Short story - Gram Sellers

"Kadala, kadala". I hear the voice of the two cheery children selling gram that everyone loves to eat. It was Sumal and Nishantha, selling gram after school to earn an extra buck to buy things for school.

They were well-known among the neighbourhood and were loved by all. Sometimes though people didn't really want the gram but they bought it to make these two young boys happy. Sumal was just six year-old and Nishantha was 13 years old. They lived under the poverty line and did not have their basic needs even but they enjoyed life to the fullest. They had so much hope and dreamt of a good and prosperous future.

They both loved animals and cared for the environment. People in the neighbourhood say, that when they see these two youngsters they forget all their troubles when they seem so happy with whatever little things they have.

Books

"Ayya look at that little bird, how cute. I wish I were one. Then I can fly all over the world and see so much", Sumal chattered all the way, while they were selling the gram that their mother had prepared.

Nishantha pushed the cart and little Sumal rang the bell. "Hurry on malli. We have to finish selling all this today, if we want to buy the books we saw at the book shop the other day", Nishantha urged his brother to follow faster. "Ayya, my legs are paining.

Please shall we stop for a while and I am so thirsty too", Sumal said sitting on the ground. "See that sweet miss who buys gram from us every day, is coming. Get up malli, will ask her for some water", Nishantha almost pulled his brother up. "Miss, my brother is very thirsty, can we have a glass of water", Nishantha asked the lady politely. The Lady bought them water and spoke to them for some time.

"What a sweet miss, I wish her well", Sumal said as they had almost finished selling their gram. While heading home Sumal continued with his chatter, "ayya, I want to be a pilot when I grow up".

Nishantha smiled and shuffled his brothers' hair. Nishantha was happy that his brother was able to dream of a bright future through all the difficulties they faced. "Malli, you better start to study harder from today if you want to be a pilot and when you become one you better take me on your plane" Nishantha replied his brother affectionately. Every one loved Sumal more but Nishantha never envied it.

He too loved his brother very much and to him Sumal was his world. Nishantha always thought that if by chance Sumal dies or leaves him he too would die. He loved his brother so much and he knew he could do anything for him. Nishantha further thought, "Why should my mother suffer so much. I hope I pass my exam well, then get a good job and look after my mother and treat her like a queen". The two brothers stopped near a mango tree and the small one climbed and broke few mangoes to take home.

Decorate

While passing the pond at the far end of the village Sumal swam in and plucked some Nelum (Lotus) flowers so that their mother can decorate their home. Though they faced so much of difficulties the boys loved their home very much and never envied their friends who had so much more.

They both loved the time they spent together when they were selling gram. After finishing the daily sale they both went to the village bookshop to buy the books they wanted and by the time they got home it was almost dark. Sumal was very happy as Nishantha had got him the storybook he always wanted to read.

"Why did you get late? I was so worried if something had happened to the two of you", their mother shouted at them. "Sorry amma, we sold everything today and then went to the book shop to buy the books we needed and got late", Nishantha said wiping his face on the towel hanging on the line in front of their little mud home. "Amma very tired. Anything to drink?", Sumal said sitting next to his mother in their small kitchen on the half broken chair. "Here, drink this plain tea and there is a bit of sugar in that bottle if you want", their mother said giving both boys small tin mugs.

"No amma, keep the sugar, otherwise thaththa will come and shout at you if he doesn't get an sugar when he needs it", Nishantha said looking at the bottle of sugar and seeing that it was very little that was there. "Yes, I don't want to see amma and thaththa fighting all the time. It hurts me", little Sumal said in his innocent voice.

Addicted

Sarath, their father was a contract labourer, but most of the time he did not get any work. Like many men in the village, he too was addicted to kassippu (illicit liquor) and whatever he earned he used it to buy this. Malika, their mother was a woman who strived hard to earn a living by doing so many things.

She made string hoppers in the morning to sell in the near by market and made sweet meats to sell at the weekly fair and also made gram every evening so that the boys could sell it after they come home from school. At one time she was a beautiful woman but now with all the trouble she faces she looks so frail and drawn in and with a blank look on her face. Though poverty had struck their lives Malika always tried to be neat and tidy in all that she did and always tried to keep the one-roomed house they lived in clean and presentable.

Invariably Sarath came home very late, drunk and shouting all bad words at his family or even to a neighbour. Sumal and Nishantha feared their father and Nishantha hated him too but Sumal loved him dearly though he drank a lot and worried his mother. Most of the time Sarath was not happy with whatever his wife did and sometimes coupled her with men from the village.

The two boys tried not to come in contact with their father when he was drunk. Malika waits up till whatever time he comes and then when she serves the rice and takes it to him he invariable hits her with it and start to shout at her. During the day, when Malika is alone at home, she dreams of her young days and how happy she was when she was with her parents. She thinks of the comfort and luxury she had back at home.

She still remembers the day that she first saw Sarath and how she loved him from the start. She had met Sarath when she was in school and just after she finished school she ran a way with Sarath because she loved him so much and she knew that her parents would never agree on this marriage.

Easy

Life wasn't easy but she loved him and then when the children came she bore on all this suffering. Now she totally lives for her two boys. She is so proud of both of them and also she prays that the Triple Gem will bless them. She always advises her two sons and tells them to respect all people and be honest in all dealings.

Book

Sumal could not stop the chatter about the new book that he got. Their mother was happy that the little one loved to read and she was sure that would reach a good place in life one day. "Sumal, go do your homework and read the book later", Malika told Sumal affectionately patting him on his head. Sarath, their father came home late as usual and was very heavily drunk that he could not even stand straight.

Sumal wanted to share his joy over the new book that he had purchased and went to his father smiling while the father was cursing some person that Sumal had never heard of before. "Thaththa, see this new story book I have got. It seems so interesting", Sumal was telling his father about the new book though Sarath didn't seem to care about what his younger son was going on about.

Hero

"Thaththa, one day I will also be a hero like this child in the book", Sumal continued his chatter showing the cover of the book. "Oh, you silly idiot! Do you think you will go so far", Sarath smirked at his son's dreams.

"But, thaththa, why can't I be? I will study hard, pass my exams and then I will do well", Sumal affirmed his father in his innocent voice. Sarath got angry with his son, Sumal for trying to say that he was wrong. "You brat, what do you know.

Give me that wretched book", he grabbed the book from Sumal's hand and threw it into the fire. "Oh Thaththa, what are you doing? Please don't", Sumal cried out in distress and tried to stop his father from putting the book into the fire.

Sarath got furious that his youngest son had tried to push him away and he held Sumal by the neck and started hitting him."Don't Sarath, don't", Malika Shouted and tried to stop her husband. "Thaththa, don't, please don't Nishantha pleaded with his father and tried to stop him. Sarath pushed Malika and Nishantha both a side with force and then put Sumal on the ground and started to kick him on his head.

Sumal was shouting in horror, "Sorry Thaththa, Sorry. Please don't hit me". But Sarath kept on kicking his little son. The little boys' screams and pleading stopped all of a sudden. Sumals' body was bruised and broken in many places as he lay lifeless on the floor. "Why are you quiet, you brat, getup? I said now get up you book lover", shouted Sarath at the lifeless Sumal. "Get up I said or otherwise you know what will happen. Don't you?", Sarath was shaking the lifeless body .......

By this time the villagers had gathered around the tiny hut and Malika was crying aloud", He has killed my boy". Nishantha had run away ....

The roads are bleak now as I walk home every evening; no more do I see the cheery children-selling gram. All of us miss them so, the Gram Sellers.

Natalie Nathanielsz Gomes, Kaduwela.