“Ya great. What do you think of the band?” He asked.
“It’s actually quite good.”
And so the evening continued like this. Richard and the woman finished dancing and returned to their seats. Binks and myself made small talk and drank beer while the music continued and the people danced. At 11pm I noticed the woman with Richard begin looking at her watch as if to indicate that it was time to go. Binks was talking away about life in Cape Town and I realised that I would have to make my excuses and leave at any time. Then I saw her reach into her bag and pull out a cell phone. She answered, spoke briefly with a serious look on her face and hung up. She gave a resigned smile to Richard and I knew that they were both getting ready to leave. As they stood I reached for my phone and pretended to Binks that I had received a message and would have to leave. He looked slightly disappointed but understood as I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave. I allowed the couple to walk through the main area of the club and towards the door before I followed.
The club was fuller now and I just caught them walking out past the bouncer as I followed. I nodded to the bouncer as I walked out of the club and cautiously made my way into the wide corridor that lead to the parking area. As I reached the open air, I looked around for the two of them. They were standing to my left in amongst the cars and for the first time I noticed some physical contact between the two. Richard was holding her left hand and they seemed to be deep in conversation. I couldn’t hear a word they were saying so instead I lent against the wall and lit a cigarette. There were people still coming out of the restaurant above me and a few making their way out of the club so it wasn't as if I stood out. I was just another face in the crowd. It looked like he was desperately trying to convince her to stay with him. For the first time I saw what looked like sadness in her expression. It was obvious that she had a prior appointment, some arrangement to be somewhere else, a deadline of some sort. Suddenly and without warning she lunged forward, and wrapping her long arms around Richard's neck, they kissed. Well done old boy, I thought to myself as if he was a friend of mine. Your perseverance has paid off. Then I noticed a black Hummer pull into the car park. It shone in the pale light of the overhead lamps. She immediately pulled away from Richard and turned to look at it. She held his arm briefly and said something to him.
I wished I could have heard what she said but there was no chance. She quickly walked away leaving Richard awkwardly standing where she left him. She walked around to the driver’s side of the Hummer and was briefly out of sight as she spoke to the driver. Richard held his ground and continued to stare at the vehicle. She’s gone, I thought, she’s got in the car and she’s out of here. To my surprise the car drove out of my line of vision and there she was. She stood with a nervous but excited look on her face which burst into a smile which lit up the world. Richard walked towards her and they embraced each other again and kissed. They both started walking hand in hand towards Richard's Land Cruiser. It was time to move. I wondered where they would be going, another club perhaps? Maybe to Richard's digs? He had certainly won her over and it looked like that may well be on the cards. They both got into the big car and pulled out of the car park. I made my way to the Mercedes and immediately opened my laptop. The tracking page flashed into life and I saw the blue light of the Land Cruiser making its way up the familiar hill towards The Blueberry Guest House.
“Well done old boy,” I said under my breath. I gave them a few minutes to get back and park the car before I made my move. As expected he had made a bee line for his digs and wasn't stopping for anything. I watched as the car parked in its usual spot before I started my car and drove out onto the main road. I was aware of the fact that I had had a few too many beers to be driving but consoled myself that it was a short drive up a very quiet street to Walker Road and The Blueberry.
When I finally got up there everything was as I expected it to be. All quiet. I decided I would give it fifteen minutes or so before heading back to Binkie's. There was no point in hanging around as I was sure they would be busy for a while. I lit a cigarette and opened the sun roof. I lay my head back on the headrest and gazed up at the canopy of stars above. It was a cool and beautiful night and I had a warm, contented feeling as I smoked. I finished my cigarette and decided to call it a night. It would be a busy day to come and I needed to be up and on the ball long before my good friend Richard. I made the short drive back to Binkie’s, locked the car and went to my room. I plugged the laptop in and set it up where I could see it from the bed. As expected, there was no movement from the Land Cruiser and as I lay there with my hands behind my head my thought went to the gorgeous woman. She had to be some sort of celebrity or a model. I lay there for the next hour and a half preparing myself mentally for the next morning. I decided it would be best to get up early, pay Binks, and stop off briefly at The Blueberry before heading back to the airport. It would be a long day. I looked at my flight schedule and saw that it would be a four and a half hour flight to Dar Es Salaam. I still had to make a plan to get across to the island of Zanzibar.
