I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: I have a family event today and will be out of pocket for the most part .. enjoy! Ya - back story - none of the core. But hopefully still a good chapter for you all! I managed to fulfill a desire to get a movie (sort of) reference in here, too. At least the mention of the Thuggee is driven entirely by one of my favorite and very old movies. It's all true historical stuff, too. Gunga Din, 1939. Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and one HECK of a great movie! (yeah, so I'm weird .. what can I say).
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*
CHAPTER FOUR
Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez clasped Doctor Franklin Ray's hand, enveloping the man's hands in both of his in warm welcome. They had met at an impressive black-tie affair two weeks earlier to hit it off with a startling ease. Introduced by a mutual acquaintance, things had taken off from there for an evening of banter and enjoyable stories between the ex-Army medical officer and the well-traveled, intelligent cultural anthropologist. Since that time, they had shared numerous phone conversations and even a humbling round of golf. As things progressed in their new friendship, Franklin had shown an increasing interest in the affairs of the Medical Mission Free Clinic. He enjoyed hearing about it's wealthy founder, Doctor Adrian Parker, a wealthy Chicago philanthropist similar to himself. He was most intrigued by the son's illicit use of the place years after which nearly ran it into the ground. The elder Parker had disowned his wayward son, bequeathing the five-acre ramshackle establishment to one, Doctor Jasper 'Jazz' Mitchell, a young man he'd wished were his own based upon ethics alone. Whatever local clientele remained despite Alan Parker's criminal activities, trusted and put faith in Jazz Mitchell. Doctor Jazz was treated as their own and the clinic was once more, beginning to thrive.
After a set of interesting issues of his own, which he glossed over gently with Ray, Ponch had eventually become young Jasper's mentor of sorts. Retired from Tripler Army Medical Center, Ponch was there full-time. He was virtually running the back office and caring for the confusing array of business needs as they renovated and re-established the clinic as one of the island's finest.
"Jazz is beside himself about meeting you. And I know I've said it before, but I am very pleased you could come this evening." Ramirez was thrilled to have Franklin Ray pay his family a personal visit. While one doctor was a medical professional and the other of cultural anthropology, it was a close enough tie allowing them to discuss a variety of humanistic concerns. By default, Doctor Ramirez's firm association to the local Medical Mission Free Clinic had become a strong subject of interest and would be the main topic of the evening.
"Did you doubt that I would?" Ray teased back. "I am very interested in hearing more about this clinic of yours and looking forward to meeting your young Mitchell."
Pleased to help even more proactively with the welfare of the small island clinic, Ramirez had invited Ray over for a family dinner to discuss financial options for their new potential benefactor. Already inside the home and waiting for the esteemed wealthy philanthropist's arrival were Doctor Jasper "Jazz" Mitchell and the rest of the Ramirez clan for Ray had wanted to meet the family.
"I'm bored by these massive, over the top black tie and glorified gowned affairs. I want to see and meet the real people who matter. Face to face with no stuffy preamble." Franklin Ray had complained lightly when Ramirez suggested a more formal meeting place.
"I crave something more down to earth where I can relax and get to know this Doctor Mitchell without the trappings of formality. Can you do that?"
"Of course! It's better for Jazz too because I don't doubt he's going to be a nervous wreck." Ramirez had easily then suggested his own rambling home, convinced the setting was what his new found friend had precisely ordered. Now that Ray had arrived wearing causal shorts, sneakers and a simple white polo shirt, Ramirez was enthusiastic .. and relieved .. by the truth of his words.
"Here." A bottle of red wine was thrust into his hands too with a happy grin. "Chianti. Goes with everything .. or we'll just make it happen." Ray smirked.
The two laughed as if long-lost friends while Ponch backed up to allow Ray entry into his much more humble home. Mildly intrigued, Ponch gave scant notice to the multicolored tattoo peeking out from the man's left bicep. Obviously older based on its lackluster appearance, the cartoonish tips of fangs caught his eye as the shirt sleeve shifted briefly to then cover the flash of image. He saw it and then discounted it quickly as he ushered his friend through to the dining room.
"Seriously, thank you for coming, Doctor. Your attendance means everything not only to Doctor Mitchell, but also to me .. and to Ellen."
"Again with the thanks, Ponch?" Ray had to laugh as Ramirez continued in his enthusiastic praise. Even for the time they'd recently talked together, Ray was amused by Ramirez's apparent flush of eagerness to show off his family .. or even show him off .. to his family.
"It's Frank, please. I thought I had made that clear?. Of course. Yes." Ray smiled just as warmly, playing a circumspect gaze around the comfortable family home noting nothing of major interest to his trained eye. The family was just that - a pleasant family and he could relax here in its comfortable normalcy. Though he already intended to provide a substantial donation on principle alone supported by Ramirez's kind nature, he was truly interested to learn more about the small clinic and its needs.
