming. Let’s go and look for the coach.” he said, carrying Samuel and giving him a kiss on his cheeks.

“ Did you have a good time young fellow?” he asked Samuel walking out towards the area where there were several carriages parked. The trees near the open space were tall and had white flowers. Some had red flowers.

When they passed close to the railway, Samuel pointed towards the train. They took him close to the steam engine. He looked at the huge black engine and wanted to touch it. James took him close enough to touch it. Samuel’s arm stretched and touched it. It might have been warm. Samuel held his two tiny hands together and smiled.

They walked to the carriage. The man who looked after the carriage and horses was ready, seated at the front of the carriage. James, Thangam, Sinniah and Samuel sat down and the carriage moved away from Ambepussa.

* * *

In the carriage, Thangam showed her displeasure by keeping silent. James had Samuel in his lap. He showed him interesting things as they passed along. Huge trees which seemed to as broad as the road. Flowering trees with red, yellow, white flowers. Houses by the roadside. Some had little shops on the side, selling coconuts and vegetables. There were dogs, cats, cows and occasionally goats to be seen. They passed over rivulets. The department of works had built a bridge allowing the carriage to stay on the road and pass over the rivulet. James showed Samuel birds that sat on trees, parrots in green with red under their wings, only to be seen when they flew. Crows were in groups having conferences. They passed paddy fields. Lush green paddy fields ready for harvesting very soon.

Thangam had hardly said a word all the way from Ambepussa. Sinniah tried to make up for it by talking about the Governor and the Government Agent and the dignitaries. He talked about the important families that lived near Ambepussa. He had been talking to local villagers and gleaned information about the local village chieftains and families. They reached Loolecondere late at night.

Punya had cooked and the night meal was ready. Thangam served the red rice, which James enjoyed very much with dhal curry, aubergine fried and made into a tasty dark brown curry, salted fish fried with onions and cabbage cooked in coconut milk. James ate his meal and made comments about what had happened when he sat near the Governor, how the Governor asked many questions about the water mill and tea rolling machine and said that he may visit Loolecondere when he visits Kandy. Governor Gregory had also told him that plans are ready for the railway to be extended to Kandy. The Kadugannawa Pass was the difficult climb. It would need two steam engines, one pulling at the front and another pushing from the back. The surveyors and engineers had been camping near Kadugannawa, finalising the plans. Thangam only made occasional remarks, which showed that her mood was still negative. She was not the same joyful pleasant woman, smiling and being playful with Samuel.

James was becoming aware of Thangam being less intimate with him. She did not come to the room when he was working on his plans or simply lying down for a short rest. She was spending her time in the kitchen and the garden. He noticed that she did not wear jasmine flowers in her hair all the time like she did before. Sometimes she did and sometimes she did not wear the flowers.

But she came to the room and slept on the bed next to Samuel’s cot, as she did before. James made love to her but she seemed to respond to his love making in a different way. Instead of murmuring her pleasure she simply lay down while he moved. It was as if she was performing her duties as his woman. She did not come on top of him as she did before. He had to tell her to come on top him and she did.

James’s name had appeared in the newspapers. He was commended by Governor Gregory for leading the tea industry to a new improved ways of doing things. The tea sent to England was being commended by London tea brokers. The prices of tea made in Ceylon had improved as a result of James high quality leaves, being only two leaves and a bud. The use of the new type of tea rolling machine did not diminish the quality. Jenkins had been spending more time in Loolecondere, helping and supervising the tea production. Sinniah was also working with Jenkins and learning more about the fermentation and drying processes.

Normally, Thangam would have discussed his name appearing in the newspapers. But she did not say anything until he told her that he had been mentioned in the newspapers. She seemed to know about it but had not brought it up as she normally did. James put it down to her thinking that he will be returning home or that he will be looking for a white woman as a wife.

After dinner, James took a short walk along the gravel road and retired to the bedroom. He changed into his bed cloths and was lying in bed. Thangam came in carrying Samuel and placed him in his cot. Samuel was sleeping.

“ I might be going to India for two months to meet with the tea planters there. When i come back I will be looking after more estates” he said. He wanted to convey to her that he is not going away.

“ Alright. When are you going she asked”. She did not wait for an answer. She changed into bed cloths.

Her night dress was a simple sarong, a wrap around piece of cotton that covered her from her breasts to her toes.

