Tango at Gintota

One long weekend when Monday was a holiday, the twins, Tammy and Tanya, went down south with their parents to visit Aunt Ina. “Aunt I,” as she was fondly known, lived in Gintota, next door to the river called Gin Ganga. Gintota is where the river meets the sea. Of course, Tango, their darling big puppy went too. Gintota was very near Galle, a well known coastal town.

When they were on the bridge at Gintota, mother said, “Tammy and Tan, when I was little and passing this way, the view from this bridge was interesting. Catamarans were beached on the white dazzling sand. Bullock carts were being filled with river sand. People bathed in the river, in the shade of leaning coconut palms. Long, slender and yellow bamboos were bobbing up and down in a cluster near the river banks. They were floated down the river for easy transport from interior Baddegama, for collection here.”

“Mmm… Bamboos from Baddegama. I like the sound of it. I would have got a free ride to Aunt I's on a bamboo if I lived there,” said Tammy.

Tan giggled thinking how Tammy would look on a bamboo. Tango gave a woof to be part of the conversation.

When they drove up the driveway to Aunt I's cool, old fashioned house, she was there on the verandah, happy to welcome them. It was rarely that they visited her because father found it difficult to get away from his office. So, this was a real treat for them. Also, Aunt I loved dogs too.

After a homely lunch of rice and curry tasting different with the southern cooking, the twins ran down the garden path to the river. They were walking along the river bank. Tammy saw a small wooden pier and a boat tied to it. She was a keen rower in her school's rowing club.

“I wonder whether Aunt I would allow us to take the boat?”

“If she does we can take it upstream and explore.”

“We'll ask her later.”

Tango, running alongside was sniffing around the base of a coconut tree. Then he disappeared under a couple of coconut leaves on the ground. Next, he emerged from them as if playing hide and seek. Then he barked and chased a thalagoya who ran quickly on short legs and disappeared into the scrub. Tango lost him and went on exploring. The twins too were walking here and there and enjoying the river and its scenery.

“D'you think we can bathe here?”

“'Will there be crocs?”

Then, Tango's bark was heard. This time his wurf wurf, a large bark for a small daschund, seemed urgent. The twins hurried to investigate. Tango was jumping up and down and then running back and forth. Oh! They spotted a fluffy puppy on a log on the water at river's edge. The log, though it seemed wedged on the bank, soon with the surge of water would get loose and float away.

“I don't know how Fluff Ball got onto the log.”

“Never mind, we have to get him before the log floats.”

“Tan, run and get a rope. I saw one coiled in the boat.”

Tan sensing the urgency in Tammy's voice ran back speedily. Tammy climbed down slowly trying to get a safe foothold in the bank near the log.

As Tan came running back with the rope, with an upward surge of water current, the log floated free and was moving down river. The puppy ignorant of the danger was wagging his stumpy tail and giving short puppy barks, towards Tango who was now watching with great interest.

Tammy took the rope and deftly made a noose. She threw it over the log but missed. Then, she took aim and threw it. It fell round an upward branch of the log. She tightened the noose and gently steadied the log and pulled it towards the bank. Tan soon tied the other edge of the rope to a tree nearby. Tammy went further down, slowly and got hold of the puppy, who, whimpered and gave small barks. Then, Fluff Ball licked Tammy's arms. He knew that he was safe with the owner of the arms. Tammy soon scrambled up with the help of Tan and gave the puppy for her to hold. She went down again and loosened the rope from the branch and coiled it and brought it up as Tan had untied its other edge from the tree.

Meanwhile, Tango was baiting a monitor lizard who was hissing and glaring at him. Tango cleverly avoided the lizard's menacing tail swishing this way and that. Tammy called him curtly and all four of them went back. Tammy stopped to put the rope back in the boat. Then, they ran to tell the household what happened.

Aunt I praised the twins and Tango and said they had done a good afternoon's work. They found out that the puppy belonged to Aunt I's neighbours. Aunt I telephoned the neighbours. They were so glad and said they'll come straight away to collect their errant puppy who was always wandering away.

Aunt I asked Tammy, “How did you lasso the rope? Do you read cowboy comics and practice?” Tammy laughed and said, “Yes.”
“Very good,” said Aunt I. 'Let's see whether the cake I was baking is ready?”

She winked at the twins and said, “Tango deserves an extra large piece of cake for his effort.”