"Certainly. Ellen! Come meet Doctor Ray .. Frank .. our guest of honor has arrived! Jazz! Get in here!" Ponch's loud bellow through the house had Ray chuckling even more. Yes, it was what he'd hoped for and what he needed to offset the stuffy trappings of the typical philanthropic meetings. To say that Ponch was thrilled to have someone of the esteemed Ray clan in his home was an understatement. The fundraising function for the clinic was proving to be a great success made even better by the wealthy donor's agreeable visit.
As the doctor entered, Ponch hurriedly signaled to Jasper Mitchell to immediately bring the man a drink, grinning when his young partner's mouth gaped first in unabashed shock. He grinned too because he'd been correct about Jazz's nervous tendencies.
'Calm down'. He mouthed as the younger doctor nearly tripped over his own two feet near the wet bar.
The night was a phenomenal success as Frank regaled his avid flock of star-struck listeners with tales from his youth where his interest in ethnography led him to live amongst the poorest of the Calcutta poor. However, an introduction to the Thuggee led him even further into their rich historical past.
"Who?" Twelve year old Rebecca made a face at the funny name. Half interested in meeting the important wealthy guest and partially expecting to be be bored, Becca was now excited to be part of the party. She had been able to show off her pet rabbit and the man was far from boring. Including her where he could, she cautiously liked Doctor Frank and was comfortable amongst the adults.
"A group of bad people called the Thuggee." Intentionally toning it down for young Becca, Ponch's twelve-year old niece, Frank described how the Thuggee would lie and cheat to gain the confidence of foreign travelers in order to rob them. There was much more to that, but Becca's big brown eyes and nervous glances towards both her Uncle Ponch and to her father, Mike, caused Frank to wisely only smile.
"Six hundred years?" Becca gasped at the long amount of time that the organized gang gained strength across India. She couldn't understand everything the doctor was saying or even really imagine how long that was, yet it seemed like forever.
"Six hundred, my dear." Doctor Ray confirmed, pausing to savor the wine he'd been served. "The children of Kali." He whispered next, smiling grandly when the small group frowned as one.
"My apologies. A moment of retrospect." He sipped the wine again and toasted Ponch, then Ellen. His offered Chianti was long gone and the new bottle was of even better quality. He was happy and distinctly comfortable. "An excellent vintage I must say."
While the Ramirez home was relatively mundane for his temperament, the food and selection of wines was impeccable. The company was indeed a pleasure. Ray knew that he was sometimes coming across as an eccentric and hopelessly grand, but that was of no circumstance. Contented, he put his glass down to continue his abbreviated version of the story.
"So anyway, they were so bad that the English word 'thug' comes from their name, too. In Hindi, that means 'thief'." Ponch was as entranced as his niece as he realized Doctor Ray was strongly editing the story to its most basic bones. Once Becca went to bed, he desperately wanted to hear the real store behind the tempting prelude.
"In other languages, their name translates into things like thief or descriptive verbs such as, to deceive, or in Sanskrit it means 'cunning, sly, or scoundrel'. And you didn't just join them, membership was passed down for generations from father to son". He lowered his voice dangerously and made claws with his hands. Becca giggled worriedly and then ducked shyly under her father, Mike's, arm.
She was both fascinated and still a bit nervous about the strange, rich man. "You have a tattoo." Biting her tongue for a sudden boldness, Becca pointed to Ray's arm. When he smiled, she swallowed hard to bravely continue not sure if she was being rude.
"Did you get it in India when you learned about them?" Grinning at her boldness, Ponch settled his chin on the palm of his hand. He had caught a glimpse of the ornate design a few times that evening and it was far from cartoonish. Done by expert artistry, the design was based upon an ancient serpent and though faded over the years, quite ornate.
Waving off Mike's embarrassment, Ponch only seconded his niece's question. "I was wondering the very same thing. The design is impressive."
Smiling warmly, Ray nodded as he rolled up the short sleeve of his polo shirt to show them part of the full image. In reality, the massive design literally extended over his shoulder and then down to his lower back in a massive swirl.
"I did get it India." Ray was pleased to show it off as other comments teased his lips. It was difficult to not speak of his children. Never far from his mind, his praise lurked just below the surface. But they wouldn't understand and he dare not say more.
"It was the folly of youth that made me get it though. Does it scare you?" Instead, he chose to play it down as he typically did as if mocking himself. Rolling his eyes comically, he made light of it as he flexed his bicep. The complicated design was that of an extended cobra, large fangs aimed at the viewer, with a caped hood that seemed to move. He waited to see if it frightened the little girl, but she was enthralled which distinctly pleased him.
"No, I like it." Becca leaned closer in awe by the life-like rendering. "It has pretty colors."
"Well, thank you and I agree that the colors are at least very pretty. But it was folly and not something I needed to do." It was something he'd gotten from a renowned Indian artist, but here, he continued to play it down nonchalantly. Heaving a scarcely hidden deeper inhale of breath, Ray knew that Riku would be furious with him for parading it out amongst the group, no matter the reason. It was a risk and a stupid one. So now, he only thanked Becca but sighed dramatically as if in regret.
