We pushed our way through the breaking waves of walkers to the road and found a taxi. I was smiling as we waved the taxi down and climbed inside. For months, I’d been trying to find a way to help Gemini and Scorpio George that was more meaningful than the money I gave them from time to time. Didier’s holiday with Arturo provided the perfect opportunity. I knew that three months in Didier’s apartment would add years to their lives: three months without the stress of street living and with the secure good health that only a home and home cooking can provide. And I also knew that, with the Zodiac Georges in his apartment while he was gone, Didier would worry just enough to make his return to Bombay a little more likely, and a little sooner.
‘Where to?’ I asked Johnny.
‘World Trade Centre,’ he told the driver, smiling at me but clearly concerned about something.
‘What’s up?’
‘There is a problem at the zhopadpatti,’ he answered me.
‘Okay,’ I said, knowing that he wouldn’t say anything else about the problem until he thought the moment was right. ‘How’s the baby?’
‘Fine, very fine,’ he laughed. ‘He has such a strong grab on my fingers. He will be big and strong-bigger than his father, sure. And Prabaker’s baby, from the sister of my Sita, Parvati, that baby is also very beautiful. He is very much like Prabaker… in his face and his smiling.’
I didn’t want to think about my dead, beloved friend.
And how’s Sita? And the girls?’ I asked.
‘They are fine, Lin, all fine.’
‘You’ll have to watch out, Johnny,’ I warned him. ‘Three kids in less than three years-before you know it, you’ll be a fat, old guy with nine kids climbing all around you.’
‘It is a fine dream,’ he sighed happily.
‘How’s work? How are you… how you doing for money?’
‘Also fine, very fine, Lin. Everybody pays taxes, and nobody likes it. My business is good. Sita and me, we decided to buy the house next to ours, and make a bigger house for the family.’
‘That’s fantastic! I can’t wait to see it.’
There was a little silence and then Johnny turned to me with an expression of worry, almost of torment.
‘Lin, that time when you asked me to work for you, to work with you, and I refused-’
‘It’s okay, Johnny.’
‘No, it is not okay. I want to tell you, I should have said yes, and I should have worked beside you.’
‘Are you in trouble?’ I asked, not understanding him. ‘Is business not as good as you said it was? Do you need money?’
‘No, no, everything is fine with me. But if I was with you that time, watching you, maybe you would not still be working for all these months at the black business, with those goondas.’
‘No, Johnny.’
‘I blame myself every day, Lin,’ he said, his lips pulled wide in an anguished grimace. ‘I think that you asked me to work with you, to be your friend, because you did need a friend at that time. I was a bad friend, Lin, and I blame myself. Every day I feel bad about it. I am so sorry that I refused you.’
I put my hand on his shoulder, but he wouldn’t meet my eye.
‘Look, Johnny, you’ve got to understand. What I do, I don’t feel good about it, but I don’t feel bad about it, either. You do feel bad about it. And I respect that. I admire it. And you’re a good friend.’
‘No,’ he murmured, his eyes still downcast.
‘Yes,’ I insisted. ‘I love you, man.’
‘Lin!’ he said, grabbing my arm with sudden, urgent concern. ‘Please, please, be careful with these goondas. Please!’
I smiled, trying to put him at ease.
‘Man,’ I protested, ‘are you ever gonna tell me what this damn trip is about?’
‘Bears!’ he said.
‘Bears?’
‘Well, actually, you know, only
‘Sure I know him,’ I muttered. ‘Bahinchudh bear-what’s happened? Has he got himself put in jail again?’
‘No, no, Lin. He is not in the jail.’
‘Good. At least he’s not a recidivist.’
Actually, you know, he
‘Shit…’
‘And now he is a fugitive bear, with a reward price on his head, or his paws, or any part of him they can catch.’
‘Kano’s on the run?’
‘Yes. They even have a wanted poster.’
‘A
‘A wanted poster,’ he explained patiently. ‘They took a photo of him, that Kano, with his two blue bear-wallahs, when they arrested them again. Now, they are using that photo for the wanted poster.’
‘Who’s
‘The state government, the Maharashtra police, the Border Security Force, and the Wildlife Protection Authority.’
‘Christ, what did Kano do? Who did he kill?’
