Venganza

Venganza

“Welcome to the Jimmy & Timmy Show” announced Jimmy proudly. He is running this show for the past 7 years and 11 months successfully. Timmy is his partner-in-hand all these years and that shows their unity and team-spirit. Needless to say, the readers would be well aware that Jimmy is a ventriloquist by profession and he lends voice and soul to the Hand-Persona Mr. Timmy Coke. Timmy’s black costume attracted everyone; and daily he wore a new design or pattern of black attire, which was one of the show’s specialities.

*****

Back in the Spanish Yard, I lay unconscious in the dungeon. The incandescent street lamps were translucently visible through the glass windows of my room. I woke up brushing aside the curly blankets and the waiting pillows. After stretching myself a bit, I stealthily picked up my toothbrush and ambled to the bathroom. First day of college is always fun and I’m quite looking forward to the day.

*****
Jimmy was retiring to his room after a tough conversation with his counter-part/ counter-self Timmy. The topics varied from Politics to Sports and Clinton to Osama, and needless to say they were full of controversies. Well, had there been a moderator, many of their threads would have been deleted. Anyone who witnessed the show can clearly vouch that Timmy always expressed what he felt from the heart (of course Jimmy’s heart). Jimmy, on the other hand (not literally though), spoke what was good for the audience. He never tried to indulge in any controversial issue. And this clash pulled the audiences to The McCartney Space.

Mr. Love McCartney is the proprietor of the entertainment institution, which dragged the Almanda Valley crowds on the weekends. It has enough shows varying from magic, puppet, dance, etc which caters to audiences of all the age groups. And Mr. McCartney started with only the Magic Show by himself and later he took 2 more persons (Landon Clark and Henry Glitch) into the venture. Slowly the business expanded, with little assistance from mendacious nature of Mr. Love himself. None from the institution knew that he served 6 months imprisonment before choosing to become a magician.

When Jimmy reached his room, he found the 3 big guns waiting for him.

*****

I entered the college neatly dressed. The big white building was waiting for my arrival. The flags on the poles were waving merrily to the tunes of cool breeze.

‘Hey you blackie’ I heard a husky voice around. When I looked for the source of the voice, I found a gang of five tall guys joking at me. They were indeed joking at my complexion. I consoled myself saying ragging is part of college life.

*****

“There is a problem Gentlemen” announced Mr. McCartney in his usual authoritative tone. “There had been cases of kidnap in our town and the investigation is on”.

“But why do we need to worry” Jimmy quipped.

“You don’t have to worry mate. But we need to. We were once warned by the local cops for such an incident and luckily we were left on bail. And another incident now, we are out” Clark trembled. There was one peculiar feature about Clark – he looked like a culprit without any special make-up. And when he teams up with Glitch and McCartney, no one can stop the trio.

“Are you guys guilty of any abnormality? How may I help you folks” Jimmy asked innocently.

“We need your help” there was unison this time.

*****

Six months had moved on quite comfortably. But my life is becoming bitter day by day. Ever since I met the trouble-some five, I’m facing hell. So I thought enough is enough and fixed a plan. Time has come for Venganza – revenge, in their language.

*****

“It’s all fine sir. But why do you need my help when you are not guilty”

“There is indeed a complication Jimmy. The town is very small and the cops here feel we are upto something; especially they have a grudge on me. So I think it’s better we don’t get involved and you tackle the inspector yourself now”

“Ok I’ll meet him with My Timmy boy. But tell me whatever truth you know about the case”

“The persons missing are a group of foreigners. They came here on my special invitation. I wanted to use their influence and make a big deal out of them. So I lured them through wines, drugs and girls. Now they are missing, this has become a cross-border issue.”

“Ok Timmy will help you in this case. Won’t you My Timmy Boy?”

*****

I gasped for my last breath. My whole plan was a mockery considering the power of the guys whom I was dealing with. Now I lay naked in a tunnel with heat waves burning my body slowly. I can hear my dad’s voice “Tom, come here my child. Tom Mickey, are you fine”.

I simply mumbled “Yes dad”

*****

“So you mean to say you don’t know who they are” questioned Officer Frank.

“Yes sir. Of course, whatever I said was true” stuttered Jimmy.

“Thanks for your time Mr. Jimmy. Now before I leave, let me ask Timmy few questions”

“Of course, my pleasure”.

“Your full name please?”

“Timmy Coke”

“Your dress is nice by the way. Where did you buy this?”

“I don’t buy. My master stitches it for me”

“So I guess it is done with Patterson & Patterson needles?”

“Yes, how do you know…………..” There was a long pause from
Timmy. Jimmy was sweating now.

“Ok thanks Mr. Jimmy, sorry, Mr. Shane Mickey – the case is solved now. And thanks a lot Timmy Coke – a beautifully coined anagram for Tom Mickey”. Saying this, the officer showed Thumps up signal to Mr. McCartney waiting outside.


*****

8 years before…..

When Tom’s dad reached the place, he could not control his tears. His son’s bare body was burnt beyond recognition. He had only one aim in his life thereafter – to punish anyone discriminating based on color. He created a fictional character christened from the alphabets of his son’s name. The puppet spelt his angry feelings in all the stage shows without having the need to create any hiccups.

Almanda Valley was the best place for him to showcase this talent and to vent his fury. He started to kidnap those rascals and strip off their white skin, paint it black and stitch dress for Timmy. This he thought was a perfect revenge. He slowly started kidnapping the whites and did the job monotonously. And he got the perfect chance after roughly 8 years when the group of 5 Spaniards came to Almanda Valley after invitation from Mr. McCartney.

Now he achieved his Venganza.

“Yes Mr. Frank. It was me and my Timmy who did the crime. Arrest us”

***** THE END *****