A Garland of Marigolds (24 page)

He smiled
his
acknowledgment.

“
And that
was enough,
”
he agreed.
“
Nevertheless she is very
happy at
the
outcome.
”

He turned
away to
chat
to the old men around him, but at that
moment Julie
came running up the bank toward us, her face white
and frightened
looking.

“
It
’
s my father!
”
she gasped. She flinched away from the
Swami
and turned to
me.
“
He
’
s
fallen in the water,
”
she said.
“
It was all a
joke!
He only
wanted to see
that Gideon got his fair share of the credit.
He didn
’
t see why you
should
be
standing up here. He was
going to make sure that the government
man was taken around
the other way so he couldn
’
t see
you at all. And then Camilla
pushed him in!
”

“
Camilla
did?
”
My
first reaction was to laugh, and even the
Swami
looked amused. Julie stamped her foot at the two of us.

“
He
can
’
t swim!
”

I caught some of her fright at that. I took off my high-heeled shoes and left them on
the
top of the bank and ran after her to the other side of the stream and up the other bank to where she thought her father was. A little knot of people had gathered at the water
’
s edge, giggling and nudging one another. I pushed my way through them and ran straight into Gideon
’
s waiting arms.

“
My goodness,
”
he said in an amused voice,
“
we don
’
t want to
have
two of you
wet
and dripping. Where are you going in such a
hurry?
”

I tried
to
release myself from his clasp, but he didn
’
t appear to
notice. In
fact
he
held me all the closer as though he didn
’
t want to
let
me go.

“
I
thought he might have hurt you,
”
I said at last in shaken
tones.

Gideon shook his head.
“
Not twice,
”
he said grimly.

“
But what happened?
”
I asked.

A tiny, birdlike man, dressed in a
dhoti
and a Congress cap, came forward and shook my hand.

“
It
was very sudden. This man tried to kidnap me, I am sure of
it!
He kept saying he wished to introduce me to Mr. Wait
’
s
fiancée
. Then this girl pushed him into the water!
”
He waved a hand at
Camilla.

Despite myself, I giggled. Gideon
’
s clasp tightened around my waist.

“
Suki, my love, take Mr. Singh and introduce him to the
panchayat,
will you? I
’
ll wrap Mr. Burnett in a blanket and Julie can take him home to his loving wife!
”

“
I won
’
t!
”
Julie cried out desperately.
“
I
’
m staying here. You asked me to stay!
”

“
And now I am asking you to go,
”
Gideon replied calmly.
“
Your father will be better off at home in his own dream world.
”

Julie said nothing at all. She tore at his arm and tried to pull him toward her.

“
I
’
m not coming, Julie,
”
he said.

“
But why not?
”
she demanded. She turned on me bitterly.
“
It
’
s because of you! Isn
’
t it? I suppose you think you can fascinate him forever with a few grains of wheat!
”

But somehow no one was listening to her. Gideon wrapped Mr. Burnett up in a rug from the jeep, pushed him into the vehicle and lifted Julie in beside him.

“
Drive them back to their car,
”
he ordered Joseph briefly. Camilla jumped up and down impatiently.

“
I
’
ll go with him and bring him back safe and sound!
”
she announced.

Gideon grinned at her.
“
Okay,
”
he said.
“
Just so long as Suki stays here with me.
”

The band was still playing when we arrived back at our reserved positions. I felt a little self-conscious without my shoes and I was horribly aware of Gideon
’
s amusement when the
Swami
silently held them out to me. It was Gideon, though, who put them on for me.

“
Well, Mr. Singh,
”
he drawled as he stood up,
“
what do you think of our dam?
”

The government official beamed his approval. From somewhere in his
dhoti
he produced the notes of his speech.

I have no idea what he said. Gideon and I stood a little behind him. He held my hand tightly in his and I stood in a dream, wondering what I had done to deserve such happiness.

It seemed a very long time before Mr. Singh came to the end of his speech, but I didn
’
t care. Even when the clouds came rolling back and more rain threatened to spoil the brightness of the day, it didn
’
t seem to matter. And then, from nowhere, Mr. Singh produced a garland of marigolds and placed it carefully around my neck.

“
The marigold means much to us,
”
he said.
“
It is the color of the rising sun and the beginning of the dawn of understanding.
”
There were garlands for everyone. Splashes of orange spread through the crowd. The band began to play again and the crowds broke into song. It was very pretty and made me want to cry.

“
I think we can go,
”
Gideon whispered in my ear.
“
Will you come home with me?
”

I nodded. I couldn
’
t have spoken at that moment. It was as if I had never seen him before, and I knew with trembling certainty that he knew it, too. People stood aside as we slithered down the bank and commandeered the first vehicle we saw. Gideon helped me in.

“
Darling, could you take that garland off?
”
he asked me humorously.

I clutched it to me, admiring the clever way it had been made.
“
Why?
”
I asked.
“
I
’
m very proud of it!
”

He laughed.
“
I guess I am, too,
”
he admitted.

He sat beside me and drove the jeep off at a great pace until the dam and the crowds were far behind us. The first drops of rain were beginning to fall again.

“
Darling,
”
he said,
“
do you love me?
”

But I couldn
’
t say it.

“
Was it a mistake to be kind to Julie?
”
he asked.
“
She was an awful nuisance to me the whole time she was here!
”

“
I know,
”
I said.
“
I saw it in your face when you told her to go.
”
He pulled me a little closer to him.

“
And you love me?
”
he asked again. But he gave me no time to answer. His mouth came down on mine and I was lost in his arms. The pungent smell of crushed marigolds mixed with the rain.

“
Yes,
”
I said when I could.
“
I love y
ou! I love you! I love you!
”

And he kissed me again.