Gemsicuted

Written by Julian Robov


Thirty Six


It was Friday evening, and gem dealers thronged at The Redd’s to ease the tensions and gossip about the business of the week. A Singha beer became a good starter, as the conversation became intense and lively.

Mike knew how to inspire the gem dealers with a humorous remark, and then the conversation went from one thing to another sparking laughter. There were a few of the regulars missing. Tito and Miko were nowhere to be seen. But there were others who loved to gossip at the latest blunder or arrival of a new ruby from the best known source, Burma. Everyone loved to hold a Burmese ruby in hand and scream aloud. But they never came. Good ones remained only in lucky hands.
“If Rubyhall is after the ruby, then it is worth giving it a try. He would never touch an ugly duckling. The ruby definitely must be a beautiful swan. If we all dig in together, you know, we could all give him the surprise of his life,” Pinto Pin whispered hurriedly at James Carr, another gem dealer from London.
“He is a smart cookie,” added James. “His sharp eyes will probably control the price. But, where is the source?”
“No one knows for sure,” said Pinto, “but one thing I know is that it is in Bangkok, and someone is holding it to get the best price.”
Mike walked to their table and gave them a pat moving to the next table. Just to let them know that he was with them. There was a tele replay of world cup soccer match between Nigeria and Denmark. No one seemed interested. There wasn’t enough energy in their play, but still they wanted to be there just to watch.
“You shouldn’t forget that Ris has a history of using proxies to kill the price,” said Pinto, “and his loyal lieutenants, all some kind of ghosts keep orbiting the dealers offices chasing the ruby. So, how are you gonna handle it? At the end of the day, he will end up owning the ruby for life. That’s how he does business. You think we can compete with him this way?”
Tim Song joined the group with his girlfriend. Pinto and James never bothered to ask her name, and waited for Song to do the introduction. A common-play among friends. He was a ruby dealer, but never had the opportunity to hold a big one. All he had were rubies below 5 carat. That was his market. Since he had saved enough money to move to a bigger range, he waited for an opportunity.
“I have one dream in my life,” said Song, clearing his throat. “Only one. That’s to beat the old man, only one time with a good price. I don’t care if I win or lose. Purely for sentimental reasons, I would just love to get a chance to do that. If what you are telling turns out to be true, I want to gamble on that 37carat ruby. Find out the full details and get back to me.”
Everyone laughed. They knew Song was really dreaming. Competing with Ris Rubyhall was an altogether different gem game, and the Bangkok dealers knew it too well.
“What happens if we can’t track the gem in time, and the gem ends up in one of those auction houses, like Christie’s or Sotheby’s?” James aired his concern.
“Find the asshole, and sell his meat to those hungry bushmen of Papua New Guinea. We must prevent this happening at any cost. I want hand to hand combat with Rubyhall. I need all the publicity, which will definitely bring in a lot of media speculation. Confusion and chaos is always good for this kind of business. Use it to its zenith. I want to see that 37carat ruby in my hand live. I’ll end up paying more. Just one last wish. That’s all,” Song said, in a heroic way.
None of them took it seriously. They knew the beer had gone into his brain too fast.
“I think you are dreaming too much,” Pinto answered. “Have realistic goals for yourself, then you will sleep well. By the way, how is your chick Maria doing? She looks a bit fat. Is she pregnant?”
Song’s girlfriend looked surprised at first, and then gazed at Song. Since he didn’t bother to introduce her, no one dared to ask her name. Instead, he whispered in her ear to say it was a joke.
“Is she? I don’t know. How do you know if a woman is pregnant?” he asked, playing innocent.
“Song, don’t try to jerk me around,” said Pinto. “You are the stud master of this street, and if you don’t know, then who else would know?”
That statement frightened Song’s girlfriend, and the next thing they saw was the unexpected. She stood up and gave an icy stare to everyone sitting around the table and rushed to the door and fled. She thought he was serious with the relationship.
“I was just kidding,” said Song. “I’m somehow getting bored with her. Losing taste for her, you know. My wife is crying everyday to stop this nonsense. Maybe, I should think about it.”
It seemed he purposely brought Han, a chick from Vietnam, to the Redd’s to get rid of her after using her for the past few days.
“Good for you and for your prick. You have been working too much with your prick. It must look heavily abraded by now. Maybe, you are finished. Did you check with the local docs just to make sure you don’t have those weeds?” James asked jokingly.
“I’m all right,” answered Song. “But I’m seriously thinking of getting rid of Maria. Too much sex, dance, and booze, I’m getting sick of that. And, of course, the money.”
Song had a special relationship with Maria Cinni, an Italian blonde. He just couldn’t get rid of her, and she knew how to keep him at bay. A rare gift!
“Only gem dealers could afford these luxuries, right? Easy money! They come easy and go easy,” said Pinto Pin.
Quite a lot of gem dealers had this handicap. Women became an easy escape for the ones who were mentally too weak. The temptations were too high to avoid when these women came in to their office or at social places with their friends. Not all were prostitutes some were genuine. But the gem dealers kept changing them just to taste new juices.
“How long? That’s the problem. The fuck, when it comes it flows like an ocean, and when it dries up, it’s like those famine stricken countries in Africa. It’s scary at times,” added Song, as if he had an advice for everyone. Like always, no one took his opinion serious, even though at times they did have some meaning.
“But that’s how it is,” said Pinto, “either you adapt or fucking die.”
“Have you ever had any extramarital relationships just for fun?” Song asked. No one understood why he was getting so religious unnecessarily.
“Me?” said Pinto. “The fuck, no. Number one, I can’t afford. Number two, too much sex sucks. Number three, disease. I can’t stand the pain you have to go through for a few hours of pleasure. You see, I’ve so much peace of mind staying with one; as long as you know how to keep them happy. If you want to use your wife like a pumping machine, then I’m not surprised if you lose your prick in your sleep. I hate that.”
“Quite interesting,” answered Song. “Different perspective. Get that info about the 37carat ruby, will you? We will have to do something about it. I’ll shore up enough money for its acquisition.”
“Did you talk to your wife about what you are doing?” James asked.
“She doesn’t understand all these complicated matters,” Song said. “She is too slow. But my other one, Maria, she is sharp. She understands every bit of info. It’s amazing how the woman learned from zero?”
“Well, you must try explaining your business with your wife, Song. If something goes wrong along the way, they wouldn’t have to suffer for the rest of their lives for this slight oversight. Maria is just after your body and money. As long as that is taken care of, you are the sugar daddy. If she smells that your money well is drying up, she will be gone with the wind. No more fuck, understand? But your wife will stay. So talk to her slowly if she takes more time to understand. I think she must be informed of your checks and balances. In the future, it will help a lot to avoid disappointments. Be transparent. After all, she gave you nice kids, right? You need to give something in return. Give your true love buddy,” said Pinto firmly.
There was a deep silence around the table. It seemed no one wanted to talk. The topic had gone to unexpected levels with strange philosophical twists. They all stood up and left the table with a high five just to remind them that they were still friends.