“ Come and sit here . I can turn the lamp off later.” said James.

Thangam left the lamp on. She went to the window and closed the curtain tightly before she came to the bed and laid down, next to James. James placed his arms around her, his hand resting on her breasts. His big hands covered both her breasts. He gently felt her breasts.

“ Tell me what’s wrong. Are you thinking I will leave you.” he asked.

“ I don’t know. You are the Dorai here. The company owners are your friends. So I don’t think they will send you away.” she said.

James was feeling aroused feeling her nipple. Normally she would have moved her hand in response to his legs. But she lay there not moving her hand.

“ So you are not unhappy because McKenzie keeps saying that I’m going to be sent away. Then what can be the trouble. Are you thinking I might find another woman. You know I won’t do that.” said James.

“ I don’t know. But I think it’s right that you will like to get married to a white lady.” she said.

“ Thangam. Don’t think like that. I’m not looking for a white woman to get married to” he said, rolling her over towards him and kissing her all over. She let him remove her sarong and kiss her all over.

“ The lamp is still burning” she said.

James got out of bed and turned the lamp off.

He returned to the bed. While he was standing his tongue nipped into her. She responded without her knowing by opening her legs. James entered her. His urgency was fulfilled. Her response was muted. He noticed that she did not make those sounds that he enjoyed hearing, the grunts and moans of pleasure.

* * *

The next day, James went off to the water mill after an early breakfast. He was having some problems with the flow of water. There had been little rain and the flow was was reduced, barely able to turn the mill. He was concentrating on the fermentation process that Jenkins had been emphasising. He suspected that the most important process was the fermentation. The quality of the tea was improving after Jenkins had explained the process. Sinniah was keeping a sharp eye on the fermentation process. As tea maker, he was supervising the staff to ensure sufficient time was allowed for all processes. He could assess the stages of the tea making process.

The time for James’s departure was approaching fast. With two weeks to go he was busy making arrangements for his departure. He noticed Thangam had become quiet and hardly showed her interest in keeping the house clean and looking pleasant with new bunches of flowers in the vases. he put it down to her displeasure with his departure to India.

He made his final trip to Kondagala Estate in Ramboda Pass before his travel to Darjeeling. He left on the Tuesday and as usual he stopped to meet Robert at the Peradeniya Gardens.

They sat in the open verandah outside Roberts’s house, having tea and sandwiches.

“ Looks like things are working out for you at last.” said Robert.

“ In many ways yes. The long awaited trip to India has been arranged. But some problems are yet to be solved.” said James.

“ You mean the tea. I thought you have Jenkins helping with the tea making.” said Robert.

“ Yes. Jenkins has been great help. Sinniah has also been working with him. When i go away, Sinniah will be able to manage things. But Thangam has been diificult. She was upset when I was called to sit with the Governor”

“ She felt left out. Understandable. But things don’t always happen the proper way.”

“ Yes. Actually she was not around anyway. She took Samuel for a piss.”

“ I guess you and I have a similar problem. Do we marry natives and stay here forever or do we postpone the decision. I would like to wait and see how I feel in another few years.” said Robert.

“ I think I will commit myself because Samuel should not be punished for something he did not do.”

“ Poor little fellow. He is a lovely boy.”

“ I’m getting late. Time for me to book myself in. Don’t want to get too late and the room are all booked up.”

“ Ah! Yes. You don’t want that to happen. Hurry up and get there. She might be waiting.” said Robert laughing.

* * *

James went to Queens Hotel and booked himself in. The hotel was busy with new arrivals. Many had come expecting to be involved in tea. Some were tea brokers. Others were adventurers and travellers, interested in what was happening in the country, the changes that were taking place with the coming of the railway. There were Dutchmen interested in trading spices. The cinnamon that grew in Ceylon was considered very special and fetched a better price.

He saw Daisy walk into the hotel. Their eyes met and exchanged intimacies. Her eyes had a sparkle. She was happy to see him. His eyes took in the pink cheeks and and red lips. These he would savour later. It was simply the pleasure of seeing such a pretty woman. She walked up to him and they shook hands in a formal way, not letting excitement give it all away.

“ I will meet you later. Is it room ten?” she asked in a whisper smiling as if she had just met him.

“ Yes. It’s room ten. See you there. “ he said in soft tones.

