Written by Julian Robov
Twenty Three
Troublov woke up with a vague idea of trapping Tito and Miko indirectly at an entertainment place they usually frequented. Then he wondered how on earth such a notion could have come to him. But he wanted to give it a go, in a different way, the nonviolent way. As he lay on his cot, face to the wall, his shoulders twitching, he envisioned, his only way would be to become a pseudo-gay, and roam the expensive restaurants in and around World Trade Center, till one of them fell into his trap. He knew one of them had a weakness, but didn’t know which one. The thought itself seemed revolting to him, as he buried his face in the pillow to mask the light. It took him several hours to reconcile the thought. When he got out of his bed, he had already made up his mind. His main worry was whether he could, with confidence, make himself attractive to hook the strange men out on the streets in the pursuit of grabbing the 37carat ruby and more. He rushed over to the mirror to glance at his own body. He looked a bit lean from his torturous workout, but his skin tone was good enough to hook them, as they got accustomed to his assets. His blonde hair, blue eyes, and the charming look seemed more than enough for a good jump off at least.
Troublov dressed hurriedly, and walked slowly out of his hotel to hire a cab to a gay saloon near the World Trade Center. He felt no nervousness at first, but as he looked at the passing men accosting him with their vulgar glances, his confidence index took a bungy dive. At first he thought of running back to his hotel. He felt the exhaustion. Then a tall well dressed man in his early sixties came close and whispered, “Let’s go over there; you see that restaurant?”
“All right,” replied Troublov.
The old man took Troublov’s arm, and led him to an American Restaurant. It wasn’t crowded and with ease they secured a table. He had a membership card. The man ordered the drinks. His throat felt dry, and he asked for four Miller beers. They looked at each other silently. Troublov saw the man’s eyes scanning his face and body. After much thought he said, “You are a greenhorn in the business, aren’t you?”
“How did you know that?” Troublov asked.
“I was observing you, as you passed by,” the old man replied smilingly.
“Is there anything wrong with me?” Troublov asked again.
“You look childish and stupid!” The old man answered promptly.
“Really? Why then do you want me? You have a Russian accent,” Troublov said.
“Dutch or Russian or whatever, I live here,” the old man continued. “You have good looks and a frightened face. It’s fun watching and meeting novices trying to desperately inspire a potential victim the wrong way. It’s real, painful, and at times rewarding. That’s my hobby. I can well afford to spend some time that way. You see!”
“Then, how do you make a living?” Troublov asked thoughtlessly.
“That’s none of your business. I’m not desperate, but you are. I can see that on your face and body. You don’t have that cool, casual and quick jump off style of the old timers. You are just like those rough gemstones. Do you see them right over there? That jewelry store? You aren’t different. You need a lot of painful and expert cut and polishing to make you look brilliant. How long have you been on the streets, son?”
“I started today,” Troublov answered.
“No one with you, alone? Just like that,” the old man asked curiously.
“Just like that,” Troublov said, expecting the next question.
“What’s the motivation?” The old man asked again.
“I can’t tell you, but I wanted to give it a go,” Troublov replied plainly.
“If you can’t tell me, you aren’t going anywhere, son. You can get killed in the streets by old timers if they think you are stealing their clients, understand? You’d like to live longer, wouldn’t you?” The old man reminded.
“Oh, sure,” Troublov said quickly.
“How old are you, if you don’t mind saying?” The old man asked.
“Thirtytwo!” Troublov replied punctually.
“But you don’t look like you come from a broken home. The language of your face and eyes tell me you are out on the streets for some definite reasons. I can help you a lot if you reveal your true identity,” the old man said.
“No comments, I can’t tell you. If you don’t want my services, then why are you wasting your time with me? You can always find someone else,” Troublov quipped.
“Listen son, there is nothing wrong in what you’re doing if you have the balls to do it, the right way. You don’t have it, okay,” the old man said quickly. Strange though, the man took out a hundred dollar bill and tossed it in front of Troublov.
“This is the cost of convenience. You’re trying to be an old boy, but you aren’t. I can well afford that. I’m seventy, and often enjoy meeting strangers like you in the streets. I love to meet mysterious people coming to this city, trying to look like somebody. And I always meet the one who doesn’t make it. Isn’t it strange? Good day, son!” He took his hand, gave a gentle rub, and then walked in the opposite direction.
Troublov sat agape not knowing what to say. He stood up to say something, but the gravity from within pulled him back to his seat.
“Any more drinks?” The waiter asked gently.
“No thanks.”
Troublov began to ponder whether it had been a wise decision working for Boris Luganow and Papov Kuchinsky. They had several business connections both, legal and illegal, in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. At times he loved the job because of money and entertainment. He was trained to kill people when ordered. He needed constant attention, but once focused he had no problem doing the job professionally. His patrons knew his strengths and weaknesses, but still decided to keep him because of his good looks and animal instincts. He had also a brief introductory training in gemstone identification, especially ruby, because of its rarity and value. There were several successful business tycoons in Russia who were pursuaded to vacation in Thailand, and that’s where Papov and Boris saw the opportunities. And Troublov became one of their best conduit to trick and plunder the innocents who knew nothing about rubies or gems in particular other than name and color. His patrons had locals who were acquainted with all the right politicians as fences. It was a lucrative operation, and all they had to do was to find the weak and disturbed rich, both local and foreign, and mop up their hidden wealth. And quite a lot of them hid their ill-gotten wealth in investment quality gemstones, especially rubies due to its portability and liquidity.
After paying the bill, Troublov walked out of the restaurant and hailed a taxi. “Lad Phrao!” he barked. He knew it wasn’t going to be that easy to get away from the clutches of Papov and Boris. They were just too strong and well organized, but he had one or two tricks up his sleeves if and when a situation arose for self-defense. He was getting sick and tired of his present job. He had seen more than enough blood and for some strange reasons, he began to think of an escape route once the job was over. But first, he had an assignment, to kidnap Rubyhall, Miko, Tito and Sanders, because of the amount of illicit rubies arriving at a discreet destination. His patrons wanted a share of that illicit wealth.
Showing posts with label gemsicuted. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gemsicuted. Show all posts
Friday, December 01, 2006
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Twenty Two
Sanders hurriedly dialed the phone to call Jeb.
“Jeb! Can I talk to you now?” Sanders interrupted. Jeb was in Chantaburi viewing a few parcels of heat-treated rubies from Cambodia. The gem chef was explaining to him the results after heat treatment. Instead of changing to a good red color, the rubies had become dark. In fact, too dark and after cutting and polishing, they wouldn’t look much better either. It was a disheartening comment.
“Yeah, just hold on a sec,” said Jeb, but his second mobile buzzed. “It’s my wife. Jessy, I will talk to you later. I’ve a customer on the other line.” Jeb explained to Jessy.
“You are always like that when I’ve something important to say. Is this some kind of setup?” Jessy asked indignantly.
“Jessy, what are you talking about? Wait, wait, wait,” Jeb continued. “When I talk to a customer I get business, that’s how I make a profit, and feed the family, understand?” Jeb tried to reason with her. She was in a nether world.
“Jessy!” The line was disconnected. “Sanders, are you there?” Jeb shrugged expressively.
“I can hear the fireworks. What’s she up to this time?” Sanders asked.
“The same old crap, not enough time at home, and she thinks I’m screwing some blondes in the guise of a customer. Man, what a fucking life? Forget about business, I can’t even have a nice fuck with her, she is too religious, can you believe this? She is talking about environment degradation, population control, and save the fucking planet gospel. Fuck them all. This is a normal chaos. Okay, what’s up?” Jeb’s voice was sober.
“This is fucking serious. I can tell you. I just survived a near death experience,” Sanders said dryly.
“Why do you want to die now? You owe me a lot, don’t you?” Jeb said humorously.
“It’s not that I want to die,” Sanders added. “A guy walks into my office, you know, like a normal guy and demands that he wants to do business with me. Okay, I tolerated that part. You know, we don’t do business with fucking strangers. Then he tells me I’m hoarding a big ruby, which he desperately wants to see. The fuck, what should I say?”
“You say, Noooooooooo!” Jeb uttered.
“That’s precisely what I said. Nooooooo! And then, comes the fucking gun pointed at my aging brain. Either I show him the ruby or I’m a confirmed instant porridge,” Sanders said.
“Then what happened?” Jeb became alert.
“Me? That’s the first time in my life, I ever thought about death, one shot death. Tak tak tak, boom!” Sanders cried in fear.
“Who is this guy? Was he alone or with someone? Hey Sanders hold on a sec, will you? I’m with Suradej,” Jeb interrupted.
Suradej urged Jeb to give the Cambodian rubies one more level of heating to remove the undesirable brown after careful inspection. Jeb weighed his options, and after a careful thought, he decided to go along with Suradej, just to see the results. He didn’t care much if the result was negative. This ruby parcel was from a new mine.
“Are you there?” Sanders asked, trying hard to stay steady.
“Go ahead,” Jeb uttered holding the line.
“It’s a gang for sure,” Sanders continued. “But he was alone. Bloody cool and polite.”
“What’s he like? What tribe?” Jeb asked.
“Russian, with a French name,” added Sanders, “A pricking, Pierre Themiro!”
“Why was he exactly after you?” Jeb quipped.
“The guy bugged all my conversation with Miko,” answered Sanders. “They are after Miko and Tito for the 37carat ruby. They want it for free. He reminded me that he will come back if the information I gave was wrong.”
“What information?” Jeb asked.
“I said that the ruby was not with me, instead with Miko and Tito. They are after them. We have to do something to save their lives. Life is more important than rubies, don’t you think?” Sanders cried.
“Oh, yeah, sometimes,” Jeb reasoned. “Sure. We can’t go to the police. It will become a boomerang. The cure will be worse than the disease. What do you think?”
“Me? My brain is dead, a worthless rock, and heavily oxidized. Can’t think of any crap. Can’t even remember which day it is today?” Sanders said, hopelessly.
“So, what do you want me to do?” Jeb asked.
“We have to save them and ourselves,” Sanders added. “They have spotted us like a valuable gem. They want it for free. They are armed and organized. We need a common strategy to wipe out these assholes with their bones so that they don’t resurrect in the coming years. You are good in undercover operations. I want you to think of a practical, inexpensive, and precise execution. These morons should never try this again on anyone else in this territory. That’s what I mean. We can’t afford to just sit and watch these morons blow up our brains.”
“So? You want me to go back to the dark ages?” Jeb uttered.
“For our survival. They will hurt our business to the core. We can’t afford to look like we are damn weak. We have to eject them permanently out of our territory so that future morons would have to think twice before they land in Bangkok,” Sanders said.
“Oh, yeah?”
Their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected call.
“Daddy, its me Ruth!”
“Ruth? Very unusual, What’s the matter? Where is your mother?” Sanders asked surprisingly.
Jeb overheard the conversation, and decided to let Sanders continue his talk with Ruth. He disconnected the line, as Sanders tried in vain to reach him. Jeb switched off his mobile so that he could now concentrate on the problematic Cambodian rubies.
“Mom is not at home,” Ruth added. “That’s why I felt like calling you.”
“Tell me Ruth,” Sanders insisted. “Don’t beat around the bush. What’s the problem?”
“I’m pregnant!” she said.
“What? What did you say?” Sanders repeated several times.
“Dad, I’m pregnant. I don’t know what to do. Mom is too busy with her friends. I wanted to talk to her first, but......” Ruth cried in vain.
Sanders opened his mouth to scream, but couldn’t. He froze in his chair, speechless. A premature darkness masked the room and his perplexed mind.
“Dad, are you there?” Ruth asked desperately.
“I’m coming home Ruth,” he said angrily. He didn’t mean that way.
“Please don’t hurt me, Daddy. I’m sorry. It happened, please,” she pleaded.
“I’m coming home Ruth,” Sanders answered in a harsh tone, which meant trouble. This couldn’t have come to him at a worse time, between the devil and deep blue sea. Tears rolled out of his eyes like torrential rain, as the build up peaked to its zenith. He cried loudly, the first time in several years. The walls vibrated in sheer accordance. He looked like he was in the middle of a broken dam. It became louder and louder, as he struggled painstakingly limping out of his chair to stand straight. His eyes were almost out of their socket in rage when he thought of Chin. He wanted to chop Chin’s every part including her bones with a meat cleaver, till she turned into a stew. So much disgust and hate accumulated in his mind, and had he had the wings, he would have flown to her club and
plucked her to death.
It was too late. What happened has happened, and now what? He forgot about Troublov, Baddy, Tito, Miko, the rubies, and even death. His only thought now concentrated in putting his house in order. Only he could doctor the situation at home. As he drove home, he thought at each traffic stoplight of his role as a father, and his partial responsibility in this humiliating reward by his only daughter. He could have read the sign on the wall earlier by being with his only child instead of business. Now the damage was done, and he had no other choice but to accept it as his singular fault.
The whole concept of having kids as an investment for the future had turned out to be a bad strategy for him. Money and social recognition had done enough damage for the rest of his life. He thought of his childhood days, when having three meals a day was a luxury. He never wanted his kids to have that same fate. Instead, he worked harder and harder to make as much money as possible for them so that they wouldn’t have to worry about the uncertain future ahead. But what he had forgotten was the social prerequisite, the fatherly presence. When she needed him, he was too busy out in the streets making more money. She never understood why he was out there. Neither did Chin bother to make up for his absence. As time dragged and years passed by, negligence piled up like layers of bricks, establishing the wrong foundation. Money never stayed long in one place at any one time so he had no other choice but to grab it at each and every stop before it disappeared. This profit grab syndrome was visible everywhere like the air. He forgot about home. Everybody thought like him. Why should he be different? Now he had to worry not only about the little girl, but also about the little creature growing up in her womb like a weed, if it was true. What kind of a monster would that turn out to be when it was ready to scream out of the womb? What would that creature’s relationship be in an unfriendly world? Who would be paying the cost for this unwelcome arrival? He was just lost in thoughts, as he madly drove to the garage of his villa on Srinakarin Road.
He opened the door violently and called her loudly, “Ruth! Where are you?”
There was no answer. He called again in that same tone. Still there was no answer. Now he had reasons to worry. Has she done anything crazy? He changed his tone. He walked stealthily, room after room looking for her.
“Ruth, this is your dad. I’ll not hurt you. Just tell me where you are. I just want to talk to you. What has happened has happened. We need to talk first before we can help. Ruth, please come out wherever you are. Daddy wants to talk to you.”
As his patience ran out of heat, she emerged from the bathroom like a helpless lamb with her head down.
“Ruth!” He walked towards her slowly and gazed in disbelief. He then embraced her affectionately. She fell into his arms and cried loudly.
“What happened to you? How could it have happened?” he asked.
“I’m really sorry, daddy.” She kept repeating by rote. He slowly raised her tearful face and looked with a mix of compassion and anger.
“How do you know you are pregnant? Who told you that, Ruth?” he asked.
“My friends at school,” she replied reluctantly.
“Your friends? Are they doctors?” He couldn’t believe her statement.
“No. But they know the symptoms. I had it,” she countered.
“Like?” Sanders felt angry again.
“I can’t tell you that, dad,” she said persistently.
“I’m your father, Ruth,” said Sanders. “Who else should know? Your mother is screwedup with some women’s group in Sukhumvit or somewhere. What do you mean by I can’t tell you? I want to help you. It’s not just you. Everyone is involved and you have to speak the truth, understand?” She nodded.
“And, who is the boy responsible? Where is he?” he asked indignantly.
“He’s not saying anything, dad,” she replied innocently.
“He is not saying anything?” Sanders said indignantly. “I’ll fucking kill him. Where is he living? Why are you so supportive of him? You are having the pain, not him. So, why?” Sanders had all the reasons to bury him alive if the boy was anywhere close. He had no one else to blame, except himself and his wife. He continued, “Listen, we can’t trust your friends at school. We have to go to a friendly hospital to confirm this thing. When your mother comes, we will have to discuss this,” he said.
“Are you still angry with me daddy?” she pleaded.
“It’s too late, Ruth. It’s too late, there is no point getting angry at this stage. I love you, Ruth. You are still my daughter. But what you did, I’m still trying to cope with, you know. It’s not that easy to forget. As a father I’ve a lot of responsibility and this one, I can’t just ignore. I never expected this from you. Never in my dreams did I ever think of facing a situation like this. But, I’ve no choice,” he said hopelessly.
“I didn’t expect it to turn out this way,” Ruth reasoned.
“Well, that’s how it turned out to be. You could have avoided it. It takes only a split-second to do the wrong thing, you understand? That’s what happened. Do you know where your boy lives?”
“No!”
“What?” Sanders said angrily. “You don’t know where he lives? How can you be so dumb, Ruth? Now he fucks around you putting his thing into yours and you don’t know where he lives? What’s wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?” He had to control his spontaneous anger again. Her accomplished stupidity in sleeping with a boy with no nametag and family convinced him there was something wrong with Ruth. The price he had to pay was becoming now worth more than the best ruby in the world.
As he collapsed on the sofa, gazing at Ruth thoughtlessly, he heard the front door open. It was his socialite wife, Chin.
“Hello, everybody home? Ruth, why are you crying?”
Ruth just looked at Chin aimlessly and then at Sanders.
“What happened? Melvine, say something instead of staring at me,” Chin said.
The immediate thought, which rushed to his mind was to first grab her hair and spin her head like a top, till she dropped unconscious. He sat there orbiting with his confused thoughts, as to how to reply sensibly, but then again, he wasn’t sure if it would have any results. This time he decided she shouldn’t get away like before. He looked at her as if he was under control.
“Why don’t you ask Ruth, instead of looking at me, Chin?” he said.
“Why don’t you tell me? What’s wrong with that? I don’t have the time now to probe each and every detail. I have a talk to give tomorrow at the Aging Women’s workshop!” she said.
That was it. He had enough of her extra-curricular activities. He had to put a full stop to this nonsense.
“How on earth can you fuck around with your Aging Women’s workshop, when you have an aging daughter having pain? Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” he said angrily.
“No!” she said.
“Then you are as dumb as your daughter. How can you do something like that? Are you out of your mind? I work like a donkey twenty hours a day to fill your stomach, right? None of you have known the pain of making money. You thought that this is going to be like this for the rest of your life. And when I’m out trying to make a living, you are out spending the money like a freak, and instead of taking care of the kid and her well being. What have you done? All your fucking activities outside with your bloody friends, has it improved your intelligence one iota? Prove it to me, Chin! If you had all that extra knowledge from your activities outside this home, why can’t you apply it and make a happy and content home? Instead, what have we got? A brainless kid and a chaotic home! Talk to her, your beloved daughter and, of course, mine too. Talk to her first, and then I’ll reply,” he explained.
Chin took her seat on the sofa, and then moved closer to Sanders. Ruth was still standing looking confused.
“Ruth, come to me.” Ruth walked toward Chin, and stood motionless.
“Sit close, and tell me what happened?” She first looked at her nervously, and then uttered, “I’m pregnant!”
“That’s all? Is that a big problem? I thought it was something more serious. We can go to the clinic tomorrow and abort the whole thing. That’s what everyone does nowadays. What do you say, Melvine?”
“What do I say? This is what I do.”
He turned around and slapped her face. Sanders stood stunned, as if he was standing on a pack of explosives. He just couldn’t believe his ears. He stood up furiously again, and the next thing Chin could remember, Melvine on top, slapping her face mercilessly. He beat her severely, till he dropped to the floor exhausted. He wished she were dead. She was still breathing like a steam engine. By now Ruth had already disappeared from the room, afraid to be the next target.
