EXCERPT FROM ‘THE SECOND HEARTBEAT’
Matthew lay in bed deep in thought. He was somehow expecting to see two geckos dashing around in a rivalry, but there was nothing; only the strains of the music coming through his open window. He turned off the bedside light, but couldn’t sleep and the face of the child he had seen earlier that day rested heavily on his mind. In the darkness, he noticed the light on the phone was flashing. It was a message from Adin. He had found a telephone which he could use, and had left the number for Matthew in case he wanted to contact him. He turned on the light again, picked up his book and began to read when the telephone suddenly started to ring. Adin had actually seen the man in the photo and wanted to take him to the club. Since he couldn’t sleep, it was useless just lying in bed and besides that he thought it was a chance he shouldn’t pass up. He met Adin at the hotel entrance and they took a taxi to the club. They looked around but the man was not there, so they took a seat at the bar and drank beer and ate peanuts. Adin spoke to the barman who looked suspiciously at Matthew.
“What did you tell him?”
“I say you are friend of the owner and he say that the owner come a little late tonight.”
The room was filled with mostly American men, men who it seemed had never returned home after the war. They had found their home away from home and had no intentions it seemed of ever returning to the U.S. They danced with local women to the strains of Billy Holiday. When they approached the bar to place an order, they spoke in the local language, but continued in English when they were back in their little groups. Some of them would nod to him as they passed by but never did strike up a conversation with him.
“I see him here last night,” said Adin.
“What were you doing here?”
“You don’t believe my friend, so I come to see,” he replied.
After a couple bottles of beer, Matthew needed to go to the toilet. His overburdened bladder cried out for relief. Standing in front of the urinal, he could still hear the strains of Billy Holiday and from what he had seen, he thought the club looked quite profitable. It was full and the drinks seemed to be always flowing. The owner was good at his business. Returning to the bar, Adin was frantically beckoning to him.
“He is here.”
Matthew couldn’t believe his eyes. The man standing behind the bar was the spitting image of Roger Forthright. He managed to climb back on to his bar stool and came face to face with him.
“I’ve never seen you around here. You here on holiday?” the owner asked.
“Yes. You know sometimes a little relaxation is good for the soul. Lovely place you’ve got here.”
“Thanks. I must work hard to keep it this way. Ronald Bayswater,” he said extending his hand to Matthew.
“Matthew Sterling. Were you also in Nam?”
“Yes. I did my time,” he responded.
Matthew got the impression he had no desire to speak about the war and he decided not to push the subject.
“Give me two beers,” said Matthew.
After his beer was finished he paid the bill and said he would return the following evening. They shook hands again and Matthew and Adin went out into the steamy Southeast Asian night. Matthew handed Adin a sum of money which seemed to take his breath away. The look on his face said everything. It was like his birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. When Adin got off in the middle of town, Matthew shouted to him.
“Don’t spend it all in one place.”
He didn’t understand what Matthew meant, but it didn’t matter. He was happy. Just as the taxi was about to move away, he called out to Matthew.
“Mr. Matthew, you didn’t ask about the woman.”
“Another time,” Matthew replied.
These Americans are all crazy, thought Adin. I find man and then he don’t ask for woman.
Matthew lay in bed deep in thought. He was somehow expecting to see two geckos dashing around in a rivalry, but there was nothing; only the strains of the music coming through his open window. He turned off the bedside light, but couldn’t sleep and the face of the child he had seen earlier that day rested heavily on his mind. In the darkness, he noticed the light on the phone was flashing. It was a message from Adin. He had found a telephone which he could use, and had left the number for Matthew in case he wanted to contact him. He turned on the light again, picked up his book and began to read when the telephone suddenly started to ring. Adin had actually seen the man in the photo and wanted to take him to the club. Since he couldn’t sleep, it was useless just lying in bed and besides that he thought it was a chance he shouldn’t pass up. He met Adin at the hotel entrance and they took a taxi to the club. They looked around but the man was not there, so they took a seat at the bar and drank beer and ate peanuts. Adin spoke to the barman who looked suspiciously at Matthew.
“What did you tell him?”
“I say you are friend of the owner and he say that the owner come a little late tonight.”
The room was filled with mostly American men, men who it seemed had never returned home after the war. They had found their home away from home and had no intentions it seemed of ever returning to the U.S. They danced with local women to the strains of Billy Holiday. When they approached the bar to place an order, they spoke in the local language, but continued in English when they were back in their little groups. Some of them would nod to him as they passed by but never did strike up a conversation with him.
“I see him here last night,” said Adin.
“What were you doing here?”
“You don’t believe my friend, so I come to see,” he replied.
After a couple bottles of beer, Matthew needed to go to the toilet. His overburdened bladder cried out for relief. Standing in front of the urinal, he could still hear the strains of Billy Holiday and from what he had seen, he thought the club looked quite profitable. It was full and the drinks seemed to be always flowing. The owner was good at his business. Returning to the bar, Adin was frantically beckoning to him.
“He is here.”
Matthew couldn’t believe his eyes. The man standing behind the bar was the spitting image of Roger Forthright. He managed to climb back on to his bar stool and came face to face with him.
“I’ve never seen you around here. You here on holiday?” the owner asked.
“Yes. You know sometimes a little relaxation is good for the soul. Lovely place you’ve got here.”
“Thanks. I must work hard to keep it this way. Ronald Bayswater,” he said extending his hand to Matthew.
“Matthew Sterling. Were you also in Nam?”
“Yes. I did my time,” he responded.
Matthew got the impression he had no desire to speak about the war and he decided not to push the subject.
“Give me two beers,” said Matthew.
After his beer was finished he paid the bill and said he would return the following evening. They shook hands again and Matthew and Adin went out into the steamy Southeast Asian night. Matthew handed Adin a sum of money which seemed to take his breath away. The look on his face said everything. It was like his birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. When Adin got off in the middle of town, Matthew shouted to him.
“Don’t spend it all in one place.”
He didn’t understand what Matthew meant, but it didn’t matter. He was happy. Just as the taxi was about to move away, he called out to Matthew.
“Mr. Matthew, you didn’t ask about the woman.”
“Another time,” Matthew replied.
These Americans are all crazy, thought Adin. I find man and then he don’t ask for woman.
