Chapter 38

Asin’s instrument shop is across Tirad and Dalia’s hut. Tirad is sitting in front of his door with his three-year-old son, ‘Narivan’, on his lap, both listening to the sound of oud playing in the shop. The Ararat mount peak can be seen from where Tirad is sitting, perhaps the most beautiful scene he has ever seen in his life and after living on the Paradise Island for four years, he hasn’t become tired of staring at this marvellous scenery. The peak is covered with fog and clouds in the rain season but the clear sunny weather of the dry season makes it enchanting. Dalia pours water all over her head and body from a buckle next to the hut and hangs the washed clothes on a rope outside to dry them with the hot sunshine of the season. Her round, pregnant belly makes it difficult for her to bend down and pick up the washed clothes. Tirad kisses Narvian’s stubble head and gets up to help her. Narivan sits there in his father’s stool listening to the song from Asin’s shop. Tirad takes the clothes from Dalia, kisses her and sends her away, finishing her work for her. Two teenage boys run towards Tirad calling his name as they come closer. Tirad lets them catch their breaths and asks them what’s going on in Atlan language.

“A boat has arrived… Someone has come to see you!” one of the boys says, bending down to catch his breath again. The boy reminds him of his students on the Saviour Ship that would always come running, thinking they bear the most important and urgent news. Tirad smiles at the boy and asks whether he should go to the harbour or wait here. The boys don’t know and run off. Whoever has come to see him will get there within half an hour, after getting through the harbour gate and walking uphill. He tells Dalia that they are going to have a guest. Dalia picks up the little Narivan from the stool and takes him inside, but the boy prefers to go to his grandmother’s shop. Dalia knows Asin is teaching now and doesn’t want to interrupt her class. Dalia tells Tirad that they are all set and the hut is in order for the guest. Tirad gets back inside as well to collect his drawing papers. He has sketched little Narivan in different positions. He piles them up and puts them on a shelf. He likes to draw another one right now but his thoughts are tangled. He hopes his guest has come from his home and it’s not another Atlan folk. He misses the Saviour Island and even though he was invited to go back many times, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the Paradise. Asin had told him this was a curse on the village people. “No one knows why but once you stay here, you can never leave!” she had said to him, when he had finally learnt her language and could speak with her. The guests usually stay longer in the village than they planned and are forced out by the harbour guards. Since Tirad had saved Atlan from a war that was on their doorstep and came to this island, the Atlan chiefs had come to see him many times asking him for advice. But if the newcomer was from Atlan the boys wouldn’t be so excited about it. He must have had a different appearance or spoken another language that had made them eager to run up the hill and give him the news.