The idea of a ferry didn't really appeal to me. It would waste precious hours and I would be late if I had to use it. I was just drifting off to sleep when I saw the blue light on the tracking page of the laptop start moving. I jumped up suddenly, wondering what to do. I gave it a few minutes as I watched it move slowly down the hill towards the main street. It appeared to park at exactly the same spot it had outside the restaurant earlier that evening. Feeling tired and slightly annoyed, I got up, grabbed the computer and headed out to the car. Where the fuck are you going now Richard? I thought to myself.
As I reached the T junction that led down the hill to the main road I saw that the Land Cruiser was moving again. It was heading back up the hill towards me. I made a split second decision and headed back up towards The Blueberry. I only had a few minutes to park if indeed he was making his way back there. Fifty metres before The Blueberry, I pulled over to the right and lay flat over the passenger seat with the laptop in the floor well. I could hear my breathing as the blue light slowly moved closer and closer to me on the screen. Right on cue I heard the low hum of its engine and crackle of its tyres on the road as it passed me slowly. Then the engine stopped and I heard one door slam shut. I sat up slowly and peered over the dashboard. Under the street light I saw the figure of Richard, still wearing the same clothes, but with his shirt untucked and wearing slops. As he activated the alarm on the vehicle and made his way back into his guest house, he was alone. He had obviously dropped the woman at the car park of the club so she could get her lift back to wherever she was going. Albeit a bit late.
“Bed time now Richard,” I said under my breath, “you've got a long day tomorrow.” He disappeared through the gate and into the leafy garden and all was quiet again. It was late and I was tired. I drove back to Binkie's and fell asleep within minutes. I awoke at 3am to the alarm I had set on my phone. I was tired and battled to get motivated as I ran a bath. My flight to Dar Es Salaam was booked to leave at 6am so I only had an hour to get to the airport. I bathed and changed quickly while drinking a cup of instant coffee. I very much doubted that I would meet Binks so early in the morning, so I left an envelope with the money for my stay and a short note. Richard’s flight was booked to leave at 7.30am and was going directly to Zanzibar.
There would be no chance of seeing him until I arrived on the east coast of the island. It wasn't an ideal situation but there had been no option at the travel agent in London, so it would have to do. I made my way out quietly and took one last look out onto the silent moonlit vista of Kalk Bay. The Mercedes started immediately and I drove quietly out onto the street.
I decided to drive once more past The Blueberry Guest House to see if I could recover the tracking device from the car. As I drove up Walker Road towards the Land Cruiser, it was all quiet and I retrieved the tracking device with no problems. I entered the words Cape Town International Airport’ into the sat-nav and waited for the instructions on where
to go. It was an easy route and I could have driven it without the sat-nav but time was short and I didn't need any trouble or delays. The roads were quiet and I was able to drive a lot faster than I had during the day. The sight of the mammoth Table Mountain looked eerily overbearing in the moonlight to my left. The drive took twenty minutes and I drove in and followed the car rental signs for the drop off point. There was a sleepy looking security guard at the gate who took my details and the registration of the vehicle. I parked, grabbed my bags and started the walk to the main terminal. The airport was empty compared to when I had arrived. There were cleaners everywhere with mops and dustbins preparing for the day’s onslaught of travellers. I dropped the keys, completed the formalities at the car hire desk and proceeded straight to check in. Immediately I saw a message on the screen above that my flight had been delayed until 7am. There were two people in the queue in front of me and I quietly cursed the delay under my breath. After check in I made my way to the information desk to enquire about Richard’s flight. I was greeted by a fat coloured lady who wore too much make up.
