Incarna

47 - Jungle Power

Day 12: Karen State - Australian Karen School, Early Evening

“Everett, you’re not listening!” Tiarne was exasperated, again. She missed Des already and although she would talk to him regularly via eLink and see him at Xmas when she went home to family for a few weeks, she was mourning his official retirement. Here they sat in one of the schools open air class rooms that also served as a the schools mess hall. Tiarne and the other expats working at the school often shared meals here.

“Ti, sweetness, I’m not ignoring you, but Des deserves more than just the thanks of the Kayin Government. He taught them how to defeat the Myanmar army and all he will retire on is his University superannuation. No. Sorry, it;s not right. People who save the world should get compensated for it!”

Tiarne frowned, he was so infuriating the way he could get the pronunciation of Karen words. For all she tried she couldn’t wrap her tongue around Kayin. It always came out sounding like Cayenne and she wasn’t overly fond of chilli. Although she was very fond of wrapping her tongue around Everett’s monster pepper whenever she could!

“… Evvy, don’t you dare pull one of your hare brained schemes in his name!” Everett looked at her in feigned shock, “me, never! Come on trust me, I wouldn’t do anything to put Des at risk nor tarnish his name …” Tiarne kept looking at him.

“… and none of the children either! Come on, you know I wouldn’t!”

“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t, not intentionally anyways. But, some of your schemes don’t always work and I’ve covered for you before because one of your associates has buggered off with school or Karen donation money.”

Everett squirmed, “yeah sorry. I suppose I get too enthusiastic and trust the wrong people too easily.” He looked around nervously as if that would help his cause, “but I’m not like the SAS bloke who did the bank jobs back in Oz to raise money for the Kayin army.” He kept eye contact with her and didn’t shift in his seat.

“Look, this is something bigger than I can even imagine now and I’ve got Madam Qing and her associates involved.” Ti didn’t bat an eyelid. She’d heard so many schemes being sold over the years she’d learnt always to keep a straight face and not to show any interest at all.

“It comes out of Oz and it’s more of a, little bit here and a little bit there from those that can afford to ah, donate. It’s been running back in Oz for a few years now and no-one’s even looking for it, especially now with all the Incarna shenanigans going on.

Tiarne changed her expression to her ‘don’t you dare’ face. Everett made his wide eyed ‘I’m innocent on that one’ response. “Ah no you don’t Ti. None of that Incarna stuff has anything to do with me!” 

“No? Not even this Bank Redemption thing, we’ve all just benefitted from?” Everett looked honestly surprised by her question, “Geese Louise! Give a bloke some doubt will ya!” and he let out a deep sigh. “To be honest, I’d loved to have been involved in that. The blokes I know back home dream of building a Robin Hood Algorithm like that. Nope we’re only small time, but they are very good and staying well ahead of the pack!”

Ti sat there shaking her head, “I cannot believe what I’ve just heard! Here we are sitting in the jungle in a new nation, that has just won a forty year war for independence, and you tell me you helped finance this by skimming money from the bank accounts of rich people!”

“Look, … ah, shit eh! No, I’m not letting you do this to me Ti. Most of the rich people had shares in companies illegally trading with Myanmar! Got it now Ti!” Everett was on his righteous high horse now. “Shit Ti you sat there yesterday going ooh, aah, over the bank redemptions, but now you’re pissed off because I’ve helped build a new nation and support the schools here!” He shook his head at her, “that’s pretty two faced!”

Tiarne wiped the tears from her cheeks, “this, and she held a tear moistened right hand toward him, “is about my fear for Des and the school. These kids have been through too much to have some bunch of goons come through and burn this place down!” and she swept her arms around her to take in all they’d built over the years.

“Yeah, nah, I get what you’re saying but even if there are problems,” Everett continued in a serious but conciliatory tone. “I’ve got our side of things structured so that if anything goes wrong, Madam Qing will go down before anyone gets anywhere near us, and …”

“Ah you stupid shit fucker,” Ti couldn’t stand it any longer. “If Madam Qing goes down with whatever THIS is, and any of it is traced to you, or us here ... We’ll have every White Tigress debt collector breathing down our necks.” She swore under her breath, “or down that lovely thick cock of yours after they’ve cut it off and shoved it down your own throat!”

Everett looked away then. He’d seen the effects of that sort of torture and mutilation and they always did it while you were alive! He turned back, subdued. “I promise you, none of it can be traced to here. To my group back in Oz maybe, perhaps, I doubt it! But not to me personally and not to you, I’d never do that to you!” and he stood, leant across the narrow table where they sat and kissed her.

“You’ve never believed me when I’ve said I love you, an’ what we’ve built here.” He looked around at the steadily growing number of new homes and shops and buildings of their School Town, as they called it. Lots of lights shone through windows thanks to their solar and mini hydro power system built for the school but now with plenty of surplus. It was the availability of that power which now drew businesses to School Town.

“Well, your place or mine tonight?” he asked cheekily and then kissed her again still leaning across the table. “I’ll clear off early tomorrow with young Jade Eyes and get her down to Chiangmai, then bring back whatever new equipment is ready for us there! Away for a week or so.” Tiarne sat shaking her head at him and realised that his brash self confidence was one of her pet hates but also one of Everett’s traits that really turned her on. She reached out and touched his face and his smile brightened. “Yes, you will get laid tonight. My place, and then I’ll have your smell in my bed to remind me of you while you’re away!”

Everett gave her that cheeky grin he did and began to pick up their food bowls and plates. They washed up together and then arm in arm strolled through the jungle night to her bungalow.