Chan Eastwood

​CHAN EASTWOOD​​

The city had come up on hillock slope and down near the base was the restaurant of Chan Soft, a lovely lady with Mongolian features. Eastwood a white who rarely visited her restaurant was sipping gin and looking outside to have a glimpse of the City. Furious from above the dark clouds in vanity, enough of the fighter’s spirit, had crumbled the buildings with their raindrops. The downpour had reduced the visible to only few meters. It was seventh day of raining and everyone was convinced the Judgment Day was here at anytime. Most of the population had made to the higher reaches. 

A man came running down from the hill topside.He entered the restaurant and put off the raincoat. He looked at Eastwood and then Chan. They lacked warmth. He plaintively said, “It’s bad outside but we have to keep courage. I come from the City.Remained in my house hoping the rain will stop. The building gave way yesterday. My neighbors are gone. I don’t know in floods or otherwise. I wish they were not swept. Had you ever seen such rains? I haven’t. But then we have to accept His Will.” He said lot of other things uncommon for a stranger but that relieved him of some distress.

The City had burnt in scorching heat of sun for the last two years. The temperature had soured to forty five degrees Celisius where it never crossed beyond thirty five. There was no water. Municipality had banned use of water for bathing and cleaning. The water was rationed. And then it started raining. 

Chan Soft poured coffee for herself and said more to herself than others, “It’s Judgment Day.”

Eastwood nonchalantly looked at him and asked, “What brings you man down here? You wanna drown? Coming from a safer place to this land where the water will inundate the area anytime.Why not find a better place at the top?” Chan Soft endorsed his inquiry with her small eyes lacking theliveliness she had few years back.

​Eastwood lived in the house fifty meters from restaurant towards the down side. He had built when his wife resented living in old house of his parents. He started building it in eleventh year of his marriage and completed in a two years. A long time, but he had serious issues with his finances. His lovely wife had succumbed to the attack of virus three years back. His only had gone far in the North ending up in a good job who had constantly requested him to join. But he had no intentions to move out from the place whatever may come. 

​Chan Soft had her restaurant opened knowing well that there were no customers around. But she did it as her duty. She had been running it for last ten years after her husband was killed in a scuffle in front of it. She wanted to leave the place but had nowhere to go. Finally she decided to live or die with restaurant. It aroused her pleasant memories.

Eastwood had no liking for the lady. Her voice was no less than a shriek. He had his own prejudices against those coming from far East. He had rarely entered her place before. Since now no other restaurant was open and suffering from loneliness he had no other option.

Chan was devastated but thanked God for keeping her alive. He had come to the place two hours back when she wryly said, “What will you like sir?”

Eastwood had no liking for oriental food. “Anything for drinks?”

Chan scowled and then said, “I have no license for that. But now I can do it. I feared law but where is Police in these adverse time? They must be running for their lives. And no people around to object. I have a bottle of gin and two chivas, a vodaka and not sure if any bear. I don’t remember the names. I rarely drink.”

Eastwood ordered, “Gin will be fine.”

Chan poured a drink and asked him, “Any particular reasons for not leaving the place?”

“Weirdness. Can be foolishness.” He paused and then asked her, “And you?”

Chan replied, “No other place.”

Eastwood did not look at her and only hummed.The incessant rains had brought a dull weather and its impact was everywhere to see. He did not wish to talk to her. Probably she wanted to talk to him.But she did not like the arrogance on his face. He had white skin which irritated her. ‘These whites they are all alike’ she talked to herself.

Chan noticed Eastwood was slow at drinking. Her husband was a handsome man full of energy. He would have gulped two drinks by the time. If he had been alive today she would have been serving him and not this man. At that time the stranger had entered the restaurant. 

The Stranger had eased himself and was ready to reply to Eastwood with a grin, “I have come to give you company.” He looked at the lady and politely requested, “Lady you look so charming.”

Chan who was now above fifty, felt elated and flushed. Hiding her excitement she asked him, “What do ye want?”

“A drink, if you don’t mind. Just the same as this gentleman.” He pointed with eyes to Eastwood.

She poured a drink for him looking from between her eyes. The man was joyous in the adversity. He had no fears. He gulped the drink. Chan was pleased at that. She poured another drinkaffectionately and placed it before the stranger.

The man who was in late forties smiled at her kind gesture, “You poured it without my asking. That was kind of you.” Then he looked at Eastwood and said, “I don’t know your name.”

“Eastwood.”

“Nice. You are sad. Sad or melancholy? I leave it to you. Must be for this destruction around. And you lady?” She nodded. 

“Everyone is sad.” He sipped the gin this time.Chan started studying his features of face and body built up. He was thin. She liked the way he was dressed, the shirt and pants were matching and simple. 

Eastwood glanced scornfully, “Ye expect people to dance and enjoy?”

“May be less tense. You see I am not sad. I don’t want to be sad. What if I had died before all this? Or I might survive through all that is coming? Death is evitable. But time is not fixed.”

He looked at the lady, “Ma’m you are charming and lovely. I mean you are very beautiful.” This time he was flirting. She did not like flirting men and faked compliments. She kept quiet. Eastwood glanced at her to find out whether the Stranger wasmad or maroon. Where did he find charm in her? 