“Good morning,” I said, “I know the 6am flight to Dar Es Salaam has been delayed for an hour, is the 7.30am flight to Zanzibar also delayed?”
“Just one moment please sir,” she replied
“No sir, that flight is scheduled to leave on time at 7.30am.”
“Thanks very much.” I walked off to find a cup of coffee and a newspaper. I found an open cafe near the departure gates and bought three newspapers and a pot of coffee. As I sat down to read I realised that Richard would be due to walk in at roughly 5.30am to make his flight. I would only be boarding my flight at around 6am now so there was a very good chance that I would catch him. That's if he was even going to make his flight. The memory of the woman from the previous evening was still fresh in my mind and if I was him I would rather stay in Cape Town for a while. She would certainly be worth extending for, but I was resigned to my bookings and would go through with it either way.
One of the newspapers I read had a pull-out feature of a fashion event that had been held at the Waterfront in Cape Town over the weekend.
There were various pictures of models walking down the catwalk in outlandish costumes. I looked with interest at the pictures to see if could see the girl Richard had been with. She wasn’t there. I was certain of that. Hers was a face I would not forget for a while. I passed the time reading and drinking coffee, whilst keeping an eye on the sliding doors of the entrance to the terminal. The pale glow of daylight began to creep through the massive windows above. There were more and more people arriving now so I decided to step outside for a last cigarette before heading into the departure lounge. I folded the newspapers under my arm and made my way to the front doors. I aware that Richard might walk in at any time. I noticed a few fellow smokers to my left so I joined them and lit up. The daylight was growing and I was halfway through my smoke when I noticed the unmistakeable figure of Richard Lewer-Allen pushing a trolley towards the terminal. He was sixty metres away from where I stood but I knew it was him. It was time for me to go. I crushed out the cigarette and walked swiftly back into the terminal. Once inside I made a bee line for the departure gate but at the entrance my curiosity got the better of me and I stopped to watch him come in.
Looking slightly dishevelled, he made his way to the check in desks. This was my cue and I proceeded through the departure gates to passport control. I knew exactly where he was going and there was no reason to get any closer than I had been or was right then. It was a quick formality to get the exit stamp in my passport and I walked through to the departure gates and duty free area. There was a screen with flight and gate details. My flight was leaving from gate number 4 and Richard’s was from gate number ten. I decided to get to my gate as soon as possible and wait out the remaining time until my flight. At the duty free shop I noticed a rack of travel books. On the shelf was the Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania and Zanzibar. I decided I would buy it as it would make interesting reading on the flight and might come in handy in Zanzibar. I quickly purchased the book and made my way to my gate. I spent the next hour reading my newspapers as my fellow passengers filed into the lounge and took their seats. A voice came over the speaker and announced that the first class passengers were now required to board. I joined a small group of passengers at the gate and we made our way outside to a waiting bus. It was a short ride to the waiting aircraft and on arrival we made our way up the stairway and in.
The first class cabin was spacious and bright. My window seat was at the front of the aircraft on the right. I packed my bag into the overhead storage and sat down with my newspapers and travel book. There was only one seat next to mine and this was taken by a huge black man dressed in a long white gown and sandals. On his giant bald head he wore a matching skull cap.
“Good morning,” he said in a deep voice as he sat down in a heap. A man of few words. That suited me fine. The rear of the plane was a hive of activity as the other passengers boarded. We were given orange juice as we waited and I sipped it as I watched the ground crew outside preparing the plane for take-off. I was tired and hungry. It would be a four and a half hour flight to Dar Es Salaam. I decided I would catch up on some well-deserved sleep after breakfast. Eventually the pilot’s voice came over the intercom and announced that we were about to take off for Dar Es Salaam. The engines rumbled and the plane started taxiing towards the runway. Ten minutes later the plane stopped and the pilot’s voice instructed the flight crew to take their seats for take-off. The engines roared into life behind me as the acceleration pushed me into the seat. We were off. I wondered what was in store for Richard and myself as I gazed out over the vineyards of Stellenbosch below. It had been an interesting and enjoyable job so far but I still hadn't come up with any answers. This bothered me a little but I decided to put it out of my mind and just get on with it.