“ See you later.” she said smiling , giving the impression that they were simply friends, to anyone watching them.

She walked away and mingled with the planters. Some had come with their wives and she sat down with some ladies. James finished his drink and went for a short walk along the lake. He saw the building in the middle of the lake and wondered how it was built. He knew that the lake had been built before the British arrived in Kandy. It could not have been built by the Dutch or the Portugese because they were not able to come as far as Kandy due to the resistance from the King who was from South India. He knew that the King of Kandy was ousted by the British only because one of the nobleman was aggrieved by a decision the king made and decided to oust the King. He brought the British soldiers through the hills surrounding Kandy and the King was dethroned and sent back to India.

Dusk was settling in. The hills above the lake were being covered in mist as the night took over. He went back and had dinner. He could see Daisy seated at a small table with three others. They were playing bridge. There were three similar groups, all looking absorbed in their game. All staring at the table in front of them. James decided he will retire and wait for Daisy. He went to the room ten and changed into his pyjamas.

He dozed off immediately. He woke up to the sound of a knock on the door. He was up and dashed towards the door. There was a second knock on the door as he was about to turn the lock. Daisy came in and he locked the door. She put her arms around him and placed her face on his chest. James embraced her tightly. Daisy was only an inch or two taller than Thangam. He blonde hair made James excited. When she looked up, he could not stop himself from bending down and kissing her lips. They kissed, lost in another world, their tongues seeking each other’s.

They made love standing. His pyjamas did not interfere. She removed her undergarment . He lifted her slightly and held her buttocks tight against him. They moved and they moaned as they came. Both felt the exhaustion of the act and moved to the bed, resting and playing with each other’s bodies. Her fingers moved to feel the softness of hairs on his chest. James felt the soft breasts and her nipples stiffened to his touch. Making him ready to make love again.

They made love again in a different way with him coming from behind. She looked at his body move by bending head down and watching him move. They relaxed in bed again.

“ Darling I must tell you I missed my period last week.”

He sat up and asked:

“ Are you sure you had the dates correct.” He felt his pulse beat faster.

“ Yes. i know the dates. But sometimes it happens and there may be nothing to worry about.” she said sensing his feeling of fear.

“ Hope so. I don’t want to be in India while you are here and worrying about it.” he said.

“ Please don’t worry too much darling. I’m a married woman and know how to handle this situation.” she said.

“ Are you going to tell him about it?” he asked.

“ No. Not now. I’m not sure yet. He might be happy about it because we don’t have any children.” she said.

“ Oh! I did not think about that.” he said.

“ Don’t worry. It’s not something you need to worry about. Your India trip is next week. You must have a lot of things to do before you go.”

“ Yes. Lots of arrangements. Good thing Jenkins is here. Noble is also very good. He has given us some good advice on the drying. Sinniah was working with him as well.”

“ Thats good. It’s good that you have these people interested in helping you.” she said.

“ I guess we must succeed or else the whole tea idea would be coming to an end and so much money would have been wasted.” he said.

“ That’s very true. So much effort would have been wasted. Darling, I’ve got to go now. The bridge game would be over and I should slip out through the kitchen and the back door.” she said getting down and getting into her dress.

James stepped out of the bed and gave her a hug.

“ Thanks for coming.” he said.

“ The pleasure is all mine. Have a good trip to India. I wish I was coming with you.” she said.

“ Thank you. It would have great if you were coming . I will think of something to bring for you.” he said.

“ Thanks. Goodbye for now .” she said giving him a last kiss on his cheek before she went to the door and peeked outside carefully. She waved before she closed the door gently.

* * *

James slept until late in the morning and took off to Ramboda Pass later than usual. The carriage made good progress and they were in Kondagala Estate before it got dark. They spent two days working in various parts of the estate. James returned to Loolecondere with Jenkins. They were going to do a hand over take over as James would be away for several months.

Samuel was delighted to see James. He jumped out of his mother’s arms when he saw James. The father and son played a game of pulling each other’s noses. James was in a different world when he was with Samuel. He had no worries and did not think of any of his problems. It was a total feeling of joy. Nothing distracted him from being with Samuel. He felt complete and joyful. Thangam stood watching the father and son playing with each other. She was as absorbed in their playing with each other. The smile on her face showed that she was as happy as the two of them. But it was short lived feeling, this time. Soon she was looking quiet. Thangam was not her usual self. She looked sorrowful, very quiet.

