Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Magazine

Archives

That invincible smile

"Mother have you gone to Saman's place?" I asked my mother while still holding the letter I received from Saman.

"Yes".

"Then, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's a good news. I wanted you to hear it from Saman himself."

I was flushed. I felt a sweet sensation I have never experienced. I like Saman. I know that he too likes me, although, he had not told me so. He was kind to me and was interested in my well-being. His letter said that he was coming over to discuss something important.

"Mother I cannot understand," I said. But I sensed that, that important thing had something to do with me.

However, I asked the mother why she had gone there.

Mother did not answer my question. But asked me as usual, what Saman had written to me.

"He says that he was coming here during the weekend to discuss some thing important."

"So you should know what it is."
"No. I don't"
"Really?"
"Yes"
"But I sensed".
"What did you sense?"
"I sensed you and Saman are about to fall in love."

Inner thoughts

I was both shocked and amazed. Mother had read my inner thoughts. For sometime I was wandering how I would start an affair with Saman. Neither I could tell him nor I could write to him. It was not a girl's business. It was up to him to make a suggestion. But he was silent. When he was talking and writing to me he just encouraged me in my studies and my vocational plans.

"No. Mother we don't have anything like that."
"May be. But the foundation is already there?"
"How do you say so?"

"You have been reading me all the letters Saman sends you. Although Saman does not say that he is in love with you, I got the feeling that he loves you. You also would have not told him so. But you would have encouraged him."

"I did not encourage him" I protested. "But you are getting ever closer to him. You can't say No."

I smiled. "So mother you went and told Saman's mother that we are getting closer to each other?"

"Yes."
"You should not have done that."

Blessings

"No. I should have. Now listen, Saman's parents are the only relatives we have with some sympathy for us. You know who the others are. If Saman's parents do not like you all you have to do is to shed some tears and make up your mind. I don't want that to happen to you. I wanted either to get their blessings for both of you or stop the affair before it is gone too far."

I was impatient to ask the next question. "And now?"
"Now you are impatient."
"Yes mother, I want to hear what they have told you."
"It's simple. They are willing. They like you."

Overwhelmed

I was overwhelmed. I felt a rush of blood on to my face. I ran to my mother who was sitting by the sewing machine. I hugged her and kissed her. My tears were rolling down her face. I was half crying and half smiling.

I was seventeen when my father died of a road accident, two years ago. Since, his death my mother had to struggle to put me through the school and the vocational training centre. She is a courageous woman. In the mornings she cultivated vegetables in the plot of land in which we live. In the afternoons and nights she sewed brasiers for orders. She sold the excess coconut the plot of land produced. The two hundred thousand rupees she received as compensation and employees savings of my father were deposited in a fixed deposit account. My father started to build the house in which we now live. But he could not complete it other than the kitchen, the bath room and two bed rooms. He planned to complete the rest while staying in the house.

Lovers

My father and mother were lovers before they were married. They did not have high expectations in life. They lived happy and contended lives. I was moderate in my studies. I did not want to go to university. I did the Advanced Level only to broaden my education. At the vocational training centre, I followed cloth making and computer studies. I planned to start a cloth making business with mother as a self employment venture.

A few days after my father's funeral my mother had a bitter experience with my father's younger brother. He had come to our house when my mother was alone and made an undue request. Mother had tactfully sent him away. However, mother had told his wife about it. Later uncle apologised and had said that at that time he was drunk. With that incident mother had cut off all connections with him and his family. However, mother had informed my father's sister. She is Saman's mother.

They lived about twenty five kilometres away from our village. Although, they promised to visit us very often they could not keep up the promise due to heavy pressure of their work. They got their son Saman to visit us whenever possible. Saman who is a clerk at the Transport Board visited us at least once a month, on his way home. He came in the morning and left in the evening.

Tone

Saman was tall and lean, a little fair and had a boyish smile on his lips. He is about five years older to me. He is kind and affectionate to me and to my mother. He wrote to me at least once a week encouraging me in my studies and my future vocational planning. The tone of the letters were soft and attached, but there was no mention of love. I promptly replied to him. I had him in a corner of my heart. He would have read my feelings in my eyes. But I did not write anything suggestive.

