The Plantation - Di Morrissey [17]
‘I suppose so. It just seems, well, rather calculated,’ said Adelaide.
‘Ah, aided and abetted by the moonlight, the stars and the sea. It’s a time without cares. There’ll be long and lonely hours for some of these chaps stationed out in the hills and jungles. And it’s not without its dangers. These fellows can tell some terrifying stories. Not the sort of thing they want the ladies to hear,’ added the purser.
‘And do these shipboard liaisons last?’ wondered Adelaide.
‘I believe so. I’ve seen couples meet and sail back on home leave a few years later with youngsters in tow,’ said the purser.
While Adelaide found Roland Elliott to be very polite and eligible, she couldn’t imagine Margaret being happy living so far away from Australia and her family in what could be very primitive and isolated conditions. Adelaide knew from experience that, whatever Margaret might say, her young charge wouldn’t like life in a foreign place surrounded by smells, filth and strange customs. But she bit her tongue and waited, knowing that the situation would resolve itself when Roland left the ship at Colombo.
Any disappointment Margaret felt about Roland she kept to herself. When she awoke one morning to find the ship engines stilled, she looked out the porthole, and exclaimed to Adelaide, ‘We’re in Colombo! Oh, how romantic. Look, palm trees and a beach!’
Adelaide squeezed beside Margaret. ‘What a lovely looking place. Is that a fort or something?’
‘Oh, look at all those little boats, how sweet,’ said Margaret.
‘Yes, very colourful. All selling something no doubt.’
Margaret dressed quickly and hurried onto the deck to find Roland at the railing as the liner passed the breakwater. The ship was greeted by a flotilla of small, makeshift craft carrying excited children and adults holding up their wares.
‘Goodness me, how do some of those things stay afloat?’ she exclaimed. ‘Wouldn’t catch me in one of them. What are they selling?’
‘Everything you don’t need but will be enticed to buy – from a fan, a necklace, a basket, to a piece of silk,’ laughed Roland.
‘Oh, they’re coming on board!’ She grasped Roland’s hand. ‘They’ve climbed up the side just like monkeys! And what’s that smell?’ Margaret wrinkled her nose.
‘Cinnamon most likely, my dear.’ Roland reached into his pocket and held up a coin, calling out to the young men and boys all shouting and waving to the passengers from the water below. As soon as the coin left Roland’s hand, the children dived into the waters of the harbour until, triumphant, one boy surfaced with the penny clenched between his teeth. Other passengers began throwing coins, taking photos and enjoying the entertainment. Roland took Margaret’s arm. ‘Come on, let’s see if the snake charmer has appeared on deck.’
They found a small crowd around a dark-skinned man wearing what looked to Margaret to be a length of bright cloth knotted like a baby’s nappy. He was cajoling everyone for coins to be thrown on a mat in front of his lidded basket.
‘Is there really a snake in there?’ whispered Margaret.
‘There certainly is – a dangerous cobra,’ said Roland with a grin.
As the man removed the basket lid and began playing a reedy flute, a snake, a curved hood over its head, swayed from the basket.
Margaret clutched Roland’s arm. ‘I hope it doesn’t come out!’
There were squeals and laughter as the snake rose up, swaying to the music. ‘These Hindu magic men are pretty amazing with their tricks,’ said Roland.
Margaret merely nodded and kept hold of his arm.
The performance over, Roland announced that he was going down to breakfast. Margaret agreed to go with him even though she’d had a quick tea and toast with Adelaide earlier in their cabin.
‘What is there to do here?’ she asked.
‘I promised to show you around, so let me surprise you,’ said Roland. ‘I’ll organise to have my luggage taken ashore. It won’t take long. We should get away as soon as we can to go to Kandy, the old capital,