"I was too young when I got this .. perhaps had too much to drink." He laughed almost ruefully to tap his wine glass. "Make sure you really want a tattoo before you get one, dear, because once it's done .. it's done."
Mike snorted as he stroked Becca's hair. "We have a long, long, long time before we talk about any of that."
"Uncle Steve has a few of them." Becca said defensively. "I like those, too."
With an enormous sigh, Mike wound up laughing. "Yes he does at that! But he would say exactly what Doctor Ray just said about waiting and being sure. And besides, you are way to young to be thinking about getting any kind of tattoos now.'
"Or piercings, Sprite." Ponch added for good measure with a warning finger aimed in her direction. The resulting giggle was loud as Becca covered her ears for the tiny sparkly stud earrings she'd just gotten that summer.
"Regardless, that's enough of that story, young lady. No bad dreams for you. It's all ancient history." Frank smiled to Ponch and shrugged at her reaction, picking up on the man's strong historical interest in appreciation. "Quite literally."
The deeper truth about the fearsome Thuggee was not suitable for young ears. It was much more than that of the Thugs joining travelers to gain their confidence and the use of the more common word 'thug' in current lexicon. They did much more than rob their victims, a practice which once more, had fascinated Doctor Franklin Ray. This subterfuge allowed them to surprise and strangle their victims by pulling a handkerchief or noose around their necks. They would then rob their victims of valuables and bury their bodies. Thousands had been murdered during their horrific reign of terror. Those truths were what really had spoken so personally to Franklin Ray.
As the conversation naturally ebbed and a comfortable silence spanned the room, Mike pulled Becca into his arms and kissed the top of her head.
"Bed time, Sprite." Mike murmured into his daughter's ear. Becca stifled a yawn but still nervous about scary thugs, she refused to relinquish his hand which meant he needed to come, too.
"Excuse us. I'll be back in a bit." Graciously, Mike excused himself as Becca throttled his hand with another shy smile for the adults.
"Reminiscent of Rebecca of Sunnybrook. Is that where her name came from?" Doctor Ray kindly noted as father and daughter disappeared to the opposite side of the long ranch house.
"What?" Ellen was pleased and then laughed at the comparison which the doctor seemed to contrive. "However did you come up with that, Frank? But no, Rebecca was named for herself and anything else is just coincidence."
Grinning and almost pleasingly embarrassed, Ellen easily accepted the man's well-read status and impeccable manners.
"I too, have a young niece and was introduced once to that very book. The cover image is your Becca .. besides her lovely name .. the similarities are amazing." There was no niece. He was an only child, actually and he didn't even know how or why he'd come to the obscure comparison. But it made his hostess happy and so, Ray continued. "She is quite the well-behaved young lady, I might add."
Ingratiating himself even more into the family, Ray did genuinely mean that for most business dinners were no place for a child. Her general comfort and politeness were a special treat even for him and the child was due the rightful compliment. But her dear pet rabbit had distracted him quite badly. His own rabbits were feed for his own children and he felt an urge to see them, hold them and make sure they were safe.
Riku is home. Riku is with them. He had to chant it mentally for minutes on end, topping off his lax stroke of the rabbit's head with a finger of scotch. He almost went there again as Ellen gushed lovingly about her niece.
"I should hope so; we try, but I must say she's naturally polite and simply considerate. But thank you." Ellen agreed with a certain finality of tone which Ray cocked his head inquisitively at, choosing then to hold other obvious questions about the fate of the child's missing mother. With a subtle glance towards her husband, the conversation didn't progress in regard to any more of her niece's own terrifying past which they'd all worked so hard to put behind them as a family.
"If I may interrupt." Doctor Jasper Mitchell had remained relatively quiet for the evening, allowing the older and more skilled Ramirez to wine, dine and entertain their esteemed guest. Picking the time well, Jazz finally asked about the man's intentions regarding the clinic.
"I'd like to ask if you might visit .. at your convenience, of course. You could meet some of our clients and spend the day .. I'd be happy .. Ponch, too of course. We would be happy to introduce you to our work."
Jasper missed Ponch's tolerant eye roll towards the heavens as Ellen toed her husband's ankle roughly under the table with the pointed tip of her sharp heels. The young doctor was a nervous wreck and stammering terribly over each and every word.
"If after this evening, you are still interested. I mean compared to what you're usually been so involved with my .. our .. clinic is rather .. humble." Jasper was about to say more, stumbling over his thoughts in the process as Ray kindly turned his way. Feeling as shy as the child who had just been taken to bed, Jasper paused as the benevolent doctor beamed at the invitation.
"Yes." Doctor Franklin Ray hesitated only briefly as if distracted by another thought because he did have something to care for in the early morning hours. Something related to his children and left for safe-keeping in the apartment above the stable which was very special and of great hope. The mental parade flit behind his eyes along with all its glorified potential. He could manage both and he would have time if they made their plans for later in the day.
His verbal response was one of willing engagement and honest curiosity. "Interested? My dear Jazz, I was hoping you'd ask that very question. Can we go tomorrow afternoon? Perhaps after lunch?"
~ to be continued ~