The Salesman

The "bedman" came that day. A woman caught up in her own hopeless world finds hope again through a story of true love in affliction. Josh and Suli are forced apart by ignorant people who have no understanding of love.

The Salesman

 

 

 

 

The ‘bed man’ came that day, but he did not give me a new bed. He gave me something so much greater: Hope for the future.

 

 

I hated life. I despised it with everything in me. “This is as good as it is ever going to get,” I thought aloud as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I had become an empty shell with a tired heart. The bags under my eyes were not particularly attractive either. I always thought that Jim and I would have a cliché, happily ever after, fairytale ending. Things were going so well, until…I softly caressed my empty tummy. Jim was really looking forward to being a dad. A few months ago, he seemed to look at me more adoringly, he seemed to touch me a little more gently. I could not stop myself from thinking back to the day that everything changed. It was such a beautiful day. Jim and I slept late and then made banana pancakes while we spoke about our precious baby boy. We wondered whether he would have Jim’s blue eyes or my dimples. Would he love drawing or prefer rugby? I was finishing the last few bites of my pancakes when a sharp pain suddenly surged through my abdomen. Jim rushed me to the hospital, but it was in vain.  After I lost…after that day, I could no longer look Jim in the eye, because I disappointed him. I could not give him the one thing he longed for. Sometimes, I heard him weeping during the night, but I was unable to comfort him.

 

A tentative knock at the door interrupted my self-pitying thoughts. I considered ignoring it and climbing back into bed, but with the second knock- which was slightly more adamant than the first- I decided to see who was there. Standing on our front porch was a little, grey-haired man in a suit. “Good afternoon, Ma’am. I am a sales rep. from ‘Queeny’s bed and mattress co.’ May I please come in for a few minutes to show you our fantastic autumn catalogue?” I stared at the man who had just said this, and had the incredible urge to hit him. In my mind, there was nothing worse than pushy salesmen. I was about to make up an excuse as to why I was unable to let him in, when a different thought crossed my mind. Things were not going well between Jim and me and perhaps I would need a new bed soon. I did not really want to share a bed with my husband any more and the bed in the guest bedroom was incredibly uncomfortable. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been thinking about buying a new bed. Please, come in,” I said and ushered the old man into our messy living room.

 

After I offered the old man a cup of coffee (which he politely declined), he proceeded to show me the bedding company’s catalogue. I was not quite sure whether I fancied any of the beds and after promising to think about a future purchase, the salesman was on his way.  “Is that you and your husband?” He was looking at a framed picture that stood on the piano. The young faces of my husband and me stared back at us from a happier time, mockingly. I slowly nodded my head. The salesman obviously noticed my despondent sigh, because he suddenly said, “Love is a strange thing. Sometimes it brings us more hurt than happiness. Yet, the occasional good moments, as fleeting and rare as they may be, make every single tear worthwhile. You have to believe that there will be a rainbow after the stormy clouds.” He paused for a moment, before saying, “In this life, you need to cling to Hope with everything in you, because without it, you may as well be dead. That reminds me of a story…” I was not in the mood for a silly love story (or any other story for that matter), but there was a strange twinkle in the old man’s eyes- a twinkle which had long been missing from my own- and I felt the unexplainable need to hear his story. I smiled politely as I said, “I’d like to hear it, if you have the time.” He looked excited as he sat down on the couch again.

 

“My story begins in 1970 with a little boy named Josh and his best friend, Suli. Suli lived in Josh’s backyard with her mother and therefore, the two friend could play together endlessly. He thought that Suli was so lucky, because she did not have to go to school, and this meant that she could play outside all day. Josh figured that Suli’s many hours in the sun was the reason for her beautiful tan. In his opinion, she was a lot prettier than the other girls he knew.

 

Josh was going to marry Suli one day- he was sure of that. No one else made him feel quite as nice on the inside as she did. The little boy told his mother about his future plans, but instead of being happy for him, his mother told him that he could not marry Suli and that it would not be ‘proper’, because she was ‘different’ from them.  He could not stop thinking about what his mother had said. He always knew that Suli was ‘different’ from them- she was much prettier and a lot more fun- but Josh did not see why this should stop him from marrying her. A little while before that, Suli had agreed to marry him in the future, and regardless of what his mother said, the two friends continued to play together and dream big dreams, while many sunny afternoons past away almost unnoticed. Suli was all that he could see; she filled his childlike world with perfect memories.

 

The only thing that Josh loved nearly as much as playing with his best friend, was spending time at the beach- his favourite place. He could happily spend hours gazing at the beautiful water in complete awe, the wind caressing his face. Suli’s mother told him a story about the African wind goddess and how she sang lullabies to the sea. When Josh tried to imagine this, he could see Suli as being the wind goddess. She was free and crazy and almost a part of nature itself. His mother never let him play outside when it was cold, but Suli did not think twice about dancing in the rain. He was convinced that Suli was very definitely the wind goddess. Josh decided that it would be incredible if he could take the wind goddess to his favourite place. She was all that he needed to be happy. Just Suli and his favourite place. Once again, his mother ruined his plans and said that he could not take Suli to the beach with him.  She said that Suli was not allowed on their beach. Josh was so angry that he did not speak to his mother for two days.