“All these years I’ve worked hard to make a living, you bitch. This is how you talk to your daughter when she becomes pregnant at fifteen? I’ve never heard such a callous remark from anyone, and instead of being a concerned mother, you have encouraged her to fuck again. You don’t deserve this house. I don’t care what the fuck you think? If you want the fucking divorce, do it now. I have had enough of your partnership. I wish I had kicked you out of this home a long time ago, you bitch. Who the fuck do you think will pay all the cost of aborting Ruth?” He screamed at her.
She didn’t hear anything he said. He couldn’t tell whether she was unconscious or dead. He cared less. His immediate thought was to put her in a garbage bag and dump her in the gutter. So much disgust had accumulated with time he was now almost desperate to get rid of her at any cost. It had been a burden to him for so long, her distant and immediate presence would only aggravate the situation, not only hurting himself and his business, but the home itself. As he gradually settled his thoughts, he anxiously looked around for Ruth. But again, he cared less, as suddenly he felt too tired to care.
Twenty Two
Sanders hurriedly dialed the phone to call Jeb.
“Jeb! Can I talk to you now?” Sanders interrupted. Jeb was in Chantaburi viewing a few parcels of heat-treated rubies from Cambodia. The gem chef was explaining to him the results after heat treatment. Instead of changing to a good red color, the rubies had become dark. In fact, too dark and after cutting and polishing, they wouldn’t look much better either. It was a disheartening comment.
“Yeah, just hold on a sec,” said Jeb, but his second mobile buzzed. “It’s my wife. Jessy, I will talk to you later. I’ve a customer on the other line.” Jeb explained to Jessy.
“You are always like that when I’ve something important to say. Is this some kind of setup?” Jessy asked indignantly.
“Jessy, what are you talking about? Wait, wait, wait,” Jeb continued. “When I talk to a customer I get business, that’s how I make a profit, and feed the family, understand?” Jeb tried to reason with her. She was in a nether world.
“Jessy!” The line was disconnected. “Sanders, are you there?” Jeb shrugged expressively.
“I can hear the fireworks. What’s she up to this time?” Sanders asked.
“The same old crap, not enough time at home, and she thinks I’m screwing some blondes in the guise of a customer. Man, what a fucking life? Forget about business, I can’t even have a nice fuck with her, she is too religious, can you believe this? She is talking about environment degradation, population control, and save the fucking planet gospel. Fuck them all. This is a normal chaos. Okay, what’s up?” Jeb’s voice was sober.
“This is fucking serious. I can tell you. I just survived a near death experience,” Sanders said dryly.
“Why do you want to die now? You owe me a lot, don’t you?” Jeb said humorously.
“It’s not that I want to die,” Sanders added. “A guy walks into my office, you know, like a normal guy and demands that he wants to do business with me. Okay, I tolerated that part. You know, we don’t do business with fucking strangers. Then he tells me I’m hoarding a big ruby, which he desperately wants to see. The fuck, what should I say?”
“You say, Noooooooooo!” Jeb uttered.
“That’s precisely what I said. Nooooooo! And then, comes the fucking gun pointed at my aging brain. Either I show him the ruby or I’m a confirmed instant porridge,” Sanders said.
“Then what happened?” Jeb became alert.
“Me? That’s the first time in my life, I ever thought about death, one shot death. Tak tak tak, boom!” Sanders cried in fear.
“Who is this guy? Was he alone or with someone? Hey Sanders hold on a sec, will you? I’m with Suradej,” Jeb interrupted.
Suradej urged Jeb to give the Cambodian rubies one more level of heating to remove the undesirable brown after careful inspection. Jeb weighed his options, and after a careful thought, he decided to go along with Suradej, just to see the results. He didn’t care much if the result was negative. This ruby parcel was from a new mine.
“Are you there?” Sanders asked, trying hard to stay steady.
“Go ahead,” Jeb uttered holding the line.
“It’s a gang for sure,” Sanders continued. “But he was alone. Bloody cool and polite.”
“What’s he like? What tribe?” Jeb asked.
“Russian, with a French name,” added Sanders, “A pricking, Pierre Themiro!”
“Why was he exactly after you?” Jeb quipped.
“The guy bugged all my conversation with Miko,” answered Sanders. “They are after Miko and Tito for the 37carat ruby. They want it for free. He reminded me that he will come back if the information I gave was wrong.”
“What information?” Jeb asked.
“I said that the ruby was not with me, instead with Miko and Tito. They are after them. We have to do something to save their lives. Life is more important than rubies, don’t you think?” Sanders cried.
“Oh, yeah, sometimes,” Jeb reasoned. “Sure. We can’t go to the police. It will become a boomerang. The cure will be worse than the disease. What do you think?”
“Me? My brain is dead, a worthless rock, and heavily oxidized. Can’t think of any crap. Can’t even remember which day it is today?” Sanders said, hopelessly.
“So, what do you want me to do?” Jeb asked.
“We have to save them and ourselves,” Sanders added. “They have spotted us like a valuable gem. They want it for free. They are armed and organized. We need a common strategy to wipe out these assholes with their bones so that they don’t resurrect in the coming years. You are good in undercover operations. I want you to think of a practical, inexpensive, and precise execution. These morons should never try this again on anyone else in this territory. That’s what I mean. We can’t afford to just sit and watch these morons blow up our brains.”
“So? You want me to go back to the dark ages?” Jeb uttered.
“For our survival. They will hurt our business to the core. We can’t afford to look like we are damn weak. We have to eject them permanently out of our territory so that future morons would have to think twice before they land in Bangkok,” Sanders said.
“Oh, yeah?”
Their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected call.
“Daddy, its me Ruth!”
“Ruth? Very unusual, What’s the matter? Where is your mother?” Sanders asked surprisingly.
Jeb overheard the conversation, and decided to let Sanders continue his talk with Ruth. He disconnected the line, as Sanders tried in vain to reach him. Jeb switched off his mobile so that he could now concentrate on the problematic Cambodian rubies.
“Mom is not at home,” Ruth added. “That’s why I felt like calling you.”
“Tell me Ruth,” Sanders insisted. “Don’t beat around the bush. What’s the problem?”
“I’m pregnant!” she said.
“What? What did you say?” Sanders repeated several times.
“Dad, I’m pregnant. I don’t know what to do. Mom is too busy with her friends. I wanted to talk to her first, but......” Ruth cried in vain.
Sanders opened his mouth to scream, but couldn’t. He froze in his chair, speechless. A premature darkness masked the room and his perplexed mind.
“Dad, are you there?” Ruth asked desperately.
“I’m coming home Ruth,” he said angrily. He didn’t mean that way.
“Please don’t hurt me, Daddy. I’m sorry. It happened, please,” she pleaded.
“I’m coming home Ruth,” Sanders answered in a harsh tone, which meant trouble. This couldn’t have come to him at a worse time, between the devil and deep blue sea. Tears rolled out of his eyes like torrential rain, as the build up peaked to its zenith. He cried loudly, the first time in several years. The walls vibrated in sheer accordance. He looked like he was in the middle of a broken dam. It became louder and louder, as he struggled painstakingly limping out of his chair to stand straight. His eyes were almost out of their socket in rage when he thought of Chin. He wanted to chop Chin’s every part including her bones with a meat cleaver, till she turned into a stew. So much disgust and hate accumulated in his mind, and had he had the wings, he would have flown to her club and
plucked her to death.
It was too late. What happened has happened, and now what? He forgot about Troublov, Baddy, Tito, Miko, the rubies, and even death. His only thought now concentrated in putting his house in order. Only he could doctor the situation at home. As he drove home, he thought at each traffic stoplight of his role as a father, and his partial responsibility in this humiliating reward by his only daughter. He could have read the sign on the wall earlier by being with his only child instead of business. Now the damage was done, and he had no other choice but to accept it as his singular fault.
The whole concept of having kids as an investment for the future had turned out to be a bad strategy for him. Money and social recognition had done enough damage for the rest of his life. He thought of his childhood days, when having three meals a day was a luxury. He never wanted his kids to have that same fate. Instead, he worked harder and harder to make as much money as possible for them so that they wouldn’t have to worry about the uncertain future ahead. But what he had forgotten was the social prerequisite, the fatherly presence. When she needed him, he was too busy out in the streets making more money. She never understood why he was out there. Neither did Chin bother to make up for his absence. As time dragged and years passed by, negligence piled up like layers of bricks, establishing the wrong foundation. Money never stayed long in one place at any one time so he had no other choice but to grab it at each and every stop before it disappeared. This profit grab syndrome was visible everywhere like the air. He forgot about home. Everybody thought like him. Why should he be different? Now he had to worry not only about the little girl, but also about the little creature growing up in her womb like a weed, if it was true. What kind of a monster would that turn out to be when it was ready to scream out of the womb? What would that creature’s relationship be in an unfriendly world? Who would be paying the cost for this unwelcome arrival? He was just lost in thoughts, as he madly drove to the garage of his villa on Srinakarin Road.
He opened the door violently and called her loudly, “Ruth! Where are you?”
There was no answer. He called again in that same tone. Still there was no answer. Now he had reasons to worry. Has she done anything crazy? He changed his tone. He walked stealthily, room after room looking for her.
“Ruth, this is your dad. I’ll not hurt you. Just tell me where you are. I just want to talk to you. What has happened has happened. We need to talk first before we can help. Ruth, please come out wherever you are. Daddy wants to talk to you.”
As his patience ran out of heat, she emerged from the bathroom like a helpless lamb with her head down.
“Ruth!” He walked towards her slowly and gazed in disbelief. He then embraced her affectionately. She fell into his arms and cried loudly.
“What happened to you? How could it have happened?” he asked.
“I’m really sorry, daddy.” She kept repeating by rote. He slowly raised her tearful face and looked with a mix of compassion and anger.
“How do you know you are pregnant? Who told you that, Ruth?” he asked.
“My friends at school,” she replied reluctantly.
“Your friends? Are they doctors?” He couldn’t believe her statement.
“No. But they know the symptoms. I had it,” she countered.
“Like?” Sanders felt angry again.
“I can’t tell you that, dad,” she said persistently.
“I’m your father, Ruth,” said Sanders. “Who else should know? Your mother is screwedup with some women’s group in Sukhumvit or somewhere. What do you mean by I can’t tell you? I want to help you. It’s not just you. Everyone is involved and you have to speak the truth, understand?” She nodded.
“And, who is the boy responsible? Where is he?” he asked indignantly.
“He’s not saying anything, dad,” she replied innocently.
“He is not saying anything?” Sanders said indignantly. “I’ll fucking kill him. Where is he living? Why are you so supportive of him? You are having the pain, not him. So, why?” Sanders had all the reasons to bury him alive if the boy was anywhere close. He had no one else to blame, except himself and his wife. He continued, “Listen, we can’t trust your friends at school. We have to go to a friendly hospital to confirm this thing. When your mother comes, we will have to discuss this,” he said.
“Are you still angry with me daddy?” she pleaded.
“It’s too late, Ruth. It’s too late, there is no point getting angry at this stage. I love you, Ruth. You are still my daughter. But what you did, I’m still trying to cope with, you know. It’s not that easy to forget. As a father I’ve a lot of responsibility and this one, I can’t just ignore. I never expected this from you. Never in my dreams did I ever think of facing a situation like this. But, I’ve no choice,” he said hopelessly.
“I didn’t expect it to turn out this way,” Ruth reasoned.
“Well, that’s how it turned out to be. You could have avoided it. It takes only a split-second to do the wrong thing, you understand? That’s what happened. Do you know where your boy lives?”
“No!”
“What?” Sanders said angrily. “You don’t know where he lives? How can you be so dumb, Ruth? Now he fucks around you putting his thing into yours and you don’t know where he lives? What’s wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?” He had to control his spontaneous anger again. Her accomplished stupidity in sleeping with a boy with no nametag and family convinced him there was something wrong with Ruth. The price he had to pay was becoming now worth more than the best ruby in the world.
As he collapsed on the sofa, gazing at Ruth thoughtlessly, he heard the front door open. It was his socialite wife, Chin.
“Hello, everybody home? Ruth, why are you crying?”
Ruth just looked at Chin aimlessly and then at Sanders.
“What happened? Melvine, say something instead of staring at me,” Chin said.
The immediate thought, which rushed to his mind was to first grab her hair and spin her head like a top, till she dropped unconscious. He sat there orbiting with his confused thoughts, as to how to reply sensibly, but then again, he wasn’t sure if it would have any results. This time he decided she shouldn’t get away like before. He looked at her as if he was under control.
“Why don’t you ask Ruth, instead of looking at me, Chin?” he said.
“Why don’t you tell me? What’s wrong with that? I don’t have the time now to probe each and every detail. I have a talk to give tomorrow at the Aging Women’s workshop!” she said.
That was it. He had enough of her extra-curricular activities. He had to put a full stop to this nonsense.
“How on earth can you fuck around with your Aging Women’s workshop, when you have an aging daughter having pain? Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” he said angrily.
“No!” she said.
“Then you are as dumb as your daughter. How can you do something like that? Are you out of your mind? I work like a donkey twenty hours a day to fill your stomach, right? None of you have known the pain of making money. You thought that this is going to be like this for the rest of your life. And when I’m out trying to make a living, you are out spending the money like a freak, and instead of taking care of the kid and her well being. What have you done? All your fucking activities outside with your bloody friends, has it improved your intelligence one iota? Prove it to me, Chin! If you had all that extra knowledge from your activities outside this home, why can’t you apply it and make a happy and content home? Instead, what have we got? A brainless kid and a chaotic home! Talk to her, your beloved daughter and, of course, mine too. Talk to her first, and then I’ll reply,” he explained.
Chin took her seat on the sofa, and then moved closer to Sanders. Ruth was still standing looking confused.
“Ruth, come to me.” Ruth walked toward Chin, and stood motionless.
“Sit close, and tell me what happened?” She first looked at her nervously, and then uttered, “I’m pregnant!”
“That’s all? Is that a big problem? I thought it was something more serious. We can go to the clinic tomorrow and abort the whole thing. That’s what everyone does nowadays. What do you say, Melvine?”
“What do I say? This is what I do.”
He turned around and slapped her face. Sanders stood stunned, as if he was standing on a pack of explosives. He just couldn’t believe his ears. He stood up furiously again, and the next thing Chin could remember, Melvine on top, slapping her face mercilessly. He beat her severely, till he dropped to the floor exhausted. He wished she were dead. She was still breathing like a steam engine. By now Ruth had already disappeared from the room, afraid to be the next target.
“All these years I’ve worked hard to make a living, you bitch. This is how you talk to your daughter when she becomes pregnant at fifteen? I’ve never heard such a callous remark from anyone, and instead of being a concerned mother, you have encouraged her to fuck again. You don’t deserve this house. I don’t care what the fuck you think? If you want the fucking divorce, do it now. I have had enough of your partnership. I wish I had kicked you out of this home a long time ago, you bitch. Who the fuck do you think will pay all the cost of aborting Ruth?” He screamed at her.
She didn’t hear anything he said. He couldn’t tell whether she was unconscious or dead. He cared less. His immediate thought was to put her in a garbage bag and dump her in the gutter. So much disgust had accumulated with time he was now almost desperate to get rid of her at any cost. It had been a burden to him for so long, her distant and immediate presence would only aggravate the situation, not only hurting himself and his business, but the home itself. As he gradually settled his thoughts, he anxiously looked around for Ruth. But again, he cared less, as suddenly he felt too tired to care.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Twenty One
Baddy Smith, tall, with a curly mop of dark hair, and fast talking met by chance Jeb Singthowala at the Kilimanjaro hotel lobby during one of his trips to Dar- es -Salaam, Tanzania. Though British by birth, he preferred to be identified as an Asian due to his mother’s influence. She was Malaysian. His father was English. He grew up appreciating gemstones at an early age. His father, Michael Smith worked for a Hatton Garden jewelry store as a gemstone specialist. Though the education from his father helped him tremendously understanding the ropes of buying and selling gemstones, there was something in him, which kept emerging day by day. He wanted a bit more knowledge. Baddy decided to venture on his own. AFRICA!
As the untapped mineral rich continent of the world, Africa had everything-diamonds, colored stones, and precious metals. The wild continent was not for everyone. Only the thick-skinned and determined survived the landscape and culture shock. Gemstones were everywhere. The locals just didn’t know what to call them. Some became part of their traditional culture, while others were cleverly looted out of the country in several guises by the crooked missionaries, mercenaries and, of course, gem traders without borders. The gemstones of Africa were for grabs, and the knowledgeable ones kept the info close to their chest. They knew these ugly looking rough gemstones when cut and polished had value in their country. So they kept coming back in various disguises. Some with religious passion, while others introduced themselves as the liberators of ignorance and poverty. Every foreigner who had landed in Africa profited from the local population’s ignorance and lack of professional skills. They were too slow to change. The powerful invaders divided and ruled several countries, their natural and human resources, and at times created new problems, if they saw a hidden advantage, pitting an African against African in the name of tribal cleansing or material gains. The rugged terrain and lack of communication just worked in their favor.
Africa was any gem enthusiasts dream. A Pandora’s box! Baddy knew about it and wanted to see and experience the rude awakening by himself. After researching quietly for several months at Oxford University, he decided to start his journey. Tanzania was his first stop. By chance, he met a few Asians, at Bradford (England), who had migrated to England from Tanzania. That introduction helped him a lot when he arrived in Arusha. He stayed with them for a few months studying the landscape and the people. The Asian traders based in Arusha had a lot to share, and with their help and guidance, he began to trade in red and green garnets. Extensive traveling and estimating parcels of rough garnets became easier and with time. He made money selling them in London at a bit higher prices. One deal led to another. This arrangement led to frequent traveling between Tanzania and London. Through several encounters at the mines, he came to know about other countries in the region that had gemstones. The Southern African countries had more colored stones. But he preferred to stay in Tanzania to further strengthen his connections. Many foreigners both, Asian and Western traders, rushed to the mines and government offices for special concessions, either the legal way or paying chai (tea money) out-bidding the rivals. But a local contact became indispensable to pursue the wild ambition. It was at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals where Baddy met Jeremy Mbuzi. This young miner introduced Baddy to corundum mining. It was an altogether different ball game.
Another meeting at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, in Dar-es-Salaam, made all the big difference in a day. Together they worked hard, mining corundum of various qualities. Some were sold in kilos, while others in carats. Several trips to Nairobi once upon a time referred to as the Bangkok of Africa, with good ones generated more money and profits.
Again, one deal led to another. Money began to flow like a river, as good and profitable veins (gem pockets) began to show up wherever they dug a hole in Tunduru.
The red variety of corundum was called ruby. When the blue variety became blue sapphire, other colors in the corundum family were classified as fancy sapphires. Some of the blues and fancy colors were so good the experts had difficulty distinguishing them from other well known localities such as Cambodia, Burma, and Thailand. Jeremy volunteered as his mentor. He taught Baddy every in and out of the trade in the Tanzanian bush, a very rare gesture among the local Tanzanians. They never trusted a foreigner. They knew that any foreigner who landed in any one of the countries in Africa had only one hidden agenda. EXPLOITATION!
A rare phenomenon, Jeremy trusted Baddy’s face. That privilege and convenience became a blessing in disguise. Tall, wellbuilt, cruising in his late forties, he got sucked into the gemstone trade, when his father discovered several green and red crystals popping out of their onion farm in Tunduru. With time Jeremy’s father, Joshua, realized he was sitting on a huge colored gemstone deposit, and that changed the peasant family’s fortunes overnight. Married to Mercy with one son, Jerry, Jeremy never indulged in an extravagant lifestyle like some of his fellow miners. He knew one day the gemstones were going to disappear once and for all. They never grew again like vegetables. If it did, it occurred in several million years, but not at the same spot. So did the money. He was frugal and conservative. He learnt this trait from his father, as well as from the Asian merchants, who dominated the local and regional economies. Baddy learned this valuable lesson from Jeremy. As was known in the gem trade, competition, jealousy, and disappearance made people go for broke or even quit the business altogether if things didn’t work in their favor.
