CASH

Cash.
That was his nickname. A self appointed tourist guide who preyed on unsuspecting tourists in Galle. With no basic education at all, this short, small made pest was making a living by taking tourists through the city of Galle and the ancient dutch fortress while murdering the queen of the English language at will. It was no barrier for him since the tourists at that time were mainly Germans.

He stood in front of me in a commanding posture breaking his long absence fearing reprisal from the family of Wimale, his once close friend whom he murdered a few months back. Completely aware of my close relationship to Wimale, he was now probably, In his opinion, confronting the next online. Completely aware of how much I cared for Wimale as my school days mentor, he is now confronting me as a show of guts.

My school days in Kandy had been unruly with disrespect towards whoever crossed my path, except one tall giant of a person who worked at my father’s grocery shop. Closely related to us from my mother's family he was strong and quite tall. To be quite bold, he was the only person who scared the shit out of my guts and that was uncle Wimale.

I remembered the day I met a close friend of Wimale’s son soon after the murder and with tears and rage in my eyes inquired what is happening. They were waiting for cash to be released on bail.

The prey is standing just facing me and I felt my blood rushing through my veins. Before he made his next move, I patted him on his shoulder and that was when I saw a raging but a satisfied face at a distance over his shoulder. The rat was under constant surveillance by a cat.

I pulled out my wallet and handed over Rs. 500 and asked cash to be good, face the law and come out as a good citizen. I praised him as a good guy and he walked away satisfied and entered the nearest liquor shop. He never would have known that this is the last time he would get money from me and quite honestly neither did I.

The raging face disappeared into the crowd with a smile of satisfaction on his face and entered a communication center. The prey is cornered for the next half hour buried in arrack and that was ample time for the predator to arrive.

Within minutes a jeep arrived with 2 passengers and one of them a tall guy, a replica of Wimale in blue jeans stood on the pavement a few meters away from the liquor shop and the raging face made a nod of approval while scrutinizing the streets for any police patrols. They were constantly in visual contact and communicating with each other in a language of their own.

A good hour passed before the predator looked across the carpeted road partially hiding inside the jeep. As cash approached the lane leading to his house, he swayed with the effect of the arrack consumed with the money given to him by me.

The predator had a 9mm pistol stuck inside his pocket but had no intention of gunning down his prey who murdered his father cold blooded over a petty argument. He wanted revenge and blood for the blood his father shed. His short but sharp sword concealed within his garments, he crossed the road without attracting the attention of any passersby. A jab on the shoulder with the sword made Cash turn back in amazement and with one swift motion of the sword he cut the victims head off. Just like a well honed butcher he spent the next 5 minutes cutting the body into pieces. He was in no hurry until he reached the jeep and sped off into the evening darkness.

PS: Based on a true story