K.S./GOD SAVED THE EARTH

worthless "নতুন গান" - worthless অপদার্থ lyricist, worthless tune , worthless time pass singer - too much hype, একেবারে বাজে quality.

G 

Norman Lewis, Peter, God

Among those whose interest had been aroused by my article on tribal genocide in Brazil, was Tony Snowden [K.S.] ... Peter Crookston phoned to say that Snowdon would like to know if I was contemplating any more journeys...

... although Snowden [K.S.] was at that time a member of the Royal family [Son of Krish.], no problem of protocol would exist.

It was a Sunday, and on the way Snowdon [fictitious name] explained why he [He] had particularly wanted to take this flight. Sunday, he [He] said, was the day when people who were of interest to the press [aka journalists] were least likely to travel, and such people [journalists], he [He] had observed, did all they could to avoid early-morning starts. He was therefore unlikely to be bothered by reporters. In one respect Snowdon [K.S.] had done well, since the check-in area was virtually deserted. However, his [His] baggage bore labels identifying them as the possession of the Right Honourable the Earl of Snowdon, and these were not likely to be overlooked. In a matter of minutes an excited young woman who was unmistakably a journalist bore down on us. Snowdon seemed to stiffen and change colour.

'Norman,' he said, 'could you possibly induce her to go away?' This, what diplomacy I could muster, I declined to do. It was an embarrassing moment, and the first of a number of such confrontations.

We touched down at about 10 at night. We took a taxi through empty streets to the hotel.

Snowden [K.S.] had enquired at the [hotel] desk if there were messages and there were none. We could be certain that the telephone would not ring. The battle for anonymity had, it seemed, been won.

My impression was that they had no quarrel with foreigners. And did I think that they could tell a journalist from England from exploiters? I simply didn't know.

Back in the hotel, I asked the manager, 'Do you expect photographers [journalists] tonight?'

'I think they [journalists] will come,' he said.

'Is there any way they [journalists] can be kept out?'

'It is impossible,' he said. 'If we place a man at the door they will come through the windows. They are very persistent and they know all the tricks. A photographer will come in saying he is a plain-clothes policeman, and carrying an imitation police card. Or someone will say he has been taken ill and ask for a doctor. But the doctor is really a photographer and is carrying a camera in his bag. Nothing will keep these people out.'

'Don't you have a private room where we could have dinner?'

'I will show you,' the manager said.

Next morning it was quite evident that the idea of slipping in and out was the stuff of dreams, for Snowden's [K.S.] presence had already hit the headlines. The newspaper described Walter [PF/Afolf Hitler] as a bodyguard, while I [NL/Joseph Stalin] started off as Martin Lewis, Editor of the Sunday Times, becoming thereafter an agent of the Secret Service.

We had taken our seats and waiters came into sight, trudging as silently as assassins towards us. Between us, the manager, hotel staff and myself had achieved an isolation of the kind that Tony ["Tony Snowden"/K.S.] was unlikely to have known before. Alas, it did not please.

Tony [K.S.] was the most intelligent, interesting and active member of the Royal family, but even he [He] may not have been wholly able to escape the syndrome consequent upon an over-long exposure to the inanities of palaces.

***

A journalist may pass unperceived among the crowd and is sometimes rewarded by experiences from which the foreign traveller is carefully steered away. Tony's appearances in the headlines ruled out this possibility.

A few days later it was time for me to move on. Tony appeared in no hurry to return. Minutes before my plane took off I was subjected to a baffling experience. A stewardess called me [NL/Joseph Stalin] to the plane's open door where three Indians [CBI?] stiff in well-pressed suits, begloved and with highly polished shoes waited to see me [NL/Joseph Stalin].

(From Norman Lewis: THE WORLD, THE WORLD, Picador.)

The fictitious name "Snowden" [for K.S.] is reminiscent of Edward Snowden.

Kishalay Sinha [G]

THE POISON MAID

Richard Garnett: The Poison Maid

Anthony Hope: The Philosopher in the Apple Orchard

etc. etc. in -

SWEET COLLECTION OF ROMANCE AND LOVE STORIES, G.B.D.'s, Good Books Distributors Publishers, 31 Chowringhee Road, Kolkata-16/BOOKS AND GIFTS, S.C. Goswami Road, Canara Bank Building, Panbazar, Guwahati-1, 204 pages, Price: Rs. 70.00

Claire Boiko/K. A. Abbas: THE BOOK THAT SAVED THE EARTH [K.S./God], SEBA English Supplementary Reader for Class X.

Kishalay Sinha কিশলয় সিনহা किशलय सिन्हा जी [G]