Part 14 (2/2)

'Suruj p.o.o.pa, you ain't listening to me. Every Sunday morning bright and early you jump out of your bed and running over to kiss the man foot as though he is some Lord Laloo.'

'Man, Ganesh is a great man and I must go and see him. If he treat me bad, is on his head, not mine.'

And when Beharry went to see Ganesh he said, 'Suruj Mooma not well this morning. Otherwise she woulda come. But she send to say how.'

For Ganesh the most satisfying thing about these early mystic months was the success of his Questions and Answers Questions and Answers.

It was Basdeo, the printer, who pointed out the possibilities. He came to Fuente Grove one Sunday morning and found Ganesh and Beharry sitting on blankets in the verandah. Ganesh, in dhoti and vest, was reading the Sentinel Sentinel he had the paper sent to him every day now. Beharry just stared and nibbled. he had the paper sent to him every day now. Beharry just stared and nibbled.

'Like I tell you,' Basdeo said, after the salutations. He was a little more than plump now and when he sat down he could cross his legs only with difficulty. 'I still keeping the print of your book, pundit. Remember, I did tell you I did feel something special about you. Is a good good book, and is my opinion that more people should have a chance to read it.'

'It still have more than nine hundred copies remaining.'

'Sell those at a dollar a copy, pundit. People go snap them up, I tell you. It have nothing to shame about. After you sell off those I print another edition '

'Revise edition,' Beharry said, but very softly, and Basdeo paid no attention.

'Another edition, pundit. Cloth cover, jacket, thicker paper, more pictures.'

'De luxe edition,' Beharry said.

'Exactly. Nice de luxe edition. What you say, sahib?'

Ganesh smiled and folded the Sentinel Sentinel with great care. 'How much the Elite Electric Printery going to make out of this?' with great care. 'How much the Elite Electric Printery going to make out of this?'

Basdeo didn't smile. 'This is the idea, sahib. I print the book at my own expense. A nice big de luxe edition. We bring them here. You ain't pay a cent so far. You sell the book at two dollars a copy. Every copy you sell you keep a dollar. You ain't even have to lift your little finger. And is a good holy book, sahib.'

'What about other sellers?' Beharry asked.

Basdeo turned apprehensively. 'What other sellers? No body but the pundit sahib going to handle the books. Only me and Ganesh pundit sahib.'

Beharry nibbled. 'Is a good idea, and is a good book.'

So 101 Questions and Answers on the Hindu Religion 101 Questions and Answers on the Hindu Religion became the first best-seller in the history of Trinidad publis.h.i.+ng. People were willing to pay the money for it. The simple-minded bought it as a charm; the poor because it was the least they could do for Pundit Ganesh; but most people were genuinely interested. The book was sold only at Fuente Grove and there was no need of Bissoon's selling hand. became the first best-seller in the history of Trinidad publis.h.i.+ng. People were willing to pay the money for it. The simple-minded bought it as a charm; the poor because it was the least they could do for Pundit Ganesh; but most people were genuinely interested. The book was sold only at Fuente Grove and there was no need of Bissoon's selling hand.

He came, though, to ask for a few copies. He looked longer, thinner, and at a hundred yards couldn't be mistaken for a boy. He had grown very old. His suit was frayed and dusty, his s.h.i.+rt was dirty, and he wore no tie.

'People just ain't buying from me these days, sahib. Something gone wrong. I feel your kyatechism go bring back my hand and my luck.'

Ganesh explained that Basdeo was responsible for distribution. 'And he don't really want any sellers. It have nothing I could do, Bissoon. I sorry.'

'Is my luck, sahib.'

Ganesh turned up the edge of the blanket on which he was sitting and brought out some five-dollar notes. He counted four and offered them to Bissoon.

To his surprise Bissoon rose, very much like the old Bissoon, dusted his coat, and straightened his hat. 'You think I come to beg you for charity, Ganesh? I was a big big man when you was wetting your diaper, and you want now to give me charity charity?'

And he walked away.

It was the last Ganesh saw of him. For a long time no one, not even The Great Belcher, knew what became of him, until Beharry brought the news one Sunday morning that Suruj Mooma thought she had glimpsed him in a blue uniform in the ground of the Poor House on the Western Main Road in Port of Spain.

One Sunday Beharry said, 'Pundit, it have something I feel I must tell you, but I don't know how to tell you. But I must tell you because it does hurt me to hear people dirtying your name.'

'Oh.'

'People saying bad things, pundit.'

Leela came out to the verandah, tall, thin, and fragile in her sari. 'Oh, Beharry. But you looking well well today. How you is? And how Suruj Mooma? And Suruj and the children, they well too?' today. How you is? And how Suruj Mooma? And Suruj and the children, they well too?'

'Ah,' Beharry said apologetically. 'They well. But how you you is, Leela? You looking is, Leela? You looking very very sick these days.' sick these days.'

'I don't know, Beharry. One foot in the grave, as they does say. I ain't know what happening, but I so so tired these days. It have so much things to do these days. I feel I tired these days. It have so much things to do these days. I feel I have have to take a holiday.' She flopped down at the other end of the verandah and began to fan herself with the to take a holiday.' She flopped down at the other end of the verandah and began to fan herself with the Sunday Sentinel Sunday Sentinel.

Beharry said, 'Ahh, maharajin maharajin,' and turned to Ganesh, who was paying no attention to Leela. 'Yes, pundit. People complaining.'

Ganesh said nothing.

'It have some people even saying you is a robber.'

Ganesh smiled.

'Is not you you they complaining about, pundit.' Beharry nibbled anxiously. 'Is the taxi-drivers they don't like. You know how it hard to get up here, and the taxi-drivers charging anything up to five s.h.i.+llings.' they complaining about, pundit.' Beharry nibbled anxiously. 'Is the taxi-drivers they don't like. You know how it hard to get up here, and the taxi-drivers charging anything up to five s.h.i.+llings.'

Ganesh stopped smiling. 'Is true?'

'Is true true, pundit, so help me G.o.d. And the thing, pundit, is that people saying that you own the taxis, and that if you don't charge people for the help you does give them, you does take it out of them in taxi fare.'

Leela got up. 'Man, I think I go go and lie down a little bit. Beharry, tell Suruj Mooma how for me.'

Ganesh didn't look at her.

'All right, maharajin maharajin,' Beharry said. 'You must must take good care of yourself.' take good care of yourself.'

'But, Beharry, it have a lot of taxis coming here, man.'

'Is where you wrong, pundit. Is only five. The same five. And all of them charging the same price.'

'But who taxis they is?'

Beharry nibbled and played with the edge of his blanket. 'Ah, pundit, that is the hard part. Wasn't me did notice it, you know, pundit. Was Suruj Mooma. These woman and them, pundit, they does notice thing we can't even see with magnifying gla.s.s. They sharp as razor-gra.s.s, man.' Beharry laughed and looked at Ganesh. Ganesh was serious. Beharry looked down at his blanket.

'Who taxis?'

'It make me shame to say, pundit. Your own father-in-law. Is what Suruj Mooma say. Ramlogan, from Fourways. It have a good three months now he running those taxis here.'

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