some things are better left unsaid

some things are better left unsaid

this story for mature readers only

fiction
edward w pritchard

Sergeant Muldoon's wife was common. To the Captain of the imperial police she was coarse and not a proper companion for his young wife Elanor. The captain allowed his wife to associate with Muldoon's wife because here in Rangoon there were no other British ladies for the Captain's wife Elanor to talk to. The Captain went to the officer's club after work and Elanor was desperately lonely and we must all make sacrifices for crown and country, and so the Captain no longer objected when Elanor spent time with Muldoon's wife Bessie.

In 1920 Burma was a Country under British rule since conquered in 1885 and was strategically between India and China, and ran along side of Thailand. The Country was relatively easy for the British to rule and the oil, rice, and timber were profitable commodities. The British ruled with relatively few of their own soldiers. Indian soldiers from nearby India filled the rank and file of the military and the British provided the officers.

The Captain was not a heavy drinker and did not go to the club out of boredom. It was an integral part of his duty as Captain of the police for he picked up more quality information there about the political situation in Burma and India in an hour at the club than he could in two days in his office studying the various reports he received.

One night returning from the club the Captain's wife met him at the door with an Indian style robe on. She also had a paper cut out necklace made of circles of purple colored papers, one after the other joined in a large loopy necklace about her neck and open chest line. This was quite unlike Elanor who was a prim and proper young lady originally from a Presbyterian family near Cambridge. The Captain who had had two drinks was surprised by Elanor but with her green eyes and light brown hair and him being 31 years old he responded and to write politely for our delicate modern readers, Elanor was like a woman the Captain had once been with in Paris, France as a young soldier, before he met Elanor; tonight Elanor was forward and responsive and nature took its course and directed his behavior as she had planned.

The next day at work the Captain became suspicious of his wife's motivation for how she had acted the night before. He decided at length she must be being influenced by Muldoon's wife. Although he liked aspects of the wife's new behavior he decided it called for observation and scrutiny.

Three days later the Captain skipped the club for he had a headache from a full day in court where he acted as Judge. It was a demanding day. Entering his bedroom he found his wife, exercising [ we would say], the Captain observed her marching in place in her red chemise sweat dripping from her forehead and winded and huffing. As he entered the room she became very embarrassed and ran into her bathroom.

The next day the Captain called in Muldoon. Muldoon was a broad shouldered Welshman with a booming voice and a bawdy sense of humor. Getting straight to the point, speaking Captain to Sergeant, the Captain asked Muldoon what had his wife been telling his wife. He intimated without being specific that it wasn't appropriate.

Muldoon assumed the Captain was upset because of something his wife had said or done. Muldoon was not surprised that the Captain didn't approve of his Bessie talking with the Captain's wife. Bessie, Muldoon's wife often shocked straight laced people like the captain.

The next day getting ready for work the Captain couldn't find some of his case files for court today. Late he left without them. That night the misplaced papers were in his drawer where he customarily kept court papers. However he specifically recalled he had looked there this morning twice and they weren't there.

Suspicious he glanced through the papers and found the following case note about a young Indian soldier serving in Rangoon for the British army:

The Indian soldier got involved with a local British girl. The girl the wife of a private in the King's service was sexually involved with the Indian soldier for 14 months and in the end the private shoot and killed the Indian soldier in a jealous rage. The wife was displaying strange behavior. She wore a looped necklace made of fine purple cloth across her bear bosom, she would at the Indian soldier's request march in place for long periods of time nearly naked and she would wear a [ red silk gag] in her mouth when alone, in private, and then sit and write letters to her young Indian lover while wearing that device.

Rushing through the house looking for his wife to confront her for reading his court files, the Captain was shocked to find her sitting in his chair with a strange look in her green eyes as she glanced sideways at him. She had something red in her mouth, and appeared to be writing but that is private, between them only for somethings are better left unsaid.