A FOOT CRANK’S CONFESSION - Part 04 of 37

 

CHAPTER THREE:

—Oh! Hilly Darling, I’m so sorry about Bill. I heard about the tragedy from Brenda months after it happened. And that’s when I called you. I promised to come and see you I know. But? Karl was always busy during the weekdays and you said you often go out on weekends for your charity work. So I didn’t actually get a chance to make it. Even today, being a Sunday, I prayed to God that you better be at home before I called. We were so desperate in finding a place for Tom to stay˜ mother said.

Aunt Hillary’s husband had been on airline pilot and had died in late 1987, in a car crash while he was in the States. Uncle Bill who was two years younger to Aunt Hillary had only been 42 years old when he died.

—It was such a shock Madhu. I still sometimes can’t believe it has happed. It was not a scheduled flight for him. He usually never flew to the States. But with some pilots gone on leave, the airline asked him to substitute, and he went. He had two days before returning and he had hired a car to do some site-seen. He does it usually; whenever he gets a chance he would go see the country sides. He loved to travel. Unfortunately while driving over a cliff he had lost control of the car and fallen off straight down a cliff about fifty meters. The body was so crushed we had him cremated there and brought only the ashes here˜ Aunt Hillary explained with tears in her eyes.

“I was so devastated. I would have gone mad if Harry was not around at that time˜ she continued. “Oh! And where is Harry now? My mother interrupted.

 

“He is now in Sydney, Australia with my sister Demi. Demi as I’ve told you got settled down in Sydney with Diane after her divorce. Diane, you remember her daughter? She would have been very little once you last saw her? Diane, her is now 23 and is in the final year at the Sydney University of Technology. Diane is the one who helped Harry get enrolled in the same University. He went there last October. I too went with him and spent more than two months with Demi. I thought it was best for Harry to go. There seems no hope in entering a university here right now. You remember how it was the last couple of years? It was not at all a safe place for young boys. Especially Harry because he had that same radical arrogance of his father” Aunt Hillary laughed.

 

  “Not that he was into any polities of such. But you never could tell know? That’s why I asked Diane to see whether it was possible to get Harry to her university. Now he lives with Demi and Diane is their apartment. Diane and Harry, they both study computer science. In fact I was just on the phone with Demi. Harry and Diane were busy doing their course work for tomorrow˜ Aunt Hillary continued explaining.

 

“Harry was just a toddler the last time I saw him. He’s as same age as Tom I think? May be just a few months older” mom recalled.

 

“Harry is 12^th August 1969. Tom is?” Aunt Hillary asked.

 

“03^rd of July 1970” Mom said

 

“Tom is almost a year younger to Harry. And how is your daughter? Aunt Hillary asked.

 

“Rachel is expecting her first baby. The baby is due around May. They live in Canada. They migrated last year just after getting married” mom said.

 

Aunt Hillary served us tea and sat back in the same position in front of me' Aunt Hillary had been a pianist of the National Orchestra when she was young and had worked as a music teacher conducting her own classes. She said that she gave-up all her music teaching after Uncle Bill died. Since then she had got self-involved in many charity and social work. She explained that it helped her to overcome her loss and loneliness.

 

I was still watching and admiring Aunt Hillary’s feet. Her slipper was dangling off her toes. I was not paying full attention to the conversation going on. Suddenly she let loose the grip and allowed her slipper to fall on to the ground. I quickly looked up. Aunt Hillary was directly looking at me. I was not sure whether she noticed me gazing at her feet. I felt embarrassed.

—Would you like to see your room Tom? It was originally modified for Uncle Bill’s friends who came to stay over-night. They usually came late at night or left early in the morning for their flights. The room was not used for some time. Luckily for you, I got it cleaned just a week ago as if knowing that you’ll be coming. What a coincidence?˜ she said with a grin.

My room at Aunt Hillary’s house was off the front verandah. She told my parents, she through this room would suit me giving me the freedom to come and go at my will. The room was furnished with a King-single size platform bed, a small writing desk and a word robe. The attached bathroom was quite spacious too.

Directly opposite my room across the verandah was the study room. The verandah also opened into the large living room that we were seated while having our tea. The intermediate niche between the living room and the study was used as a TV lobby. At the end of the living was the dining area, which was also attached to a small pantry cum family dining room.

The house had a court yard behind, which had been converted into a small swimming pool. On one side of the pool were the kitchen and servant’s quarters. On the other side was a bed room that had been Aunt Hillary’s son Harry’s. The visitor’s room and Master bed room were attached to the dining area.

As Aunt Hillary was showing us the room I was busy trying to catch a glance of her feet. At one Point, my parents had gone back towards the verandah and I was at the far end of the room. Aunt Hillary was in-between us standing by the writing table. She was turning her back to me and speaking with my mother. Then she pulled the chair back from under the table a bit and placed her folded knee on the chair, lifting out her Right leg off her slipper. Her soft looking pinkish sole of her Right foot was turned towards me. I couldn’t take my eye off that sight.

At once, she arched her foot creating a ripple of soft wrinkles across her arch and pointed her toes towards me. She waved her foot sideways as to say; ‘Hello, Pay your attention!’.

I quickly looked up. Aunt Hillary was looking at me smiling. This time it was very clear that she had caught me red-handedly while I was peeking out at her feet. My face turned beat-red. I was afraid my parents would notice the difference.

—Well? Young man I hope you like what you’ve seen?” She asked flashing a radiant smile while putting her foot back on the ground and pushing the chair back in. I knew I had to reply her, but my mind was totally confused that I couldn’t think of what to say. I was glad that my mother answered on behalf of me.

—Oh! This is much more than what I expected. You’re really an angle Hilly. I was so worried we wouldn’t find a place as half as decent as this for him to stay. If so he would have missed his lectures tomorrow. Please bare him for a week-or-so until we can find somewhere else, okay darling? Just don’t bother about his meals. He can eat from somewhere out. You allowing him to stay here itself are worth a millions. You don’t need to bother yourself a bit more darling” my mother said.

“This is not at all a bother Madhu. I’m not going to promise you any breakfast or lunch because I often get up late on most mornings Tom. But I can share some dinner with you if that would be okay with you. Mind you that my cooking is as not good as your mother’s cooking darling” Aunt Hillary said with laughter looking at me. Then she turned back to mom and said.

. “In fact I’m very glad you brought him to me Madhu. I was desperately longing to have some male company around the house anyway” Aunt Hillary said laughingly with a wink towards my parents.

We all laughed at her joke. Though it was considered to be a joke at that time, neither Aunt Hillary nor me knew how much our future lives were going to change from that day onwards.