Overnight to Innsbruck by Denyse Woods

Author:Denyse Woods [Denyse Woods]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781843512325
Publisher: The Lilliput Press
Published: 2011-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

It was almost dark by the time Suleiman returned. Richard was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, mentally and physically exhausted. The Nubian had another man with him, a small, spindly individual, wearing a white shirt, an old pair of brown pinstriped trousers, and a pair of spectacles.

‘This man go to El Khartoum,’ Suleiman said. ‘You go with him.’

Richard stood up, unable to believe his ears. ‘Go with him? … Are you sure?’ He turned to the driver. ‘I have no money, nothing to offer you.’

Suleiman tutted and vigorously shook his head, as if he had insulted them both.

‘Thank you,’ said Richard, shaking the driver’s hand. ‘Thank you so much. This is wonderful. You’ve no idea—’

‘I am sorry, he does not speak English. He is Madgid.’

They led Richard outside to where a truck, stacked high with sacks, was parked. It seemed Madgid was going to Khartoum anyway. His knees weak with relief, Richard kept saying ‘Shoukran! Shoukran!’ as if they had opened the very gates of Paradise, not organized a lift out of their own home town. ‘You are so kind,’ he said. ‘I’m eternally grateful for your help.’

Madgid spoke to Suleiman, then called ‘Assalam aleikum’ and walked away. ‘Aleikum assalam,’ Suleiman replied.

‘Eh? Where’s he off to? I thought we were going to Khartoum?’

‘Yes, yes,’ said Suleiman. ‘But not yet.’

‘Not yet? When then?’

He shrugged.

‘But—’

‘Come. You come with me.’ Suleiman went back to the station.

Richard’s elation collapsed. He could be there for days. The truck was loaded – with dates, probably – but that didn’t mean anything. Time was dispensable in this part of the world.

Suleiman led him some way along the platform to a tiny hovel of a room with a mattress on the floor. It was probably where he slept himself when trains were due to stop during the night; or maybe he lived there. Richard looked into this bare cement cell. Suleiman seemed delighted that he had, against all odds, managed to sort out the crazy foreigner who had missed his train, and while Richard tried to rise to this generosity, he failed to shake off the disappointment that they couldn’t just jump into the van and go. Still, he appreciated the bed, however rank, and the privacy.

Suleiman said, ‘You okay here. No one come.’

This confirmed that Richard was at risk travelling without documents, and if Suleiman understood this, then Madgid must know it too. With a warm handshake, Suleiman disappeared into the great unknown of Abu Hamed, leaving Richard alone.

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