The Bracelets
Richard thought that Singh had moved away but no sooner had his fingers closed on the box than he heard the Sikhs soft sibilant voice.."Oh yes, sahib, a wonderful choice, but I am afraid a very expensive one..."
"Expensive, this? Surely not, they are only poor grade silver, enamel and paste stones, even glass...? Aren't they?"
"Please look more closely, in the poor light of my miserable store I think you were mistaken, but, dear me, no sir, they are not poor quality, indeed they are not; be pleased to look a little more closely I implore you sahib."
Richard took the box to the front of the shop and indeed he could see that the bracelets were exquisite. Finely worked silver, top class enamel and set with rubies, emeralds, sapphires. The bracelets were settled on a fine bed of purple silk nestling in the sandalwood box that he could now see had been fashioned by a fine carpenter. One look in the better light and immediately he was aware that the bracelets were not tawdry but indeed, he doubted very much if he could afford a single bracelet never mind the set.
"How...ahem...er.. Tell me, how much is it?" he whispered, prepared as always to haggle as was the custom but still expected it to be way out of his reach.
The Sikh looked at him, now the eyes were like lasers, he felt them looking inside his head. "Tell me Sahib, what brought you to my miserable store? How did you come to find it in a city full of fine emporiums and exotic salesrooms, how strange that you should pick out Narinder Singh"
"Well," croaked Richard, there was really something odd with his voice, almost as if someone was very lightly strangling him! "To be frank Mr Singh it was a receptionist at the hotel who advised me to look at your shop."
"Would that have been Leilah?" Richard nodded. "Then somehow you must have impressed her, she does not treat the proposition of introducing a visitor to my store lightly, indeed no, Leilah must have seen a depth in you sahib and I perceive her to have been right. There is great depth to you. Please forgive my introspection, but I perceive that all is not well in the marital home. You do not make great anger with your wife, the Memsahib, indeed you try to please her by following her wishes, but I also perceive a side of you that enjoys the fruits of the erotic. Alas, there is another Memsahib, cold, unloved, miserable, it is she who has impressed sexual repression on your own dear lady. You are a man of grace. In spite of the load these women place on you, you have arrived this evening to buy them presents - Sir, not only have you come to the right magic cave as my emporium is to you today but you have picked the perfect gift. Do you know what you have? No, you will not. Dear friend, may I call you friend? Those are the bracelets of Kali, a goddess of great sexual favour, not just of love but love and sexual desire. Kali, the wife of Siva. He who knows Kali knows the absolute joy of unfettered, unexpurgated sexual congress. The Lingum of the male and the yoni of the female find absolute satisfaction in the arms of Kali. Those are her Amulets of absolute Sexual Desire. Give them to your wife, give two to her and two to her aunt. they will be transformed. Just the wearing of one bracelet will have them searching for sexual relief in all quarters. In fact with all four my friend you can give two to other females of your acquaintance and you will be immediately assaulted by them. yes, take them.""
"Oh come on now, they are beautiful, but although the story is wonderful I cannot believe they give complete sexual freedom. My God you are right about my wife but she is so frozen nothing will melt her heart, or should I say yoni? In any case, surely Kali is the Goddess of death - she was the goddess of Thuggee, the name that has come to mean vicious gangster. A Thug. Really Mr Singh I could never afford them."
"Have I given you a price, have I? Not yet. let us say $7000 Singapore. About 1250 Sterling"
"I agree, I would not haggle with such a price, but frankly I could never afford it, I came in looking for something about 50 for each of them. About $800 Singapore total."
Narinder Singh smiled at Richard. "Tell me, were you attracted to the box, or did it attract itself to you. Did you feel a tightness around your throat as if a piece of silk was caressing you but at any moment you could be strangled!?
Richard could only stare at the Sikh, this was madness but he could not say that it had not happened.
Singh did not wait for an answer. "You came here to spend $800, give me the money, the bracelets are yours, but first let me present you with a small gift. Never be without it, wear it always. - It contains a liquid distilled from the testes of the tiger and the Lingum of the Bull elephant. It radiates the strength you will need when in the arms of the women who wear the amulet. be assured dear man, you WILL be in the arms of those women and without you they will be insatiable, except, and be not dismayed, in the arms of each other. Now begone."
Suddenly Richard found himself at the corner of Ben Coolan Street having no idea how he got there. The parcel in his hands obviously contained a box and he was surprised to find around his neck a thin gold chain holding a glass phial containing a liquid.
Crossing the floor to the reception desk he was pleased to see Leilah still on duty. She smiled and handed him a fax. It was from the office.
'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING OF. YOU KNOW YOU WERE EXPECTED IN CAPE TOWN BY FRIDAY - THIS BLOODY EXCUSE ABOUT TAN IS UNACCEPTABLE. - IF YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF SOME CHINESE TART TO WHILE AWAY THE EVENING I SHALL HAVE YOU DOCTORED LIKE THE BLOODY TOM CAT YOU ARE - I HAVE HAD TO CANCEL CAPETOWN - YOU ARE EXPECTED THERE IN TWO WEEKS TIME. - ON THE WAY HOME, STOP OFF IN PARIS AND SEE LATOUCHE - IMPORTANT SO DO NOT MESS UP THIS ONE. AMELIA
'Oh dear', Richard thought to himself, 'god what a bloody bitch she is, how wonderful if all that crap old Singh told me was only true. I should just love to f**k the ass off her when I got home.'
Leilah was speaking. "Sorry Mr Fanshawe, I have seen the fax, it was not preceded by a cover requesting confidentiality. Is there any point in the hotel assuring your company that your delay was unavoidable?"
"No, Leilah, its all right, it doesn't matter. Look I am just going in for dinner, would you care to have a drink with me afterwards?"
"Yes, I would love to but it is not allowed for hotel staff to have drinks with guests, but..well....ah ... if you like. Well,..."
"Go on, what is it Leilah, look you did me a great service this evening send me to you uncle's shop I should like to show my appreciation - look to hell with me having dinner in the hotel, if you were going to suggest somewhere for a drink why don't we both eat there after you finish?"
"If you are sure I should love tom there is a street called Bugis Street. It can be somewhat salacious but fun, if you do not mind. Somehow I do not believe you are too narrow minded are you? "
"Then its a date, thank goodness Singapore is city where restaurants stay open for longer than in the UK. See you, where, out the front of the hotel, just after midnight?"
Leilah nodded her assent.
Richard hummed to himself as he went up in the lift, he mused that if Singh was her uncle then she too might believe in Kali, the Kali who believed in Lingums and yonis always being ready for each other. Hmm, Lingums and Yonis that's cocks and pussies in English he thought to himself and that thought stirred his loins. ...'Oh yes' Richard thought, I am already getting a Hard On. Wonder if she calls it her yoni or in the throes of passion something much more Anglo-Saxon........like her CUNT.!!!!!!!
to be continued