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| Sunday, 29 September 2002 |
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Short story Just a matter of time..... by Gertrude de Livera
Decide He took a number of days to decide. He did his rounds in the ward, his work in the operating theatre, and he saw the suffering of his patients. The patients in that hospital were chiefly maternity cases. Seeing them, made him more and more averse to domesticity. He did not want to get married. But he had to avoid the plans of his relations, among the lady doctors, Nimal, was the only one with whom he was really friendly. Plucking up courage, he decided to propose to her. Nimal was a bit flabbergasted. She had not expected it. "I must consider it" she told him. Asoka was a bit relieved. Marriage, was such a responsibility. Then three days later he received a letter from Nimal. She had accepted him. Asoka rushed to tell his mother. She was somewhat annoyed. Nothing would have pleased her more, than to choose a partner for him, herself. But, he was marrying a lady doctor. She had a good status, and she was earning as much as Asoka. Consent So parental consent was given, and the wedding took place. It was a very grand affair for both Nimal and Asoka had many colleagues, and friends, to invite. So it was held, in one of the big hotels. After a brief honeymoon, on the East coast, Nimal and Asoka, returned to Colombo. Asoka had taken a flat in Shrubbery Gardens. It was large and airy, too big for them really but they settled in. They had one servant a general factotum, who attended to everything from cooking to cleaning up! Everything was of course, done in an offhand manner. The man, Semaneris knew no better, and Nimal was a little disappointed. She had always dreamed of a spick and span house. This was just a place, to stay in. Besides, being a rented flat, she could not have the improvements, that she wanted. She was dissatisfied. Asoka himself was very busy. He had had a new appointment. He was transferred to Anuradhapura. He was a JMO there. Nimal did not want to ask for a transfer as she hated the outstations. So she remained. She wanted to be in Colombo. She loved parties, and going for films. She knew she would never get these, in Anuradhapura. She had lived all her childhood in Dambulla. So didn't she know how life passed there! Missed Asoka came home for some weekends. He missed his stay in Colombo but he was not unduly worried. Living in quarters at Anuradhapura reminded him of bachelor days. When he came to Colombo, Nimal sometimes got on his nerves. The moment that he returned after a long hard drive from Anuradhapura, Nimal would be getting ready to go out somewhere. "Where are you going today?" he would ask wearily, "I am so tired." "Why to Mrs. Perera's cocktail party of course. Have you forgotten? She is waiting to meet us I hear." It was the same story, week after week. Then, Nimal wanted to return the hospitality. Of course, they must give parties in turn! How could Asoka think otherwise? So poor Asoka had to give in. There were parties and more parties. There were drinks galore too, for most of Asoka's and Nimal's colleagues drank. Asoka himself, never touched a drop, and he felt most unhappy at the expense these parties caused. But he acquiced to all of Nimal's arrangements, as he did not want to thwart her. This was part of the distress, that marriage caused, he thought to himself. Two years went by, in this fashion. Nimal was now more restless and dissatisfied with life. One of her chief grouses now, was that they had no children. She fell dreadfully lonely, she said when Asoka was away. This was true, but Asoka was not perturbed. He could not understand Nimal. He was himself not sorry at not having children. Secretly he was glad. Marriage had brought him enough distress, he thought. Then one day, something drastic happened. Someone had sent him a wire "Go to the Carlton Club tonight, and see what your wife is doing." It was a strange wire he thought, but he decided to investigate. That evening he dressed incognito, and drove down to Colombo. He drove quietly to the Carlton and went in. Unobtrusively, he sat at one of the tables. There was dancing going on, in one part of the hall. Asoka sitting quietly looked at all the couples. At first he could not recognise anyone. Then he saw Nimal. She was dancing with someone. He looked again and saw that it was Weera a gay bachelor, House Officer in the same hospital as Nimal. They were both absorbed in conversation. After the dance was over they went and sat at one of the tables. Weera was putting his arm round Nimal's chair and talking animatedly to her. Obviously there was something afoot. Otherwise he would not have got that wire. He decided to watch. A waiter came to his table. "Bring me a bottle of beer" said Asoka. While the beer came Asoka watched Nimal and her companion. They had one more dance and then they walked up a narrow stairway at the back of the hall. When the beer came Asoka asked the waiter. "There was a couple in that corner table over there. Do you know anything about them?" "No, I don't" replied the waiter "But I have observed them here almost every night for the past month." "What about that stairway at the back. Where does that lead?" "Oh that!" said the waiter hesitating "That leads to a room upstairs". "And he gave Asoka a slight wink. Asoka now realised the truth. Nimal was being unfaithful. It was now a matter of time. The divorce would have to follow. His lawyers got busy and there were many preliminary proceedings to go through. Meanwhile, Asoka stayed in Anuradhapura. He did not come down to Colombo as he did not want to meet Nimal. Now he had his weekends to himself. He could do things as he liked. He had made a few new friends among the hospital staff at Anuradhapura. They knew Asoka's situation and they openly commiserated. "How awful for you old chap" said Dr. Ponnambalam. "The poor fellow cannot go home now" commented Dr. Silva. Asoka said nothing on these occasions. He did not want to say what he felt. But inwardly all what he felt was a deep sense of relief. He was a free man once more. |
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His
mother and the aunts and uncles now busied themselves in prospecting, for
partners. They were looking for rich girls. But Asoka would have none of
it. Yet he knew that his protests were falling on deaf ears. They would
proceed in spite of him he knew, and he had the uneasy feeling that he
would have to submit to them one day. So he decided to act on his own.
That was the only way to thwart them.