“ Thangam, are you not well? Is it fever or something else?” asked James.

“ I’m not sick.” replied Thangam.

“ That’s good. I don’t want to go away and think about whether you are being looked after.”

“ My father says I need to visit my relatives. He says I should be away in the village during the time you are away.”

“ I guess he is right. I’ll be going away and it’s a good time for you to be away as well.”

“ Alright. I will go and visit my relatives. My aunts keep sending me messages.”

That night they made love. James stood behind Thangam when they made love. He never ceased to be amazed by her small body. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She was so different from Daisy and yet she was so attractive. She lay on the bed. He enveloped her body with his as he inserted himself and heard her moan. He moved gently. Her arm was stretched across the bed. He saw her fingers extend and press themselves on the bed as he moved gently. Her round buttocks made him feel their smoothness with his hands. He kissed her buttocks. He pushed harder and saw her body move forward and he heard her moan.

* * *

Sinniah came to see James in the morning.

“ Thangam needs to go away and visit her relatives while you are away.” he said.

“ Yes. I understand. I’ll make arrangements for her travel.” he said.

“ I will also go with her. We will all go together. But I will be back after one week.” said Sinniah.

“ Alright. That’s fine with me. Jenkins will be spending every other week in Loolecondere. Noble will be here when Jenkins is away.” said Taylor.

“ Thank you Mr. Taylor. I ‘ ll make preparations for travel.” said Sinniah.

“ I’ll arrange for your advance of pay Sinniah. I’m getting some money out for Thangam and Samuel as well.” said James.

“ That’s very good. Thank you.” said Sinniah.

* * *

The newspapers had a story about James leaving for India. Governor Gregory commented that James Taylor was going to bring much expertise to Ceylon. Harrison released a news item to say that James will be travelling to various tea estates in Darjeeling and Assam to familiarise himself with tea production in India and to see if any tea production practices in India would be suitable for Ceylon.

James travelled to Colombo on the train. Thangam , Samuel, and Sinniah went to Colombo with him. When they went to the Ambepussa station, the steam engine excited Samuel. He saw the smoke rise from the funnel and pointed to it and said something. He wanted to touch the engine. They gave him a chance to touch it. The black painted engine was hot. Samuel touched it with the tip of his fingers. James told Samuel about the coal that was burning inside the engine, under the round cylinder where the water was being heated. The red coals could be seen when the engine driver opened the door of the burner and shovelled the coal into the the burner.Samuel pointed to the fire when the door to the coal burner was opened.

They walked to the carriage which had been better decorated. It was the first class carriage which had better seating and a silver wash basin. The wash basin was hidden in the wall of the carriage. It had to be brought down manually , like opening a cupboard door. The toilet had a sitting one, unlike in the third class carriages which had squatting toilets.

There was a hoot and Samuel looked startled. The engine tooted twice and there was a slight jerk as the train pulled out. Samuel wanted to look out of the window as the train moved. He sat in James’s lap and craned his neck out to look where the engine was. Some tiny bits of coal flew out out of the engine and touched his cheek. He withdrew his face, touched his face and lay back in James lap, watching the scenery pass by. Thangam sat at the other end of the long seat looking out. She was pleased to be able to take the ride that she had been looking forward to. Sinniah sat in the middle, looking at both sides as the tree lined scenery passed by.

The train moved slowly through the hilly terrain and came to a stop after about one hour. The hills were left behind and the terrain was flat . Samuel was sleeping. He got up when he heard the screech of the wheels as the train came to a halt. There were some men carrying sheafs of bananas in basins, selling bananas to travellers. Some passengers got out of the train and bought the bananas. A guard in a black uniform and peaked cap, walked along the train inspecting the couplings that connected the carriages. When the guard reached the engine, he climbed into the engine. He stepped down a little later and walked back to the last carriage. Samuel saw the guard and kept looking at him as he moved along. Thangam was sitting next to James and Samuel.

“ That’s the guard Samuel.” said James, holding his hand and kissing it, feeling the softness of his little hands, enjoying the satisfying feel of Samuel’s body against him. The Samuel’s featherlike weight of Samuel’s gave James a feeling of joy and contentment, something he was going to miss.

