Gemsicuted

Written by Julian Robov


Forty Six


It was a Friday evening. Gem dealers and their families, tourists and others, arrived at The Redd’s to meet friends and have a good time. Friday’s always brought special surprises. Some loved to meet their husbands and share the experiences or give their friends the surprise of the day if their husbands were with their mia noi’s (mistresses) and gems.
“Hi, Mike!” Miko and Tito walked to Mike’s table, as he was glued to the tele watching the world cup soccer replay between Brazil and Denmark.
“Hey, look at you guys,” said Mike. “Where have you been? I’ve been searching all around Bangkok. Everyone missed you for sometime. Welcome back. Be my guest.”
“Thank you, Mike,” replied Tito. “Working holiday.”
“Who the hell cares? We all just got you guys back. That’s more than enough. So how is business?” Mike asked, moving away from the tele to a corner table.
“Good and bad,” answered Miko. “We thought of taking a low profile, and that’s how it all worked out, good for a change. Can we get our regular table?”
“Sure,” said Mike, waving them to their favorite number seven table. “It has been vacant since you guys disappeared. For some strange reason no one wanted to occupy table number seven. What did you do? Did you leave spell to make it difficult for future occupants? I’m kidding. Now, wait a minute. Who else was looking for you? Che, Jemma, Boron, and a few ladies especially Miko. Miko, I can tell you are a celebrity on your own in this part of the world. Women love you so much. What is the secret behind it?”
They all laughed heartily.
“Give me a break, will you? Give us our usual drinks. Menu; give us some time.
Who knows? Perhaps, some of these desperados might turn up. We missed the color and smell of this corner for sometime, didn’t we?” Miko said to Mike, as they pulled up a chair.
“Oh, yeah. Look at who is talking to that bimbo. It’s him, Che,” Miko said. But Che was walking toward their table to greet them.
“Hey, Che, how are you doing?” Tito asked quickly.
“Look at you guys now,” replied Che. “Oh man, at least I have someone to talk to. Business is really bad. Those frigging creditors and debtors are going bankrupt by the hour. Where have you been? Kabul? They have some nice rubies hidden behind those heavily mined mountains. It’s true. Jegdalek! You remember?”
“Cool down, Che. How is your family?” Miko asked.
“I’m rehearsing for a divorce,” answered Che reluctantly. “I’ve had enough already. Thank God, I don’t have any kids. Otherwise, I would have to worry about those wretched species as well.”
“What’s the matter? Everything was going okay, wasn’t it?” Miko asked, puzzled.
“When did I talk about her lately, do you remember? Then, I won’t have to repeat the same thing all over again,” Che quipped.
“You didn’t tell us about that. Give us the latest.” Both, Miko and Tito urged.
“I had a fight with her one day,” Che continued. “If you want to know the reason then just don’t laugh. Promise?”
“Promise. We won’t laugh. Just listen,” Tito said firmly.
“That particular day, I returned home very late from my office. I was so fucking tired and wanted to just open the door and sleep on the floor. Guess who was standing behind the door? My frigging wife in a voodoo costume, I almost stopped breathing, when I saw her frightening dress. That was part one. I couldn’t speak a word. Instead, I fell on the couch. The next thing, I open my eyes, what do I see?”
“What? Tell me quick,” Miko urged.
“Naked! My frigging wife standing naked in front of me,” Che added. “Then, I looked at myself. Naked too! How the hell did that happen? When I fell on the couch, I was sure I had clothes. She did it. My desperate frigging wife peeled off my clothes like onions to do what? Before I could rub my eyes, she was already on top ready to pump. It took all my left over strength, and I threw her off the couch to the floor. I was so angry and frustrated by her aggressive and desperate action. I went to my room and locked the door from inside gulped a few sleeping pills and went off to sleep.”
“That’s it?” Miko asked.
“Nope,” Che said. “The serious part evolved, when I woke up and came out of my room. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“What happened? Did she commit suicide?” Miko asked.