Relationship and trust became the pillar stone of the trade. Meeting crooks and airhead bimbos were a reality. They had only one ambition. Cheat and kill a friendship when opportunities arose. They were everywhere like jackals in several guises. Even an experienced and well-financed miner would go under when these jackals pulled their powerful strings. That’s precisely what happened to Jeremy, as he was traveling from Mombasa to Arusha. He had made so much money with a foreigner as his partner not sharing his wealth or the knowledge to the ignorant locals, they decided to do something about it.
Jeremy was killed with a machete, while traveling back to Arusha in a Land Rover by Osman Ndugu, a jealous miner who wanted to see the partnership with Baddy end. Again, one event led to another. Baddy knew too well, he was a foreigner in a strange land. Even though he knew the language and the landscape there were several miners and traders not so happy with the unusual alliance of a Tanzanian with a Briton. He had to work out a practical strategy if he wanted to survive in the trade. Otherwise, he knew his fate wouldn’t be too different from Jeremy. And the local authorities made his life difficult by putting in a lot of restrictions. Mercy was least interested in continuing the family tradition. She knew that the mining and gem trade was not for her. Instead, she chose modeling. In the end, she advised Baddy to leave Tanzania for good or get killed by anyone who hated his presence in the region. The revelation became a turning point in his life. Never in his dream had he thought of leaving Tanzania and going elsewhere. His roots were in Tanzania. Baddy realized that if this was how he became a victim the same would have happened even if he went elsewhere in the region. There were too many dogs in the street. Some had to die for others to survive. And, he was not an African. Even if he claimed to be one, he didn’t look like them. It was another rude awakening.
In a matter of days, events began to change against him. To his dismay, his house was ransacked during his long absence while he was in London. It was the beginning of the end. He discovered the terrain was getting too difficult. There was no evidence or help from his friends as to who was playing the game. His enemies were well organized. He had a decision to make. Life or gemstones! The thought became an everyday ritual before sleep. Life was more precious to him than gemstones. He didn’t want to relocate to London. Perhaps, Southeast-Asia! He pondered for a while.
He knew there were gemstones in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, but then moving to this untested terrain meant starting all over again. As he was waiting to meet a German client, Baddy bumped into Jeb, who also happened to stay at the Kilimanjaro hotel. One event led to another. A casual introduction at the bar made all the big difference in a day. They became friends, as their mutual interests became pretty obvious. GEMSTONES! They discussed in detail the future prospects, and Baddy got the surprise of his life when he got an offer from Jeb to join their company as his partner. This was an offer Baddy couldn’t refuse. Jeb had other ideas.
When he was introduced to Sanders in Bangkok, and knowing Baddy’s background, Sanders knew instantly, he was talking to the right man. “Welcome to the city of angles, saints, crooks and bimbos!” Baddy felt amused and a bit disturbed by the unusual introduction. It didn’t take him much time to understand what Sanders meant. They were everywhere, wherever there were gemstones. Sanders was speaking his mind, but in a different way.
Bangkok was very different from Dar-es-Salaam or Arusha. The city was vibrant with action in style and chaos, a city under permanent construction. The smell, food, and the people were so different from Tanzania, it took him a while to absorb, adapt, and realize that he was living in one of the most colorful cities in the world, irrespective of its negative image in other areas. The people were friendlier, clean, and charming. The food was tastier than the local Tanzanian dishes, and the varieties kept watering his mouth everyday, as more and more delicacies were introduced. He loved the chaotic city. No wonder, Baddy thought, people kept coming back again and again.
Baddy got a separate office at the Melvine Sanders Trading Corporation. He was briefed on the way Thais did business which was very different from Tanzania. It didn’t take much time for him to adapt, just a slight difference in the language and practice. One thing he knew from his experience was gemstones never cheated. Instead, people cheated. Dealers were more concerned with numbers than accents or nationalities. At the end of the day, everyone wanted to make money like anywhereelse. To achieve that goal they needed a gemstone that smiled like a queen or king. He got the excitement of his life when he saw the most colorful rubies and sapphires behind the closed doors of Jeb’s office. Gradually Baddy began to like the Bangkok gem market.
Twenty One
Baddy Smith, tall, with a curly mop of dark hair, and fast talking met by chance Jeb Singthowala at the Kilimanjaro hotel lobby during one of his trips to Dar- es -Salaam, Tanzania. Though British by birth, he preferred to be identified as an Asian due to his mother’s influence. She was Malaysian. His father was English. He grew up appreciating gemstones at an early age. His father, Michael Smith worked for a Hatton Garden jewelry store as a gemstone specialist. Though the education from his father helped him tremendously understanding the ropes of buying and selling gemstones, there was something in him, which kept emerging day by day. He wanted a bit more knowledge. Baddy decided to venture on his own. AFRICA!
As the untapped mineral rich continent of the world, Africa had everything-diamonds, colored stones, and precious metals. The wild continent was not for everyone. Only the thick-skinned and determined survived the landscape and culture shock. Gemstones were everywhere. The locals just didn’t know what to call them. Some became part of their traditional culture, while others were cleverly looted out of the country in several guises by the crooked missionaries, mercenaries and, of course, gem traders without borders. The gemstones of Africa were for grabs, and the knowledgeable ones kept the info close to their chest. They knew these ugly looking rough gemstones when cut and polished had value in their country. So they kept coming back in various disguises. Some with religious passion, while others introduced themselves as the liberators of ignorance and poverty. Every foreigner who had landed in Africa profited from the local population’s ignorance and lack of professional skills. They were too slow to change. The powerful invaders divided and ruled several countries, their natural and human resources, and at times created new problems, if they saw a hidden advantage, pitting an African against African in the name of tribal cleansing or material gains. The rugged terrain and lack of communication just worked in their favor.
Africa was any gem enthusiasts dream. A Pandora’s box! Baddy knew about it and wanted to see and experience the rude awakening by himself. After researching quietly for several months at Oxford University, he decided to start his journey. Tanzania was his first stop. By chance, he met a few Asians, at Bradford (England), who had migrated to England from Tanzania. That introduction helped him a lot when he arrived in Arusha. He stayed with them for a few months studying the landscape and the people. The Asian traders based in Arusha had a lot to share, and with their help and guidance, he began to trade in red and green garnets. Extensive traveling and estimating parcels of rough garnets became easier and with time. He made money selling them in London at a bit higher prices. One deal led to another. This arrangement led to frequent traveling between Tanzania and London. Through several encounters at the mines, he came to know about other countries in the region that had gemstones. The Southern African countries had more colored stones. But he preferred to stay in Tanzania to further strengthen his connections. Many foreigners both, Asian and Western traders, rushed to the mines and government offices for special concessions, either the legal way or paying chai (tea money) out-bidding the rivals. But a local contact became indispensable to pursue the wild ambition. It was at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals where Baddy met Jeremy Mbuzi. This young miner introduced Baddy to corundum mining. It was an altogether different ball game.
Another meeting at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, in Dar-es-Salaam, made all the big difference in a day. Together they worked hard, mining corundum of various qualities. Some were sold in kilos, while others in carats. Several trips to Nairobi once upon a time referred to as the Bangkok of Africa, with good ones generated more money and profits.
Again, one deal led to another. Money began to flow like a river, as good and profitable veins (gem pockets) began to show up wherever they dug a hole in Tunduru.
The red variety of corundum was called ruby. When the blue variety became blue sapphire, other colors in the corundum family were classified as fancy sapphires. Some of the blues and fancy colors were so good the experts had difficulty distinguishing them from other well known localities such as Cambodia, Burma, and Thailand. Jeremy volunteered as his mentor. He taught Baddy every in and out of the trade in the Tanzanian bush, a very rare gesture among the local Tanzanians. They never trusted a foreigner. They knew that any foreigner who landed in any one of the countries in Africa had only one hidden agenda. EXPLOITATION!
A rare phenomenon, Jeremy trusted Baddy’s face. That privilege and convenience became a blessing in disguise. Tall, wellbuilt, cruising in his late forties, he got sucked into the gemstone trade, when his father discovered several green and red crystals popping out of their onion farm in Tunduru. With time Jeremy’s father, Joshua, realized he was sitting on a huge colored gemstone deposit, and that changed the peasant family’s fortunes overnight. Married to Mercy with one son, Jerry, Jeremy never indulged in an extravagant lifestyle like some of his fellow miners. He knew one day the gemstones were going to disappear once and for all. They never grew again like vegetables. If it did, it occurred in several million years, but not at the same spot. So did the money. He was frugal and conservative. He learnt this trait from his father, as well as from the Asian merchants, who dominated the local and regional economies. Baddy learned this valuable lesson from Jeremy. As was known in the gem trade, competition, jealousy, and disappearance made people go for broke or even quit the business altogether if things didn’t work in their favor.
Relationship and trust became the pillar stone of the trade. Meeting crooks and airhead bimbos were a reality. They had only one ambition. Cheat and kill a friendship when opportunities arose. They were everywhere like jackals in several guises. Even an experienced and well-financed miner would go under when these jackals pulled their powerful strings. That’s precisely what happened to Jeremy, as he was traveling from Mombasa to Arusha. He had made so much money with a foreigner as his partner not sharing his wealth or the knowledge to the ignorant locals, they decided to do something about it.
Jeremy was killed with a machete, while traveling back to Arusha in a Land Rover by Osman Ndugu, a jealous miner who wanted to see the partnership with Baddy end. Again, one event led to another. Baddy knew too well, he was a foreigner in a strange land. Even though he knew the language and the landscape there were several miners and traders not so happy with the unusual alliance of a Tanzanian with a Briton. He had to work out a practical strategy if he wanted to survive in the trade. Otherwise, he knew his fate wouldn’t be too different from Jeremy. And the local authorities made his life difficult by putting in a lot of restrictions. Mercy was least interested in continuing the family tradition. She knew that the mining and gem trade was not for her. Instead, she chose modeling. In the end, she advised Baddy to leave Tanzania for good or get killed by anyone who hated his presence in the region. The revelation became a turning point in his life. Never in his dream had he thought of leaving Tanzania and going elsewhere. His roots were in Tanzania. Baddy realized that if this was how he became a victim the same would have happened even if he went elsewhere in the region. There were too many dogs in the street. Some had to die for others to survive. And, he was not an African. Even if he claimed to be one, he didn’t look like them. It was another rude awakening.
In a matter of days, events began to change against him. To his dismay, his house was ransacked during his long absence while he was in London. It was the beginning of the end. He discovered the terrain was getting too difficult. There was no evidence or help from his friends as to who was playing the game. His enemies were well organized. He had a decision to make. Life or gemstones! The thought became an everyday ritual before sleep. Life was more precious to him than gemstones. He didn’t want to relocate to London. Perhaps, Southeast-Asia! He pondered for a while.
He knew there were gemstones in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, but then moving to this untested terrain meant starting all over again. As he was waiting to meet a German client, Baddy bumped into Jeb, who also happened to stay at the Kilimanjaro hotel. One event led to another. A casual introduction at the bar made all the big difference in a day. They became friends, as their mutual interests became pretty obvious. GEMSTONES! They discussed in detail the future prospects, and Baddy got the surprise of his life when he got an offer from Jeb to join their company as his partner. This was an offer Baddy couldn’t refuse. Jeb had other ideas.
When he was introduced to Sanders in Bangkok, and knowing Baddy’s background, Sanders knew instantly, he was talking to the right man. “Welcome to the city of angles, saints, crooks and bimbos!” Baddy felt amused and a bit disturbed by the unusual introduction. It didn’t take him much time to understand what Sanders meant. They were everywhere, wherever there were gemstones. Sanders was speaking his mind, but in a different way.
Bangkok was very different from Dar-es-Salaam or Arusha. The city was vibrant with action in style and chaos, a city under permanent construction. The smell, food, and the people were so different from Tanzania, it took him a while to absorb, adapt, and realize that he was living in one of the most colorful cities in the world, irrespective of its negative image in other areas. The people were friendlier, clean, and charming. The food was tastier than the local Tanzanian dishes, and the varieties kept watering his mouth everyday, as more and more delicacies were introduced. He loved the chaotic city. No wonder, Baddy thought, people kept coming back again and again.
Baddy got a separate office at the Melvine Sanders Trading Corporation. He was briefed on the way Thais did business which was very different from Tanzania. It didn’t take much time for him to adapt, just a slight difference in the language and practice. One thing he knew from his experience was gemstones never cheated. Instead, people cheated. Dealers were more concerned with numbers than accents or nationalities. At the end of the day, everyone wanted to make money like anywhereelse. To achieve that goal they needed a gemstone that smiled like a queen or king. He got the excitement of his life when he saw the most colorful rubies and sapphires behind the closed doors of Jeb’s office. Gradually Baddy began to like the Bangkok gem market.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Twenty
Ben sat with a bunch of brokers at her office in the TD building, as several parcels of rubies, ovals and cushions (shapes) were shown for her opinion. She had an eye for differentiating Thai from Cambodian rubies by their color. THE SILENT EXPERT!
She ran the office in the absence of Winston Lord. Brokers and dealers respected her like Lord, not because she was the wife of a big ruby dealer, but due to her disciplined approach. Anyone, big or small, was treated equally when she was in the office. Even though Lord didn’t share her views all the time he never disapproved her stance if she made a deal or requested his approval. Usually, she never went wrong, either with price or quality. THE BRILLIANT GEM!
Ben was his third arm. Her Chinese background also helped at times closing a deal. Lord arrived at his office with Gordon Wong, a Hong Kong buyer, whose specialty also happened to be in rubies, but for the rich Mainland Chinese businesswomen. He only selected rubies of half a million dollars per carat and above. Ben had a few selections, and Lord left Wong in her hands. She provided him a convenient table close to the window so that he viewed the gems in skylight, and moved around the room to check the rubies under fluorescent and incandescent light. As they became busy viewing rubies, Lord settled quietly in his private room for a short nap. He tried to sleep, but couldn’t.
After gazing for sometime at his own portrait embedded with rubies and other colored gemstones, he decided to call Den Rubyhall, his good friend. He checked once again if the mobile was on.
“Den, haven’t heard from you for some time. How are you? How is the market?”
“Listen Winston, you know the problem. Ris is mad as a madman. I just don’t understand why it all happened. We could have worked it out in a more amicable way rather than hurting each other like wild animals,” Den answered.
“You understand that, but not your fucking big brother, Ris,” Lord conferred.
“Everyone is getting heat-treated (burned) with this craze, aren’t they? Why don’t we talk about it at my home?” Den requested.
Both of them knew it was very difficult to tame Ris. The first thing was his ruby craze. At times he would mess up his other lucrative businesses, which have brought him bundles of money in order to fetch a ruby, if he liked it. Lam was supposed to handle the international division. Instead, Ris assigned Lam to concentrate on this one 37carat Burmese ruby, till he saw the gem on his table.
After a pause, Lord asked, “Okay. How?”
“I want you and Ris to sit together, and make the everlasting peace. This feud is not good for the business,” Den said. “And after all, aren’t we friends?”
Lord had heard these statements countless times before, and the more he remembered he wanted to kill Ris. The way Ris treated him at the London auction, Lord couldn’t forget. The humiliation was too much for Lord to succumb.
“Are you there?” Den asked, as the line went into a dead silence.
“Yeah. I’m listening. I’ll think about it, Den. It’s not that easy to make peace with Ris,” Lord said thoughtfully, as he glanced at Ben and Wong.
Wong was running around the room with several rubies to compare their color under different lighting. As the dark clouds outside looked so dense, suddenly there was an interruption of skylight. He insisted Ben switch on the fluorescent light and incandescent light together in order to see the difference. Still, Wong wasn’t convinced. There was something wrong. Ben read his face, and she too didn’t understand what was going on in his mind, despite her experience with him.
Lord looked at them. “Den, I’ll call you back. I’ve a client in the office, and he needs some help.” He hung up the phone, and watched Wong from his private room on a closed circuit TV.
Wong was still in the same hot spot. Somehow he couldn’t make a decision. The colors and qualities were too close. Though experienced, at times the ruby colors had always some surprises behind their brilliance flashes. When he got the colors right, then it was the price. But Ben knew the unpredictable mood swings in price and quality, and decided to leave him alone for a while so that he had all the time in the world to reason and come to a realistic decision. After all, when it came to money everyone took care of their interests without hurting each other. Now Wong was convinced with the hues of rubies, and Ben’s task was to close the deal at the right price. Lord joined Ben, as she punched the numbers for Wong on a calculator.
Finally, Wong nodded.
Twenty
Ben sat with a bunch of brokers at her office in the TD building, as several parcels of rubies, ovals and cushions (shapes) were shown for her opinion. She had an eye for differentiating Thai from Cambodian rubies by their color. THE SILENT EXPERT!
She ran the office in the absence of Winston Lord. Brokers and dealers respected her like Lord, not because she was the wife of a big ruby dealer, but due to her disciplined approach. Anyone, big or small, was treated equally when she was in the office. Even though Lord didn’t share her views all the time he never disapproved her stance if she made a deal or requested his approval. Usually, she never went wrong, either with price or quality. THE BRILLIANT GEM!
Ben was his third arm. Her Chinese background also helped at times closing a deal. Lord arrived at his office with Gordon Wong, a Hong Kong buyer, whose specialty also happened to be in rubies, but for the rich Mainland Chinese businesswomen. He only selected rubies of half a million dollars per carat and above. Ben had a few selections, and Lord left Wong in her hands. She provided him a convenient table close to the window so that he viewed the gems in skylight, and moved around the room to check the rubies under fluorescent and incandescent light. As they became busy viewing rubies, Lord settled quietly in his private room for a short nap. He tried to sleep, but couldn’t.
After gazing for sometime at his own portrait embedded with rubies and other colored gemstones, he decided to call Den Rubyhall, his good friend. He checked once again if the mobile was on.
“Den, haven’t heard from you for some time. How are you? How is the market?”
“Listen Winston, you know the problem. Ris is mad as a madman. I just don’t understand why it all happened. We could have worked it out in a more amicable way rather than hurting each other like wild animals,” Den answered.
“You understand that, but not your fucking big brother, Ris,” Lord conferred.
“Everyone is getting heat-treated (burned) with this craze, aren’t they? Why don’t we talk about it at my home?” Den requested.
Both of them knew it was very difficult to tame Ris. The first thing was his ruby craze. At times he would mess up his other lucrative businesses, which have brought him bundles of money in order to fetch a ruby, if he liked it. Lam was supposed to handle the international division. Instead, Ris assigned Lam to concentrate on this one 37carat Burmese ruby, till he saw the gem on his table.
After a pause, Lord asked, “Okay. How?”
“I want you and Ris to sit together, and make the everlasting peace. This feud is not good for the business,” Den said. “And after all, aren’t we friends?”
Lord had heard these statements countless times before, and the more he remembered he wanted to kill Ris. The way Ris treated him at the London auction, Lord couldn’t forget. The humiliation was too much for Lord to succumb.
“Are you there?” Den asked, as the line went into a dead silence.
“Yeah. I’m listening. I’ll think about it, Den. It’s not that easy to make peace with Ris,” Lord said thoughtfully, as he glanced at Ben and Wong.
Wong was running around the room with several rubies to compare their color under different lighting. As the dark clouds outside looked so dense, suddenly there was an interruption of skylight. He insisted Ben switch on the fluorescent light and incandescent light together in order to see the difference. Still, Wong wasn’t convinced. There was something wrong. Ben read his face, and she too didn’t understand what was going on in his mind, despite her experience with him.
Lord looked at them. “Den, I’ll call you back. I’ve a client in the office, and he needs some help.” He hung up the phone, and watched Wong from his private room on a closed circuit TV.
Wong was still in the same hot spot. Somehow he couldn’t make a decision. The colors and qualities were too close. Though experienced, at times the ruby colors had always some surprises behind their brilliance flashes. When he got the colors right, then it was the price. But Ben knew the unpredictable mood swings in price and quality, and decided to leave him alone for a while so that he had all the time in the world to reason and come to a realistic decision. After all, when it came to money everyone took care of their interests without hurting each other. Now Wong was convinced with the hues of rubies, and Ben’s task was to close the deal at the right price. Lord joined Ben, as she punched the numbers for Wong on a calculator.
Finally, Wong nodded.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Nineteen
The children were playing happily in and around the swimming pool. Parents loved watching them exercise their skills in a natural way. They were even comparing those who were smart and those who needed more vitamins to compete. Men and women too followed the kids, playing and allowing the frustrations of the day to dissolve in the water.
A few men were busy pretending to read a novel, while comparing quietly the size of their wives physical shape with the ones already in the pool. One genius was already busy sketching a blonde’s private parts on a spare paper carefully hidden behind the novel away from the public’s notice. He was desperate. The innocent play among children and the way they settled debates looked more colorful and vibrant.
Marla looked impressed at the progress made by April and May, in the pool as she swam with them teaching the special skills. They looked tired after several trials and Marla recognized the signs.
Lam was already at home watching tele, as Marla opened the front door. She walked to the sofa and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. When she returned after the shower, Lam pretended to be busy. She had been watching him for the past few days. He was hiding something. On the contrary, he was thinking of a way to explain the misery he was going through at the office. He just couldn’t find the right words to explain to her. She kissed him again. Lam switched off the tele, and gazed at her innocent face.
“Why do you need the words to explain to me? You can explain in whatever way you like, and I’m old enough to grasp. But this deceptive silence is dangerous. It hurts everyone in the house. The kids are asking me what’s wrong with you. When they need help you are not there. What should I say?” she explained. He knew he had screwedup everything.
“It’s the old man and his pet rubies. There is a 37carat ruby in Bangkok, and two dealers are holding it. Partly, Lord is responsible. The old man wants the ruby on his table at any cost,” Lam added. “He is going crazy like hell when he sees me everyday. He wants me to concentrate only on this one bloody ruby, nothingelse. Other projects are taken hostage, because of this sickening situation. That’s the big problem.”
“What happened between Lord and Rubyhall?” Marla asked.
“It’s an all out bloody cold war with their jaded egos, and I’m caught in between,” Lam continued. “I’m fuckedup. That brilliant Jay Lam is now shrinking like a goof. It’s a cat and mouse situation. Fucking shit!” He couldn’t control himself anymore.
“You never used these unscientific words before in front of me. If the kids hear this.” She looked back to see if April and May were around.
“I’m sorry,” he grinned. His mind was elsewhere.
“Why is it happening to us now?” she asked.
“You asking me? I wish I had the answer a long time ago. Marla, I’m deeply worried,” he said. Lam looked at their wedding portrait, as if he remembered something. Old memories kept coming back, and he smiled at her unknowingly.
“We will survive.” She kept consoling him.
“Really? Everyday is like a surviving hell,” he added. “Anyway thanks for being a good listener. I feel a bit relieved.” They walked to their bedroom quietly.
That brief precious moment they had was interrupted by April and May. Marla joined them preparing food in the kitchen. Lam pretended that he was helping their mother sincerely. But he wasn’t. After a while, he put the vegetables and the knife on the table and returned to his bedroom.
April and May looked at Marla in utter confusion and disbelief. The girls knew
something was bothering him. They were too afraid to ask. Instead, they relied on Marla. But she too didn’t know how to explain the complex situation. She wasn’t even sure if he still had a job. It looked bad, and she carried on with the work in the kitchen while the girls kept their deceptive silence. They felt instinctively that it was not the right time to ask anything regarding their dad.
Lam didn’t join them at the dining table. Instead, he was plotting his next move in his bedroom. Marla joined Lam after she had finished the work in the kitchen and putting the girls to sleep. It was already eleven. He still remained silent, and kept writing something on a pad. Before she got a glimpse of it, he tore the page and threw it in the dustbin. She saw the emergence of evil character in him, though she didn’t know how to explain it in words. And, he looked different. Marla remained in bed wondering whether to talk or go to sleep. Even if she pretended that she was already asleep, he would have known in a matter of seconds. She too was worrying just like him, as time went by. It took her a lot of courage to say something.
“What’s going on Jay? You haven’t eaten anything so far. Come let’s have something to eat. I have already prepared the dinner for you. I haven’t eaten either,” she said, expecting a positive reply.
“Oh, really? I’m not in a mood to eat anything. Why don’t you help yourself? Don’t worry about me. I have many things to do,” he said frantically.
“If you are not eating, then I will remain in bed,” she answered quickly.
“That’s bad,” he replied, but continued writing and scratching the paper behaving like a madman.
After watching him for a while, she decided to pick up the papers he kept throwing in the dustbin. He saw her open the folded and torn papers, but decided to remain silent. That was the first time she believed Lam had gone awry. She read the names of Rubyhall, Lord, Tito and Miko written repeatedly on the paper.
“I want to kill them all,” Lam said frankly.
“You don’t mean it, do you?” she said worriedly.
“I don’t know,” he said, and then kept writing their names in several rows on another piece of paper.
She returned to bed and kept crying not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, Lam had already made some decisions. And he smiled at her thinking how little she knew about the situation and the consequences.
Nineteen
The children were playing happily in and around the swimming pool. Parents loved watching them exercise their skills in a natural way. They were even comparing those who were smart and those who needed more vitamins to compete. Men and women too followed the kids, playing and allowing the frustrations of the day to dissolve in the water.
A few men were busy pretending to read a novel, while comparing quietly the size of their wives physical shape with the ones already in the pool. One genius was already busy sketching a blonde’s private parts on a spare paper carefully hidden behind the novel away from the public’s notice. He was desperate. The innocent play among children and the way they settled debates looked more colorful and vibrant.
Marla looked impressed at the progress made by April and May, in the pool as she swam with them teaching the special skills. They looked tired after several trials and Marla recognized the signs.
Lam was already at home watching tele, as Marla opened the front door. She walked to the sofa and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. When she returned after the shower, Lam pretended to be busy. She had been watching him for the past few days. He was hiding something. On the contrary, he was thinking of a way to explain the misery he was going through at the office. He just couldn’t find the right words to explain to her. She kissed him again. Lam switched off the tele, and gazed at her innocent face.
“Why do you need the words to explain to me? You can explain in whatever way you like, and I’m old enough to grasp. But this deceptive silence is dangerous. It hurts everyone in the house. The kids are asking me what’s wrong with you. When they need help you are not there. What should I say?” she explained. He knew he had screwedup everything.
“It’s the old man and his pet rubies. There is a 37carat ruby in Bangkok, and two dealers are holding it. Partly, Lord is responsible. The old man wants the ruby on his table at any cost,” Lam added. “He is going crazy like hell when he sees me everyday. He wants me to concentrate only on this one bloody ruby, nothingelse. Other projects are taken hostage, because of this sickening situation. That’s the big problem.”
“What happened between Lord and Rubyhall?” Marla asked.
“It’s an all out bloody cold war with their jaded egos, and I’m caught in between,” Lam continued. “I’m fuckedup. That brilliant Jay Lam is now shrinking like a goof. It’s a cat and mouse situation. Fucking shit!” He couldn’t control himself anymore.
“You never used these unscientific words before in front of me. If the kids hear this.” She looked back to see if April and May were around.
“I’m sorry,” he grinned. His mind was elsewhere.
“Why is it happening to us now?” she asked.
“You asking me? I wish I had the answer a long time ago. Marla, I’m deeply worried,” he said. Lam looked at their wedding portrait, as if he remembered something. Old memories kept coming back, and he smiled at her unknowingly.
“We will survive.” She kept consoling him.
“Really? Everyday is like a surviving hell,” he added. “Anyway thanks for being a good listener. I feel a bit relieved.” They walked to their bedroom quietly.
That brief precious moment they had was interrupted by April and May. Marla joined them preparing food in the kitchen. Lam pretended that he was helping their mother sincerely. But he wasn’t. After a while, he put the vegetables and the knife on the table and returned to his bedroom.
April and May looked at Marla in utter confusion and disbelief. The girls knew
something was bothering him. They were too afraid to ask. Instead, they relied on Marla. But she too didn’t know how to explain the complex situation. She wasn’t even sure if he still had a job. It looked bad, and she carried on with the work in the kitchen while the girls kept their deceptive silence. They felt instinctively that it was not the right time to ask anything regarding their dad.
Lam didn’t join them at the dining table. Instead, he was plotting his next move in his bedroom. Marla joined Lam after she had finished the work in the kitchen and putting the girls to sleep. It was already eleven. He still remained silent, and kept writing something on a pad. Before she got a glimpse of it, he tore the page and threw it in the dustbin. She saw the emergence of evil character in him, though she didn’t know how to explain it in words. And, he looked different. Marla remained in bed wondering whether to talk or go to sleep. Even if she pretended that she was already asleep, he would have known in a matter of seconds. She too was worrying just like him, as time went by. It took her a lot of courage to say something.
“What’s going on Jay? You haven’t eaten anything so far. Come let’s have something to eat. I have already prepared the dinner for you. I haven’t eaten either,” she said, expecting a positive reply.
“Oh, really? I’m not in a mood to eat anything. Why don’t you help yourself? Don’t worry about me. I have many things to do,” he said frantically.
“If you are not eating, then I will remain in bed,” she answered quickly.
“That’s bad,” he replied, but continued writing and scratching the paper behaving like a madman.
After watching him for a while, she decided to pick up the papers he kept throwing in the dustbin. He saw her open the folded and torn papers, but decided to remain silent. That was the first time she believed Lam had gone awry. She read the names of Rubyhall, Lord, Tito and Miko written repeatedly on the paper.
“I want to kill them all,” Lam said frankly.
“You don’t mean it, do you?” she said worriedly.
“I don’t know,” he said, and then kept writing their names in several rows on another piece of paper.
She returned to bed and kept crying not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, Lam had already made some decisions. And he smiled at her thinking how little she knew about the situation and the consequences.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Eighteen
The past two days were busy. Sanders looked happy. A lot of rubies of various qualities kept coming to his office from legal and illegal sources. He cared less as long as they were real. The brokers knew his taste and kept feeding him with the type of goods he could sell so that they could get their CUT (commission). Army generals and retired geologists disguised as tourists and academics loved to stop by his office.
Some had swallowed or concealed both, rough and cut gems, throughout their torturous journey from the mountains, while others managed to smuggle hoarding them in their anus, penis, ears, mouth, or in a doctored wound. They loved this job for one reason. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!
They had the type of rubies Sanders could sell well to the rich and famous socialites in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, his traditional market. The Vietnamese merchants too had a similar way of taking rubies out of their country to make a good profit. He loved listening to their tales, and in the end the couriers got their CUT (commission). His partner, Jeb Singthowala, made it all easy for the contacts to get those hard to find rubies to Bangkok. Both had developed a relationship portraying themselves as the kids of the block. Cambodia was another treasure-trove for everyone. Khmer merchants kept bringing them to the Thai border town of Bo Rai for Jeb to pick them up. They also became their trusted bankers. A rare privilege! But now to their surprise a new source became available. JEGDALEK (Afghanistan)!
A broker brought in to Sanders’s office a few Afghani men in their rugged clothes who had something to sell. RUBIES! They took a few parcels of rough rubies from their cloth bag to show Sanders. The quality really did surprise him. All the rough rubies were embedded in their matrix. They were heavily fractured, and INCLUDED (internal characteristics), but the color was fair to good. It reminded him of the rubies from Mogok. After cutting, he knew the color would be gone. They babbled in Persian, which he couldn’t understand. But the interpreter, Nawaz Hussain, a Pakistani geologist, made the whole conversation easier to grasp. He had come to Sanders’s office anticipating an advance payment of several thousand dollars so that these tribesmen could return and convince their elders to make available all future rubies mined from Jegdalek for him. Sanders had never exercised such gestures to anyone before. But they seemed confident that he was their right savior.
Sanders took Nawaz to Jeb’s room to show the type of rubies he sold to the outside market. As he spread the rough and cut rubies on the table for Hussain to view, Sanders saw the excitement in Hussain’s eyes. He had never seen such qualities before, and they were so red and well cut. He was speechless. He had nothing to say other than gaze at Sanders in appreciation. Now he realized the junk quality they were carrying all the way from the mountains of Aghanistan to Bangkok.
He returned to the tribesmen and explained the quality he had just seen versus their rubies. The stone-faced tribesmen became angry getting into a verbal warfare. Sanders knew the outcome. Nawaz apologized to Sanders for wasting his time and promised never again to return to his office with these rough-looking tribesmen.
Another day, more experience. Before Sanders could relax in his chair, Bobby, his assistant reminded Sanders that there was another visitor for him. All the rubies left on the table for grading were quickly deposited in a hidden safe beneath the table, before the visitor was allowed into his office.
After a brief introduction, Sanders motioned Pierre Themiro to take his seat.
“And your business?” he asked.
“Gems! Rubies, always big ones,” Themiro replied.
“Well at the moment, we don’t have big ones, but if you can leave me your contact telephone number, maybe I could help you with that. You didn’t mention how big, if I may ask?” Sanders asked. A usual practice to check their background.
“You have a nice office out here. Do you work here alone?” Themiro remarked.
“No. I’ve my partners. They should be back here any moment. Who recommended you to come to our office?” Sanders asked.
“Some friends out in the trade,” Themiro added. “You are the specialist in this street. Do you have any big rubies to show me now?”
“I’m afraid not. They don’t sit here all the time, you know.” But the reply didn’t convince Themiro.
“But I’ve the information that you have the stone I’m looking for,” Themiro said.
“That must be misinformation,” Sanders commented.
“Nope. My information is always correct,” Themiro argued.
“Well, in this case, I’ll have to tell you, you are wrong,” Sanders said impatiently.
“Why are you hiding the stone from me, Mr Sanders?” Themiro asked.
“Who is hiding whose stone here, uh? Who are you? I don’t like people coming to my office telling me what to do, understand? When I say I don’t have stones to show, then that’s it,” Sanders replied angrily.
“You are overreacting, Mr Sanders. We know you have the stone, and you are afraid of showing it to me. Why? I’m a businessman like anyone else in this city. Why are you angry with me?” Themiro reasoned.
“I ain’t angry with anyone, but your methodical probing is making me sick and tired. I’ll have to leave this office in a few minutes. As I said, you can leave me your contact phone number. If it is available, then I might contact you,” Sanders said trying to cool him down.
“No. You’re not leaving this office, till you show me the ruby,” Themiro reminded.
“Who the fuck are you to tell me that I can’t leave my office?” Sanders couldn’t control him any more.
“You aren’t polite, Mr Sanders. You are refusing to show the ruby for some reason I know,” Themiro said, playing his game.
“What are you up to? You come to my office like a walk-in, and declare that I’m hoarding your fucking ruby. What’s this, some kind of hocus-pocus? You have to leave my office immediately,” Sanders ordered.
Themiro slipped his hairy hand swiftly into his jacket and took out his gun, and pointed it directly at Sanders with no smile on his face.
“This is no hocus-pocus. It’s real, Mr Sanders. You can’t have both at the same time. Either you show me the ruby or the bullet will go straight into your thickskinned head.” He looked at Sanders, straight into his eyes with his right finger on the trigger.
“Hey, hey, take it cool and easy. Are you nuts?” Sanders became instantly oxidized and pleaded with his raised hands, as his brain now started to realize the consequence if he didn’t act sensibly.
“What happened to your face, Mr Sanders?” Themiro asked sarcastically.
“What’s wrong with my face?” Sanders quipped.
“It turned gray, no blood in your face. Are you sick or weak?” The joke began to hurt him deeply.
“You will look the same if I point a gun to your brain, understand? It’s a thermal reaction,” Sanders replied, keeping his humor and hot temper under control.
“You can put your hands down and talk to me like a man. Listen, I know too well that you know, Miko and Tito, and the 37carat ruby!” Themiro became serious.
“You bugged the conversation. This is illegal and unforgivable. If you bugged the conversation then your bugging machine is as shitty like my shit. Fucking useless, understand? Tell me Rambo who are you? What’s your real name? What’s your cover?” Sanders became bold and serious. He couldn’t believe how he got the courage to ask such question when he knew he was in danger.
“You are rude, Mr Sanders. I don’t shit on anybody. I do only business. You have the ruby, and I want to buy. That’s all,” Themiro said firmly.
“If you want to buy, why are you pointing your fucking gun at me? There is a civilized way to do business like anywhereelse,” Sanders answered, confused.
“Okay. I put my gun back in my jacket as you say. We sit and talk about rubies, right?” Themiro said.
Sanders pulled up a chair and sat across the table, face to face. He looked now more relaxed from the tense moment a few minutes ago.
“Let’s talk. First, what’s your real name, Themiro? A real businessman doesn’t do business with ghosts. You understand that, don’t you?” Sanders reminded him.
“Grigory Troublov!” At last he spoke the truth.
“So you are Russian, not french. What are you doing here in Bangkok? Do you really do business in rubies or are you working for someone? Now are you here alone or is someone waiting outside to burst in at your command to blow up this place? You know in this country it is illegal to trespass other’s property.” Sanders warned.
“I don’t want to hear all your bullshit. My people are waiting outside to see the ruby. You have it or not? No more talking,” Troublov said angrily.
“Hey, in this country people don’t do business with strangers. How can you act like this, Troublov? You don’t have the money, and then you want to see the ruby. What kind of a businessman are you? Is this how you do business in your country?” Sanders asked.
“I’ll shoot your brain if you continue talking like that to me,” Troublov said impatiently.
“What will happen if I say I don’t have the rubies? Now listen, you said you heard my conversation with Tito and Miko. Where are they? They own the ruby. You must be shooting them, not me,” Sanders said plainly
“They have the ruby? Are you telling the truth?” Troublov asked, shockingly.
“Hey, I want to see the ruby too, just like you,” Sanders quipped.
“So you don’t have the ruby?” Troublov asked in disbelief.
“Do you make a living threatening the people in this country?” Sanders said repeatedly.
“Mr Sanders, you are talking too much. If you play any games with me, next time when we meet, no talking, just business, the gun talks. I’m leaving now, but I’ll come back when…….” Troublov glanced at Sanders sternly, as he walked out of the door.
Sanders collapsed in his chair like a folded leaf. He was too scared and weak to go anywhereelse or even call his staff, but he had to somehow convince Tito and Miko how dangerous the situation had turned to their disadvantage. He had to somehow save their lives from these goons. He sat in his chair orbiting with his mind thinking of all possibilities. Never in his life had he been so scared of death like the one he had just managed to survive. Themiro could have pulled the trigger in a split-second splashing his brain into porridge. He got the chill out of hell with the repeated thought of pleading like a child in front of a psychopath and his gun who had only one focused goal, the 37carat ruby, and perhaps, more rubies. Then he remembered why he forgot to act.
Sanders looked under his table for the secret switch, a heavy dose of mace secretly installed on both sides of the wall. He just forgot to switch ‘on’. He even forgot to use an assortment of stun guns carefully hidden under his gemstone-grading table. He hit his head several times on the table cursing at his stupidity.
Eighteen
The past two days were busy. Sanders looked happy. A lot of rubies of various qualities kept coming to his office from legal and illegal sources. He cared less as long as they were real. The brokers knew his taste and kept feeding him with the type of goods he could sell so that they could get their CUT (commission). Army generals and retired geologists disguised as tourists and academics loved to stop by his office.
Some had swallowed or concealed both, rough and cut gems, throughout their torturous journey from the mountains, while others managed to smuggle hoarding them in their anus, penis, ears, mouth, or in a doctored wound. They loved this job for one reason. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!
They had the type of rubies Sanders could sell well to the rich and famous socialites in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, his traditional market. The Vietnamese merchants too had a similar way of taking rubies out of their country to make a good profit. He loved listening to their tales, and in the end the couriers got their CUT (commission). His partner, Jeb Singthowala, made it all easy for the contacts to get those hard to find rubies to Bangkok. Both had developed a relationship portraying themselves as the kids of the block. Cambodia was another treasure-trove for everyone. Khmer merchants kept bringing them to the Thai border town of Bo Rai for Jeb to pick them up. They also became their trusted bankers. A rare privilege! But now to their surprise a new source became available. JEGDALEK (Afghanistan)!
A broker brought in to Sanders’s office a few Afghani men in their rugged clothes who had something to sell. RUBIES! They took a few parcels of rough rubies from their cloth bag to show Sanders. The quality really did surprise him. All the rough rubies were embedded in their matrix. They were heavily fractured, and INCLUDED (internal characteristics), but the color was fair to good. It reminded him of the rubies from Mogok. After cutting, he knew the color would be gone. They babbled in Persian, which he couldn’t understand. But the interpreter, Nawaz Hussain, a Pakistani geologist, made the whole conversation easier to grasp. He had come to Sanders’s office anticipating an advance payment of several thousand dollars so that these tribesmen could return and convince their elders to make available all future rubies mined from Jegdalek for him. Sanders had never exercised such gestures to anyone before. But they seemed confident that he was their right savior.
Sanders took Nawaz to Jeb’s room to show the type of rubies he sold to the outside market. As he spread the rough and cut rubies on the table for Hussain to view, Sanders saw the excitement in Hussain’s eyes. He had never seen such qualities before, and they were so red and well cut. He was speechless. He had nothing to say other than gaze at Sanders in appreciation. Now he realized the junk quality they were carrying all the way from the mountains of Aghanistan to Bangkok.
He returned to the tribesmen and explained the quality he had just seen versus their rubies. The stone-faced tribesmen became angry getting into a verbal warfare. Sanders knew the outcome. Nawaz apologized to Sanders for wasting his time and promised never again to return to his office with these rough-looking tribesmen.
Another day, more experience. Before Sanders could relax in his chair, Bobby, his assistant reminded Sanders that there was another visitor for him. All the rubies left on the table for grading were quickly deposited in a hidden safe beneath the table, before the visitor was allowed into his office.
After a brief introduction, Sanders motioned Pierre Themiro to take his seat.
“And your business?” he asked.
“Gems! Rubies, always big ones,” Themiro replied.
“Well at the moment, we don’t have big ones, but if you can leave me your contact telephone number, maybe I could help you with that. You didn’t mention how big, if I may ask?” Sanders asked. A usual practice to check their background.
“You have a nice office out here. Do you work here alone?” Themiro remarked.
“No. I’ve my partners. They should be back here any moment. Who recommended you to come to our office?” Sanders asked.
“Some friends out in the trade,” Themiro added. “You are the specialist in this street. Do you have any big rubies to show me now?”
“I’m afraid not. They don’t sit here all the time, you know.” But the reply didn’t convince Themiro.
“But I’ve the information that you have the stone I’m looking for,” Themiro said.
“That must be misinformation,” Sanders commented.
“Nope. My information is always correct,” Themiro argued.
“Well, in this case, I’ll have to tell you, you are wrong,” Sanders said impatiently.
“Why are you hiding the stone from me, Mr Sanders?” Themiro asked.
“Who is hiding whose stone here, uh? Who are you? I don’t like people coming to my office telling me what to do, understand? When I say I don’t have stones to show, then that’s it,” Sanders replied angrily.
“You are overreacting, Mr Sanders. We know you have the stone, and you are afraid of showing it to me. Why? I’m a businessman like anyone else in this city. Why are you angry with me?” Themiro reasoned.
“I ain’t angry with anyone, but your methodical probing is making me sick and tired. I’ll have to leave this office in a few minutes. As I said, you can leave me your contact phone number. If it is available, then I might contact you,” Sanders said trying to cool him down.
“No. You’re not leaving this office, till you show me the ruby,” Themiro reminded.
“Who the fuck are you to tell me that I can’t leave my office?” Sanders couldn’t control him any more.
“You aren’t polite, Mr Sanders. You are refusing to show the ruby for some reason I know,” Themiro said, playing his game.
“What are you up to? You come to my office like a walk-in, and declare that I’m hoarding your fucking ruby. What’s this, some kind of hocus-pocus? You have to leave my office immediately,” Sanders ordered.
Themiro slipped his hairy hand swiftly into his jacket and took out his gun, and pointed it directly at Sanders with no smile on his face.
“This is no hocus-pocus. It’s real, Mr Sanders. You can’t have both at the same time. Either you show me the ruby or the bullet will go straight into your thickskinned head.” He looked at Sanders, straight into his eyes with his right finger on the trigger.
“Hey, hey, take it cool and easy. Are you nuts?” Sanders became instantly oxidized and pleaded with his raised hands, as his brain now started to realize the consequence if he didn’t act sensibly.
“What happened to your face, Mr Sanders?” Themiro asked sarcastically.
“What’s wrong with my face?” Sanders quipped.
“It turned gray, no blood in your face. Are you sick or weak?” The joke began to hurt him deeply.
“You will look the same if I point a gun to your brain, understand? It’s a thermal reaction,” Sanders replied, keeping his humor and hot temper under control.
“You can put your hands down and talk to me like a man. Listen, I know too well that you know, Miko and Tito, and the 37carat ruby!” Themiro became serious.
“You bugged the conversation. This is illegal and unforgivable. If you bugged the conversation then your bugging machine is as shitty like my shit. Fucking useless, understand? Tell me Rambo who are you? What’s your real name? What’s your cover?” Sanders became bold and serious. He couldn’t believe how he got the courage to ask such question when he knew he was in danger.
“You are rude, Mr Sanders. I don’t shit on anybody. I do only business. You have the ruby, and I want to buy. That’s all,” Themiro said firmly.
“If you want to buy, why are you pointing your fucking gun at me? There is a civilized way to do business like anywhereelse,” Sanders answered, confused.
“Okay. I put my gun back in my jacket as you say. We sit and talk about rubies, right?” Themiro said.
Sanders pulled up a chair and sat across the table, face to face. He looked now more relaxed from the tense moment a few minutes ago.
“Let’s talk. First, what’s your real name, Themiro? A real businessman doesn’t do business with ghosts. You understand that, don’t you?” Sanders reminded him.
“Grigory Troublov!” At last he spoke the truth.
“So you are Russian, not french. What are you doing here in Bangkok? Do you really do business in rubies or are you working for someone? Now are you here alone or is someone waiting outside to burst in at your command to blow up this place? You know in this country it is illegal to trespass other’s property.” Sanders warned.
“I don’t want to hear all your bullshit. My people are waiting outside to see the ruby. You have it or not? No more talking,” Troublov said angrily.
“Hey, in this country people don’t do business with strangers. How can you act like this, Troublov? You don’t have the money, and then you want to see the ruby. What kind of a businessman are you? Is this how you do business in your country?” Sanders asked.
“I’ll shoot your brain if you continue talking like that to me,” Troublov said impatiently.
“What will happen if I say I don’t have the rubies? Now listen, you said you heard my conversation with Tito and Miko. Where are they? They own the ruby. You must be shooting them, not me,” Sanders said plainly
“They have the ruby? Are you telling the truth?” Troublov asked, shockingly.
“Hey, I want to see the ruby too, just like you,” Sanders quipped.
“So you don’t have the ruby?” Troublov asked in disbelief.
“Do you make a living threatening the people in this country?” Sanders said repeatedly.
“Mr Sanders, you are talking too much. If you play any games with me, next time when we meet, no talking, just business, the gun talks. I’m leaving now, but I’ll come back when…….” Troublov glanced at Sanders sternly, as he walked out of the door.
Sanders collapsed in his chair like a folded leaf. He was too scared and weak to go anywhereelse or even call his staff, but he had to somehow convince Tito and Miko how dangerous the situation had turned to their disadvantage. He had to somehow save their lives from these goons. He sat in his chair orbiting with his mind thinking of all possibilities. Never in his life had he been so scared of death like the one he had just managed to survive. Themiro could have pulled the trigger in a split-second splashing his brain into porridge. He got the chill out of hell with the repeated thought of pleading like a child in front of a psychopath and his gun who had only one focused goal, the 37carat ruby, and perhaps, more rubies. Then he remembered why he forgot to act.
Sanders looked under his table for the secret switch, a heavy dose of mace secretly installed on both sides of the wall. He just forgot to switch ‘on’. He even forgot to use an assortment of stun guns carefully hidden under his gemstone-grading table. He hit his head several times on the table cursing at his stupidity.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Seventeen
Everyone loved to stay at the famed Oriental hotel. The hotel had carved its own history entertaining for several decades dignitaries and heads of states from around the world. Situated on the banks of Chao Phraya River the scenic venue portrayed the lives and sounds of the river people.
Long tailed boats kept cruising up and down the river with people and merchandise adding more color and life to the daily scores. The nights looked more beautiful and enticing, as the high rise buildings and hotels on the banks of the river glittered like shining diamonds.
Rubin Rosenberg checked once again the important appointments of the day on his palm pc. Everything looked perfect and confirmed. Now he wanted to enjoy the evening in its peak, and if possible with a beautiful women. He loved fantasy. He instructed the chauffeur to drive him to Cheers Pub at the Holiday Inn on Silom Road, a place he normally frequented whenever in Bangkok.
Skyscrapers competed in style wanting to emerge as a one-stop unique shopping facility. In fact, there were several on both sides of the street. Hawkers haggled and competed in various tongues to make a sale. Rubin was stuck in the traffic. But the sights and sounds were entertaining. He saw women in all shapes, colors, and disguises, chatting and laughing in amazing postures.
Teen-agers in bell-bottoms and baggy outfits kept babbling on their mobile phones giggling, screaming at times, or just plain-talking on sidewalks uninterruptedly. Construction workers in baggy pants were seen everywhere, even in narrow back streets buying lottery tickets. Food vendors never looked tired, as they kept making noodles and other local delicacies for the busy office workers. Sometimes, just like in New York.
Rubin arrived at the Holiday Inn, and asked the chauffeur whether he would wait for him. He nodded. He ordered a Singha beer, and took his seat studying the people. There were many foreigners with their girlfriends chatting and drinking. There was a festive mood, and then he spotted a young woman sitting alone drinking orange juice with her palm pc. She wasn’t interested at all in what was going on around her. He wondered if she was waiting for someone. But he decided to take a chance and feel the difference. He had done it before. She looked beautiful under the incandescent lights.
“Hi, can I take this seat, please? Rubin is my name,” he said, extending his hand.
“Hi, I’m Lim. In fact, July Lim. How do you do?” she answered in a cute way. He liked the way she looked at him, but was watchful.
“A tourist in Bangkok, I suppose?” she asked smilingly.
“Nope. Business! I like this place,” he said, glancing at the waitress, and then continued, “Drinks?”
“Oh no, how about you? Shall I order one orange juice for you? It’s good for your health,” she quipped. He couldn’t resist this time.
“What’s your business, Ms Lim, if I may ask? Oh, by the way, are you expecting anyone at this moment?” he asked reluctantly.
“Nope. I’m alone today. It was my decision,” she added. “And to answer your first question, its business. I too like this place whenever I am in Bangkok. I’m from Singapore, and once again glad to meet you.”
“New York. Sorry, I forgot to mention before. I’m in the gem business. I come here quite often,” he said, and as if he remembered something, he said, “I think I will go for another orange juice.”
She laughed. He too laughed after ordering the drinks.
“I love this trade, you know,” he continued, “because you’ve so much access to people from a variety of cultures, and listening to their stories, swapping their life experiences and ours, I love it, you know. There is a different angle to it, and it isn’t boring at all. All you have to do is be a good listener, then it flows like a never ending ocean of tales.”
“Why are you in Bangkok? You don’t have stones in New York?” she asked thoughtfully.
The music was getting louder and no one seemed to complain about it. When the drinks arrived, he requested that the waitress turn the music lower. She smiled at them saying something in Thai, and then fled the scene. They switched off the music.
Rubin and July laughed without making any further requests.
“My father is from Germany. He moved to New York in 1939 to be more precise. I love Bangkok, because whether be it for stone searching or just for a change, you don’t have to go to any exotic destinations. It’s all in one city. That’s Bangkok! Just take a flight, and you meet virtually all known human species on earth here. It’s great, and I love it. I can do both. Buy stones and meet new people,” he said plainly.
“If you like gemstones, and you said you came to search for good gemstones, and you said you love to meet all these different people in the world right here, then you must like women too, am I wrong?” July asked cunningly.
“Women? Yes!” Rubin replied, smiling.
“My parents are of Chinese stock, but I grew up in London. They are in the gem business, not me. Now I am graudually kind of liking the trade, because of the good money. My father has other business interests in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Europe. They don’t tell us everything, but one thing I know is that I was well taken care of. Sometimes I accompany my father, because he has a lot of old friends, and in turn, I also learn a lot listening to their experiences, which I think is valuable for me,” she said proudly.
“I like your name. Is there anything to do with the month of July?” he asked.
“Yep. July born people are different, and my favorite gem is ruby,” she whispered cutely.
“Ruby is for July people. Very hard and tough! Are you like that?” he asked laughingly.
A few Japanese men arrived with their Thai girlfriends. They were talking loud and babbling, inviting everyone’s attention. Some of the foreigners who were drinking quietly didn’t like the interruption, and gestured at the manager to remind the Japanese men to speak low. The response was quick and precise. Instead of staying, they left the place in disgust. There was a loud applause from everyone. But Rubin had a lot to share. Instead, July took the initiative.
“Not really. But I like the red color so much. It’s irresistible. I’m here in Bangkok to buy a big one if possible, because I have a client, a rich lady in Jakarta who wants a 10 plus carat ruby. My father has his old friends, and probably he will introduce them to me before he leaves for China. I’ll stay for few more days to see if I can find the piece,” she said confidently.
“That’s interesting. I know one person, Ris Rubyhall, who is a friend of my dad. We always buy from him when we need big stones anything above 10carat. He is a ruby specialist, probably one of the largest ruby dealer in the world. He has a virtual collection of rubies from around the world, and everyone goes to him if they can’t find them elsewhere. That’s the reason why I’m in Bangkok to buy stones for our special clients back in New York,” Rubin said quickly.
“Maybe, I should mention this Rubyhall’s name to my father. He must know him too, I suppose. How come he didn’t tell me this before? We could have saved a lot of time,” she commented.
Rubin glanced at his watch and said, “Oh, I’ve got to go. It was such a pleasure talking to you, July. Here is my card. I’m staying at the Oriental hotel.” July noted his room number and kept smiling at him.
“I’ll call you later. Thanks for introducing Ris Rubyhall. But, I may need your help,” she reminded him. He nodded, and gestured at the waitress for the bill.
Instead, he got a pleasant surprise. She had already paid the bill.
Seventeen
Everyone loved to stay at the famed Oriental hotel. The hotel had carved its own history entertaining for several decades dignitaries and heads of states from around the world. Situated on the banks of Chao Phraya River the scenic venue portrayed the lives and sounds of the river people.
Long tailed boats kept cruising up and down the river with people and merchandise adding more color and life to the daily scores. The nights looked more beautiful and enticing, as the high rise buildings and hotels on the banks of the river glittered like shining diamonds.
Rubin Rosenberg checked once again the important appointments of the day on his palm pc. Everything looked perfect and confirmed. Now he wanted to enjoy the evening in its peak, and if possible with a beautiful women. He loved fantasy. He instructed the chauffeur to drive him to Cheers Pub at the Holiday Inn on Silom Road, a place he normally frequented whenever in Bangkok.
Skyscrapers competed in style wanting to emerge as a one-stop unique shopping facility. In fact, there were several on both sides of the street. Hawkers haggled and competed in various tongues to make a sale. Rubin was stuck in the traffic. But the sights and sounds were entertaining. He saw women in all shapes, colors, and disguises, chatting and laughing in amazing postures.
Teen-agers in bell-bottoms and baggy outfits kept babbling on their mobile phones giggling, screaming at times, or just plain-talking on sidewalks uninterruptedly. Construction workers in baggy pants were seen everywhere, even in narrow back streets buying lottery tickets. Food vendors never looked tired, as they kept making noodles and other local delicacies for the busy office workers. Sometimes, just like in New York.
Rubin arrived at the Holiday Inn, and asked the chauffeur whether he would wait for him. He nodded. He ordered a Singha beer, and took his seat studying the people. There were many foreigners with their girlfriends chatting and drinking. There was a festive mood, and then he spotted a young woman sitting alone drinking orange juice with her palm pc. She wasn’t interested at all in what was going on around her. He wondered if she was waiting for someone. But he decided to take a chance and feel the difference. He had done it before. She looked beautiful under the incandescent lights.
“Hi, can I take this seat, please? Rubin is my name,” he said, extending his hand.
“Hi, I’m Lim. In fact, July Lim. How do you do?” she answered in a cute way. He liked the way she looked at him, but was watchful.
“A tourist in Bangkok, I suppose?” she asked smilingly.
“Nope. Business! I like this place,” he said, glancing at the waitress, and then continued, “Drinks?”
“Oh no, how about you? Shall I order one orange juice for you? It’s good for your health,” she quipped. He couldn’t resist this time.
“What’s your business, Ms Lim, if I may ask? Oh, by the way, are you expecting anyone at this moment?” he asked reluctantly.
“Nope. I’m alone today. It was my decision,” she added. “And to answer your first question, its business. I too like this place whenever I am in Bangkok. I’m from Singapore, and once again glad to meet you.”
“New York. Sorry, I forgot to mention before. I’m in the gem business. I come here quite often,” he said, and as if he remembered something, he said, “I think I will go for another orange juice.”
She laughed. He too laughed after ordering the drinks.
“I love this trade, you know,” he continued, “because you’ve so much access to people from a variety of cultures, and listening to their stories, swapping their life experiences and ours, I love it, you know. There is a different angle to it, and it isn’t boring at all. All you have to do is be a good listener, then it flows like a never ending ocean of tales.”
“Why are you in Bangkok? You don’t have stones in New York?” she asked thoughtfully.
The music was getting louder and no one seemed to complain about it. When the drinks arrived, he requested that the waitress turn the music lower. She smiled at them saying something in Thai, and then fled the scene. They switched off the music.
Rubin and July laughed without making any further requests.
“My father is from Germany. He moved to New York in 1939 to be more precise. I love Bangkok, because whether be it for stone searching or just for a change, you don’t have to go to any exotic destinations. It’s all in one city. That’s Bangkok! Just take a flight, and you meet virtually all known human species on earth here. It’s great, and I love it. I can do both. Buy stones and meet new people,” he said plainly.
“If you like gemstones, and you said you came to search for good gemstones, and you said you love to meet all these different people in the world right here, then you must like women too, am I wrong?” July asked cunningly.
“Women? Yes!” Rubin replied, smiling.
“My parents are of Chinese stock, but I grew up in London. They are in the gem business, not me. Now I am graudually kind of liking the trade, because of the good money. My father has other business interests in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Europe. They don’t tell us everything, but one thing I know is that I was well taken care of. Sometimes I accompany my father, because he has a lot of old friends, and in turn, I also learn a lot listening to their experiences, which I think is valuable for me,” she said proudly.
“I like your name. Is there anything to do with the month of July?” he asked.
“Yep. July born people are different, and my favorite gem is ruby,” she whispered cutely.
“Ruby is for July people. Very hard and tough! Are you like that?” he asked laughingly.
A few Japanese men arrived with their Thai girlfriends. They were talking loud and babbling, inviting everyone’s attention. Some of the foreigners who were drinking quietly didn’t like the interruption, and gestured at the manager to remind the Japanese men to speak low. The response was quick and precise. Instead of staying, they left the place in disgust. There was a loud applause from everyone. But Rubin had a lot to share. Instead, July took the initiative.
“Not really. But I like the red color so much. It’s irresistible. I’m here in Bangkok to buy a big one if possible, because I have a client, a rich lady in Jakarta who wants a 10 plus carat ruby. My father has his old friends, and probably he will introduce them to me before he leaves for China. I’ll stay for few more days to see if I can find the piece,” she said confidently.
“That’s interesting. I know one person, Ris Rubyhall, who is a friend of my dad. We always buy from him when we need big stones anything above 10carat. He is a ruby specialist, probably one of the largest ruby dealer in the world. He has a virtual collection of rubies from around the world, and everyone goes to him if they can’t find them elsewhere. That’s the reason why I’m in Bangkok to buy stones for our special clients back in New York,” Rubin said quickly.
“Maybe, I should mention this Rubyhall’s name to my father. He must know him too, I suppose. How come he didn’t tell me this before? We could have saved a lot of time,” she commented.
Rubin glanced at his watch and said, “Oh, I’ve got to go. It was such a pleasure talking to you, July. Here is my card. I’m staying at the Oriental hotel.” July noted his room number and kept smiling at him.
“I’ll call you later. Thanks for introducing Ris Rubyhall. But, I may need your help,” she reminded him. He nodded, and gestured at the waitress for the bill.
Instead, he got a pleasant surprise. She had already paid the bill.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Sixteen
It was a Friday morning. Thanon(street) Srichan looked sleepy. The morning sun ascended gradually moving the clouds to a far away destination. Gem dealers loved a clear sky. Some specialized in buying gems in a bad light and selling in good light. Ignorant buyers and novices were taken advantage of by this natural phenomenon in the open gem market of Chanthaburi. Gemstones were everywhere. But the really good ones never emerged in the open market for anyone to view.
The biblical quote, “DON’T CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE,” rang the ears of most top quality gem dealers.
It was eleven. The gem market began to warm up. Men, women, and children carrying countless gemstone parcel, mostly rubies, sapphires and, of course, loads of synthetic gemstones crowded the streets. Any buyer or a new face was cordially welcomed by a good quality synthetic gemstone. Judging gems with the unaided eye needed other skills. Price was also an indicator at times, but something more was needed. EXPERIENCE!
Some arrived on foot from the cutting factories scattered around the town while others sped on their motorbike from place to place. Food vendors always had a good time, because everyone loved to eat. If the brokers had problem finding buyers then the immediate option was to talk about the miserable weekend.
If that wasn’t enough, eating remained a possible option, a national sport after boxing. Some weekends were good with too many buyers looking for gems, which they couldn’t find in Bangkok. While other weekends remained a sheer waste of time and money. In the streets, faces and relationships remained more important than money. That’s how people made and lost bundles of money and gems, buying and selling the wrong type or qualities or good quality synthetic gems at an attractive price or the ones which they couldn’t sell. Anyone with sharp eyes, absolute concentration, and fast calculations succeeded incrementally weeding out the chaff from wheat, which came from around the world looking for a bargain.
Chantaburi was not for the novice, but a good place to learn the ropes of ruby trade and the colorful people that populated the environs. Most important of all was TRUST. Then, FACES. Just like the colors of gemstones, people kept changing their colors when buying or selling. Observing their color temperatures and mood swings meant a lost sale or otherwise. Once trust, recognition, and sincerity were established gems kept coming to the table for that first look. That special look made all the difference in a day.
Ken Solby was one among them. He never missed the weekend ritual for one reason. NO TWO RUBIES LOOKED ALIKE. He also bought rubies for Lord and sold to his clients on a percentage basis. The money was good. They also had a common enemy.
Ris Rubyhall!
Lord owed Ken a lot. It was he who plucked the 37carat Burmese ruby from a top Chantaburi dealer who was about to sell it to a London collector. They both bought the ruby for a bargain. The dealer wanted to get rid of the ruby because of several deaths. It didn’t look auspicious. The owner was a Burmese, and superstitious. And to his dismay, he didn’t realize that the very same ruby was out to kill people from the hole where it was discovered. His brother who wanted to sell on his own account killed the miner. No sooner had he arrived in Mandalay a soldier shot him in the street for not stopping at one of the several checkpoints. After plucking the ruby from the corpse, the soldier knew where to sell. It was definitely not in Burma.
He started his journey to the Thai border town of Mae Sai. While negotiating with a Thai dealer in the jungle, the Burmese soldier was shot by a Thai soldier suspecting a drug transaction. But the Thai dealer survived the ambush by fleeing the scene at lightning speed to the nearest Buddhist temple. He knew how to find a buyer. He reached Chantaburi disguised as a Buddhist monk. In Chantaburi, dealers loved to keep the identity of the true owner secret in so many ways. Though the traders were open-minded and humorous, they obviously remained discreet. Just like their Bangkok counterparts. Only a very few knew the inside operation of this multimillion dollar market. So when the 37carat Burmese ruby emerged at one of his contacts table, Ken knew immediately that the ruby was going to disappear soon if he didn’t bid. He never regretted that decision.
But now for a very different reason, Lord had put the ruby indirectly through Miko and Tito to take on Rubyhall.
At least that was Ken’s prognosis.
Sixteen
It was a Friday morning. Thanon(street) Srichan looked sleepy. The morning sun ascended gradually moving the clouds to a far away destination. Gem dealers loved a clear sky. Some specialized in buying gems in a bad light and selling in good light. Ignorant buyers and novices were taken advantage of by this natural phenomenon in the open gem market of Chanthaburi. Gemstones were everywhere. But the really good ones never emerged in the open market for anyone to view.
The biblical quote, “DON’T CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE,” rang the ears of most top quality gem dealers.
It was eleven. The gem market began to warm up. Men, women, and children carrying countless gemstone parcel, mostly rubies, sapphires and, of course, loads of synthetic gemstones crowded the streets. Any buyer or a new face was cordially welcomed by a good quality synthetic gemstone. Judging gems with the unaided eye needed other skills. Price was also an indicator at times, but something more was needed. EXPERIENCE!
Some arrived on foot from the cutting factories scattered around the town while others sped on their motorbike from place to place. Food vendors always had a good time, because everyone loved to eat. If the brokers had problem finding buyers then the immediate option was to talk about the miserable weekend.
If that wasn’t enough, eating remained a possible option, a national sport after boxing. Some weekends were good with too many buyers looking for gems, which they couldn’t find in Bangkok. While other weekends remained a sheer waste of time and money. In the streets, faces and relationships remained more important than money. That’s how people made and lost bundles of money and gems, buying and selling the wrong type or qualities or good quality synthetic gems at an attractive price or the ones which they couldn’t sell. Anyone with sharp eyes, absolute concentration, and fast calculations succeeded incrementally weeding out the chaff from wheat, which came from around the world looking for a bargain.
Chantaburi was not for the novice, but a good place to learn the ropes of ruby trade and the colorful people that populated the environs. Most important of all was TRUST. Then, FACES. Just like the colors of gemstones, people kept changing their colors when buying or selling. Observing their color temperatures and mood swings meant a lost sale or otherwise. Once trust, recognition, and sincerity were established gems kept coming to the table for that first look. That special look made all the difference in a day.
Ken Solby was one among them. He never missed the weekend ritual for one reason. NO TWO RUBIES LOOKED ALIKE. He also bought rubies for Lord and sold to his clients on a percentage basis. The money was good. They also had a common enemy.
Ris Rubyhall!
Lord owed Ken a lot. It was he who plucked the 37carat Burmese ruby from a top Chantaburi dealer who was about to sell it to a London collector. They both bought the ruby for a bargain. The dealer wanted to get rid of the ruby because of several deaths. It didn’t look auspicious. The owner was a Burmese, and superstitious. And to his dismay, he didn’t realize that the very same ruby was out to kill people from the hole where it was discovered. His brother who wanted to sell on his own account killed the miner. No sooner had he arrived in Mandalay a soldier shot him in the street for not stopping at one of the several checkpoints. After plucking the ruby from the corpse, the soldier knew where to sell. It was definitely not in Burma.
He started his journey to the Thai border town of Mae Sai. While negotiating with a Thai dealer in the jungle, the Burmese soldier was shot by a Thai soldier suspecting a drug transaction. But the Thai dealer survived the ambush by fleeing the scene at lightning speed to the nearest Buddhist temple. He knew how to find a buyer. He reached Chantaburi disguised as a Buddhist monk. In Chantaburi, dealers loved to keep the identity of the true owner secret in so many ways. Though the traders were open-minded and humorous, they obviously remained discreet. Just like their Bangkok counterparts. Only a very few knew the inside operation of this multimillion dollar market. So when the 37carat Burmese ruby emerged at one of his contacts table, Ken knew immediately that the ruby was going to disappear soon if he didn’t bid. He never regretted that decision.
But now for a very different reason, Lord had put the ruby indirectly through Miko and Tito to take on Rubyhall.
At least that was Ken’s prognosis.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Fifteen
Jeb Singthowala, Sanders’s partner, a Thai, and a regular buyer from the mines in Vietnam, sat in his office calculating the yield from the roughs he had just bought during a recent trip. He was busy studying the size and irregular shape of the rough, and its external and internal imperfections with a fiber optic light, rubbing and licking to detect potential breaks or other blemishes which might ruin the rough if not taken into account during the lengthy process of fashioning. This was his specialty, and Sanders always left Jeb alone when it came to making decisions regarding rough purchases. Sanders had important information to share with Jeb.
“We have something that has fallen out of heaven in this city. A 37carat Mogok ruby of the top color. Miko and Tito have the piece. They need us to become partners to buy this piece,” Sanders interrupted.
“How much is the asking price?” Jeb asked.
“Two million!” Sanders replied.
“That’s too cheap for that quality. Is it real?” Jeb said doubtfully.
“We have done business with them before. Only in real stones,” Sanders added.
“But the price is crazy. They should be asking more,” Jeb suggested. He was still busy studying the rough rubies with the fiber optic light, despite the sudden interruption, which he hated so much.
“There must be a story behind the sale,” Sanders continued. “I think. Cash crunch, superstition or power struggle, insiders, perhaps? You never know. The Rubyhall’s, I hear have already stretched their hand on this piece.”
“Have you seen the piece?” Jeb asked eagerly.
“Not yet. Tito promised he would show it to me today. I called him at his home, no response. He might be on his way. Maybe, tomorrow or day after tomorrow. I don’t know,” Sanders grinned.
“Well, you have a look first. I’ll join you soon. If Rubyhall had set his eyes on this piece, then the piece must be too good. We are going to see a lot of fireworks in the coming days, don’t you think?” Jeb remarked.
“I guess so. I think they are shopping for the best deal,” Sanders opined.
“If you think the ruby is really good, then there is less time to gamble. Just close the deal. Put your stamp to it. There shouldn’t be any problem,” Jeb said, showing the rough rubies to Sanders. He then returned the rubies without making any comment.
“Okay. How is Baddy doing?” Jeb asked.
“He is in a hot spot again. His wife calls me day and night to check on him. The woman had lost her complete confidence in him. No more sex. One enough. He wants to have more. He loves kids. That is the knot. He tried to reason with her but she is adamant with her stance,” Sanders said plainly.
“What’s wrong with that? Why do we need more kids today? Can you control them today?” Jeb explained.
“I’ve one at home, and I think I made a mistake by helping Chin to see her into this world,” Sanders added.
“What’s wrong with Ruth? She is cute,” Jeb said, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Cute? Did you know what happened last night when I returned home? Ruth, bloody fifteen now, was with her boyfriend in my study room. Guess what? The boy was all over her body, and I had to hit him with a baseball bat to release Ruth from him. Is this what you want to see when you get back home?” Sanders said angrily.
“I’m sorry to hear that. How is Ruth now? Is she repentant?” Jeb asked.
“Repentant? Maybe, pregnant now by the way she looks. She is questioning me now for having beaten her dear boyfriend. She is telling me that I had violated her human rights. Can you believe this? I was speechless. We work like donkeys to make a living, and see what happens when you get back home in search of peace and stability,” Sanders said, and moved to the window to view a ruby rough.
“How about Chin?” Jeb asked.
“Chin is fucking useless. She is too busy with her community services when she should be staying home and watching the girl. I’m fed up with her. What can you do? I’ve thought of divorce, a thousand times. But the girl, I love her, and what will be her fate. Now I’m worrying more and more as days pass by. I’ll be hearing sharp cries of illegal babies in front of my door when I wake up. That’s life. Sometimes we are lucky, and sometimes not. If it wasn’t for this business, I would have run away from Bangkok to some far away place, but the money is too good to quit,” Sanders sighed.
“Yeah, money, money, money...who cares about home nowadays? Only the poor,” Jeb commented.
“You’re right in a way. I never thought about it. Look at my home and me. Why do they think they can enjoy life the way they do? Because of my money, and the money is coming too fast and looks like candy to them. They can do whatever they like,” Sanders said, looking somber.
“Goldie,” Jeb said, lowering his glance, “called me yesterday asking how you were doing?”
“Oh, did she? I would love to, but I can’t do that again. She was too good. Not like the whores out there. In fact, she was telling me to make peace with Chin,” Sanders answered, giving Jeb an exasperated glance.
“Really? That’s very strange. Her husband is finished. Maybe, he will have to swallow several bottles of Viagra before he wants to do his stuff,” Jeb quipped. And then both laughed.
“Someone told me there is a possibility of going blind if you swallow too many before a blow job. Is it true?” Sanders asked seriously.
“I don’t know buddy. I will check it out for you. Don’t worry,” Jeb answered, still laughing. They took a break from the Viagra subject to Goldie.
“I must tell you if I had met her twenty years ago, I would have married her instantly,” Sanders said, spreading a few rough rubies, and picked one piece for that quick look near the window.
“Why do you say that? You like her, don’t you?” Jeb asked.
“She is a goddess, Jeb. I pity her husband. A perfect creation of God for a lucky man! She was in complete control and efficient in bed. I was like a baby lying on top of her. She made it all look easy and comfortable. I had the mother of all fuck in my life. I would love to do that again if she wants. It was fantastic!” Sanders said remembering those special hours like yesterday.
“Lucky you, sonofabitch! Some are fortunate, while others aren’t. Look at you. You have a legal wife, and a screwedup daughter. Goldie doesn’t have kids, because her husband has technical problems. So she found you, and thinks you are the man of her life. What do you say?” Jeb asked, watching Sanders.
“I can’t divorce Chin now. Starting all over again at this age? Forget it. Somehow, I’ve got to pull on with this relationship. I’ve no hope with Ruth, even though I love her. I was partly responsible for her arrival. I’ve got to take care of her at least financially. I can’t dump Chin too quickly. Then the whole world knows and, of course, her relatives will be on my throat for money and what not. When she drops dead and Ruth, if she finds her own future, well, then I’m relieved, and a decision can be made,” Sanders said grimly.
“Goldie would be old by then, like a dried vegetable,” Jeb commented.
“What do you think I would look like by then? No different.” They both laughed loudly.
It was back to business when Baddy walked in with his briefcase full of gemstones both, rough and cut. They put aside the topic of Goldie, Chin, and Ruth for the time being as the discussions on whether to buy the rough rubies, MINE RUN (unsorted rough) for the price quoted on the parcels became serious. Jeb was the man who had experience and the right instincts. All eyes focused on Jeb, as Sanders and Baddy stood by. It didn’t take much time for Jeb. He nodded. He urged Baddy to bid on the parcels, as there were some good roughs which after cutting yielded nice cut stones.
Baddy took note of Jeb’s comment and left the room.
Before they could resume the old topic, the telephone rang. After letting Jeb know that Tito was on the line, Sanders rushed to his private room to converse. They wanted to know if it was safe to bring the ruby to their office.
Sanders thought for a second. He had other ideas.
Fifteen
Jeb Singthowala, Sanders’s partner, a Thai, and a regular buyer from the mines in Vietnam, sat in his office calculating the yield from the roughs he had just bought during a recent trip. He was busy studying the size and irregular shape of the rough, and its external and internal imperfections with a fiber optic light, rubbing and licking to detect potential breaks or other blemishes which might ruin the rough if not taken into account during the lengthy process of fashioning. This was his specialty, and Sanders always left Jeb alone when it came to making decisions regarding rough purchases. Sanders had important information to share with Jeb.
“We have something that has fallen out of heaven in this city. A 37carat Mogok ruby of the top color. Miko and Tito have the piece. They need us to become partners to buy this piece,” Sanders interrupted.
“How much is the asking price?” Jeb asked.
“Two million!” Sanders replied.
“That’s too cheap for that quality. Is it real?” Jeb said doubtfully.
“We have done business with them before. Only in real stones,” Sanders added.
“But the price is crazy. They should be asking more,” Jeb suggested. He was still busy studying the rough rubies with the fiber optic light, despite the sudden interruption, which he hated so much.
“There must be a story behind the sale,” Sanders continued. “I think. Cash crunch, superstition or power struggle, insiders, perhaps? You never know. The Rubyhall’s, I hear have already stretched their hand on this piece.”
“Have you seen the piece?” Jeb asked eagerly.
“Not yet. Tito promised he would show it to me today. I called him at his home, no response. He might be on his way. Maybe, tomorrow or day after tomorrow. I don’t know,” Sanders grinned.
“Well, you have a look first. I’ll join you soon. If Rubyhall had set his eyes on this piece, then the piece must be too good. We are going to see a lot of fireworks in the coming days, don’t you think?” Jeb remarked.
“I guess so. I think they are shopping for the best deal,” Sanders opined.
“If you think the ruby is really good, then there is less time to gamble. Just close the deal. Put your stamp to it. There shouldn’t be any problem,” Jeb said, showing the rough rubies to Sanders. He then returned the rubies without making any comment.
“Okay. How is Baddy doing?” Jeb asked.
“He is in a hot spot again. His wife calls me day and night to check on him. The woman had lost her complete confidence in him. No more sex. One enough. He wants to have more. He loves kids. That is the knot. He tried to reason with her but she is adamant with her stance,” Sanders said plainly.
“What’s wrong with that? Why do we need more kids today? Can you control them today?” Jeb explained.
“I’ve one at home, and I think I made a mistake by helping Chin to see her into this world,” Sanders added.
“What’s wrong with Ruth? She is cute,” Jeb said, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Cute? Did you know what happened last night when I returned home? Ruth, bloody fifteen now, was with her boyfriend in my study room. Guess what? The boy was all over her body, and I had to hit him with a baseball bat to release Ruth from him. Is this what you want to see when you get back home?” Sanders said angrily.