However, mother had read us correctly. She also had seen the possible road blocks ahead. She knew that if Saman's parents objected to us, our close relationship with them will be lost forever. Mother without informing me, visited them to feel the pulse. The results were good. Saman's parents have already decided to accept me as their daughter-in-law. During the weekend Saman learnt of my mother's visit to his parents. He wrote to me informing his coming on Friday afternoon to discuss the matter.

At home

I wanted to be at home when Saman came home. I tried not to go to classes that day but mother insisted on my going. However, I cut the last two classes of the day and came home early. I got ready to receive him. I was attentive to my appearance. I bathed early and did a hairdo. Then put on a creamy coloured blouse and a matching grey coloured skirt.

As the afternoon advanced I went to the front yard of the garden, every time I heard a sound of a bus. But Saman was late. Finally he came by the 5.30 pm bus. He was walking along the dirt road. He had bag slung on his shoulder. As he came closer, I went up to the fence of our garden. He looked tired. But when he saw me his face lit up. There was the ever present smile on his lips.

I went forward to receive him. We had lot of pleasantries to exchange. I took his bag. He took my hand. We walked hand in hand and came to the house. As we entered the hall he looked at my face. I saw he was trying to fathom me. Sending an arm round my waist he held me tight to his body.

While walking into the kitchen I announced, "Mother Saman has come." "I heard your coming" said mother looking at Saman.

He went forward, folded his arms and paid his respect to mother.

"May the triple gem bless you" mother wished him.

"Indu", Saman turning to me asked, "I am still sweating. First of all I must have a bath. Where shall I change." "In our room. I have kept your bag there."

We have two usable rooms, in our home. We used one as our bed room. The large bed in the room is shared by the mother and me. We have pillows and some clothes on the smaller bed. We use the other room as our store.

Visitors

When a rare visitor comes to our home we invite him to the kitchen as the other parts of the house were not complete. At one end of the kitchen was the oven and the pantry. The bathroom is at the other end. In the middle there was a dining table for four. Two deck chairs occupied one corner. My mother's sewing machine was kept near a window. During the night, when my mother cooked or sewed I used the dining table as my study.

I had arranged the table by the time Saman finished his bathing. He opened up the much expected discussion at the table while having tea. He said that his parents had told him that my mother had visited them."Yes, Saman", replied mother.

"Auntie, it seems that you are in a little hurry."

"No, Saman. There is no hurry. I thought its better to tell your parents. They also should know about these things." "Auntie my parents know this." He turned to me and looked into my eyes. "They like Indu. They knew that if I keep on coming here, Indu would get hold of me.""I don't want to get hold of anybody." I said pretending to be angry.

"Alright, I say I got hold of you. Saman said smilingly. He then turned to mother. "Auntie, since I started coming here I was attached to Indu. With your troubles, specially with the younger uncle, we felt that some male should be around to give you some protection. In that context I always thought of Indu. But neither I nor my parents wanted to tell you or Indu that we like her, because she was attending school and now the training centre. However, I wanted to tell her once she leaves the training centre and I wrote to her regularly to prevent her from drifting away from me."

Paused

"That is very nice of you Saman." Mother then paused a little and said, "Saman Indu now knows that you love her. But you have not told her so. Now you tell her in your own words. She would like to hear it from you.

"I will tell her auntie."

Saman got up from the chair, turned to me, took my hands, held them to his chest and said slowly, "Indu I love you."

"I blushed with joy.

"Is that enough?" mother asked Saman smilingly.

Saman looked at mother and asked, "Why auntie, is there anything more?" "Well Saman when your uncle, Siri, proposed to me twenty two years ago he did more than saying "I love you."

Saman got the cue. But he was hesitating. Mother knew why.

"Its all right. Uncle and I embraced each other in front of my mother. It was alright with her. But we were scared of my father."

He said "Alright" and turned to me. He held me to his chest in a tight embrace. Gave me a deep kiss on my lips and said "I love you Indu". He again kissed my lips and cheeks before releasing me.

I lost control of myself as I was so overwhelmed by the incident. I ran to mother, buried my face in her bosom and cried.

Saman tried to hold me but I pushed him gently and continued to cry. When the crying subsided mother pushed me on to a chair nearby. "What madness is this?" mother said in a displeased voice. She allowed me to gather my composure. Then she ordered me sternly, "Now go and wash your face without crying any more."

I got up and went to the bathroom. A few minutes later I came out smiling. I blushed and smiled at them. Saman and mother too smiled with me.

by C. P. Kuruppu

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Magazine

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager