|
|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Magazine |
 |
|
News Business Features
Editorial
|
Telling Tales
Self banishment P. M. Fernando No one knew where he had gone and no one ever saw him since he vanished ten years ago. Some said he was kidnapped and killed. But no one ever made a demand for ransom. Others said he had probably drowned in the sea, when he went for a swim that evening.
Still others said, he was probably killed in a vehicle accident in the night, and the driver put the body in a place no one could find. His wife thought he had eloped with some woman, but she always said he probably went to check the river to see if he could go fishing the following day and was attacked by the man-eater crocodile that had taken several lives before. The day he was last seen, he wanted to talk to his wife and said, "Darling, we haven't had time together for years, like the first two three years of our married life. Tomorrow is Sunday and I want to go somewhere with you to sit together, relax and chat freely and leisurely." But, his wife replied, "Yes, you did not have time. You did not have time to buy the pendant you promised to buy on my last birthday. I will be busy at our Charity Club tomorrow and you can go and get my pendant. Fulfil the birthday promise tomorrow". Recapture He muttered something to himself and then, told her, "Honey, I will never promise again to break my promise. But remember, those days when we were just married, how we sat together and chatted for hours without ever getting tired or feeling bored! Remember the fun we had. Our child is now a teenager. Let us recapture our youth once again. Let us go somewhere tomorrow. I have a lot of things to tell you and some important things to discuss." His wife told him, "You want to be the naughty teenager again, as you enter your forties. Forget that silly romance. Buy the pendant tomorrow. But, don't start looking for romance with lasses in the malls." The day he was seen last, he wanted to talk to his twelve year old son and he said, "Son, we haven't had time together for a long time. Remember the days I used to play hide and seek and cricket with you. I want to go with you to the beach tomorrow and spend time with you. We will swim and play in the water. Then, tell stories of school and office. Eat crabs at some restaurant and have some fun." His son told him, "I dond't like those things anymore. I will play with my friends tomorrow. You go with mom or some friends of yours. You can have more fun and a lot of chatting. I want a computer Dad. Please give me one on my birthday next month." He muttered something to himself and then told his son, "OK son. I will go to the sea with someone. I won't promise a computer now, because I don't know if I would come back alive from the sea." Fish The day he was seen last, his wife saw him speaking to his fish that he looked after with much care since he got married. He put his hand into the water and wanted to touch the fish but the fish would not come near his hand. He told the fish, "Don't you like the hand that fed you all these years and cared for you? You are now big and beautiful, and so graceful to look at. But you don't like me. Maybe, it is because I am your captor and not your friend. But when I look at how I devoted part of me with dedication to care for you, I wonder whether I am your captor or whether I am the captured. I feel so cheated to have spent, part of my life to entertain my love for nature. I should have really allowed nature to take its natural course. From now on, you are free from your captor and so am I." The day he was seen last, he visited his married sister on whom he had spent much money to educate, to give her in marriage and help her settle down. His sister asked him, "How are you doing, brother?" He told her, "I am not feeling well these days" and his sister said. "Very good, very good" because she did not listen carefully to what he said. It was just the ritual questioning of "How are You?", the other to reply, "I am doing fine" and then to say, "Very good". Then the sister began to unload her problems, mainly the financial difficulties in educating her children. He listened to her for an hour. Then, he said, "I have a headache and I need to get some Aspirins" and left. The day he was seen last, he went to see his parents and he told them, "Dad and Mom, I have a problem." His dad and mom laughed loud at what he said. His father told him, "Son, you are joking. Don't be silly. You have the best family, any man could ever have, a beautiful and intelligent wife. She doesn't seek the attention of other men but remains very faithful to her husband. She is contented with her life. She manages the home very well and carries herself well in public. You know how many men envy you! You have an excellent son who is intelligent, clever and industrious. He behaves well and is very virtuous. He is never a problem to his parents. You have an excellent job that you have been doing very well, with promotion after promotion. How many people envy you! What problem on earth could you have?" He was silent for a while and then said, "Yes, I have beautiful fish too" And they all laughed. Dinner The day he was seen last, his parents wanted him to stay for dinner and his father told him, "Son, eat dinner with us. You always liked your mother's food very much. I am sure you missed her cooking. She has improved in her cooking over the years. Now she is professional and excellent." He didn't seem to hear it and then, he said, "I don't want to eat tonight. I already ate some biscuits. I have to go now." That was the last day his family saw him before he disappeared and since then, he remained a missing person. His family did not miss him much because he had left enough resources behind for them to live on without anything to worry. He left behind a good name that his family could cash in, in the form of respect, privilege and benefits. Sometimes they would remember him. His son would say how great his father was and his wife would say, how great her husband was. His parents would say how great their son was. They were happy to tell others how great he was. For the last three years, a beggar appeared at their doorstep on the day of his birthday. The beggar resembled him in many ways but differed sharply in some ways. His wife told her friend, "You know a beggar came to our house on my late husband's birthday, forgive me for calling him late, if he is alive he should come by now, and I gave the beggar some food and a little money in remembrance of my husband. The beggar is very slim but he walks upright. His voice is low but firm unlike that of a beggar or the voice of my husband that was loud and sweet. The beggar's eyes are sharp and penetrating unlike my husband's that were very gentle. His looks unnerves me and makes me feel naked before him. It never happened with my husband. Before my husband I felt like a queen." She asked the beggar what made him beg and he said, "Years ago, doctors told me I would die of some stomach cancer. They wanted to put me through chemotherapy. They were not sure of the outcome of the operation. Finally I decided to let nature takes its course. When we try to control nature, at the end, we forget our nature". Moved with pity for him, she said, "I will try to help you. We have an
organisation to help people like you." He protested, "No. I don't need help.
Help others not me." She told him, "I could help your family". He said,
"They do not need any help. Nature looks after them very well. I am begging
only for myself' he said and went away, probably, never to return. |
|
| News
| Business |
Features |
Editorial | Security |
Politics | Produced by Lake House |
