The Butler Did It!

Nimi Kurian

4 April 2008, 09:41

The army officer and his wife were billeted outside the Cantonment. He was not too happy about it as he felt it would be safer to stay within the confines of the quarters – especially since his wife was of ‘delicate disposition’. And another thing, it was never too pleasant to have to stay in the midst of civilians. It was with some misgiving that they drove up to the town and then a little away to find their house. They were pleasantly surprised to find it was indeed very beautiful. A large stately home with a well-tended garden and a lovely view of the distant blue-green mountains and far below the road winding its way through the ghats.

His wife loved the old house and the garden at first sight. When she entered she was even more enthralled. A large verandah, spacious drawing room with big french windows, comfortable furniture…everything was perfect. There was a well-polished wooden staircase rising elegantly up to the next floor where the bedrooms lay. A small lounge outside the master bedroom was an added surprise. The lounge had a grand view of the valley.
What added to the general wonderment of the couple was that along with all this grandeaur came a trained butler too. Aroickasamy, known as Sam, was almost 65 years old. It was he who welcomed the couple to the house.

“Good morning Sir,” he said gruffly. “My name is Aroickasamy. You can call me Sam. I am your butler and I will supervise the cook and the maid. The gardener and the driver do not come under my supervision. Are there any questions?”

Of course the two of them were too flummoxed to answer, disagree or question. They could only dumbly nod as Sam showed them around the house.

Within a second of his introduction, Sam had gauged his new employers. “Not very upper class. But then army officers! Hmmpf!” and from that moment he treated them with utmost respect, laced with a good dose of contempt.

“Bit of a Jeeves, don’t you think?” the officer asked his wife. She was so intimidated by Sam that she could only nod.

The day passed peaceably enough and the wife was relaxed. However, at around tea time, the officer got a call. He had to meet the General in the club. Nothing important, just a social call.

“Would it be okay to leave her alone in the evening? Would the dark upset her?” he wondered. He was a little nervous leaving his wife alone in the evening. And that too, the first evening in the their new home. Anyway he was left with no choice. His only consolation was that Sam was around, and despite his rather snobbish attitude he would take care of her.

He kissed her good bye and drove off. The sun had long set and the shadows of night were creeping in. The trees on the edge of the garden swooshed gently as they moved with the night breeze. An owl hooted nearby.

She began to get nervous. “I must be bold. I must be bold. I will not get scared. I will not get scared,” she told herself. She took out a nice romantic book, curled up on one of the sofas in the upstairs lounge and began to read. The lights in the distance mountain twinkled. But the rest of the hillside was clothed in darkness and mystery. She tried not to look out of the windows but kept her eyes glued on the page.

Soon, she heard Sam coming up the wooden stairs. Although Sam made her nervous, she was relieved to have him come up. She wondered why he was coming up anyway.

“Hope he isn’t coming up to ask me something,” she thought. “I just wouldn’t know what to tell him.”

Sam walked into the room and saw that just as he had expected, the curtains were not drawn.

“They wouldn’t know that curtains had to be drawn at dusk!” he muttered to himself and he began untying the sash and shutting out the dark.

She could hardly concentrate on the book but she dared not lift her head for fear of Sam. Just then the quiet was broken by a thumping on the stairs. It sounded as if someone was coming up.

“Sam!” she whispered hoarsely, her eyes wide with fear. “Who is that?”

“Oh Madam, that is nothing. Just the Englishman’s ghost coming upstairs!”

Comment

  1. Well written and described .The English Colonial fever that still haunts the hills!!

    — jude · Apr 6, 07:18 · #

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