Knocking the door by the Chinese desk clerk of the Swiss Hotel. Danny tells me that I have a phone call. It’s 8:21 a.m. I had difficulty getting to sleep last night. For some reason garlic keeps me awake. I got out of bed wrapped the towel around my waist and walk down the corridor to the front desk. I picked up the phone. My father’s voice came from watch it pond and distant Maine. The signal bouncing off a satellite to low outer space to reach the other side of the world in Malaysia. I’m happy to hear him call.

later afternoon

Howard and I were speaking in the breakfast room. Howard is a Canadian Jew who I’ve nicknamed study Kravitz. Walter, a Guyana Hindu, and his hallway. Howard and I both know about how it’s increasingly difficult romantic relationship. Say hello and ask about his last night where he met his girlfriend’s wealthy Eurasian father. Walter is a dark-skinned Dalit from the untouchable caste.

“Not good.”

His response was so soft as to be almost inaudible . Having no friends in Penang he had no choice but to tell us what had happened the previous evening. Two strangers . Older strangers were like confession to ghosts. His story was as sad as Romeo and Juliet.

Walter had gone to University in Toronto where he met and fell in love with Bridget, a Malay national of Sino/Hindu descent. White skin. Walter is very black. They were very much in love and had been living together for five years in Canada.

Family pressure force Bridget to return to Penang where her father had arranged a marriage to a man of the Brahman caste. Walter had followed and have been trying to see Bridget without any success last night he said he was going to go to their house, a compound on Leith Street. Howard and I had both advised against it. But the decision was Walter’s and last night he walked away with stupid shoulders with very little hope of success.

“Bridget had told me to wait a year before coming over i waited and then the phone calls and letters stopped. A month ago her father told me to never call again. My parents said to forget about her. I couldn’t. I came despite everyone. Last night her father wouldn’t even let me in the house. I couldn’t even see Bridget. He said until she was married she was locked in her room she’s 27 years old. How can she let this be done to her. I know she loves me she fluted New York where we spent a week together. Her father thought she was in Mumbai.”

Walter and I exchanged a glance. Canada in the USA have basically left marrying out of your race color or creed behind, although Jews pretty much marry amongst themselves. My mother wanted me to marry a good Irish Catholic girl. I only found one and Hilde was too young. We are still friends.

“To come here I sold off all my things. I stopped my PhD studies. My mother cried and my father said I was no son of his. I gave up everything. Bridget has accepted the marriage offer of A 42-year-old man with two kids. Her father arranged a meeting and she flew to Geneva to meet him . They were getting married next month, but I contacted her suitor and told him that she was in love with me and that we had lived together for 5 years so now Bridget has no one her only choice is me. Why can’t her father see that?”

Walter and I remain silent.

We understood her father feared her daughter getting sullied by a forbidden caste. Walter can’t see his girlfriend’s duplicity in this racist outcome. Living with Walter was fine in Canada, but she could never love him here.

“What can I do?”

“You go to see the Buddhist monks and ask them to intercede but I don’t see any success in that. Talking to the Hindu priests they believe in caste society.” The separation of cast has been going on for thousands of years. “The monks can ask her does she really love you.”

“I no she loves me. . She said so so many times. I want to free her from her father.”

“This isn’t Romeo and Juliet. You will be killed if you trying to escape with her.,” said Howard.

“Well, I am only left with killing him or killing me.” His unhappiness was overwhelming,” and I said, “Killing yourself is giving a victory to the father and you must think of yourself you’re young. Your girlfriend doesn’t want you to be Romeo and she doesn’t want to be Juliet , You will meet somebody. Trust me I’ve had many girlfriends. And each time I thought it was over and I would never love again. I have loved again. No matter what happens, you have loved, and no one can take that love away from you.”

Tears swelled in his eyes, as he realized his defeat and I felt the scars of all the failed loves in my heart, and I still love all those that I have loved. Their names are many. And I remember them all

His voice