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| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The road to
Dompe!
Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra "I remember how my late mother used to say that I was the inheritor of great wealth belonging to her maternal side. They came from Dompe. So I should not delay this trip to Dompe, but how am I to find the way to Dompe? I have never been to that place. Anyway that place can't be far away from here, I can ask someone for the right directions."
"I can tell the people, that I am the son of Angonona, who came from Dompe long ago. Do you remember her? She was the only daughter of the famous vedamahattaya (physician) from Dompe? "Then, the people of Dompe would nod their heads and announce, that the great inheritor had come at last! But I must ask someone the way to Dompe." Ruvitan looked aside to see if there was anyone around. Then he saw, a farmer pulling out some batala yams from his small farm yard. "Mame (uncle) I am sorry to disturb you, can you tell me the way to Dompe ?" Ruvitan asked the farmer. "What? You want to buy some of these batala yams?" The farmer asked. "No, no, I want to know the way to Dompe." "Oh these yams are really good. This is my own plantation. I take care of it myself. They are quite mature and quite cheap. How much do you want?" "I don't want any of your yams, mame, I want to know the way to Dompe." Unfortunately as the farmer was short of hearing, Ruvitan had to shout. So, the farmer thought that the stranger wanted some help from someone in the house. The farmer went into the house and directed his wife to see whether she could help the stranger. She came out and asked "Can I help you?" "I want to know the way to Dompe." "Yes I am a good mat weaver and I can give you one for a cheap price. The mats are woven out of the best material one can find in this part of the district." She said showing a well-woven mat. "I don't want your mats, and I am not interested in your husband's yams. I just want to know the way to Dompe, can you please help me?" Then she went inside the house and brought out another mat. This time a better one. "No.. no.. no.. I don't want your mats." He said making a sign of refusal. "Oh I am sorry to hear that you don't want my mats." Then she cried out loud to her daughter. But there was no visible sign of any daughter. "Daughter come here at once, this gentleman may have come to see you." The mother went inside and came out with a young well-dressed girl. "This is our only daughter, Manike. This may be a moment of fortune. You may be the person whom she was waiting to see." The daughter looked around, bashfully and forgot all about her mother and went on asking some questions. "Are you the young man who promised to see me? Are you from a well-to-do family? We are farmers. Are you a farmer?" Ruvitan was feeling tired. He showed a sign that he was tired and wanted a drink. That sign, she understood and went into the kitchen and brought a glass of water which he drank quickly. "I have not come in search of any partner, I don't know such things, please forgive me, and tell me whether you know the way to Dompe or not?" "I knew well, that I should meet a handsome young man like you. How very happy I am to see you! Please wait, I am going to prepare lunch." said the young girl Manike. Then he showed another sign with his palm and said. "Please forgive me I have not come for any of the purposes you have in mind. Please allow me to go, if you cannot tell me the way to Dompe". "It looks as if you are angry with us. But we have not done anything wrong to you. Please have something and go as we are good-hearted villagers." "You all may be good-hearted, but all of you are deaf. Isn't there anybody else in this house, who can help me?" He said peeping into the house. They understood this differently. "We are poor as you may see. But we are rich at heart and we can afford to give you something to eat", said the mother trying to understand the situation. The young man Ruvitan felt sorry for all of them, "what can I do now?" He thought, "I must call all of them and clarify the situation in the best manner possible." Then he used sign language, to call thethree of them. The three of them, according to some narrators, understood what Ruvitan was talking about. Some others say, that he went to Dompe in search of his maternal wealth. But, those who met Ruvitan say, that he got married to the pretty deaf farmer's daughter, thinking he got what he wanted and lived happily thereafter. Those village elders who narrate this story say that this is the story that gave rise to the Sinhala saying ekat hariyata hatara bihiri kathava vagei (the story of the four deaf people where the young man is also cast as a deaf person). |
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This is what the young man, Ruvitan thought to himself before launching
the journey on his bullock cart. He went on thinking about the wealth he was
going to get, when he reached Dompe. 
