Part 1: Death of Baldr (Continued from April 9)
“Remember how difficult it is for us to travel to their countries? They are using this disaster to barge in here”.
The driver nods, his eyes widening. “I’ve seen it happen,” he says. “My village used to be a peaceful place, but now it’s overrun with hotels and suddo. We can barely afford to live there anymore.”
“That’s gentrification for you,” Aruna says, his voice bitter. “It’s happening all over the world, not just here. These wealthy migrants come in and take over, pushing out the locals and destroying our way of life.”
The driver nods, his expression thoughtful. “What can we do about it?” he asks.
Aruna smiles faintly. “We can educate ourselves, organize, and fight back,” he says. “We have to stand up for our rights and demand a fair share of the wealth that’s being generated here. We can’t let these migrants take over everything and leave us with nothing.”
The driver nods again, his eyes brightening with newfound hope. “Mahattaya University eken da?” (Are you from the university sir?) he asks in Sinhala.
Aruna ignores, his eyes scanning the darkened streets. “Be careful out here,” he warns. “It’s a dangerous world, especially for those who are vulnerable.”
The driver nods and speeds off into the night, his tuktuk leaving a trail of exhaust behind him. Aruna watches him go, his mind already turning to the next battle in the war against gentrification.
Chapter Three
Welcome to the “Hot Tea” podcast, where we discuss the hottest topics from around the world. I’m your host, Wanjiru, and today we’re talking about the unfairness of border control in the new ice age.
Joining me today is my co-host, Ndung’u. Hey Ndung’u, how are you?
Ndung’u: Hey Wanjiru, I’m doing good. Excited to talk about this topic.
Wanjiru: Yes, it’s been on my mind a lot lately. It’s just ridiculous how people from rich countries are able to cross borders easily, but when it comes to people from the global south seeking asylum, they’re met with so much resistance.
Ndung’u: It’s the same old story of how the developed world gets to dictate the terms. They’ve been saying “build a wall” for years, but now that they’re facing the same problem, they’re suddenly interested in finding a solution.
Wanjiru: Exactly. And what’s worse is that they’re coming to countries like ours, where we’re already struggling to cope with the effects of this new ice age.
Ndung’u: And they’re not even grateful for what we’re doing for them. They act like we owe them something, when in reality, they’re the ones who caused this mess in the first place.
Wanjiru: It’s frustrating, but we can’t let it get to us. We need to keep pushing for change and fairness in the global system.
Ndung’u: Absolutely. And we also need to make sure that our own people are taken care of. We can’t just open our borders to everyone and forget about our own struggles.
Wanjiru: That’s a great point. It’s a delicate balance, but we need to find a way to help both our own people and those who are seeking refuge.
Ndung’u: Exactly. And it all starts with raising awareness and having these kinds of conversations.
Wanjiru: Well said, Ndung’u. Thanks for joining me today, and thanks to our listeners for tuning in to “Hot Tea”. Until next time, stay woke!
Kasun and Sabrina are sitting on the beach, watching the nightly waves crash against the shore. Kasun takes a sip from his bottle of beer before turning to his pretty companion.
“Have I told you about Aruna?” he asked.
Sabrina shook her head.
“He’s an old friend of mine,” Kasun explains. “We used to play on this beach when we were kids.”
“That sounds nice,” Sabrina said, taking a sip from her own beer.
“It was,” Kasun said, his tone turning somber. “But things have changed since then. Aruna has become this radical leftist.”
Sabrina raised an eyebrow. “And what do you think of that?”
“I don’t know,” Kasun said with a shrug. “I mean, I get where he’s coming from, but it’s not like we can do anything about it.”
“Maybe not,” Sabrina said. “But it’s still important to be aware of these things, isn’t it?”
“I suppose,” Kasun said. “But sometimes it feels like Aruna’s just trying to stir up trouble for no reason.”
“I don’t think that’s fair,” Sabrina said. “He’s just trying to make a difference in the world.”
Kasun nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll have to talk to him and see what he has to say.”
Kasun gets a text. It’s about the attack on the British man.
Kasun quickly pockets his phone and puts on a smile, telling Sabrina that he just remembered something important he has to attend to. He doesn’t want to worry her with the details of his line of work, and the less she knows the better. Sabrina looks disappointed, but she nods and tells him to be careful before he leaves.
Outside the beach house, Kasun takes a deep breath and checks his phone. The message is from one of his fellow beach boys, warning him about the attack on the British man. Kasun curses under his breath - this is bad news for business. Tourists won’t want to come to Sri Lanka if they think it’s dangerous.
Kasun: “Are you sure it was Aruna? He’s not the kind of guy who would do something like that.”
Beach boy: “I’m positive. I saw him with my own eyes. He and the tuk tuk driver beat the hell out of that sudda. It was brutal.”
Kasun: “Damn it. This is bad for business. We don’t need any more negative attention around here. Thanks for letting me know.”
Kasun quickly gathers his things and heads out to find Aruna. He needs to talk to him and find out what happened. As he walks down the dark street towards Aruna’s house, he feels a sense of unease. He’s not sure how Aruna will react to his news. Will he be defensive or apologetic? Kasun can only hope for the best.
Finally, he reaches Aruna’s house and sees him sitting outside on the steps. Kasun takes a deep breath and approaches him slowly.
Kasun: “Hey man, we need to talk.”
Aruna looks up, his face expressionless.
Aruna: “About what?”
Kasun hesitates for a moment before responding.
Kasun: “I heard about what happened earlier. The attack on that big fat sudda. People are talking and it’s bad for business.”
Aruna’s face turns red with anger.
Aruna: “What do you mean it’s bad for business? That guy was a racist, harassing the tuk tuk driver and hurling racial insults. He deserved what he got.”
Kasun tries to calm him down.
Kasun: “I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it, but you can’t just go around attacking people. We’re already dealing with enough negative attention as it is.”
Aruna stands up, towering over Kasun.
Aruna: “I don’t care about your business. I did what I had to do.”
Kasun backs away, sensing the tension in the air.
Kasun: “Okay man, I understand. Just be careful, alright? We don’t want any more trouble.”
To be continued