Chapter 51 five one

When I finished telling the story to Tiare, she praised my sharpness of perspective.After this we worked with our heads down for a few minutes, and no one spoke again, for we were peeling beans.Her eyes never let go of anything that happened in the kitchen. Not long after, she saw the Chinese chef do something that she disapproved of, and immediately scolded him a lot, but the Chinese also Not showing any weakness, so you started an extremely fierce battle of words with each other.They used the local dialect when they scolded each other. I could only understand five or six words. It gave me the impression that the end of the world was coming soon.But it wasn't long before peace was restored, and Tiare actually handed the cook a cigarette.Both of them puffed up the clouds comfortably.

You know, I was the one who found his wife.Tiari said something out of the blue, with a big smile on his face. The chef's wife? No, Strickland's. He already has it. He said the same thing.But I told him that her wife is in England, and England is on the other side of the world. good.I replied. Every two or three months, when he needed paint, or tobacco, or money to spend, he came to Papeete.When I got here, he always wandered around like a wild dog without a master, and I looked at it very pitifully.I hired a girl here to help me tidy up the room.Her name is Ata.She was a distant relative of mine, and her parents were dead, so I had to take her in.Strickland came to me sometimes to have a good meal, or to play a game of chess with one of my workers.I noticed that Ata stared at him every time he came.I asked her if she liked this guy.She said she liked him very much.You know how these girls are, they like to find a white guy.

Is Ata a local?I asked. Yes, not a drop of white blood.So, after I had talked with her, I sent for Strickland, and I said to him: Strickland, it is time for you to make your home here too.A man of your age should stop fooling around with women on the docks.There are no good people there, and you will not end well with them.You have no money, and you can’t do anything for a long time, not for two months.No one will hire you now.Although you say you can live in the jungle with some natives all the time, and they will live with you, because you are white, but as a white person, this kind of life is not the way you live.Now I have an idea for you, Strickland.

Tiare spoke alternately in French and English, for she was equally fluent in both.When she spoke, her tone was like singing, and it sounded very melodious.If the bird could speak English, you would think it was speaking in this tone. Listen to me, how about you marrying Ata?She is a good girl, only seventeen years old this year.She never messed around with a captain or a mate like some girls here did, which happened, but definitely not with the locals.She's very self-loving, you know.The last time the Oahu came here the purser told me he never had a better girl than her in all these islands.Now it's time for her to find a home. Besides, whether it's the captain or the first mate, they always want to change their tastes from time to time.All the girls who work for me, I don't ask them to work for many years.Ata acquired a small piece of property by the Tarawa River, not long before you arrived here, and the copra harvest was enough for you to live comfortably at today's market prices.There's a house there too, and you'll have as much time as you want to paint.what do you think?

Tiare paused to catch his breath. At this time, he told me that he had a wife in England.My poor Strickland, I told him, they all have a niece somewhere else; and that is generally why they come to our islands.Ata was a sensible girl, and she did not ask for any ceremony in the mayor's presence.She's a Christian, you know, and Christians don't treat things like that like Catholics. Then he said: So what is Ata's opinion on the matter?It seems that she has a lot of affection for you, and I said, if you want, she will agree.Shall I call her here?Strickland giggled, as he always did, dryly and comically.So I called Ata over.Ata knew what I was talking to Strickland just now, the slut; I was watching her out of the corner of my eye, and she was pretending to be ironing a freshly laundered smock, and she was listening to every word. Talk to the two of us.She came up to me, giggling, but I could tell she was a little shy.Strickland looked at her for a while, but said nothing.

Is she good looking?I asked. quite gorgeous.But you must have seen her paintings in the past.He painted her picture after picture, sometimes wearing a Palio, sometimes wearing nothing at all.Yes, she is pretty.She can cook.I taught her myself.I saw Strickland pondering the matter, and I said to him: I pay her a lot, and she has saved it up.The captains and mates she knew sometimes gave her something.She had saved several hundred francs. 【Note】The clothing of the local people is a kind of girdle made of homespun cloth. Strickland tugged on his red beard and laughed. Hey, Ata, he said, would you like to call me your husband?

She didn't say anything, just giggled. Didn't I tell you, Strickland, does this girl have feelings for you?I said. I'm going to beat you up.He looked at her and said. If you don't hit me, how do I know you love me?she replied. Tiari interrupted the story and went back to his own past. My first husband, Captain Johnson, was also constantly whipping me.He was a man, six feet three inches tall, with a good figure.Once he got drunk, no one could persuade him, and he would always beat me black and purple all over my body, which would not go away for many days.Cough, I cried when he died.I don't think I'll ever recover from this blow in my life.But I really know how great my loss is, and that is between me and George.After Ryan got married.If you don't live with a guy, you'll never know what he's like.George.Ryan has disappointed me more than any man has ever failed me.He was handsome, too, a heavy build, almost as tall as Captain Johnson, and looked very strong.But all this is superficial.He was never drunk, never hit me.Almost like a missionary.Every time a steamer comes into port, I make love to the officers on board, but George.Ryan could see nothing.In the end I got so tired of him that I divorced him.What is the advantage of marrying such a husband?The way some men treat women is just horrific.

I comforted Tiare, and sympathetically said that men always prey on women; and I begged her to continue telling me Strickland's story. Well, I said to Strickland, there was no need to worry about it.Take your time and think about it.Ata has a nice room in the wing, you live with her for a month and see if you like her.You can eat with me.After a month, if you decide to marry her, you can settle down on her estate. He agreed to do so.Ata still worked for me, and I asked Strickland to eat at my place, as I promised.I taught Ata to cook one or two of his favorite dishes.He didn't paint much.He wandered in the mountains and bathed in the river.He sat by the sea looking out over the lagoon.Every sunset, go to the beach to see Moore Island.He also often goes fishing on the reef.He liked to hang out on the pier, chatting with the locals.He never yelled and was very pleasant.Every day after supper he went with Ata to the lodge.I could see that he longed to be back in the jungle.At the beginning of the month, I asked him what he planned to do.He said he would go with Ata, if Ata would go.So I prepared a table of wedding wine for them.I cook it myself.I made them split pea soup, Portuguese style prawns, curry rice and coconut salad. You haven't tried my coconut salad yet, have you?I'll make sure to make it for you before you leave here and I've got ice cream for them.We drank champagne like hell, followed by rum.Ah, I've made up my mind a long time ago that I must make the wedding look good.After dinner, we danced in the living room.At that time I was not as fat as I am now, and I loved dancing from a young age.

The living room of Flower Hotel is not big. There is a simple piano, a set of Filipino mahogany furniture neatly arranged along the four walls, covered with a velvet cover covered with flowers, and several books on the round table. On the wall is an enlarged photograph of Tiare and her first husband, Captain Johnson.Although Tiare was old and fat, we rolled up the Brussels rug a few times, and the girl who came to work in the hotel danced with two of Tiare's friends, only to the accompaniment of Just music from an asthmatic record player.On the terrace, the rich aroma of Tiare flowers filled the air, and overhead, the star of the Southern Cross twinkled in a cloudless sky.

Tiari recalled the grand event a long time ago, and couldn't help showing an enchanted smile on his face. We played until three o'clock in the middle of the night that day, and there was no one who didn't go to bed drunk.I've made an agreement with them that they can go in my little buggy as far as the road can't get them.After that, they still have a long way to go.Aita's property is in a place surrounded by mountains far, far away.They set out at dawn, and the servant I sent to see them did not return until the next day. Yes, Strickland was thus married.