 

Josh often wondered why Suli did not have a daddy, but he was not sure if it would be polite to ask her about it. The more that Josh thought about it though, the more he realised that it would be okay to ask about her father, seeing as they were practically engaged.  Suli told him that her father died when she was a baby. She was living with her family in a township called Sharpeville at that point and she said that ‘they’ shot him.  The little boy was curious as to who ‘they’ were. Suli explained that her mother had told her that they were hateful men who did not like the fact that her daddy felt strongly about what was right. Josh’s mother always told him that he should stand up for the things he believed in, so he could not understand why Suli’s father was shot for doing precisely that. In the weeks that followed, the little boy’s theories and beliefs on life were challenged even more. Josh woke up early one morning to find Suli in his bedroom. She was holding a tiny suitcase and Josh could see that she had been crying. Suli told him that her mommy was arrested for going to the beach. It made no sense to his naïve, young mind. As far as he knew, the beach belonged to God. This meant that since they were His children, the beach belonged to all of them too. Nevertheless, the police were acting as if the beach was reserved for a limited minority. They were fighting and destroying families over something which was not even their property. It was because of them that Suli was being taken away from him and being sent to live with her granny, but he knew that it would not be goodbye forever.

 

Ten years passed and Josh had no idea where his little Suli was.  Josh had a female friend, Helen- who he had known since high school- and his mother hoped that he would eventually marry Helen.  His mother desperately wished that he would ‘Snap out of his obsession with the past,’ as she regularly put it, and forget about Suli and his childish plans to marry her one day. At the age of twenty, Josh realised that their plans had never been entirely realistic, but he missed Suli dearly and thought of her often. When Josh informed his mother that Helen was just a friend and that she would never be anything more than that, he clearly shattered his mother’s perfect dreams for him again. Josh began to spend quite a lot of time with Helen. It was, however, not attraction, but rather a way to pass the time. Helen was a nice girl, but she was not his uninhibited, passionate Suli. He knew that Suli would perhaps no longer be the same as he remembered her and maybe, he would never marry her, but he would never marry Helen either. Helen was simply not his type.

 

Every night, Josh snuck out of the house to escape to his favourite place. The sound of the water and the wind came as a welcome relief in comparison to the usual feelings of entrapment he experienced. His mother and father fought all the time and his mother nagged at him incessantly about his lack of a relationship with Helen and generally, choosing a marriage partner in the near future. Josh’s mother seemed to perceive marriage and love as mere business transactions. As he sat on the beach one night, his mother’s lecture from earlier that evening echoed in his head. She had spent what felt like an eternity, telling him that it was ‘time to find a life partner’ and time to leave his ‘juvenile fantasies behind’. The wind was warm that night and if he closed his eyes

tightly, he could imagine that it was Suli, whispering silly tales in his ear. He wondered what had happened to her over the years. Josh went cold as he heard someone calling his name. It sounded distinctly like Suli, but he knew that that was impossible and that his imagination was working over time. He heard his name being called again, however, and realised that he was not simply imagining it. Josh turned around and shivers ran up his spine when he saw Suli walking towards him. She had changed from a little girl into a beautiful woman, but he would recognise her walk anywhere. Suli stopped right in front of Josh and gave him an uncertain hug. He smiled as he discovered that Suli still smelt like vanilla. She told Josh that she had not expected to see him there. Her granny had died, and she recently moved back to town to look after her sick aunt. Suli said that she had not been sure whether he still lived in his old house or whether he would want to see her again anyway.  Josh stared at Suli for a long time, trying to convince himself that his childhood friend really was standing right in front of him. It was very risky for Suli to be on that beach and even more so, for her to walk around at night with all the cops patrolling the streets. Suli explained that she knew which streets to take to ensure that she was not caught. She remembered how fondly Josh spoke about the beach when they were children, and believed that coming to his favourite place was the only way that she could feel close to him again. Suli seemed embarrassed as she told him this. Josh was amazed that Suli would risk so much to come to his special place. The police would arrest her without a second thought if they found her on the streets at that time of the night. Josh took Suli’s hands in his in an attempt to warm them up, and told her how glad he was that she was back.