Fifteen minutes later a fine English breakfast was served, followed by coffee. Feeling warm and tired I read through the guide book to Zanzibar for a while before drifting off to sleep with the sun shining through the window onto my clothes. I woke up briefly at some stage during the flight to close the sun visor on the window. The brightness had woken me but only for a few seconds. Once closed I was immediately back in a deep, dreamless sleep. I was awoken by the pilot’s voice announcing that we were beginning our descent to Dar Es Salaam International. I rubbed my eyes, lifted the sun visor and took a look out the window. Beneath me to the right was the Indian Ocean in full blue splendour. It stretched out to the horizon in a cloudless sky. I could just see the beginnings of a sprawling city ahead of us in the distance. I straightened my seat and buckled my seat belt in preparation to land. The jet flew in fast over the city and descended rapidly towards the airport. From what I could see Dar Es Salaam resembled a huge dusty shanty town. But then airports were usually situated in poorer areas of cities. The plane cruised in and made a smooth landing on the runway. As we slowed down and taxied towards the airport, the pilot thanked us for choosing the airline and reminded everyone to stay seated until the airplane had come to a halt. I gazed out at the sun-baked concrete of the airport and immediately started to worry about how I would get across to the island of Zanzibar.
Eventually the plane came to a halt and the doors were opened. The man who had been sitting next to me took his time getting his hand luggage from the overhead storage. I was anxious to get out.
The sleep on the flight had done the trick and I was feeling refreshed and wide awake. After what seemed an eternity we were given the go ahead to make our way down the stairway and on to the concrete. I had to put my sunglasses on as I got to the door. It was mid day in Dar Es Salaam and it was blindingly bright outside. Once I got down to the concrete I became aware of the searing heat. It was a marked change from the cool Cape Town climate. I was now near the Equator. There was no bus to take passengers to the terminal. Instead we were told to take the hundred metre walk to the airport building. The thought of a cigarette and the mi
ld excitement of being somewhere new quickened my step and I was the first to arrive. The interior of the building and the immigration section was a typically chaotic African scene. There were no signs telling passengers where to get forms or where to go. Although it was slightly cooler in the building there was no air conditioning and it was humid. There were black and white vinyl tiles on the floor, some of which were missing. I saw a bored looking young man in uniform sitting in a booth behind a grimy perspex window. I stepped over a few rope barriers to get to him.
“Hello, how are you?” I said with a hopeful smile.
“Fine thank you, passport please,” he replied.
The other passengers were filing into the hall as he flicked through my passport.
“Tanzania visa for British passport is US$50, you pay here,” he said.
Quickly I drew out the cash in a single note and paid.
“Business or pleasure, and how long are going to stay in Tanzania?” He asked.
“Pleasure. I am going to Zanzibar. Two weeks at the most.”
He placed a sticker in my passport and stamped it.
“Go to that counter and get your entry stamp,” he said, pointing to his right.
“Thanks very much,” I said and quickly moved off. An equally bored looking lady stamped my passport without a word and I made my way to the baggage claim. As I waited, I wondered what would happen if my bags were searched. What would the authorities say about the tracking devices and other bits of kit I had brought along?
I decided if it happened I would say I had bought them as samples in South Africa and was taking them back to the UK. Eventually my larger bag appeared on the rickety carousel and I made the tense walk through customs. I had no reason to worry as I walked straight through into the arrivals hall without a second glance. It was a huge cool space with open vents above to allow the fresh air to flow. All around were billboards advertising safaris, trips to Kilimanjaro and other resorts for tourists. Feeling relieved and excited I made for the exit and stepped out into the shaded pick-up area outside. I put my bags down and gratefully lit a smoke. It felt good and gave me a sense of well-being. A short black man in a white shirt and tie approached me.
The Jason Green series Box Set Page 13