The stranger noticed the contempt in the eyes of lady and thought of giving her a cooling time, lest it turned ugly. He looked at Eastwood with a grin and said, “You must have been a strong man in your youth? I see you are so handsome at this age. May I know in which year you are?”

Eastwood did not like him talking but was flattered by compliment, “I am fifty nine.”

“Aha! And you don’t look even fifty. Ma’m why not to have a drink on that?” The stranger had thumbs up.

The lady realized she missed the chance when the stranger was flirting with her. She thought, ‘It is better to have a moron with you than having nothing.’ If she had allowed him indulgence he would have had his entire attention on her.

“Mr. Eastwood, I always wished to be a strong man like you. But I could not work out, didn’t play sports, had poor diet and lethargic life. You must be man charming in your society? All those beauties making rounds around you?”

Eastwood smiled for the first time, “Yes I was. Many women of my class had crush on me.”

Chan Soft smirked. She talked to herself, “Who the dumb would have crush on him?” At the same time she noticed that the man was right. Eastwood was a handsome man. She had seen him when he was in thirties. 

Chan was getting jealous of Eastwood and despising the stranger. She was being ignored. A lady of her beauty alone in the place and two men bothered least for her. Had she gone old? How could that be? She was not that old. Many men would steel glance at her and that too just few days back. 

The man was conscious of uneasiness that Chan was going through for being ignored. He was waiting for the right opportunity. She was losing patience and being irritated placed the bottle of gin with a thud on bar desk. The two men startled. The lady pretended as if nothing had happened. 

The stranger grabbed the chance and in admiration said, “Young lady, I am so pleased by your hospitality that I want to have another drink. In these times of catastrophe you are the only lady with courage who sits with her restaurant opened to visitors. Your presence has made our life beautiful in these hours when we have suffered beyond bearing and may be our end is near.”

That brought a satisfaction and glow on her countenance. She was now busy with him and was telling him endless stories about her past. She talked without pause and would not let him take away his ears or eyes from her.

She looked at Eastwood and had feeling of satiety that he was being ignored and she was cause of it. At the same time she felt pity for lonely chap. However Eastwood was least concerned. 

Chan Soft interrupted the stranger and said, “Mr. Eastwood is a gentleman and had rarely visited my place earlier. In that manner he caused a loss to me. But as you said he was very handsome. Oh! He is so today even.”

Eastwood heart gave a miss. He loved her talking great about him. He grinned, “She is right. I have caused loss to her. I should have come to this place once in a while. She had been a nice lady.” He lied but did not intend to hurt the lady. He had annoyed his wife with harsher words that he could have chewed up. 

The stranger pointed to Eastwood, “She is indeed a good lady. I would say a diety. Else at a time when death may descend anytime and sheserves customers, only a goddess can do it. I wish her a long life. No doubt after her journey on Earth she will have the doors of heaven welcoming her. Again I wish that journey should come many years henceforth. God bless you, ma’m.”

They got formal and exchanged their pleasant days of past. Chan would laugh at slightest opportunity that pleased Eastwood. The stranger told about himself having lost his all family members in a lightning strike at hill top four days back and since then he had been wandering around.

The stranger had his fifth drink and was now drunk, “Lady, you are goddess.” He was now intoxicated. “I can’t tell lies now. You are really beautiful lady. Even at this age. And this moron sitting there.” He chuckled pointing to Eastwood. “He is a nice man. The rain will not stop for next fewdays. We are nearing the dooms day. All will drown. Everything will perish. Only those saved by God will live.”

The alcohol had ascended to his head and he had little control over his language. “You two in this part of land will die. I know you two will not leave the place. But you are the man and woman. Together the man and woman make Divine. Isn’t it? So was Adam and Eve. I wish you get together. Love or no love but blessed you are that you have company of one another.”

Eastwood was startled the way the drunkard was talking and he looked at Chan. She smirked but approving the suggestion. He realized she was voluptuous and had lovely eyes. He had missed her feminine virtues in past. She had long straight black hairs with few silver ones here and there. The face was round like a moon. He was staring at her when she winced. He took his eyes away to look at the stranger.   

What they saw startled them. The gin he had drunk was flowing down from his pants. Chan Soft panicked and for safety got closer to Eastwood and held him by arm. He felt her warm hands. That reminded him of his wife.

“What is that? The gin you had is coming down. Who the hell are you?” Eastwood cried.

The stranger had got up from his seat, “Who am I? Who am I? You don’t know? Then who shall know? You must know who I am. I am the first and the last. I was never born and never shall die. I come before initiation and die after infinity. And you say who am I.”

The stranger was now out of the restaurant. He started running downwards where the waters would collect to drown all those in its impact. He left waving, “I have more jobs to attend. Don’t miss the chance.”

Eastwood had by this time placed his arms around shoulder of Chan Soft. She had wrapped her arms around his waist. They were looking at the stranger running away and the intensity of rain increasing. The gushes of water with mud were descending from the City. It had uprooted trees, engulfed vehicles and crashed building. Few of the dogs were running to safer spots.

Chan Soft whispered to Eastwood, “Are we safe Eastwood?”

Eastwood did not smile but replied, “Yes Chan.”

Chan smiled, “Chan Eastwood.”

Eastwood had a broad smile this time.

​THE END.