“Worse. Lawyer! She was waiting for me with a lawyer demanding a divorce. I went back to my room and emerged with a cricket bat. Before I could swing, they had all disappeared to a waiting car,” Che said, staring at Miko expressionless.
“The result?” Tito quipped.
“I can’t stand her any more,” said Che. “I’ve had enough of this sexual kung fu. I work like a donkey the whole day trying to sell rubies, and when I get back home she wants only one thing from me. Bloody sex! No God, no prayer, nothing. I don’t know what attracted me to like her that fateful day. Once in a while is okay. Not for God’s sake everyday! I’ve never seen any woman, who is so addicted to sucking cock like her. A virtual liability! I’m sure she must be fucking around with other men, when I’m not at home. I think the best panacea is a quick divorce. We will see what happens next. I’ll keep you updated.”
“And the future? Any plans?” Miko asked.
“If the business isn’t bringing any good money in, I’m thinking of absorbing religion,” Che whispered.
“You are already a Catholic! What else do you need?” Miko said jokingly.
“I’m thinking of becoming a preacher,” Che replied. “Less investment and good returns. I’ve the ability to speak well, of course, and the experience. Selling a ruby is no different from giving a gospel speech. We all talk so much everyday, and I think it is not that difficult to preach. I don’t see any difference between preaching a gospel and selling a ruby. This time only the commodity is different. If successful, it could take me around the country, and perhaps the world. Who knows? I don’t have to worry about sex and women anymore. If anyone approaches with a request, I would give him or her a free Bible, and a one way ticket back home. One soul is saved. What do you think? Is it a good idea?”
“Very strange,” added Tito. “It’s already overcrowded like any other business. You stick to what you know best. Preaching is a totally different ball game. It is not good for your personality. You have to start all over again. It’s like a new career. No friends and support from the community, you know what I mean? I think religion is not the business for you. There is too much competition. That’s the last thing in the world you want to do. Stay with rubies.”
“And my wife? What do you suggest?” Che asked.
“Go for a good counseling. If that doesn’t work, try the hospital. Maybe, she is just having an excess of those unwanted hormones, which are usually found in cats and dogs. If that doesn’t work, what should I say, may be send her to me?” Miko suggested.
“What did you say? You will take my wife for what?” Che cried.
“Just to reason with her,” Miko added. “That’s what I meant. Maybe, she, you know what? We all need another round of drinks to freeze this thought.”
“Mike, one more round. This time, Italian!”
“Campobello frascati?” he asked, holding the wine bottle.
“You are deceptively talking less today. What’s the matter with you?” Che opened the conversation staring at Tito.
“I was just listening to your gospel. Very interesting! Something we are all familiar with. Family, work, sex, kids, money, relationship, religion, and all that left over crap. It’s everywhere. Which home in the world is without problems?” Tito commented.
These social issues were a common topic at The Redd’s every weekend, because they were part and parcel of gem dealer’s daily lives. Even though they tried not to get too carried away by the allegations brought forward by their real wives about them in the absence of their mia noi’s (mistresses), friends did a lot to bridge the gap and the lack of communication among the parties involved.
Anyone, who had offices on Silom, Mahesak, Surasak, and Surawong, knew more or less their families and personal affairs, because most of them either borrowed money or gems to settle disputes or other personal issues.
“Okay, we are friends, we like to share our feelings and mistakes. But I think with good reasoning and understanding and, of course, compromise, most of these problems can be worked out. What does your wife want? Sex. Give it to her when she needs it. That’s one way of communicating. Maybe, that’s what is lacking in your case. You are so busy making money you forgot her needs. I know this trade too well, and understand everything that you said. But they have difficulty understanding this intricate and often complicated environment outside their home. That’s where dialogue and compromise comes in. Give some and take some. We are not angels or Gods. We are, what should I say?” Mike interrupted, moving to another table to meet his friends.
“Let’s toast the wine,” Miko said. After the clink of glasses, Che stared at Tito as if he hadn’t seen him before. Tito looked different, and Che didn’t know how to explain it in words after the drinks.
