2 AM: THE MAFIA GOES TO WORK IF YOU WAKE HIM UP

Sujay Gupta Some places have so many stories, leaping out of the dark, that they flow seamlessly even at the cost of repetition. And this one at the junction of Saipem and Pilerne, makes every night come alive. It was a mid week night. And it began slowly at Hendrix, a irreverent crazy bar in the fields of Anjuna on the way to Siolim mothered and looked after by Grace Henriques. But this was not only a pit stop and not a Henndrix night. When it is, we shall talk about the bratwurst sausages, beef koftas, baby pork spare ribs showered with barbeque sauce and so on that Hendrix serves. But that night was just a bit of drinking, some jazz and blues and Crystal’s (one of Goa’s best singers) lovely singing, till we moved on for part two of our adventure, close to 2 am. The convoy moved out of Hendrix, through the fields of Anjuna, Nagoa, Calangute and then the sharp turn past the Candolim Church on the Saipem route, across my buddy Lloyd’s House of Lloyd’s and down many bends on the road to Pilerne. Just before the T junction where the Pilerne panchayat is, we stopped and moved into the village through a small cut of the road and stopped at a mid-sized home with a compound. The house was pitch dark barring a yelp from one of the dogs. The cats didn’t bother even as the headlights shone on them. Yours truly turned off the lights and slowly went in and knocked on one of the bedrooms. After two knocks, Tony opened his eyes and looked out through an opening in the wall. Seeing it was me, he handed over a bunch of keys and asked to be let out. Yes, he locks himself in and gets friends or others he knows to let him out when he wants to. Soon, Tony emerged into the dining area of “Mafia Cocktail”, his home restaurant, which opens up anytime of the night if Tony wakes up – which is always. The lights came up as we sat on one of the dining tables which has – as reported several times earlier – two phones, one green and one red. The phones have been dead for ten years. On the wall is a picture of Gandhi who looks cool, a gun with ‘Ajmal Kasab’ written on it (he too is dead now) and other walls are full of posters of his singing heroes – Marley, Lenon, Hendrix, Michael Jackson. Above one such collection of greats is a line, we are sure, written by Tony “All my friends died of over dose”. Anyway, the just awake Tony ambled into the kitchen and within seconds, our overdose arrived. A quarter bottle of fresh Urrack, quickly followed by a huge bowl of clams xacuti, a green beef curry, sausages, divine pork sorpotel and then came massive prawns in rawa fry. Time 2.30 am. And when you get it all you want more. One of the ladies in our group quipped.“No sannas?” Sure ma’m, coming up. And they did. There’s nothing that Tony can’t do at 2.30 am. But as this was consumed in several helpings, the warmth came from elsewhere, from Tony himself. He has been running his home which, perhaps, becomes a restaurant when people come, eat and pay. But Tony doesn’t really realise when home becomes a restaurant and the other way round. His kitchen is the same, the food he cooks for himself and his sister is the same and he wakes up to feed you as he would any family member and non paying friend. Try looking for this breed in parts of Goa. You may still find some. Try looking for the breed anywhere in India, difficult. It is tempting to call these folks ambassadors or guardians of the Goan spirit or so on but when you say your thank yous and exchange hugs, and Tony switches of the lights and goes back to bed, next to the bar and the cash counter with Bob Marley and John Lenon looking at him, and the village turns quiet again; you wonder if there’s any point in even describing a character like Tony. They are just specimens of better humans you are privileged to meet and spend time with. Period. They don’t need to be any one or even perform a role. But as you move away though the fields of Pilerne, through Nerul and Betim, where the casinos on the river Mandovi, are fully functional and another world floats on these vessels, it is then you realise the worth and value of guys like Tony even more. A happy soul who wakes up at 2 am to open his kitchen and his heart.