“I’m sorry to hear that. How is Ruth now? Is she repentant?” Jeb asked.
“Repentant? Maybe, pregnant now by the way she looks. She is questioning me now for having beaten her dear boyfriend. She is telling me that I had violated her human rights. Can you believe this? I was speechless. We work like donkeys to make a living, and see what happens when you get back home in search of peace and stability,” Sanders said, and moved to the window to view a ruby rough.
“How about Chin?” Jeb asked.
“Chin is fucking useless. She is too busy with her community services when she should be staying home and watching the girl. I’m fed up with her. What can you do? I’ve thought of divorce, a thousand times. But the girl, I love her, and what will be her fate. Now I’m worrying more and more as days pass by. I’ll be hearing sharp cries of illegal babies in front of my door when I wake up. That’s life. Sometimes we are lucky, and sometimes not. If it wasn’t for this business, I would have run away from Bangkok to some far away place, but the money is too good to quit,” Sanders sighed.
“Yeah, money, money, money...who cares about home nowadays? Only the poor,” Jeb commented.
“You’re right in a way. I never thought about it. Look at my home and me. Why do they think they can enjoy life the way they do? Because of my money, and the money is coming too fast and looks like candy to them. They can do whatever they like,” Sanders said, looking somber.
“Goldie,” Jeb said, lowering his glance, “called me yesterday asking how you were doing?”
“Oh, did she? I would love to, but I can’t do that again. She was too good. Not like the whores out there. In fact, she was telling me to make peace with Chin,” Sanders answered, giving Jeb an exasperated glance.
“Really? That’s very strange. Her husband is finished. Maybe, he will have to swallow several bottles of Viagra before he wants to do his stuff,” Jeb quipped. And then both laughed.
“Someone told me there is a possibility of going blind if you swallow too many before a blow job. Is it true?” Sanders asked seriously.
“I don’t know buddy. I will check it out for you. Don’t worry,” Jeb answered, still laughing. They took a break from the Viagra subject to Goldie.
“I must tell you if I had met her twenty years ago, I would have married her instantly,” Sanders said, spreading a few rough rubies, and picked one piece for that quick look near the window.
“Why do you say that? You like her, don’t you?” Jeb asked.
“She is a goddess, Jeb. I pity her husband. A perfect creation of God for a lucky man! She was in complete control and efficient in bed. I was like a baby lying on top of her. She made it all look easy and comfortable. I had the mother of all fuck in my life. I would love to do that again if she wants. It was fantastic!” Sanders said remembering those special hours like yesterday.
“Lucky you, sonofabitch! Some are fortunate, while others aren’t. Look at you. You have a legal wife, and a screwedup daughter. Goldie doesn’t have kids, because her husband has technical problems. So she found you, and thinks you are the man of her life. What do you say?” Jeb asked, watching Sanders.
“I can’t divorce Chin now. Starting all over again at this age? Forget it. Somehow, I’ve got to pull on with this relationship. I’ve no hope with Ruth, even though I love her. I was partly responsible for her arrival. I’ve got to take care of her at least financially. I can’t dump Chin too quickly. Then the whole world knows and, of course, her relatives will be on my throat for money and what not. When she drops dead and Ruth, if she finds her own future, well, then I’m relieved, and a decision can be made,” Sanders said grimly.
“Goldie would be old by then, like a dried vegetable,” Jeb commented.
“What do you think I would look like by then? No different.” They both laughed loudly.
It was back to business when Baddy walked in with his briefcase full of gemstones both, rough and cut. They put aside the topic of Goldie, Chin, and Ruth for the time being as the discussions on whether to buy the rough rubies, MINE RUN (unsorted rough) for the price quoted on the parcels became serious. Jeb was the man who had experience and the right instincts. All eyes focused on Jeb, as Sanders and Baddy stood by. It didn’t take much time for Jeb. He nodded. He urged Baddy to bid on the parcels, as there were some good roughs which after cutting yielded nice cut stones.
Baddy took note of Jeb’s comment and left the room.
Before they could resume the old topic, the telephone rang. After letting Jeb know that Tito was on the line, Sanders rushed to his private room to converse. They wanted to know if it was safe to bring the ruby to their office.
Sanders thought for a second. He had other ideas.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Fourteen
It was a Friday evening. Some had gone to the Chantaburi gem market in the morning, while others preferred to leave on Saturday morning to carry the stones they couldn’t sell. It was the norm. And the ones who had no stones or business remained in Bangkok. So naturally going to The Redd’s became a ritual when they had nothingelse to do other than relax and update the latest info.
“Give me one Singha beer, please. How come the bar is crowded today?” Charley Che took his seat glancing at others. Another whining gem dealer from Hong Kong!
“The usual weekend crowd, familiar faces, good business,” Mike said smilingly.
“Not us. The business is too bad,” Che complained.
“What’s the matter, Che?” Mike asked.
“This bloody stone business sucks. We don’t know anythingelse. I wish I had learned somethingelse to make a living. This family business crap is reducing us to beggars,” Che said frustratingly.
“He is right, Mike. All our friends have the same view. Finish, Finish, Finished! The gavel is on our head and balls, the way business is going,” William Sparrow, a Kiwi commented.
“Is it that bad, Sparrow?” Mike Chan asked, waving at the regulars who took their seats in front of the tele to watch world cup soccer play.
“I can tell you, our balls are shrinking like those dried blueberries. The big fish are eating the small too fast. Can’t survive with so many choices for women today. We can’t compete with them. I mean their prices are fucking crazy. We can’t afford to survive if this is gonna be the trend in the coming years. Off to the temple. We all have families for heaven’s sake. How are we going to feed them? Just this polluted air and filthy sand?” Che seconded Sparrow, a London dealer.
“This business is cyclic, isn’t it? It will turnaround,” Mike reasoned, pouring Singha beer into his glass.
“It’s not like the old days, Mike. It was so much easier and personal. Now it’s all bloody computers, price lists, Harvard, and Stanford nerds. They have changed the whole traditional landscape, you know, into commodities like soybeans and sugar. No more romance and personal relationship! You show a stone today, they want an instant discount of ninety percent and three months fucking credit like buying a stolen car. How are we gonna survive? We all have now turned into some sort of jaded magicians, you know. I’m not kidding. This is an illusion business. What do we have here? And our customers! Women! Now that tells you how damn difficult it is to convince these dames; a good color. Ninety percent of the precious rubies are for women. That’s where the money is. Color! Next, does this bloody stone have a good pleasing face? Just like a woman’s face. A Virgin Mary or a beautiful woman’s face! The stone must have a perfect, colorful face with no reason to bargain. How many of those types exist today? How many Virgin Mary’s exist today? They do exist, if you search, as long as people like Rubyhall’s, Sanders, and Winston’s don’t meddle with the price, source, and small folk like us. Their hands have stretched to all known holes in the world where these suckers come, and we can’t get anywhere closer. We still can’t survive. But look at their greed. They have all sorts of other businesses and we small ones only one hole. The Hole of Bangkok! They have consolidated their position by cutting our limbs like sausages. How can we compete with these living dinosaurs? They are swallowing us with one gulp. Wow! Look at that doll,” Sparrow got distracted. “Look at her bottoms, like a perfect cabochon cut ruby. Je-ez, do we have women like this in Bangkok? Mike how come you didn’t tell us that there are chicks like the ones over there. You see that one over there. My goodness! Holy shape! What a woman!”
Mike knew more than anyone else the gem dealers who frequented his bar. And he was a good listener. It was good for his business as well as for the relationship. The gem dealers liked it. He had a skill in keeping them under control.
“She is a mom for Christ’s sake. That’s Lord’s wife. The group comes regularly during the weekend just to relax and let it go,” Mike said, while gesturing his daughter, Tan, to take care of them.
“Let it go? What the hell that means, uh?” Che asked, quite puzzled.
“Let go the pressures of the week, I mean.” Mike responded with a smile.
“I see. I know what you mean. Lucky ones! Look at our boring wives. Only bloody complaints when we get back home. Screaming with bills and what not. No sex, nothing,” Sparrow said, rising out his chair.
“How can you think about sex when your business is down every week? Even if she wants a quickie, I’m not ready, know what I mean? It’s the workload. But look at those women over there. I’ve yet to see my wife smiling like that. Is her body real? Too perfect,” Che asked meekly.
“Well, it is perfect. Exercise, diet, and good husbands, I suppose,” Mike opined.
“Lucky those.” Che said bluntly.
“Mike, how is your business?” Sparrow poured Singha beer into Mike’s empty glass.
“It’s going okay. Surviving like you guys.” Mike replied piously.
“Surviving? It’s a fucking funny word today,” Che quipped.
Everyone laughed.
“Have you seen Miko and Tito?” Sparrow asked leaning back.
“Last week they were here, right over there their usual place. Must be busy with their clients.” Mike suggested.
“You bet. Funny guys. I like them. Sometimes, the younger chap. What’s his name?”
“Miko!” Mike replied.
“Well, Miko, he can be really funny with his bloody tattoo, cocky eyes, and doggy tongue. I like the guy. In fact, I like both of them. Good hearts and a solid team too. Harmless and shrewd! Give them my regards if they turn up any one of these days Mike,” Sparrow grinned.
“Sure.” Mike nodded.
“Already Mike, time to go. Check, please,” Che said. His eyes were still glued on Lord’s wife, and other women.
Fourteen
It was a Friday evening. Some had gone to the Chantaburi gem market in the morning, while others preferred to leave on Saturday morning to carry the stones they couldn’t sell. It was the norm. And the ones who had no stones or business remained in Bangkok. So naturally going to The Redd’s became a ritual when they had nothingelse to do other than relax and update the latest info.
“Give me one Singha beer, please. How come the bar is crowded today?” Charley Che took his seat glancing at others. Another whining gem dealer from Hong Kong!
“The usual weekend crowd, familiar faces, good business,” Mike said smilingly.
“Not us. The business is too bad,” Che complained.
“What’s the matter, Che?” Mike asked.
“This bloody stone business sucks. We don’t know anythingelse. I wish I had learned somethingelse to make a living. This family business crap is reducing us to beggars,” Che said frustratingly.
“He is right, Mike. All our friends have the same view. Finish, Finish, Finished! The gavel is on our head and balls, the way business is going,” William Sparrow, a Kiwi commented.
“Is it that bad, Sparrow?” Mike Chan asked, waving at the regulars who took their seats in front of the tele to watch world cup soccer play.
“I can tell you, our balls are shrinking like those dried blueberries. The big fish are eating the small too fast. Can’t survive with so many choices for women today. We can’t compete with them. I mean their prices are fucking crazy. We can’t afford to survive if this is gonna be the trend in the coming years. Off to the temple. We all have families for heaven’s sake. How are we going to feed them? Just this polluted air and filthy sand?” Che seconded Sparrow, a London dealer.
“This business is cyclic, isn’t it? It will turnaround,” Mike reasoned, pouring Singha beer into his glass.
“It’s not like the old days, Mike. It was so much easier and personal. Now it’s all bloody computers, price lists, Harvard, and Stanford nerds. They have changed the whole traditional landscape, you know, into commodities like soybeans and sugar. No more romance and personal relationship! You show a stone today, they want an instant discount of ninety percent and three months fucking credit like buying a stolen car. How are we gonna survive? We all have now turned into some sort of jaded magicians, you know. I’m not kidding. This is an illusion business. What do we have here? And our customers! Women! Now that tells you how damn difficult it is to convince these dames; a good color. Ninety percent of the precious rubies are for women. That’s where the money is. Color! Next, does this bloody stone have a good pleasing face? Just like a woman’s face. A Virgin Mary or a beautiful woman’s face! The stone must have a perfect, colorful face with no reason to bargain. How many of those types exist today? How many Virgin Mary’s exist today? They do exist, if you search, as long as people like Rubyhall’s, Sanders, and Winston’s don’t meddle with the price, source, and small folk like us. Their hands have stretched to all known holes in the world where these suckers come, and we can’t get anywhere closer. We still can’t survive. But look at their greed. They have all sorts of other businesses and we small ones only one hole. The Hole of Bangkok! They have consolidated their position by cutting our limbs like sausages. How can we compete with these living dinosaurs? They are swallowing us with one gulp. Wow! Look at that doll,” Sparrow got distracted. “Look at her bottoms, like a perfect cabochon cut ruby. Je-ez, do we have women like this in Bangkok? Mike how come you didn’t tell us that there are chicks like the ones over there. You see that one over there. My goodness! Holy shape! What a woman!”
Mike knew more than anyone else the gem dealers who frequented his bar. And he was a good listener. It was good for his business as well as for the relationship. The gem dealers liked it. He had a skill in keeping them under control.
“She is a mom for Christ’s sake. That’s Lord’s wife. The group comes regularly during the weekend just to relax and let it go,” Mike said, while gesturing his daughter, Tan, to take care of them.
“Let it go? What the hell that means, uh?” Che asked, quite puzzled.
“Let go the pressures of the week, I mean.” Mike responded with a smile.
“I see. I know what you mean. Lucky ones! Look at our boring wives. Only bloody complaints when we get back home. Screaming with bills and what not. No sex, nothing,” Sparrow said, rising out his chair.
“How can you think about sex when your business is down every week? Even if she wants a quickie, I’m not ready, know what I mean? It’s the workload. But look at those women over there. I’ve yet to see my wife smiling like that. Is her body real? Too perfect,” Che asked meekly.
“Well, it is perfect. Exercise, diet, and good husbands, I suppose,” Mike opined.
“Lucky those.” Che said bluntly.
“Mike, how is your business?” Sparrow poured Singha beer into Mike’s empty glass.
“It’s going okay. Surviving like you guys.” Mike replied piously.
“Surviving? It’s a fucking funny word today,” Che quipped.
Everyone laughed.
“Have you seen Miko and Tito?” Sparrow asked leaning back.
“Last week they were here, right over there their usual place. Must be busy with their clients.” Mike suggested.
“You bet. Funny guys. I like them. Sometimes, the younger chap. What’s his name?”
“Miko!” Mike replied.
“Well, Miko, he can be really funny with his bloody tattoo, cocky eyes, and doggy tongue. I like the guy. In fact, I like both of them. Good hearts and a solid team too. Harmless and shrewd! Give them my regards if they turn up any one of these days Mike,” Sparrow grinned.
“Sure.” Mike nodded.
“Already Mike, time to go. Check, please,” Che said. His eyes were still glued on Lord’s wife, and other women.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Thirteen
Den, Ris’s only brother, a gem dealer on his own specializing in 5 to 10carat rubies of top quality brought with him a few miners from Kenya who had requested a meeting with Ris. The Kenyan miners stood in awe mesmerized by the lavishly decorated office, and the beautiful women walking in and out from one room to another in their miniskirts. They had never seen anything like this in their country.
Lapis lazuli slabs from Afghanistan scaled the walls while authentic and superior Persian carpets covered the entire office floor of Ris Rubyhall Towers. The nephrite carved tables matched by fossilized wood chairs were there to be occupied by the exclusive and privileged gem dealers from around the world. They had the power to make or break any deal in this little grand palace where handshakes and a simple nod meant a zillion word.
Ris, the real gem, stood quietly behind the opaque lapis lazuli wall inhaling and exhaling each transaction with absolute concentration and humor with no room for mistakes. Each powerful handshake meant real and solid commitment, and he made sure they were practiced without fail. His sharp observant eyes instantly recorded its personality traits, and when settled with a beautiful gemstone, he would not indulge first talking about its value, but about its natural origin, its relationship with the almighty earth. He would talk about the fortunate hands that picked God’s gift with a desperate passion for exoticism and adventure. He never traded this privileged exuberance with any other environment. Infrared cameras worked stealthily recording and scanning every passionate transaction, and one of his addictive hobbies was to watch their emotional gestures in privacy, analyzing and extracting the necessary clues for his future acquisitions of collectable and investment grade rubies. As he sat in his chair, he glanced at his simulated grand palace, mentally calibrating asking, bidding, and transaction conversations in different combination and programmed and stored in his three gram brain for an important awaiting deal, 37CARAT RUBY!
Ris was not in a mood to meet the Kenyan miners. Den conveyed the message, as he emerged from Ris’s office. The Kenyan miners left the office disappointed. Ris Rubyhall was the king. And they were willing to wait.
“Lot of rumors about you in the trade?” Den sat closer to the window to get a glimpse of the tower block under construction across the road.
“Yeah. A lot, in fact, many. Bloody hell! The fight this time is with Winston,” Ris said angrily.
“Winston? Our good friend? What happened? What did he do?” Den asked in utter amazement.
“Ah, that copper deal. I had to cut him off. He hasn’t forgiven me. But you know his terms were too unacceptable. I had to do it that way to protect our interests,” Ris said bluntly.
“So that’s the rumor,” Den chuckled.
“No. It’s ruby this time. My ruby! It didn’t come to my office for the first look. In fact, the Qwah Qwah family asked that I obtain a big one. Now that has slipped through my fingers just like that, because of one man. Winston Lord! He is out this time publicly to declare me for the first time a loser. I am not giving up. I’ll nail him on a crucifix, tattoo his hands first, and explode him to eternity with Russian missiles.” Ris vented his anger by thumping his foot on the floor.
Ruby epilepsy! Den knew too well his elder brother. On the other hand, cooperation not confrontation was his style. Age and tradition were taking a toll on his family. Ris felt it privileged to portray himself as the John Wayne of the ruby business. Once upon a time he ruled and was still ruling. Ris hated newcomers entering the trade with new ideas to change the age-old traditional landscape. He had many enemies around. But somehow he survived among his enemies due to luck, money and timing.
“Good day, Ris,” Den continued. “Nothing to say further. If you have decided your course, then make sure you don’t regret it sometime later. Good luck to you. Don’t disappoint those Kenyan miners again. They had come all the way from Nakuru to talk to you. They don’t understand your problems, but I do. So keep your word when they see you in two days.”
“Den! Where you are going? Stay with me for a while,” Ris pleaded in vain.
Den left the office in an unhappy mood.
Thirteen
Den, Ris’s only brother, a gem dealer on his own specializing in 5 to 10carat rubies of top quality brought with him a few miners from Kenya who had requested a meeting with Ris. The Kenyan miners stood in awe mesmerized by the lavishly decorated office, and the beautiful women walking in and out from one room to another in their miniskirts. They had never seen anything like this in their country.
Lapis lazuli slabs from Afghanistan scaled the walls while authentic and superior Persian carpets covered the entire office floor of Ris Rubyhall Towers. The nephrite carved tables matched by fossilized wood chairs were there to be occupied by the exclusive and privileged gem dealers from around the world. They had the power to make or break any deal in this little grand palace where handshakes and a simple nod meant a zillion word.
Ris, the real gem, stood quietly behind the opaque lapis lazuli wall inhaling and exhaling each transaction with absolute concentration and humor with no room for mistakes. Each powerful handshake meant real and solid commitment, and he made sure they were practiced without fail. His sharp observant eyes instantly recorded its personality traits, and when settled with a beautiful gemstone, he would not indulge first talking about its value, but about its natural origin, its relationship with the almighty earth. He would talk about the fortunate hands that picked God’s gift with a desperate passion for exoticism and adventure. He never traded this privileged exuberance with any other environment. Infrared cameras worked stealthily recording and scanning every passionate transaction, and one of his addictive hobbies was to watch their emotional gestures in privacy, analyzing and extracting the necessary clues for his future acquisitions of collectable and investment grade rubies. As he sat in his chair, he glanced at his simulated grand palace, mentally calibrating asking, bidding, and transaction conversations in different combination and programmed and stored in his three gram brain for an important awaiting deal, 37CARAT RUBY!
