Gemscentric

Written by Julian Robov


Forty Four


Rudy woke up at five in the morning. The telephone was still ringing.
“Hi, it’s me, Khanita.”
“Oh, hi,” Rudy said. “What’s up? Uh, you know what? I think we need to refine a bit of our marketing plan regarding Blue Color City. In fact, I was thinking of calling you in the morning.”
“Potch just called me to tell you that she will be out of Bangkok for couple of days,” Khanita continued. “Something urgent turned up, and she is now in New York.”
“Wow! So quick,” Rudy added. “New York, uh!”
James had just awakened, looked up at Rudy to say something, instead he dashed to the bathroom.
“If you’re not so tied up with your work, I’m inviting you to have dinner with me tonight at my home,” Khanita said.
“Hold the line for a sec, please.” Rudy said, checking his diary.
It wasn’t too bad. He had to collect the stones from Prapan’s office, as well as meet Johnny’s contact at Monarch Lee Gardens hotel. He also had an appointment with Seri.
That too, late evening. But it wasn’t that important. The five hundred stone deal had been solved, and James was going to confer with Meechai at his hideout anyway. In fact, he had wanted to go with James, instead James refrained Rudy for technical reasons.
She was holding the line.
“Yep.”
“Then my driver will pick you up at around five thirty.”
“Fine. See you then.” He then hung up.
Sura Dokmai was waiting for Rudy at the Monarch Lee Gardens hotel. After counting and checking the gemstone parcel, Rudy rushed to Prapan’s office to collect the rest. Bobby was waiting for him. As promised by Prapan, the blue sapphires were already graded, parceled and sealed.

Rudy arrived at the Rigorous Independent Center for Gemstone Testing (RICGT) on Surawong Road to meet Peter. In fact, Peter was about to call Rudy informing that his laboratory has been closed for three days to finish the work knowing the urgency, and the detailed double-checking involved to complete the task. One of the laboratory staff was already busy installing posters, reminding the public that the laboratory has been closed for three days with an apology, for causing the inconvenience. In fact, there was already a long queue in front of the laboratory so early in the morning, one of Peter’s senior staff had to plead with them explaining the unusual situation. The gem traders and a few grumpy-looking tourists weren’t that happy.

After checking in the five hundred blue stones, Peter requested Rudy to wait for half an hour so that he could leave the laboratory with an invoice. As he waited in the laboratory, Rudy began to observe the high-tech toys, the people in white gowns, and the facilities in the laboratory. He had never seen anything like this before. It was hard to believe, that the world needed such huge machines and rocket scientists, to identify such a small stone. He felt sorry for the rocket scientists, and the innocent-looking blue gemstones.

The invoice was ready in twenty minutes, and Peter and his team were back at their work, identifying and grading the five hundred blue gemstones.
Rudy called James. The line was busy. Then, Rudy called Seri—tough luck. He tried again.

Finally, Rudy called Seri. “The five hundred blue sapphires are ready. In fact, the rocket scientists are testing the blue gems in their laboratory right now, and the report should be out in three days.”
“Thank you, buddy. I couldn’t sleep the whole fucking night after the tragic news,” Seri replied. Rudy immediately understood the tone.
“I’ll see you in the office in thirty minutes. Newin will also be there. He wants to collect his cut (commission),” Rudy reminded, and then hung up.
Then James came on the line. It was eleven o’clock. Toni, Gary and Bill had some important news to share. For some reason he wasn’t in a good mood.
Later, Rudy urged James to postpone the meeting for one more day. He wanted to be alone for a while. He knew Khanita’s driver would be arriving at his residence to pick him up at five thirty. He walked straight to his office.
Seri’s secretary had some messages for Rudy. There was no one else in the office. As he sat gazing at the vase in front of him, old memories began to haunt him. The miserable days at Pailin, the cruel Khmer Rouge soldiers, the simple but tasteless food, the miraculous release and much more kept troubling his mind. He tried hard not to immerse himself in his thoughts. But they kept returning vividly reminding him that it wasn’t over. He felt better after breathing in and breathing out—like in a meditation session. People were now trusting his face and word. Several new ideas had been in the offing.