Thangam watched the father and son intently as if she was making a special note of it. She was aware that her family was not happy that she was not married and wanted her to leave James and settle down with a husband. Thangam’s affair with James was not be a problem to her getting married. It was almost a plus point as she was a person who had been desired by a white person. This showed that she was a worthy female. She was a desirable person,with superior qualities.

Samuel was the difficulty. She could not walk away from Samuel. She could not take him either. It was plain to see that James would be deprived of Samuel if she went away and took Samuel with her. She thought about the problem while watching Samuel and James. It was the stories of James being visited by the white lady that made her decide that she would consent to the marriage being proposed for her. The bridegroom proposed was a teacher. The teacher was always very keen on her and had been talking to her family about his wanting her to be his wife. The teaching profession was a highly regarded one. It would bring much needed high regard to the family for Thangam to be married to a teacher.

She was undecided. She could not decide even though the family pressure was strong, especially from her mother. They could not see her being a different person, married to a white man and raising a mixed race family. It would be unacceptable. It would be very strange behaviour for someone from a conservative family from the North. She must get back to the fold and be a normal person who followed the traditional way of life. Be married to a professional person like a teacher or a government servant and raise a family in the normal way. The children would be going to school and become doctors, lawyers and teachers.

* * *

  CHAPTER  15

          James boarded a ship bound for Calcutta. The steamship was comfortable and journey pleasant. There were many people working in plantations who were returning to India.

              His first port of call was Madras. He found the climate was very similar to Colombo, hot and moist. He was used to the cooler climate of the hill country. He was also surprised that almost all the eating places were vegetarian. 

              He took a trip along the road to Pondicherry where the French had established a trading post and a French territory. He was surprised to see that the roads were called “rue” as in France.            There were offers to take him to the Nilgiri Hills where tea was growing. He turned the offers down as he was not sure the transport would be reliable and fast enough to return to the ship in time.

              When he arrived in Darjeeling, he was happy that the climate was very similar to the hill country of Ceylon but a little cooler. He had to wear a sweater. From Darjeeling he could see the Himalayas. He knew he could not find the time to go to the Himalayas. He was met by some of the planters who took him to see the plantations. It was an impressive scene,the array of plantations along the hillsides. 

              The next few days were spent visiting various tea factories and meeting with local planters. He got very friendly one of them. Neil was from England, near the Midlands.

They met for dinner. Neil was learning to cook local curries and needed to entertain visitors to taste and comment on his cooking. 

“ What do you think of the food.” asked Neil.

“ Excellent. As good as any Ceylon style curry, but a little bit different.” replied James.

“ I’ve been learning to cook local curries. They use yogurt in their curries.” said Neil.

“ Alright. So that’s where the taste comes from. It does add a distinctive and rich taste to the curry” said James.

“ They use a lot of coriander in their cooking. Coriander leaves and coriander seeds.” said Neil.

“ Yes. I did notice a different flavour. It makes a nice change, a welcome change. Less chilli is used and more coriander.”

“ Yes. The curries have much less chilli up here in the Assam hill country.”

“ The curries  are definitely more hot in Ceylon.” said James.

“ Maybe the ladies who cook the curries like their curries hot. Maybe they are hot in other ways too.” said Neil laughing.

“ Yes. They are hot in other ways too. I have no complaints.” said James.

“ We can visit some nauch dancing girls. They dance well. Sometimes they are available after the dance is over.” said Neil.

“ Is that right. Sounds very appetising. You are excited by the dancing and then you can ask for a private performance.

“ Yes. But it comes at a price. That is to say, you have to whisper your offer into the ears of the owner of the premises. They are open to other offers. So the man with the best offer wins the dancer.” said Neil.

“ It’s a kind of auction. Except that the first bid is also the final bid. No second chance” said James.

“ Yes. Counter offers are not accepted. Of course if you are very rich and well known, that counts for something. The girl and her family need the money, the most  they can get. Agreeing to spend the night with a big man brings other rewards too.” said Neil

“ What kind of rewards?.” asked James.

“ The family will benefit from being given work in the rich man’s farms.” said Neil.