“Well, there is a point to what you are saying,” continued Charlie. “I can’t deny that. I’ll think it all over again, before I do anything crazy. Did you watch that lady over there staring at us? Do you have any idea who the bimbo might be?”
“Nope,” said Miko. “Tito, do you know her?”
“Nope. Don’t bother. There’s a lot of chaff around just wanting to waste our time and money. Just ignore her. Keep busy with your drinks. By the way, did you order anything to eat? What’s special today on the menu?” Tito added, glancing at Che.
“I think I better go over to Mike and check it out. He knows what’s good for us. What do you guys think?” Miko ushered.
“Mike, what’s special today?”
“Everything! Today is my birthday. There is twentypercent discount on everything you eat and drink. Isn’t that great?” Mike said happily with a broad smile like always. No wonder they thought it was crowded, as his friends kept coming to join the fun.
“Sure,” said Miko. “Happy birthday to you, Mike. How old are you today, if I may ask?”
“Ninetyeight! Does it surprise you? Sure, it does. Divide ninetyeight by two. What is left is my real age.” That was typical of Mike when it came to his age. He had done this before, and most of his friends kept forgetting all the time. And they realized their mistake only after hearing Mike’s reply. Everyone laughed.
“Do you know the lady who is sitting over there? The purplish red dress?” Che asked curiously.
“Oh, you don’t know her? She is a regular customer here. She comes here with her friends. What should I say, socialites? Is that the right word? Oh, look she is coming over. Just stay cool and relaxed, Miko,” Mike reminded.
“Hi, Citrina,” Mike said, extending his hand. Then came the surprise.
“Have we met before elsewhere? Are you Miko?” she asked, as if she knew him before. For Miko it turned out to be the mother of all surprises, as she kept looking at him intently.
“Sure I am,” Miko said gently. He extended his hand to greet her and felt the warmth in her hands, as she pressed firmly.
“Call me, Citrina,” she said. “Mike, can I borrow this gentlemen for a few hours?” She was too direct. Mike knew her, and he too looked perplexed at her comment.
“I’m with my partner, Tito,” said Miko thoughtfully. “Would you excuse me for a sec?”
“Sure. I can wait,” she replied quickly.
Miko walked to Tito’s table and whispered, “Tito, that lady, do you see her? She is talking to Mike now. Her name is Citrina, and she has invited me to her table. What do you say? Before I could ask Mike about the special menu, she just walked over to invite me.”
“I think you better go with her,” Tito added. “It’s okay. Just watch your words and deeds. If you smell a rat, I don’t have to tell you what to do. Just take your time. I’ll be around with Che.”
The crowd was getting noisier as the music got louder. There were no complaints.
“Miko, you could have brought your partner as well. What’s his name?” Citrina reminded him, as they walked to her table.
“He is busy with his client. It’s okay,” said Miko casually.
“I’ve ordered your specialty. Mike told me just now. So let me introduce you to our friends. Let’s go to the table,” she said.
Miko had never met the group of women before, but it seemed that they were enjoying their time at The Redd’s, meeting new friends and renewing old relationships.
“Hi, everybody. This is my close friend Miko, a ruby dealer. He deals only in big stones.” Miko sat agape at her introduction, and smiled quickly at the five women. All were well dressed in their late thirties and forties.
“Hi, Miko, can I ask you a personal question? Do you deal in synthetic rubies, I mean those really good ones? I love synthetics. You know why?” The woman was too direct, and he pondered how to answer her question.
“No. I don’t,” he said apologetically.
“They are cheap, attractive, and just as good as a natural ruby,” she continued. “What’s the difference?”
“There is a difference. Natural comes from the ground, while synthetics are created above the ground and carefully enhanced by men or women. There is a difference in price as well,” Miko quipped.
“Sabby is a synthetic addict,” Citrine interrupted. “Her husband is a synthetic ruby manufacturer. You shouldn’t be surprised by her loyalty to her husband and product.”
“Miko, my husband is in the computer business. No relationship with rubies or any stones. But I love rubies and my husband keeps buying them for me. You know why?” Another beautiful women raised the question for an immediate answer.
“I’m afraid, no,” Miko replied.
“I just keep loving him. He works for Phil Win. Win’s wife, Polly, is an avid ruby collector too. That’s how I knew about rubies,” said the woman. But the name Phil Win caught his attention immediately.
“Interesting, Citrina. You just opened up my mind,” Miko said, expecting the next question.
“You know what? I heard a lot about you from other ladies,” Citrina said to remind him that he was famous among her women’s group.
“Really? That’s a surprise. Did they tell you that explicitly?” Miko asked.
“Why are rubies so expensive? Whenever I ask my husband to buy one for me he says they are too expensive and are out of his reach. You know what? Instead he bought a
10carat cubic zirconia and showed me the brilliant flashes. He said rubies don’t flash like cubic zirconia. Is it true?” The woman on his left asked.
“Calcy loves flashy stones,” Citrina whispered. “She is wearing one, and look at those flashes. Her husband is a lawyer.” Miko giggled at Citrina’s remark. She was smart and quick.
“Comparing flashes of rubies and cubic zirconia would be like comparing apple and coconut. They are different chemically, physically and optically. They have different personalities, and that makes the difference in their values. Rubies, I mean really good ones are rare and difficult to find, while commercial qualities are not difficult. They are affordable and that’s what you see in all the stores in this country. Cubic zirconia is altogether a different character. It does have flashes, but different make. They look beautiful too!” Miko said.
“Why do you like rubies? Is it easy to sell them like chocolates?” The women on his right asked.
“Alby’s husband is the owner of Alby’s chocolates,” Citrina said. “She is an avid collector of all expensive artifacts.”
“That’s a good question,” Miko answered. “I used to always ask that question myself, but not now. To answer your question, they are beautiful, rare, durable, and that makes it easy to convince anyone who likes these qualities before they buy. We don’t live that long anyway, as we grow older. But rubies stay young and younger all the time. They never get old, but we do. Top grades are difficult to find and, of course, to sell as well. I have to be selective in showing the top ones, when it comes to selling. You remember that biblical quote?”
“Which one? There are thousands of them,” she said quickly.
“Don’t cast pearls before swine!”
“Oooh! That was too much,” Alby said. “I understand what you mean.”
There was a deceptive silence first, and then everyone glanced at each other whether to continue. Citrina nodded. She had several things in her mind to ask him, but waited.
Meanwhile, Miko glanced at them, and then continued, “So inexpensive ones, lower grades are not difficult to sell. You might be able to sell them like chocolates. It’s an altogether different quality. And that’s what you see wherever you go, while looking in those shop windows. Really good ones you rarely see them like that. They are kept in special boxes to entertain the ones who can taste the quality and finally afford them. That’s the difference.”
“I think we need to eat something instead of talking,” Citrina said. “Miko needs a break, am I right?”
He just smiled. He had a hard time sitting straight and talking with these beautiful women, all in their late thirties. For some strange reason women loved it, and they gave him a wink.
Citrina was watching him intently, as he ate slowly.
“What are you thinking?” Citrina asked, while squeezing his thigh. That sent a lightening chill through his spine, as he struggled to sit straight.
“Are you all right? Are you getting bored talking to us? You look a bit nervous. Drink this glass of wine,” she said.
“I’m just fine,” Miko replied smilingly. “Can I serve you those salads?”
“Oh, lovely,” Citrina said thankfully. “I must introduce you to my husband. He would love to meet you. Who knows? He may want to introduce you to Phil Win. Phil might buy some pieces on his wife’s behalf. What do you think?”
“Wishful thinking, Citrina,” Miko replied.
While other ladies got busy with their pizza, spaghetti, and wine, Citrina felt a bit different and pondered what to ask, as time was running out.
