This is a continuation of the first part of the story published in the April 14, 2024 Edition of the Pepperpot Magazine.

LIFE had continued in those struggling times, days still rough on the edges because there were times he had to work different jobs in far-off areas. He had never worked far away from home and was bound to the sea, but the pay was attractive, and he took it to fix his boat.
A new thought had also crossed his mind about something, and he wanted to pursue it. Six months later, he felt things were looking better, for his boat was now seaworthy and he could go out with a two-man crew. He cut his hair, had a clean shave, wore new clothes and shoes, and went down the road on a Sunday morning. Villagers passing by down the same road turned to look at him in surprise, and a few called out to him.

“Lookin’ sharp deh, bai!”
“Yuh gat ah date, budday?”
Ramesh just raised his hand casually and smiled.
He reached the house where he was heading and called at the unlocked picket gate. She was standing at the end of the small garden, drying her hair.
It was the first time seeing her with her hair down. She had long hair.

She turned and looked at him in surprise. Her hand paused in towelling her hair.
“Well, well, look at yuh.”
He smiled slightly at the admiring look in her eyes, sure she was not teasing him and said to her, “Yuh got beautiful hair.”
She smiled, finished towelling her hair and started to say something but before she could, he said boldly, “Ah come fuh see yuh.”
The subtle change in his voice caused her to look at him a little puzzled.

“Why?”
He could smell the floral scent of the shampoo in her hair, a scent which intoxicated his senses and he inhaled deeply before answering her, “Ah wan tuh ask yuh—”
Shanti’s father, calling from the house interrupted him, “Who is duh man and wah he want?”
“Is Ramesh!” she answered.

“De fisha man?”
“Yes, Papa!”
Ramesh greeted Shanti’s parents and sat down whilst she went upstairs to comb her hair.
“Suh wah bring yuh here?” the father asked.
Ramesh smiled a little nervously, and after a short moment, he answered, “Ah come fuh ask tuh marry yuh daughta.”

The mother and father looked at him, somewhat taken back, and the father said, “We ah poor people and we prayed fuh she marry somebody well-to-do so she could have ah betta life.”
“Yuh ah also wan poor man, Beta,” the mother said apologetically.
Ramesh smiled wryly, “Ah hoping fuh tings tuh get betta.”

“How?” the father asked bluntly, “Yuh got wan ole house, ride ah old bike and own ah boat dat does bruk down steady.”
“Ah will wuk harder,” he said on a promising note.
The father shook his head and said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Meh daughter sell food on a bicycle fuh she livelihood and if she marry somebody poor, she gon have tuh continue do dat.”
Before Ramesh could respond, Shanti came down the stairs slowly. She had overhead most of what was said and looked at Ramesh, a mixture of pity and admiration in her eyes and said quietly, “You ah wan brave man.”

He nodded a little, trying to hide his disappointment and thanked her parents for their time. Shanti walked him to the gate, and he said something to her that came truly from his heart.
“Ah was hoping ah could help yuh find yuh dream.”
She had smiled then, though with some doubt in her eyes, but a smile that gave him hope.

“Ah didn’t know you like me,” she said.
“Ah had neva really put too much thought tuh it,” he confessed, “But when ah did, ah recognise there is something special bout you…” he paused, looking her in the eyes, “Something ah want in meh life.”
Those words touched her, but she said with a tinge of regret, “Ah don’t know wuh tuh say.”
“Dat’s okay,” he had responded with a casual smile, “Ah will wait till yuh do.”

Six months later, she said ‘Yes’ to his proposal. She had put her trust in him and believed that he would give her a better life, and he continued to work hard.
There were setbacks sometimes along the way but she never gave up on him. She continued her food business but not to ride her bike door to door and sell, but instead took orders from bigger customers for pick-up or delivery.

Their first son was born two years after they got married, and though Ramesh sometimes worked different jobs when his boat was docked for repairs, his mind was still on fishing, for it was a bloodline. Sometimes at night, when he was far from home, he could hear the whisper of the sea.
He had planned to sell the old boat and invest in a trawler, but he hadn’t solid financial earnings enough for the bank to give him a loan. He knew the money he was trying to save would take too long.

By the time his daughter was born, he still had not saved enough and with two children now to provide for and other home expenses that included costly medical bills, things were not looking good. Shanti did not complain, but he could see that it was taking a toll on her. After some serious thinking, he decided to take a step to ease his financial woes.
One early morning, he joined a bus to Georgetown to seek his brother Naresh’s help, his mind in doubt along the way.

Ramesh reached Bel Air Park and looked stunned at his brother’s splendid mansion with marble driveways, luxury vehicles and armed guards.
“All ah dis while his oldest brother deh struggling tuh survive?” Ramesh bemoaned.
He spoke to the security guard in the hut, requesting to see the businessman, but he just gave his name and village, not the relation. He was told to wait, and one hour later, he was called in.
Naresh was on a phone call and signalled him to sit, not a welcoming smile, just a curious look on his face. He put the phone down after a short while and asked in a casual manner, “So what brings you here?”

Ramesh smiled a little, happy to see his brother but hurt by his indifferent attitude.
“Not ah how you doing brother …?”
“I’m a very busy man,” Naresh stated, “As though the man sitting in front of him was a stranger, “I don’t have time for sentiments.”
“Well, ah will juss get tuh de point den,” Ramesh said, and he told him about his plan to buy a trawler but did not have enough savings for the bank to give him a loan.

Naresh looked at him expressionless for a moment then said, “I left a poor life and worked hard to gain the success I have but you, it seems, haven’t done much.”
Ramesh did not say anything for his brother seemed to have forgotten that he had helped build the foundation that gave him a good start in life. He just said, “Maybe we struggles and sacrifices are different.”
“That’s a poor excuse, but I would help you now, just don’t make it a habit to come asking for help. I have worked hard for what I have and I can’t always be giving charity.”
“Charity?”

The word hit Ramesh like a heavy blow to the abdomen.
“Am yuh brotha and ah ask yuh fuh some help fuh de first time and dat’s charity?”
“You should be thankful,” Naresh said, with a hint of arrogance in his confident outlook as he took out his chequebook. He wrote a cheque and pushed it to Ramesh.
“I have a business meeting in ten minutes so I really can’t talk more with you.”

“Even though we ain’t see each other suh lang?”
“Like I said, I’m a busy man,” he said dismissively.
Ramesh smiled wryly as he looked at his wealthy brother, the boy who cried because he hadn’t books for school, and cried for a new bike and new shoes that his eldest brother tried his best to give him.

Ramesh took a deep breath and stood up without taking the cheque.
“Ah guess it was wrong ah me to ask fuh yuh help and am sorry fuh tekin up a few minutes ah yuh time.”
He walked out of his brother’s office so hurt, he felt suffocated by the pain. He stood at the gate for a moment and inhaled deeply, then he walked the long stretch of road to the highway to get a bus back home. As he stood in the hot sun, his breathing, a little uneven, tears filled his eyes, a man who had never cried before.
“Me own brotha turn his back on me. Who can ah ask fuh help now?”
To be continued…