Gemsicuted

Written by Julian Robov


Nine


Lam hadn’t been to Lumpini Park in ages. Green was his favorite color since childhood, and the vivid natural green hue swept his dead brain back to life. If he had found the time to at least make it a ritual once a week, he would have looked much younger. Sucked up with his nerve racking demanding work schedules, and now all of a sudden his entire career looked like it was hanging by a frayed thread. A premature mid-life crisis haunted him like a pack of displaced ghosts deadly serious in taking revenge on him desperate to settle his past life crimes. He saw a totally different landscape from his overly decorated marble office, which was turning him into a hunk.

Rubyhall had a reason to believe in the existence of a 37carat ruby. Lam, at any cost, had to convince him that the rare stone remained only on Surawong Road, in his office, not anywhere else. It looked like the whole drama had molded him into a virtual fool, with Miko leaping from street to street to fetch the highest bidder for his treasure, a 37carat ruby. The informants had now confirmed him of its existence, and Miko and Tito had both become instant celebrities in this reclusive circle of big dealers like Morakot Barasan and Som Salasan. The next board meeting would be a nightmare for him. All their aging hands would be on his throat and his career would be folded several times, like a tissue paper, and thrown out for recycling. A zillion thought coursed through his mind, but no concrete idea emerged. They all illuminated inside his already frozen brain like the icebergs of Antarctica-all dead white. He thought of only one way out. Search and kill, Miko and Tito, if possible. But how could he accomplish this task stealthily? The accumulated thoughts built up into frenzy and the next thing he remembered was Tito walking towards him. He rubbed his eyes vigorously to confirm he was not dreaming.
“No. It’s him. Tito!” Lam said spontaneously.

Several questions rushed to the tip of his tongue like a passing tornado, but eventually settled in silence and became mute. His entire body became lifeless and sculpted instantly. He saw his own epitaph, born at an early age, died as a fool. The dead brown speechless leaves swept across his face like flakes leaving their fingerprints for future identification.

Tito glanced at Lam like a natural Swami, and all the volcanic thoughts settled back to their core. Lam’s athletic body shrunk into a paper foil, as Tito took his seat on the bench. They had not seen each other for sometime, and with the recent advent of a 37carat ruby orbiting mysteriously the situation had changed dramatically. Both knew their strengths and weaknesses. With such thoughts at hand, a thought emerged as to who should talk first. They already knew the topic. But neither of them wanted to bring up the issue first. There was an emotional tug of war going on between them, as they struggled in vain to start the conversation.
“I heard that you were looking for me,” Tito said, without glancing at Lam directly. There was a tai chi and karate session in full swing.
“Yeah. You have the 37carat Burmese ruby. I was wondering if we could work out a deal,” Lam added, “but you don’t have the money to buy the piece.”
“What do you mean by that? Do you think only Rubyhall’s can afford to hold big rubies in Bangkok? Wake-up, Lam. The world has changed and so have the people,” Tito said, his hands stuck deep into his pockets.
“People in the market have been saying that you are looking for partners to buy the ruby. I have an offer which you can’t refuse.” Lam‘s eyes twinkled, as he looked at Tito.
“People in the market say a lot nowadays, because they are living in a free country. In what way am I obliged to accept your offer,” Tito continued, “when we haven’t done any business before? I think you should leave us alone.”
Lam leaned back in his bench and then lurched forward. “Think about it, Tito. You know your own limitations, and if your prospects of raising the money to buy such big stones are difficult, why don’t you just give up and be more realistic? Let the ones who have the resources handle it appropriately. Big stones are like countries. It must be handled by the ones with experience, otherwise, they could end up with the wrong people.”
“Are you preaching the big brother gospel to me? Did Rubyhall teach you to recite the verses you mentioned now to change my mind? I think you had better cut and polish yourself. Anyway, thanks for your time. Don’t worry about us. Enjoy the scenic view of Lumpini and breathe in some fresh air to mop up yourself,” Tito whispered so that the joggers wouldn’t hear.
“Think about it again, Tito,” Lam stared at Tito for a long moment. But, Tito had gone from his sight. Tito was the tough guy and hard to convince given the experience and access he has to the market, not only in Bangkok, but also in the border towns of Mai Sai, Mae Sot, and Bo Rai. Lam couldn’t believe his eyes, all happening in front of him. As he glanced around, all he saw was happy faces, jogging and talking, while others remained relaxed.

Lumpini Park still remained a favored place for gem dealers, not only for meeting their friends and competitors, but also to pick up news regarding the market trends and the mining. He saw some trading gemstones while they were exercising, a very unusual practice. But his mind was roaming elsewhere. The 37carat ruby! Tito had already spoken his mind. But, Lam remained patient. How long! He had no idea. This deal was quite different from the previous deals. Rubyhall had put his heart into it and for reasons he couldn’t understand, it had slipped through his hand.