Cornucopia

by John Francis Kinsella

  *

  Lili’s presence had quickened Pat’s heart, all other things faded in importance, which did of course stop the rest of world the from getting on with its business. As Lili headed home to Hong Kong and Guangzhou, the recently buoyant Brics and commodity markets stumbled, China slowed and the smart money headed westward. Capitalism relied on continuous growth, and its twin, consumerism, relied on unlimited resources.

  News that Ben Bernanke would phase out quantitative easing set-off warning lights on the banking front. Chinese central bankers were told by the new president, Xi Jinping, to attack the four winds of formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance, in a crackdown on corruption as the Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate rocketed to thirteen percent compared to the one year rate of four and a half. At the same time other negative data came in on the Chinese economy. Credit had frozen, at least momentarily, after the tightening of liquidity and the failure of two auctions for government bills caused several Chinese banks to default on their interbank obligations.

  Again men like Tom Barton posed the question as to whether capitalism-consumerism as a system had reached its limit. Perhaps science would find the answers, perhaps not, in any case he could do nothing. Rationally speaking, it did not concern him, it was not his problem, it was that of the politicians, he had his life to live and that was it. Barton was not a bling bling Hollywood star, or worse an aging Rock idol, soon to be relegated to history, prancing before media cameras, hoping to be remembered by posterity for their good works and not their dissolute drug fueled youth.

  The massive wave of immigration into Europe was an illustration of the difficulties encountered by politicians: weak men driven by their lust for power. God save the world from them, he prayed, and their governments, elected by the people on lies: promising they would build a solid economic environment for them and their children. With each passing day he was invaded by a feeling of growing pessimism, and there was little reason to feel optimistic about man’s future.

  CUBA

  With Hong Kong disrupted by the student demonstrations in Central, Pat and his family decided to take a break in Bali, nothing complicated just a week to get away from the general chaos as a front of chilly wet weather moved in from the north-east. Of course for Pat it was all relative, winter in Hong Kong was often tropical compared to an average summer day back in Limerick City.

  Pat had suggested they return to Sanya on the south coast of Hainan Island, but Lili protesting the beach was more crowded than a street market in Canton vetoed China. In any case she wanted to get away from home for a break and a simple one; beach, hotel and a change of scenery.

  So Bali it was, a four hour flight to the south of Hong Kong, and the four of them - including Lily Rose with her Chinese ayi - headed for the tropical paradise on a Cathay Pacific flight, first class of course. They were almost like any ordinary family taking an almost ordinary break. Hotel, beach, moonlight diners and a couple of excursions whilst the ayi looked after the Lily Rose.

  The Grand Hyatt suited them fine, a short ride from the airport, direct access to a magnificent beach, quiet, and if they wanted a trip to the mountains.

  Unfortunately for Pat he was soon bombarded with messages of every kind, even after he had switched of his phone people found out where he was staying. He could of course have ignored them … and he did, though not entirely, in spite of giving the front desk instructions he did not want to be disturbed. Lili’s system was more efficient, everything passed through her personal assistant, who directed even the most urgent messages into touch.

  The supposed urgency of certain messages overrode Pat’s wall of privacy and they arrived by every imaginable means of communication.

  It was the first sign that Pat’s all out enthusiasm for the business world had started to wane. He had made enough money, more than enough. Managing his investments was another thing, but pursuing the same old business routine in an environment that was more and more demanding was becoming ennuyant, as he described it to himself.

  The straw that broke the camels back came barely a month later with the sudden and unwelcome appearance of City & Colonial. The thought that a man as confident and well established as Michael Fitzwilliams could be evinced by the stroke of a minister’s pen was deeply troubling.

  Pat had passed his fiftieth birthday and the idea of continuing in the same gilded rut was daunting. He needed a break and when the opportunity came he jumped at it. To his surprise Lili accepted it, perhaps that was the way it was in Chinese families he told himself. In any case Pat did not look any further, it was too complicated. He had already realized he could never understand his wife’s country, it was complicated, and perhaps it was why he preferred Hong Kong, a kind of halfway house, and that was the way it was.

  Kennedy struggled with his decision for than a week. Hesitation was rare in Pat’s world, but the causes in this particular case went back fifteen years to an experience he would rather forget, an experience that had indirectly led to a brief, but dramatic, sojourn in Dublin’s grim Mountjoy Prison.

  From the moment he learnt Barton was in Colombia, his mind was subconsciously made up. The idea that Cuba would be tantalisingly close had the effect of an irresistible temptation. Initially he pushed it away, as he had over the years, but two events changed that. First was the news that Barack Obama was to visit Panama for the Summit of the Americas with the possibility that relations between Washington and Havana would be restored, and the promise Cuba might finally take off, which would very belatedly vindicate Pat’s early adventure in the Caribbean, a decade and a half earlier.

  A couple of months earlier, Barack Obama and Raúl Castro of Cuba, had simultaneously addressed their respective nations, announcing the restoration of diplomatic ties. It was the end of more than half a century of accusations and bitter recriminations, a dispute that was probably one of the last remaining vestiges of the Cold War.

  Obama and Fidel Castro’s brother, Raúl, would come face to face in Panama City at the Summit of American nations in 2015, making it the first meeting between leaders of the two countries since 1959.

  Lili was not too happy when Pat spoke of visiting Central American. A quick check showed the region to be one of the most dangerous in the world outside of war zones. Violence linked to drug trafficking was everywhere, especially in El Salvador, the small state bordered by Guatemala and Honduras.

  The second event was the titillating news that a Hong Kong company, HKND, was set to build a transoceanic canal in Nicaragua, which if it was true would present a huge opportunity for INI Hong Kong.