He gazed at his own reflection in the vase. He hasn’t changed much. He began stroking his hair and face as if in a trance. Then, he smiled. Newin and Seri arrived at the office just in time breaking the silence. They looked amused by the way Rudy was staring at them. After a brief hush-hush, they were back to their business.
“So what’s up?” Newin asked. “Didn’t I bring in a good customer for a good break?”
“Sure, you did,” Rudy answered, clearing his throat.
Meanwhile, Seri pretended to be busy doing some paper work in his office, at times shouting at his stupid-looking secretary.
“I talked to Seri about my cut (commission), but then he also said he had to discuss with you the final numbers. That’s why I’m here,” Newin said.
“Give me a sec,” Rudy said, and then walked to Seri’s room to confer.
Finally, it was settled. Newin was going to receive three percent cut (commission), and the check in a week’s time. It was a new beginning.
After Newin had left, Seri walked into Rudy’s room with a broad smile.
“I called Jack,” Seri said. “He’s happy that he is going to get all the stones he requested. And, he wants you to call him. I believe it must be regarding the payment procedures. Listen, I don’t think it’s good for us to deposit the money in Bangkok. Singapore or Hong Kong should be the option. What do you think?”
“I’m thinking like you, Seri,” Rudy added. “Singapore!”
“Bingo! Now what?” Seri said. “We need to celebrate somewhere after we receive the money. I think you deserve the credit. I still can’t concentrate. I don’t know what’s happening to me. It’s strange.” There was a change in his tone.
“Maybe you need some rest,” Rudy commented. “See a doctor.”
“I did, but it’s useless. I can’t sleep. The doctor says I am going through andropause. More than that I think there is someone out there who is playing the game,” Seri said, weeping like child. “I want to live. I don’t want to die.”
Though strange, Rudy tried to console Seri. He was in a state of shock. It was quite hard to determine whether it was fake or real.
“It’s all right. Don’t think too much. You’re still alive, aren’t you? So be positive,” Rudy replied hesitantly.
He was a bit bemused by the strange turn of events. He checked the time. Seri was now resting in his chair. After leaving a note on his table, Rudy left the office for his residence.

He hailed a taxi from Silom. The street was jam-packed with tuk-tuks, motorcycle-taxis, air-conditioned buses, BMW’s and a few Ferrari’s. He then decided to call the Oriental hotel. He left a message with the reception for Jack, as the line went dead silence.

