Scattered Fates, Ram Garikipati [black male authors TXT] 📗

Chosǒn Chǒnjaeng, and supported Kim Il Sung.’

‘If the United Nations, led by Americans had not intervened, your country may have been ruled by Kim.’

‘Yes, and we would have once again become a tribute of China. Luckily, we managed to defeat the communists and unify our country once again.’

‘I remember, I was in London during the Corean war, your country used to be spelt with the letter K. We all thought that it would split up, just like Germany.’

‘Actually we were originally spelt with the letter C, but the Japanese changed it to stand ahead of us in the English alphabetic order. We just changed it back after the war.’

‘That's very interesting. If President Truman had listened to his advisors and sacked General MacArthur, your country would have been under communist rule, or we may also have been looking at two countries spelt with a K, instead of one.’

When the north led by Kim Il Sung invaded South in June 1950, starting the Corean War, General Douglas MacArthur was designated commander of the United Nations forces. He came up with a brilliant plan to attack the North's forces, which had captured most of the country except for the port city of Pusan making an amphibious assault at Incheon. Taken by surprise, the north had to retreat back to their side of the border. China intervened in their support, changing the whole game, and the war dragged on. By April 1951, the military situation had stabilized, and MacArthur had wanted to launch another attack on north, seeking to capture the entire territory, even willing to use nuclear weapons. President Truman's advisors wanted to relieve MacArthur of his commands fearing that he was growing domestically very popular, and unilaterally deciding the course of battle. MacArthur finally won the war using conventional methods in July 1953, reuniting the entire peninsula.

‘That is true sir, but the cost of the war was terrible. Our country was destroyed, and countless people lost their lives.’

‘That is what inevitably happens in a war. More civilians suffer than the warring armies and ringleaders.’

‘Is it true that India may also face a similar situation because of the language issue?’

‘I hope not, we are all trying for a peaceful solution. Everything depends on Anna's talks with the other leaders, and of course, most importantly our Prime Minister.’

‘I was told that you have a lady as new Prime Minister now, she must be the first woman leader in the entire world.’

‘That is not true; in 1960 Sirivamo Bandaranaike of Ceylone became the world's first female elected Prime Minister. Moreover Indira was never elected, she manipulated the system, using the accident of her birth to assume this position,’ he smirked.

‘What do you mean?’

‘In India, we have a bicameral parliament, with an upper house called Rajya Sabha, and a lower house Lok Sabha. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct elections and of Rajya Sabha nominated by political parties. Indira was nominated only because she is Nehru's daughter.’

‘Is it legal?’

‘Yes it is legal, but not ethical, to become Prime Minister without fighting elections.’

‘What happens if she fights elections and wins?’

‘Then I take back my words, and I will respect her. Right now, however, her actions just show a lust for power, she wants to prove that she is as capable as Bandaranaike.’

‘Shouldn't you give her more time to prove herself?’

‘True, I am just emotional because I heard that she wants to impose Hindi on us.’

‘It is already one week, and there has been no announcement.’

‘I know, that is what is troubling us. She knew we would start protesting whenever they make the announcement. Maybe she wants to surprise us, I am sure it will happen soon.’

‘I forgot to ask you earlier. If there is violence, how can I go back to my country? The university will only give me a flight ticket at the end of the term.’

‘Don't worry, there will not be much violence, once all the southern states join us she will have to back down.’

‘I am worried that there will be a civil war. I have already been through one in my life, and cannot handle another in a foreign country.’

‘Don't worry Moon, I will take care of your problems, if the university does close suddenly, we will find a way out. You can stay with me if the situation becomes bad, we live in a big campus accommodation with more rooms than necessary.’

‘Thank you, sir, hope Mrs. Subbaiah does not mind.’

‘I am sure Malathi will not mind. Actually, why don't you come to my house for dinner tonight? You must be fed up of the mess food, and it will be an opportunity to introduce yourself.’

‘That is kind of you sir.’

‘Don't expect noodle soup or other eastern dishes. You can taste the local vegetarian food from my province, my wife is a very good cook, but she doesn't eat meat. I have also invited Ganapathy and his wife, my house number is A8, you can easily find it.’

‘OK Sir, I will be there at 6 'o clock.’

‘Six is too early, Malathi would not have started cooking by then.’

‘I am sorry, I forgot. In Corea, we have our dinner at 6 pm, I will come at eight.’

‘7.30 should be fine. If you feel bored you can come earlier, I can lend you some history books from my collection.’

#

Moon returned to his hostel, hoping to catch some rest, he would not miss much by skipping the class on Marxist Economic Theory. Das Kapital always put him to sleep, and he would manage something for the exams.

It was one week since he started sleeping on his own bed, and he never felt more satisfied. After Vinay made a hurried exit, he had mopped the entire room and got rid of the strange smell that was hanging in the air. No more sleeping on Andy’s floor. In fact now his friends spent most of their time in his den, chatting till late in the night. They even brought along their local drinks, converting his room into a secret bar.

Andy came from Nagaland, one of the Northeastern Indian states, with 90 percent Christian population. They loved to make their own liquor from rice and for his stay in Madras, he had packed a suitcase full of zutho bottles.

