Firstborn

Chapter 2: Khamosh Valley

"Whoever you are, go away! Come back tomorrow if you must," a gravelly voice barked.

"Father, it's Vivek," Dad shouted over the barking of both man and dog.

"Vivek? Tommy, QUIET!"  Suddenly the barking came to an abrupt end.

Relieved her Grandad recognised Dad, Una began to take her suitcase out of the taxi's boot.

"You were meant to be here an hour ago." Her Grandad yelled.

Really? What was the big deal about being one hour late when you've travelled from so far? Una thought.

"No Father , I was meant to be here now. Just open the gate – I've got Una here with me too. We have come directly after a long nine hour flight from London and then a six hour car journey to here. We are tired and we are here, so let us in."

Una lugged her suitcase to the gate and noticed Tommy the dog looking at her, not aggressively but kindly.

"No Vivek, we can't do that... We explained why...these gates CANNOT be opened before dawn tomorrow."

"But father you requested us to visit and we are here now." Dad stressed his last words.

"We told you to come an hour ago...."

Dad sighed aloud, "Father this is not the time to play your games."

"Games? Her Grandfather scorned. "Games...The jungle behind you is not a game and nor is the curfew. We are not protected at night and we certainly don't open gates and break pacts. And then there's the W.... Go and come back tomorrow."

"But surely if we close and lock it as soon as we are in?" Dad pleaded.

"You are not listening...even opening it a slither... I can't stay up all night arguing with you. Have it your way. If you want to come in then you are going to have to climb over the gates. If you have any sense you will take heed and go and stay overnight at a hotel in the town. The choice is yours. "

Was her Grandad a looney? Of course he had to open the gates - climbing the spikes at the top would rip their skin. Una nervously contemplated climbing the walls; they were no better, if anything they were too steep and were headed with spikes too.

Dad turned to the taxi driver, "Do you think you can drive us to a hotel at this time of night?

"Sorry sir, but I was meant to be home hours ago and even if that wasn't true half the boarding schools are opening tomorrow and the boarders' parents, without fail, book all the hotels. Schools have to stagger their opening and closing dates due to the shortage of decent hotels here."

Offering double money was pointless but just in case there was a chance he would be tempted, Dad offered it, which was a shame because he managed to insult the taxi driver who made his humiliation quite clear, by tersely removing their luggage from the taxi and quite deliberately placing it on the rubble path. 

"Sir, not everyone here is for sale. I wasn't trying to extract more money out of you."

"Are you going to climb the gate or can I go back to sleep?" the bad tempered old man shouted from the safety of his house.

Una was gobsmacked. She had to hear it to believe it. No one back home in Manchester would believe her if she told them about the great welcome they got so far. 

Dad looked back at the taxi driver again to plea one last time but he just shook his head and made his way to the driver's seat. Dad darted ahead of him, obstructed the driver's door with his body and grabbed the taxi driver's arm with both his hands in a desperate gesture.