Ris was not in a mood to meet the Kenyan miners. Den conveyed the message, as he emerged from Ris’s office. The Kenyan miners left the office disappointed. Ris Rubyhall was the king. And they were willing to wait.
“Lot of rumors about you in the trade?” Den sat closer to the window to get a glimpse of the tower block under construction across the road.
“Yeah. A lot, in fact, many. Bloody hell! The fight this time is with Winston,” Ris said angrily.
“Winston? Our good friend? What happened? What did he do?” Den asked in utter amazement.
“Ah, that copper deal. I had to cut him off. He hasn’t forgiven me. But you know his terms were too unacceptable. I had to do it that way to protect our interests,” Ris said bluntly.
“So that’s the rumor,” Den chuckled.
“No. It’s ruby this time. My ruby! It didn’t come to my office for the first look. In fact, the Qwah Qwah family asked that I obtain a big one. Now that has slipped through my fingers just like that, because of one man. Winston Lord! He is out this time publicly to declare me for the first time a loser. I am not giving up. I’ll nail him on a crucifix, tattoo his hands first, and explode him to eternity with Russian missiles.” Ris vented his anger by thumping his foot on the floor.
Ruby epilepsy! Den knew too well his elder brother. On the other hand, cooperation not confrontation was his style. Age and tradition were taking a toll on his family. Ris felt it privileged to portray himself as the John Wayne of the ruby business. Once upon a time he ruled and was still ruling. Ris hated newcomers entering the trade with new ideas to change the age-old traditional landscape. He had many enemies around. But somehow he survived among his enemies due to luck, money and timing.
“Good day, Ris,” Den continued. “Nothing to say further. If you have decided your course, then make sure you don’t regret it sometime later. Good luck to you. Don’t disappoint those Kenyan miners again. They had come all the way from Nakuru to talk to you. They don’t understand your problems, but I do. So keep your word when they see you in two days.”
“Den! Where you are going? Stay with me for a while,” Ris pleaded in vain.
Den left the office in an unhappy mood.
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Twelve
Mahesak Road thrived like the famous 47th street of New York, in a discreet way behind the tinted glass windows accommodating the small and big time dealers of every denomination. Foreign buyers in every color, size, and disguise had no other choice but to choose selectively the right brokers in order to get close to the gem dealers in specialty merchandise. Everyone knew someone in this multimillion-dollar transaction street. Anyone entering this sacred street required one magic mantra.
RELATIONSHIP!
A native of New Zealand, brought up in Australia and finally destined to live in Bangkok for the past forty years, Winston Lord became known in the gem district as one of the top gem dealers along with Ris Rubyhall. Like some of his friends in the trade, he settled in Bangkok marrying Ben of Thai Chinese stock, who happened to descend from a gem trading family of Chantaburi province. He worked quietly from his office in TD building, a low profile three-room facility along with the big miners from Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Private collectors from the Middleeast, Europe, and North America came secretively to his office absorbing the rare and expensive ones as soon as they arrived, never again to be seen in the local market. He enjoyed seeing his rubies emerging in style in famous auctions houses like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips, through third parties or special agents. They all played their own games discreetly in different levels, but Lord was well versed in the games and knew when to accommodate a friend and subdue an enemy.
The telephone rang.
“Lord!”
“Ken speaking!”
“Oh, Ken, where are you?” Lord answered the call, while flicking through the Time magazine cover story on the latest Russian crisis.
“Just arrived from Indonesia,” Ken Solby replied jovially.
“Indonesia? What the heck are you doing there? Advising, Suharto?” Lord asked jokingly.
“Not yet,” Solby continued. “So how are things with Rubyhall? Have you nailed the sonofabitch?”
He had been seeking a revenge act against Rubyhall for sometime after he was thrown out of a mining deal in Indonesia by the invisible hands of Rubyhall’s cronies.
“Nailed? My rubies have already started to bleed his balls, then his hands, the last stop his heart. One more plunge, dead meat,” Lord said indignantly. He too had a score to settle. So both, Ken and Lord were in the same boat.
“How are the boys doing? Are they safe?” Ken asked.
“Oh yeah. If they play cat and mouse with me, their meat will end up in one of those special restaurants in Bangkok. I can handle them. Don’t worry.”
Lord remembered the day when he decided to use Tito and Miko as his proxies to play his game with Rubyhall.
“They must be having a hard time raising the money,” Ken recalled.
“Oh, yeah, they have all the time in the world to raise money in whatever partnership they want, except Rubyhall. That’s the bait. I know he is already after them. I can afford to lose some money with this 37carat. I want to teach him a lesson. He ratted me like Mobutu Sese Seko in that copper deal. I can’t forget that. I know his weakness too well. RUBIES! It’s like taking his breath out of his body. He will do anything to lick the ruby. That’s what I want to see. How on earth is he going to grab this 37carat piece?” Lord bit his tongue, as he became excited.
“Lot of blood spilling in the coming days, Winston?” Ken said softly.
“Very much so. But if the boys are lucky and raise the money to give me my price, they can have all the profits and retire if they want. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them. Like those lottery jackpots. They haven’t done anything like this before.” Lord glanced at the parcel of rough rubies brought in by Ben for his opinion.
“What happens if they lose?” Ken alerted.
Lord paused.
“Head is worthless, if you can’t make money. That simple.” Lord gestured Ben to send it back to its owner. JUNK!
“Show time, right?” Ken asked.
“Yeah, it is. Keep watching. Are you in Bangkok?” Lord asked.
“Pattaya!”
Twelve
Mahesak Road thrived like the famous 47th street of New York, in a discreet way behind the tinted glass windows accommodating the small and big time dealers of every denomination. Foreign buyers in every color, size, and disguise had no other choice but to choose selectively the right brokers in order to get close to the gem dealers in specialty merchandise. Everyone knew someone in this multimillion-dollar transaction street. Anyone entering this sacred street required one magic mantra.
RELATIONSHIP!
A native of New Zealand, brought up in Australia and finally destined to live in Bangkok for the past forty years, Winston Lord became known in the gem district as one of the top gem dealers along with Ris Rubyhall. Like some of his friends in the trade, he settled in Bangkok marrying Ben of Thai Chinese stock, who happened to descend from a gem trading family of Chantaburi province. He worked quietly from his office in TD building, a low profile three-room facility along with the big miners from Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Private collectors from the Middleeast, Europe, and North America came secretively to his office absorbing the rare and expensive ones as soon as they arrived, never again to be seen in the local market. He enjoyed seeing his rubies emerging in style in famous auctions houses like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips, through third parties or special agents. They all played their own games discreetly in different levels, but Lord was well versed in the games and knew when to accommodate a friend and subdue an enemy.
The telephone rang.
“Lord!”
“Ken speaking!”
“Oh, Ken, where are you?” Lord answered the call, while flicking through the Time magazine cover story on the latest Russian crisis.
“Just arrived from Indonesia,” Ken Solby replied jovially.
“Indonesia? What the heck are you doing there? Advising, Suharto?” Lord asked jokingly.
“Not yet,” Solby continued. “So how are things with Rubyhall? Have you nailed the sonofabitch?”
He had been seeking a revenge act against Rubyhall for sometime after he was thrown out of a mining deal in Indonesia by the invisible hands of Rubyhall’s cronies.
“Nailed? My rubies have already started to bleed his balls, then his hands, the last stop his heart. One more plunge, dead meat,” Lord said indignantly. He too had a score to settle. So both, Ken and Lord were in the same boat.
“How are the boys doing? Are they safe?” Ken asked.
“Oh yeah. If they play cat and mouse with me, their meat will end up in one of those special restaurants in Bangkok. I can handle them. Don’t worry.”
Lord remembered the day when he decided to use Tito and Miko as his proxies to play his game with Rubyhall.
“They must be having a hard time raising the money,” Ken recalled.
“Oh, yeah, they have all the time in the world to raise money in whatever partnership they want, except Rubyhall. That’s the bait. I know he is already after them. I can afford to lose some money with this 37carat. I want to teach him a lesson. He ratted me like Mobutu Sese Seko in that copper deal. I can’t forget that. I know his weakness too well. RUBIES! It’s like taking his breath out of his body. He will do anything to lick the ruby. That’s what I want to see. How on earth is he going to grab this 37carat piece?” Lord bit his tongue, as he became excited.
“Lot of blood spilling in the coming days, Winston?” Ken said softly.
“Very much so. But if the boys are lucky and raise the money to give me my price, they can have all the profits and retire if they want. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them. Like those lottery jackpots. They haven’t done anything like this before.” Lord glanced at the parcel of rough rubies brought in by Ben for his opinion.
“What happens if they lose?” Ken alerted.
Lord paused.
“Head is worthless, if you can’t make money. That simple.” Lord gestured Ben to send it back to its owner. JUNK!
“Show time, right?” Ken asked.
“Yeah, it is. Keep watching. Are you in Bangkok?” Lord asked.
“Pattaya!”
Gemsicuted
Written by Julian Robov
Eleven
Lam quietly walked along the sidewalk. Tuna’s Club and Restaurant on Sukhumvit Road, was a convenient hub for the old- timers and newcomers to Bangkok, to meet and digest where information on food, gems, jewelry, and travel of any sort were available through a wide network of agents at a cost. Her place became an attractive choice for the bankers, architects, engineers, and real estate magnates to unwind their worries along with their pet mia noi’s (mistresses) who frequented discreetly for fun and business.
Pamella Chen, nicknamed Tuna, a native of Singapore, cruising in her late thirties got hooked to the vibrant lifestyle and colorful characters of Bangkok by choice. She quit her families commodities business and decided to venture on something new and untried. A place where young men and women felt liberated to express their personal views in their own way contradicting the so-called ‘Asian’ values. Bangkok became her final destination where she felt free and independent to live her own life. She collected a lot of friends, and Jay Lam was one among them.
“Give me one regular, Tuna.” Lam mumbled, as he took his seat opposite her.
“What’s up?” Tuna quipped.
“The usual build up,” Lam said, slumping in his chair.
“Come on! That bad,” she added.
He looked around to see if anyone was watching them. The club wasn’t yet crowded. He had arrived a bit early to talk to her.
“Do I look sexy?” She wanted an opinion from him.
“Sure, you do. Sexy and terrific!” His answer satisfied her.
“You look so uptight,” Tuna sensed a degree of uneasiness in him. “Yeah!” Lam complained.
“Why don’t you bring him here? I can take care of him.” She said humorously. Lam had described Rubyhall to her in such a way, she kept on insisting that he bring him to her club for some physical testing.
He shrugged off.
“Tell me, what stone is this? Given to me by someone. You haven’t bothered giving me one,” she said jokingly, approaching him with a pad in hand.
“It looks red,” he replied, after an initial observation.
“I know that. What is it?” She asked curiously.
“Possibly ruby, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, glass, or even an assembled gem. This is very light and looks deceptive,” he answered like a gem expert.
“Not a diamond? He said this was a red diamond,” she said looking unhappy.
“It can’t be. It’s so bloody rare, there are only a few on this planet. It would cost millions for this size. Again, since it is in a ring, it would be quite difficult. But the cut and shape is very unusual for this stone to be a diamond. I will have to check it more carefully,” he answered, without making any further comment.
“You can take it and tell me when you come here next time,” she
interrupted. “Someone else might feel like giving me another ring. Next time, I will be more careful. Maybe, you should try a different bottle today. I’ve a very special one, Chateau de Loei!” She took out a new bottle of wine from the cupboard changing the topic.
“Where the hell is this from?” he asked curiously.
“You won’t believe this. Thailand! A friend of mine, when she returned from a trip to Loei province, someone gave her this, and that’s how it took its residence here. Not for sale, just for special friends. Taste it, how is it?” she asked.
“Tastes good. Very much Australian, its aroma pungent like the French,” Lam replied.
“Very close, isn’t it?” She opined.
“Thanks, Tuna. It’s very nice of you. I appreciate that,” he
quipped. “So, back to your work. What’s bugging you at the office? Did you lose some deal for the old man?” She got to the real topic. BUSINESS!
“Something very close. It’s these two guys, Miko and Tito. They have a 37carat ruby from Burma, and the old man wants it at any cost. As I had told you earlier, all big ones have a tradition showing up first on his table, and from there it goes elsewhere in this country. But this time they have it, and the funny side of the story is that they don’t have the money to buy it.”
“So then how do they own it?” she asked.
“That’s the twist. One of Rubyhall’s buddies wants to teach him a lesson. So he is using them as proxies to bring him down. It’s now an all out war between friends. That’s the dark side of this business. It takes only a split-second to become enemies. Tango is over,” he said seriously.
“It’s in every business,” she replied, regretfully.
“So I’m caught in between. This is the first time, I thought I was going to lose my job for this bloody oversight. But later, when I dug up the truth behind this funny and serious scenario, when I told him, he knew it was beyond my control, but he want me to get the ruby for him. His best friend now wants to play a kind of ruby game on him. I was relieved when he told me that he would personally take over, but I don’t trust that statement. It’s not over. It’s the beginning. My nightmares are just beginning. That’s why I had to come here to cool down. I can’t tell this to Marla. She would faint, and the kids, they are just too young,” he answered.
“So what are you going to do now? What do they look like? If they ever come here for a gulp, I will keep an eye on them,” she said plainly.
“Like those MTV tattoo stars. Miko and Tito have tattoos on their ten fingers. Tabular hexagonal prism, terraced / stepped-like pattern. Guess what?” He grinned.
“What?” she asked.
“Crystal habits of rubies from Burma,” Lam said.
“Oh God,” said Tuna with a feeling. “Is that the way to identify them?”
“Yeah. Very much so,” he replied.
“Tito is a bit tough. But Miko, on the other hand, is a fractured genius,” said Lam. “Both are shrewd and intelligent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in this business.”
“In that case, he must be the right guy for me. Target shooting!” Tuna replied quickly.
“You bet,” Lam quipped.
“Look over there, I’ve some guests, listen, take it easy. Something will work out. If you want to stay for a while, do stay. But look, it’s already late for you. Marla will be anxious.” Her face relaxed, as customers started to walk in with their friends.
“Thanks for reminding me. I think, I better go.” Lam announced.
“Good night, Tuna.”
“Night, Jay.”
Eleven
Lam quietly walked along the sidewalk. Tuna’s Club and Restaurant on Sukhumvit Road, was a convenient hub for the old- timers and newcomers to Bangkok, to meet and digest where information on food, gems, jewelry, and travel of any sort were available through a wide network of agents at a cost. Her place became an attractive choice for the bankers, architects, engineers, and real estate magnates to unwind their worries along with their pet mia noi’s (mistresses) who frequented discreetly for fun and business.
Pamella Chen, nicknamed Tuna, a native of Singapore, cruising in her late thirties got hooked to the vibrant lifestyle and colorful characters of Bangkok by choice. She quit her families commodities business and decided to venture on something new and untried. A place where young men and women felt liberated to express their personal views in their own way contradicting the so-called ‘Asian’ values. Bangkok became her final destination where she felt free and independent to live her own life. She collected a lot of friends, and Jay Lam was one among them.
“Give me one regular, Tuna.” Lam mumbled, as he took his seat opposite her.
“What’s up?” Tuna quipped.
“The usual build up,” Lam said, slumping in his chair.
“Come on! That bad,” she added.
He looked around to see if anyone was watching them. The club wasn’t yet crowded. He had arrived a bit early to talk to her.
“Do I look sexy?” She wanted an opinion from him.
“Sure, you do. Sexy and terrific!” His answer satisfied her.
“You look so uptight,” Tuna sensed a degree of uneasiness in him. “Yeah!” Lam complained.
“Why don’t you bring him here? I can take care of him.” She said humorously. Lam had described Rubyhall to her in such a way, she kept on insisting that he bring him to her club for some physical testing.
He shrugged off.
“Tell me, what stone is this? Given to me by someone. You haven’t bothered giving me one,” she said jokingly, approaching him with a pad in hand.
“It looks red,” he replied, after an initial observation.
“I know that. What is it?” She asked curiously.
“Possibly ruby, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, glass, or even an assembled gem. This is very light and looks deceptive,” he answered like a gem expert.
“Not a diamond? He said this was a red diamond,” she said looking unhappy.
“It can’t be. It’s so bloody rare, there are only a few on this planet. It would cost millions for this size. Again, since it is in a ring, it would be quite difficult. But the cut and shape is very unusual for this stone to be a diamond. I will have to check it more carefully,” he answered, without making any further comment.
“You can take it and tell me when you come here next time,” she
interrupted. “Someone else might feel like giving me another ring. Next time, I will be more careful. Maybe, you should try a different bottle today. I’ve a very special one, Chateau de Loei!” She took out a new bottle of wine from the cupboard changing the topic.
“Where the hell is this from?” he asked curiously.
“You won’t believe this. Thailand! A friend of mine, when she returned from a trip to Loei province, someone gave her this, and that’s how it took its residence here. Not for sale, just for special friends. Taste it, how is it?” she asked.
“Tastes good. Very much Australian, its aroma pungent like the French,” Lam replied.
“Very close, isn’t it?” She opined.
“Thanks, Tuna. It’s very nice of you. I appreciate that,” he
quipped. “So, back to your work. What’s bugging you at the office? Did you lose some deal for the old man?” She got to the real topic. BUSINESS!
“Something very close. It’s these two guys, Miko and Tito. They have a 37carat ruby from Burma, and the old man wants it at any cost. As I had told you earlier, all big ones have a tradition showing up first on his table, and from there it goes elsewhere in this country. But this time they have it, and the funny side of the story is that they don’t have the money to buy it.”
“So then how do they own it?” she asked.
“That’s the twist. One of Rubyhall’s buddies wants to teach him a lesson. So he is using them as proxies to bring him down. It’s now an all out war between friends. That’s the dark side of this business. It takes only a split-second to become enemies. Tango is over,” he said seriously.
“It’s in every business,” she replied, regretfully.
“So I’m caught in between. This is the first time, I thought I was going to lose my job for this bloody oversight. But later, when I dug up the truth behind this funny and serious scenario, when I told him, he knew it was beyond my control, but he want me to get the ruby for him. His best friend now wants to play a kind of ruby game on him. I was relieved when he told me that he would personally take over, but I don’t trust that statement. It’s not over. It’s the beginning. My nightmares are just beginning. That’s why I had to come here to cool down. I can’t tell this to Marla. She would faint, and the kids, they are just too young,” he answered.
“So what are you going to do now? What do they look like? If they ever come here for a gulp, I will keep an eye on them,” she said plainly.
“Like those MTV tattoo stars. Miko and Tito have tattoos on their ten fingers. Tabular hexagonal prism, terraced / stepped-like pattern. Guess what?” He grinned.
“What?” she asked.
“Crystal habits of rubies from Burma,” Lam said.
“Oh God,” said Tuna with a feeling. “Is that the way to identify them?”
“Yeah. Very much so,” he replied.
“Tito is a bit tough. But Miko, on the other hand, is a fractured genius,” said Lam. “Both are shrewd and intelligent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in this business.”
“In that case, he must be the right guy for me. Target shooting!” Tuna replied quickly.
“You bet,” Lam quipped.
“Look over there, I’ve some guests, listen, take it easy. Something will work out. If you want to stay for a while, do stay. But look, it’s already late for you. Marla will be anxious.” Her face relaxed, as customers started to walk in with their friends.
“Thanks for reminding me. I think, I better go.” Lam announced.
“Good night, Tuna.”
“Night, Jay.”
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