“ Ah. Yes. I see what you mean. It sounds interesting. We don’t have such things happening in Ceylon. Maybe it’s not that sophisticated. Dancing takes place occasionally. When they have ceremonial days. Mainly men dancing anyway. We do not have such places of entertainment. The woman are conservative but it’s not that difficult to find a young woman willing to stay with you. Marriage is a different thing. I was too young to get married when I arrived in Ceylon.” said James.

“ In India, lots of young women are training to be dancers. Lots even train to be singers. They give performances.  Dancing and singing is a career in India. Many are highly regarded in the community. They are a national treasure. They are much appreciated In their own communities.” said Neil. 

“ I think there are families in Ceylon that make a living providing entertainment, dancing and even singing. I’ve heard of it.” said James.

“ You must go and watch a dancer. They are a very good. They wear very attractive colourful clothing. And the dancing is exciting. We can go to a place close by. They know me. The closest place is a small town with shops, places for repairing carriages, temple and at the far end of the town there is a large building. I took it be the residence of a rich man. It must be that a rich man owns the place but allows it to be used as a place of discreet entertainment. Maybe the landlord  is a regular there.” said Neil.     

“ I’m looking forward to that Neil. I’m in India and I want to see what India has to offer. It’s not easy to get away from my work. I suppose we all face the same problem.” said James.

“ Yes. Planters are needed to keep an eye on things. Things can go badly wrong. Tea growing is a big investment. We are protecting that investment.” said Neil.

              They were called to dinner by the head of the household staff. He was a very fair skinned man with grey hair and a bushy grey moustache. He was in charge of the household and managed the household staff. He did not wait in the dining room. He took his leave after checking that all the dishes were served. There was a bell which could be rung if anything was required.

              “The tea estate bungalow here seems to be on a grand scale compared to my estates like Loolecondere.” said  James.

“Ah, yes. The standards here are much higher. We have been working in the tea industry for much longer than in Ceylon.” replied Neil.

“ I suppose the accommodation for workers is of a higher standard too?” said James.

“ Yes. We even have schools set up for workers children. It’s a stable ongoing operation.” said Neil.

“ I would appreciate it if you could take me to see the school. I can assess the costs by having a look at the school” said James.

“ Certainly. We will make a trip down tot the school sometime in the morning.”

“ Thanks. Your cook is very good. The food is delicious.” said James tucking in.

“ The cooking is essentially a local style which uses yogurt and spices like coriander. Onions, garlic and ginger of course are essential. Without onions and garlic, no cooking can happen. ” 

“ Yes. It is such an essential part of the cooking styles in this part of the world.” said James.

              After the meal they had a short walk in the brazing climate of hilly Darjeeling and retired for the night.    

              James and Neill visited some of the plantations and the tea factories before arriving at the school. They were taken to see the Headmaster. He took them to see the classrooms and they walked along the school classrooms. The classrooms were open style with short walls on two sides.  The arrangement was simple and James could see that he could get an estimate done for building a school in a similar design. They were taken into the last classroom to take a look at the desks. The desks were slightly slanted with desktops  that could be lifted. The children were dressed simply, the girls wore white dresses and the boys wore white shirts and blue shorts. James could not concentrate on looking around as the teacher in the classroom was looking at him with a smile. Her cheeks were pink and cheekbones raised in an attractive manner, a blend of Assam and South China. Her smile was disarming but inviting. He walked towards the the teacher, while thinking of a good excuse to talk to her. 

He pointed to the chalk board and asked “ What is this writing board made of. I’m thinking of getting some made for our local school in Ceylon.” he said.

Her eyes were bluish and her smile charming, shy and playful at the same time.

“ It’s made of wood. The carpenter here can make this. He painted it black.” she said.

He wanted to say: “ Can I kiss your cheeks please. They are so inviting.” 

Instead he said “Thanks. I  must ask our carpenter in our estate in Ceylon to make something like this.”

Her cheeks were turning a deeper pink. Her lips were parted and her teeth gleamed as she said: “ Are you from Ceylon?”

He wanted to say ; “ Please can I hug you just once.”

But he said: “I’m working in Ceylon. I’m from Scotland.”

Her eyes seemed to be saying “ You look very nice.” 

“ I thought you were a Ceylonese.”

              James realised that Neil and the headmaster were waiting from him.

“ Thanks. I must be going. They are waiting for me. “

“ Goodbye. Nice to meet you.” she said.

“ Nice to meet you too. Bye” he said and walked away to join Neil. The headmaster had gone.