She was waiting for Rudy, as her chauffeur opened the front door of Ban Busarakham 008, a magnificent villa simulating an 18th century English manor house on the shores of a woman-made lake off Bang-na Trat Road. Paintings, jewels, furniture, oriental carpets, and renaissance bronzes covered the place—like in a museum. He stood speechless feeling the place. He realized that she had a passion for the best in the world.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“Of course, I do,” he said. “I didn’t realize till now how gifted your paintings and other collections are one could only dream. They are beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Her 1000 plus paintings included works by Jan Vermeer, Titian, Carlo Crivelli, Raphael, Benvenuto Cellini, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Francisco Goya, and for more than two decades her collections have been on loan for exhibitions at private homes among friends around the world.
“They are all imitations,” she said proudly.
“How do you appreciate a really beautiful painting?” he asked.
“Like a beautiful man,” she said. “Once I see such a man, I want to have it. No one can stop me—period.”
“Wow!” he said laughingly. The way he glanced at her amused her enormously.
“You’ve a good sense of humor,” she commented.
“All the time,” he said.
He followed her to a spacious GREEN ROOM. The walls could have been nephrite slabs well sculpted for some definite reasons. He didn’t want to probe too much, instead he waited for her to describe them.
“These are Polar Jade from Canada,” she added. “A friend of mine introduced me to the locality, and then I decided to make use of the material. It’s cool, tough and durable.”
“I guess so. It’s beautiful,” he commented after feeling its texture.
It was eight o’clock. The chef from the Peninsula hotel was ready waiting for them to serve.
After a delicious dinner, they moved to a room filled with portraits. Her trips around the world with friends and relatives adorned the decorative stone wall. There were roses in red, orange, pink, yellow, mauve, and white to colorfully blend the conversation along with different varieties of chrysanthemums, carnations, daisies and freesias. She then began to talk about her family, friends and business.
Her father descended from a wealthy Swiss family. He had married her mother, a Thai, who happened to be the second daughter of the richest man in Thailand. It was love at second sight. So the family prospered due to its right political and social connection, and the timing. Her eldest sister had been married to a politician and well settled. Her two brothers decided to move to Switzerland to pursue their own interests. Tom became a merchant banker, while Thongchai decided to become a musician. Khanita was married to Chamlong, a well-known construction tycoon with several political connections in Southeast Asia. Her only son, Joey, had moved to Switzerland to pursue a banking career. He visited twice a year to be with his family. So she later decided to pursue a career in the travel industry in order to live a constructive life. Her family connections and friends abroad helped the business to grow and prosper. But as always there was something missing. Her only solace were her closest friends: Potch and Busaban. Chamlong was always out of the country for business and social visits. In fact, the business community wanted him to become the next Prime Minister of Thailand. He had to politely decline. She too didn’t like the suggestion. Instead, he decided to concentrate in his business, mixing and matching strategic partnerships, with the best but successful brains in the region. She had no complaints. They were portrayed as the role models for future generation. Behind their perceived success story both were searching for true love.
True Love! Or was it? It was a fracture-filled love, and they knew it.

Rudy listened attentively searching for the right words to console her. He had known about the rich and famous during his hey days. They always led an incomplete life, and working with blue sapphires had taught him a lesson or two while on a selling spree. But he had to love women, because they happened to be his loyal customers most of the time. Some were good and faithful while others—wholesome bitches. And as long as the money was good, he had no problem living with them. And that was his life. And he enjoyed the experience.

He then thought of Potch. She was different. And now because of her, Khanita and Busaban too had become his close friends. They were talking personal things, as if they had known each other for a long time. He had learned an important thing with time when dealing with women. Be a good listener, and don’t preach. If they were looking for a fuck, then he was ready. That’s the way it was—period.

Khanita was talking non-stop. He wasn’t sure whether it was the food, wine or the personality. She was trusting him too much because of Potch, and now with the new business venture in the offing, he had no other choice but to be cooperative. The incandescent lights in the room began to get dimmer. She now moved closer towards him to whisper something. Her eyes were glittering with excitement. Rudy sniffed and wiped his nose intentionally. Some inner part of him felt gravitating towards her. He had that odd sensation of being absorbed by her beautiful green eyes and seductive voice. Then it was quick. Within the depth of her gaze, she grabbed his face and began to kiss passionately. She was all over his body—like an experienced woman, with stunning incandescence and magnetic force. All he had to do was to allow her to enjoy his body whichever way she intended, as they became one wholesome body. That’s the way it was.

Now both were naked on the floor exploring and identifying their selective hot buttons in their own way. It was a kind of selective absorption of their bodies. The flowers and portraits in the room watched silently, as Rudy and Khanita began to sprinkle upward extremely thick and hot liquid particles from the metamorphic body thrust, later seeping downwards creating a beautifully banded structure—simulating a banded rhodochrosite. As she was sucking his oxidized skin, his eagle eyes began to ponder the origin of that pink and white color that created the banded rhodochrosite-like pattern. He laughed quietly. The wine was flowing from the table at random directions. The sight of the incandescent lighting, and the reflection from the pleochroic colors of the flowers, blending with their own liquid introducing additional elements, in the recreation of the rhodochrosite-like pattern, was hard to miss. He had never seen such a simulation before. It was natural. She was lying on the floor with eyes closed sighing heavily. She was not like Potch. She had a nice body—not fat nor thin. She was acting like a good old girl. He could hardly resist her pert breasts and pouting lips. In his arms, she was enjoying thoroughly the delicious love making, the way he was doing. She was for him and he knew it.