“How would you like to share that experience when you have such an expensive piece in your hand? What’s the, how should I say, feeling you go through when you explain, while trying to sell them, if I’m right?” Another fat women in her late thirties asked him.
“Amethyst’s husband is a textile tycoon,” Citrina whispered. “He just can’t stay without them just like the air you breathe. You must meet him too.”
“It’s hard to put a number on every ruby,” Miko added. “Each ruby demands special treatment, and thus the rewards. They keep coming and going all the time. The best I sold was a 15carat, a screaming red with a slight pinkish tint, eye clean and a well-cut ruby from Burma. The piece was sold to a private collector for a big amount. I can’t disclose the price for proprietary reasons. When I’ve a piece like that in my hand, I just don’t speak. The ruby does the speaking. Because it has a personality and those collectors who have a tradition of collecting pieces like that don’t need to be lectured about quality and price. They know already. It’s the ones who have never seen pieces like that before, who eventually become hesitant and ask all the wrong questions. When you hear that the best thing to do is just leave them alone. They won’t buy. Instead, they would just be talking all sort of rubbish. Just wasting your time.”
“I think we should meet together quite often to hear what Miko has to say. What do you think about this proposal?” Citrina said, glancing at her friends.
Everyone nodded. Citrina took the first initiative and paid his bill, while requesting him to wait. All the ladies walked toward him and shook his hands in appreciation of his time and comment, kissed him gently, and left one by one after paying their bills.
“Do you have to go back to your partner soon?” she asked, as they sat.
“Not really,” Miko said. “He understands me better than anybodyelse.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been working with him too long. He knows my every in and out. He is more or less like my father and mother. He just takes care of me,” Miko answered affectionately.
“That’s good. I won’t take much of your time. Would you be interested in visiting my home? I’ve several homes in Bangkok and upcountry,” she said, with a message. That statement alarmed him. She was after something. He looked at her, and her eyes had a lot to say.
“There shouldn’t be any problem with that. You know where to contact me?” Miko said cautiously.
“No, I don’t,” she said, still staring at his face. He noticed that but pretended he was thinking something else.
“Good,” she interrupted, “Why don’t you give me your contact address and telephone number? Then we will have enough time to discuss it. I don’t want my husband to know this. He might misunderstand. It’s between us. That’s all.”
“I’ll do what I can, Citrina,” Miko said cautiously.
“I’m happy. I’ve been longing to meet you for sometime. Somehow it just didn’t work. Today’s my lucky day. Thank you, Miko. It was a pleasure meeting you and I enjoyed your wise opinion on rubies and related topics.”
She shook his hand, and gently kissed him on his cheek, as he arose. Her impeccable personality attracted him a lot, as he stood watching her leave the table with her expensive Gucci handbag.
Tito and Che were still locked in intense discussions, as Miko took his seat to join them. The table looked wholesome with scattered beer bottles and pizza trays, as he pushed his elbow to rest his hand. “So, how did it go with those dames? Interesting?” Tito asked.
“Quite an interesting lot. All bloody rich and sexy!” Miko said, after a silent moment.
“Oooh, what did they do to you?” Che asked curiously.
“Just an opinion,” Miko added. “That’s all. The jackpot of the day was the lady, Citrina. Her husband is the number two in Phil Win’s company. You know, that big company, which makes all that money making stuff. She mentioned Polly as well. I just pretended as if I was hearing about these big guys for the first time. There was even a lady whose husband created synthetic ruby. Quite an unusual bunch of rich ladies! Well, in the end, it looks like they enjoyed my company. I’ve an invitation to join them again at one of their get together places. I don’t know where.”
“Not a bad day,” Tito interrupted. “I’m just trying to help Che out of hell.”
“We better get back home,” Miko said, glancing at his watch.
“Why don’t you give a call to Chichi, and check how she is doing? Here is the mobile. Now go out and make the call. I don’t want others staring at us,” Tito reminded.
“Okay, I’m on my way out,” Miko said, and left the table.