Island Hopping

At the T E R M I N A L (Domestic)

Monica steps into the checking counter with her mom behind, both on their way to work from holiday. Officer traces the device on Monica and it starts beeping.
Officer, “What have you got? Are those keys in your pocket?”
Monica, “It’s a badi.” A Gun – she refers to an amulet in a locket.
Officer, “Why do you where a badi?”
Monica replies, “For self-protection.”
Officer shrugs, “Huh!” and passes her on.

Next stands her mother, in traditional cloth, and the device starts beeping. She’s a badi – A hooker.

On the F L I G H T

Transit to Malé, a small flight carrying passengers from Addu and Suvadives sits on Kaddu, in Lam. Some have climbed down.
Air Hostess instructs a passenger shuffle, “Passengers in the front rows, please move back to the backseats.”
Monica shrugs, “Huh! Now we have to move to the backseats. They want to bring new passengers up in the front rows. What about us!”
New passengers climb and a curtain is drawn to separate ‘Finifenmau Class’ – first class.

On the F I S H I N G V I L L A G E

Resort boys took a day off visiting close-by, uninhabited island. They arrive in the evening and hope to spend an overnight. Fitte, Shopay and Koi walk up the road, backpacks on.
Fitte tells, “I’m trying to date that girl, Sameera, in the Boutique. But I’m having a case with her father. He thinks I stole his cat. He bought eight cats from eight different Asian countries for the girl. He loves her.”
Koi, “He stands on guard all night to chase away callers to see her. He’s hot tempered.”
Shopay says, “I know the girl.”
Fitte asks, “How do you know?”
Shopay, “She was once in a training camp ‘how to grow seeds’ when I worked on the fields.”

On the F I E L D S

Picture picks Shopay’s memories; a bright day on the field, four girls work on a plot clearing the overgrowth.
Shopay pauses behind Sameera, “Close your eyes and put your palms behind.” Sameera did. He opens his fly and tosses his boy into her palms, “Do you feel that?”
Sameera thinks, “Hmm, yes!”
Shopay asks, “What’s it?”
Sameera, “Papaya…” she giggles.
Girl says, “You haven’t picked any knowledge of pod plants and raw seeds he taught,” in sarcasm.
Shopay, “It’s organic…”
Sameera, “Banana…”
Girl says, “Try again!”
Sameera turns, “Eek!” she caught thrill and shock.

On the F I S H I N G V I L L A G E

Fitte interrupts, “Tell me, buddy, what did you do to her?” outside the shop.
Shopay, “She obtained pass masks from me for a date.”
Fitte, “Suck!” He enters the Boutique, others follow.

At the B O U T I Q U E

Sameera stands behind a showcase counter. She wears heavy masking of powder, she’s fair and young. She holds a mobile phone. Her mother stands by an inner door. Boys look at the items. Fitte examines the golden necklaces.
Sameera comes to assist, “Fitte, are you going to buy one?”
Fitte, “Obviously, I come to buy a golden necklace.”
Sameera, “Seriously! Which one would you take? This is for three thousand and the top one is for six thousand.”
Koi asks, “Fitte, do you have a wife?”
Fitte, “No. I’m going to find one. Before that I buy the necklace. I’m going to take this one for six thousand.”

Fitte pays cash…

Mother says, “Look at boys with money! What are you going to buy, Shopay?”
Shopay, “I’m buying four cases of Au De Cologne.”
Mother laughs, “Ha! That’s what you buy…”
Shopay, “Not for me, it’s for the Resort Shop.”
Fitte, “Sameera, would you mind keeping it until I come to pick it when we leave tomorrow?”
Mother says, “Girl, wear them! Don’t leave your neck bare for a moment.”
Fitte joins, “Perhaps you can keep it until I find a neck to wear the necklace.”
Sameera, “I invite Fitte for dinner tonight.”
Koi asks, “You don’t want to invite us!”
Sameera, “Tonight is very special for Fitte.”

They did their shopping…

At S A M E E R A’S P L A C E

Sameera’s father stands by the gate. Three boys think of a way to get in.
Fitte, “I can’t walk pass him. He won’t let me. It’s ten-thirty, now the dinner is over.”
Koi, “Her room is logged on to the rear side. You can climb over the wall.”
Fitte, Koi and Shopay move up to the rear side, fair amount of light falls on the wall. This wall stands a couple of feet over their heads. Koi briefly peeks, on his paws, into the empty, dark space of an open-air shower – a gifili.
Koi, “It’s dark. I can’t see a thing.”
Fitte (he’s fat) says, “OK, I’m going in.” His jump shook the wall; he expects to drop his feet on soil on the other side of the wall. But this wall has a well buried under it, only a portion of a semi-circle cut open against the wall on the other side. Fitte slips right into the bottom of the well.
Fitte calls, “Koi! Shopay! Help me!”
Koi peeks, “Fitte! Where are you? I can’t see a thing.”
Fitte echoes, “I’m here! I’m in the well. Come, help me out!”
Koi drops to his toes, “Shopay! He’s fallen into the well.”
Shopay climbs, “Fitte! Fitte!”
Fitte, “Yes, Shopay! Come down and get me out of here.”
Shopay, “Why did you jump into the well?”
Fitte, “Shopay, give me a hand, please!”

In the G I F I L I

Koi and Shopay climbs down to the open-air shower space. They find a wooden ladder, lower to the well. Fitte climbs top of the ladder, nearly reaches those hands trying to help him up. Just then the door opens and Sameera’s father enters the gifili. Koi and Shopay run to hide.
Father, “Who? Who’s breaking into my house?” Koi climbs over the wall. Shopay hides behind some trees in the dark. Fitte manages to climb over the well. Father holds a grip on his wrist. “Who are you? Fitte? What are you doing here?”
Fitte, “I’m trying to catch a bird, I fell…”
Father, “Liar! You want to steal my cat! Come out! Come out!”

In the F O R E G R O U N D

Father leads him to the forefront, everyone turns astonished – Fitte wet through.
Father, “I caught him trying to steal my cat.”
Mother laughs, “It’s him, Girl, he’s Fitte…”
Sameera tore the necklace, put in his hand, “Next time you come, remember to walk in through the gate.”
Father, “There’s the gate, now walk out through that gate.”
Fitte gets out with the necklace.

O U T B R E A K

Koi, Fitte and Shopay walk down a dark alley. Suddenly, some stones hit them pretty close, they duck, and rush to their boat. In the gamble, they set loose some boats in the lagoon and head that night to the resort.