The first time Moon tasted zutho he immediately took a liking to it, it tasted just like makgeolli, which was his second favorite alcohol drink. The first was of course soju, as it had three times the strength, enabling him to get high faster for less.

Andy warned him to go slow on his zutho stash as the stock was fast depleting, but once alcohol started flowing, there was no stop.

At first Moon was surprised to find that hardly anyone drank alcohol in the University. The drinking culture was deeply ingrained in Corea and families even occasionally shared soju and makgeolli with the ladies and children joining in. Here, only the foreign exchange students had the occasional beer, while the students from Northeast swigged their own local brew. Someone told him that Hindu's consider it a sin to drink alcohol, only Christians and the lower castes participated in this activity. Another puzzle, he would never understand.

Tonight they had planned to get high on zutho, and try some ganja that his friend had picked up from a shop near Madras Central station.

As he approached the room, he saw it slightly ajar and expected to find Andy over for an impromptu visit, instead, as he pushed it wider, the strange smell was back, much to his horror.

Shikya is back.Our plan is foiled, have to leave a note for Andy.

‘Hi, you returned? I thought you were going to Delhi,’ he said, staring at Vinay.

‘My father did not want to spend more money, he heard there was no agitation and sent me back.’

‘So then you will complete the term?’

‘Yes, I have no option. What have you done to this room? What are those bottles in the corner?’

‘Those are some herbal medicines that Andy got from his hometown.’

‘So many of them? What is that strange smell?’

Bloody fool, it is coming from you.

‘Maybe there’s a dead rat somewhere... I have to go and find Andy, he has my lecture notes.’

‘OK, see you for dinner. Want to go to Triplicane again?’

‘Sorry, I have a dinner meeting.’

‘With whom?’

‘Andy and other friends, we want to try out a new Chinese restaurant on Mount Road,’ he lied.

‘Chinese? I heard they eat snakes and dogs, how disgusting. What about you?’

‘What about me?’

‘Do you eat snakes and dogs?’

‘The meat is delicious, you should try it sometime. There are so many snakes and dogs here, if you want I can cook for you one day,’ he replied, determined to make Vinay uncomfortable.

Chinese believe that there are specific health benefits to be gained from eating snake, and it is also considered a male aphrodisiac, but it was not very popular in Corea. Dog meat soup was a different pot altogether, and considered a delicacy in his country.

‘How can you people eat dogs? They are man's best friends?’

‘The meat is tasty and healthy, much better than chicken or beef. I never complain about your food, so you have no right to judge my traditional food.’

‘Barbarians, I wonder how your Indian Queen tolerated the nasty food.’

‘What do you mean my Indian Queen?’

‘The priest at my family temple said that an Indian princess from my hometown went to your country 2,000 years ago and married your King. She became the first Queen of your country, so actually Coreans are half-Indian. That is why you are better looking than Chinese hee heee,’ he chuckled.

‘What a fantasy. Do you seriously think it is possible?’

‘Of course it is, it is also recorded in your oldest history book.’

‘I get it, you are talking of Queen Heo Hwang-ok, the first queen of Gaya Dynasty. For your information, the Samguk Yusa says that a princess travelled by boat from Ayutthaya in Thailand, not your hometown in India. She came to marry King Suro who ruled a small kingdom in Corea, not my entire country.’

‘There is a temple in my hometown which also mentions the queen, I am sure that she came from Ayodhya.’

‘Can you really believe that a princess from India had a dream and travelled thousands of kilometers across the seas to marry a person she never met. They had nothing in common, not even the food they ate, or the language they spoke, maybe she was just his concubine.’

‘I don't know; my priest told me and I believe him, a Brahmin knows everything.’

‘Then how come you do not seem to know anything?’

‘Believe what you want to. India has a 5,000 year old history and my ancestors conquered most of the world, including Corea.’

‘Typical arrogance, just like the Chinese. A country's greatness lies not in its history but with what its people make of the present.’

‘You will see soon, India will be a superpower under Indira. Anyway, I am tired, and have to take some rest, a bunch of madrasis sat next to me in the train, farting all night. Enjoy your Chinese food with the other chinkies and spare me the details when you get back.’

Relieved, Moon left to find Andy and share the bad news.

Our secret bar is closed.

#

Locating Professor Subbaiah's house was a breeze. As Moon stood at the frontdoor, he heard laughter filtering through the curtains and realized that the mood was pleasant.

It means there is still no news about the language policy; I hope the new Prime Minister never announces it.

He looked for a calling bell, and unable to locate it, knocked twice.

‘So here you are, hope there was no difficulty,’ Subbaiah said, opening the door.

‘Hello sir. Sorry I did not get a gift.’

‘That is not necessary, we do not have that custom here, make yourself comfortable.’

Moon noticed Ganapathy reclining on a cane chair, fiddling with a camera.

‘Hello professor.’

‘Hello young man. Everything fine?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Do you know anything about cameras? Subbaiah wanted a few family photos taken.’

‘That is a Rolleiflex TLR, a very expensive German