Helen Goes for Mr. Sunday

Who is Mr. Sunday?: Part 3

"Don't you know?" said the watchman puzzled.

"Know what?"

"Karishma bitiya sold the house. Or at least we think she did. She didn't tell you?"

Helen blanched.

The watchman looked on.

"A..actually I haven't spoken to her in a while," stuttered Helen.

"Oh," said the watchman. "Well, she walked in one day with a man, and by the looks of it, it appeared to me that they were going around. She looked very happy, and I was happy for her. I never saw her again, but the man returned several times, ordering us around, claiming he had bought the house from her. He always carried some papers to prove it. He drove the tenants away, changed the locks, sold off all the furniture, and has commissioned an agent to sell the house off again. You didn't see the board when you entered?"

"What board?" said Helen, looking confused.

The watchman pointed to a board plastered to the compound wall.

It read: "This property belongs to Vinay Nair and is up for sale. Interested parties may call the number below." There was a phone number written underneath the message.

Helen took out her mobile phone from her purse and saved the number on her phone.

"Come in, bitiya," said the watchman, entering his cabin. Helen followed the watchman inside. The cabin was a small room that had all sorts of household appliances and a small bed along a wall. On the bed sat a little girl aged six or seven with one side of her face quite swollen and bearing a wound.

"Uncle, who is this, and what's happened to her?"

"This is my granddaughter, Titli, and a stray dog bit her a couple of days ago."

"You did get her an injection, didn't you? Why is her face still so swollen?"

The watchman fell silent.

"What? You did get her an injection, right?"

"What do I say, bitiya  . We don't have money to eat. How can I afford an injection for her?"

"Why, what's the matter?"

"I lost my son and daughter-in-law in an accident six months ago. Since then it's just Titli and me. I had actually retired, and my son was watching over this place. But since his death, I resumed duty. I had to beg to the new owner to let me return to work. He wasn't keen on it because I'm too old. But I just resumed on my own. He hasn't paid us a single rupee so far, and whatever savings I had were exhausted in trying to save the life of my daughter-in-law in hospital, though that didn't happen."

There was silence for a few moments.

"No one else will employ me at this age, so I continue to watch over the place, hoping the new owner will pay me. I have almost no money left now. In fact..." said the watchman, lowering his eyes and finding it difficult to talk, "I'm really sorry, but he has ordered me to not let anyone inside the house except for the maid..."

Helen looked on.

"So I'm going to have to ask you to not go in there again,"  said the watchman, pressing his hands against his cheeks, still not making eye contact with Helen.

Helen gave the watchman an incredulous stare. 

"I'm really sorry. I hope you understand my situation."

Helen did not speak for a minute or so. Then she got up and turned in the direction of the house.

"Bitiya..."