Without You I Have Nothing Ch. 24

Wild applause greeted them and Jennifer was astounded to find the room full of saris and suits, all seated on green carpets with banana leaves before them. At the end of the ballroom squatted the elephant-headed Hindu god, Ganesha - the god of the family hearth. At its feet on a pillow was Peter who stood as she approached. Taking both hands in his, he faced her before turning to introduce her in Tamil to the assembled crowd. He repeated the introduction in English.

Delighted by Jennifer's arrival, he helped her sit on the cushions by his side.

The crowd was quiet and the silence seemed to continue indefinitely.

Jennifer looked around and was not surprised to see her parents seated to her left and her new Tamil sisters sitting on either side of Andrew, who for once was silent - overcome by the weird situation.

Eventually the faintest tinkling of a bell broke the silence and a tall, bearded figure clad in long white robes strode into the room followed by two women carrying a huge brass tray between them on which a single flame was visible. Two halves of a cracked coconut framed the flickering flame.

The priest, as Jennifer surmised, approached Peter and knelt. He dipped his fingers into the white powder on the tray, and opening Peter's mouth, flicked some onto his tongue before anointing him with some of the milk from the open coconut.

Duplicating his actions with Jennifer, he stood, and holding the tray high above Jennifer and Peter, he went into a trance while chanting in a monotonous high-pitched voice.

Just as suddenly as he began, he stopped chanting, wheeled around and disappeared through the main entrance.

The silence continued as white-clad waiters carrying brass trays appeared and dolloped huge mounds of rice on the banana leaves before each of the guests. Peter quietly whispered to Jennifer, "Remember right hand only." before resuming his formal position, staring stoically ahead.

The guests feasted on curries of various hues and degrees of heat, until Peter's Tamil Father clapped his hands and the waiters cleared the remnants of the meal, including the banana leaves. He then took a bowl and a towel which he draped over his arm.

As he approached, Peter extended his hands. His Tamil father washed Peter's hands and dried them before repeating the action with Jennifer.

Immediately the silence was broken, everyone stood and moved to talk with Peter and Jennifer, until a sea of saris swept them up. Her family suddenly broke through the throng to tell her of their adventures.

She could only laugh when her brother capped their stories by saying, "You have married a family of drunkards. Dad and I are still recovering from a night on the tiles drinking Toddy(the drawn sap, especially. when fermented, of any of several toddy palms, used as a drink) with your relations. Boy can they drink! I am sure they have hollow legs."

Before she became too engrossed in her family's adventures, her twin sisters rescued her.

"Jennifer, you did well. Fancy banana leaves and fingers for a meal?" Nethianie began giggling.

Sasimala continued, "We would have warned you, but father would have been most unhappy had we done so. Peter must've warned you of our customs.

"Your parents and brother did well too. It must have been even stranger for them."

Nethianie cut across her sister's words. "Wait a bit, we're going nightclubbing. Hope we haven't worn you out. We're taking Andrew too."

It wasn't long before Peter's Tamil Father approached Jennifer. "You're a worthy wife to our Peter. If only my wife had lived long enough to be here tonight. Now off you go with my daughters and don't let them get you into too much trouble."

With the three women leading the way, Peter and Andrew followed and slipped into the limousine beside the driver while the girls prattled incessantly in the back.

At the nightclub, Jennifer was astounded when two young men joined them and Peter introduced them as the twins' husbands.

"But I didn't see either of you at the banquet!" he exclaimed.

With broad smiles they replied, "Of course not, you only had eyes for Peter."

Andrew was still busy dancing with young women who were demanding his attention when many hours later Jennifer and Peter left.

Peter looked quite pleased when his sisters lightly kissed him on the cheek. "Tomorrow morning's transport is arranged, Peter," was Nethianie's whispered comment.

When he turned to see if Jennifer had heard, he found her watching her brother with his arms around a particularly elegant young Indian and was unaware of the conversation.

A limousine waited to take them back to the hotel. As they drove, Jennifer silently cuddled into Peter.

Back in the hotel room Peter laughed, "Come here my sexy wife."

He sat on the bed arms, his outstretched calling Jennifer. Getting no response and hearing nothing he walked into the lounge area to see Jennifer standing patiently, hands at her side, grinning and waiting for him.

"No, you come here my sexy husband." Giggling, she stared at him as her hands began removing his clothing while Peter struggled to hold her hands. "Oh, no you don't," Jennifer laughed as she pushed his hands aside. "What's good for the gander is good for this goose."

They stripped each other, with more attention to kissing than to removing clothes, playfully pushing and shoving each other until they were under the shower and washing the heat of the evening and the tiredness from their bodies.

Then, exhausted after the long, difficult day they lay quietly in each other's arms talking over the day's events.

"I'm going on strike - yes, truly, a big strike too." Jennifer sounded annoyed as Peter's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"If you ever, ever, ever put me in a position like tonight again!" she threatened. "Fancy, not warning me about the banquet! Banana leaves and fingers. Listen boyo, this farm girl gave up such things when she put away her dollies and her doll's house!"

Peter dragged her against his shoulder and kissed her hair lightly.

"I was sworn to secrecy by my father, and my sisters were threatened with death if they warned you. The banana leaves were a mark of great honor to the pair of us and you won everyone's heart, even if you didn't have much success scooping up the liquid curries."

A punch in the arm was the reply to his comment.

"I didn't even have time to talk to Mum, Dad or Andrew very much. Your Tamil father manipulated me all night, but it was a wonderful way of welcoming us - different, very different - but still considerate."

Soon their voices dimmed and they slept.