 

They began to meet up every night and spent hours talking and laughing. Both Suli and Josh knew that they had fallen in love all over again. It was real love though, not just childish fantasies. Josh lived for their evenings at the beach. Suli often told him funny stories about her family; he never even smiled at home, so it felt nice to be happy again. One night, Suli said that she wanted the two of them to start praying together. She believed that God was the only one who could change things in the country. She wanted them to pray for the government and for her and Josh’s relationship. Suli wanted them to have a future together and she wanted that future to be built on the right foundation. Josh was amazed that she wanted to pray for a government who treated her people so cruelly. It made him love her even more. After that, they did start praying together. Josh had never been a very spiritual person, but Suli helped him to change that during their time together.

 

Josh spent a lot of time thinking about their future. He loved Suli and wanted to marry her, and although they regularly prayed about the future, he did not want to wait until things eventually changed. He suggested that they run away together. They could go overseas as soon as he was done studying and then no one could stop them from getting married. Suli smiled at him tenderly and explained that it was not possible, as she had to look after her aunt. Josh was disappointed, but he understood how important family was to her and respected that. They did not speak about the future again: it was a very uncertain topic. Instead, Suli told him stories about the stars and the moon and the clouds that were jealous of their beauty. Josh wished that Suli could lie in his arm forever.

 

Like a man possessed, Josh did not allow himself to think about the consequences of their reckless actions. He did not care. Perhaps it was selfish of him, because there were greater risks involved for Suli then for him. The police got a perverted thrill from punishing night-time wanderers who were of a different colour to them. As usual, Josh was on the beach one night, waiting for Suli. The night air was cold and he pulled his jacket closer around himself, hoping that Suli would arrive soon. Suli whispered a greeting in his neck as she placed her hands gently around his waist. Something was wrong. Suli seemed distant and when Josh looked into her eyes, he saw fear. Suli said that she had a strange premonition that something bad was going to happen and that things were going to change between the two of them. Josh folded her trembling hands in his, and tried to reassure her that she was being silly. They were meant to be together. God made each of them with just a bit of the same heart. Suli relaxed and she giggled while they spoke about having ten children, four cats and three goldfish one day. She could not wait for that day to come. Suli was afraid that she and Josh would be caught, but she told him that it was all worth it as she kissed his forehead softly. All of a sudden, a man in uniform shone a bright light in their faces.

 

When the officer asked Josh what his parents would say if he ended up in jail because of ‘her’, Josh recognised the man as an old family friend. The police officer smugly reported that he could have them both arrested as the Immorality Act stated very clearly that what they were doing was a criminal offence.  Suli was an old-fashioned Christian girl and she did not believe in sex before marriage. Josh tried to explain this to Officer du Preez, insisting that their relationship was not in any way sexual or ‘immoral’. With this, Officer du Preez laughed obnoxiously and said that he did not believe that for a second, because, as he put it, ‘These kaffirs* are promiscuous, like animals.’ He continued to say that this would be their only warning and that it was just because he loved Josh’s father like a brother that he was not going to arrest both Suli and Josh. Officer du Preez told Suli that she had two options: either she had to leave the town immediately, or if she stayed in town, she had to make very sure that he never saw her again, because he would arrest her if he even felt that she was walking down the street in a way which he did not ‘like.’ He turned to Josh, and said that he planned to tell Josh’s parents about the incident so that they could keep a closer eye on him and prevent him from ‘disgracing the family name, by mixing with filth.’ Josh wanted to kick the man’s teeth out, but Suli stopped him. She told the officer that she would disappear quietly and asked him not to do anything to Josh. Suli turned to Josh and gave him a parting hug, obviously to Officer du Preez’s dislike. Once again, Josh watched Suli walk away from him. He loved her so much, that it hurt him physically to see her go. Nevertheless, Josh was being told who he may and may not love by ignorant people who did not understand what true love was. He was not sure if he would be able to survive with half of his heart missing.”

 

I stared at the old man expectantly, but he did not continue with the story. “Well? What happened…did they ever see each other again?” I almost whispered, wiping a tear from my cheek. I knew that it was probably just a made-up story, but I anxiously longed for it to have a happy ending. The little, old man smiled as he took a worn, brown wallet out of his pocket. He opened the wallet and lovingly smiled at the photograph he kept in it.

 

When he showed the photo to me, I gasped at what I saw: a black woman with lively eyes looked back at me. She appeared to be in her late fifties, yet she still seemed to radiate life and loveliness. “I…I…don’t understand…who…” the old man smiled as he said, “This beautiful woman…is my Suli. I waited for her for fifteen year. Eventually, the laws changed in this country and by some miracle, Suli and I found each other again. Neither of us had ever gotten married, because it seemed better to be alone if it was not possible for us to be together.” “So, you’re Josh…and that was a real story?” I was stunned. “Why, yes Ma’am, I am and every word of it is completely true,” he said, before continuing, “I think that I have done what I was supposed to do today, so it’s about time that I go on my way.” I nodded, speechlessly, and walked the old salesman to the front door.

 

The ‘bed man’ came that day, but he did not give me a new bed. He gave me something so much greater: Hope for the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***The End***