Itipahan (Burly Lamp)

by Sumithra RAHUBADDHE

(Translated by Ranga Chandrarathne and Edited by Indeewara Thilakarathne)

"I am a lamp burning

on both ends

Known well that

I cannot pass the night

Yet

See my friends

Foes

How powerful light

Burnt

To dispel the darkness"

Continued from last week...

Sirinatha was happy that Somawathie eventually forgot to speak in English.

Now, she attended the village school. Sirinatha could not quite understand why villagers asked him not to play with Somawathie. But he liked to play with her. Somawathie herself started to put up a mock-house after gathering leaves under the bread fruit tree. Somawathie asked Sirinatha, "Let us put up a mock-house?" and Sirinatha replied, "No, I can't" with pride. It was Somawathie herself who gathered arecanut leaves. Today, too, Somawathie called him to put up a mock house.

"Sirinatha, if you are not coming, I will put up the mock-house, "said Somawathie. Then, she went to the boundary of the land where they put up mock-houses, carrying few stumps. She brought arecanut leaves gathered from the backyard and bread fruit leaves on her head.

"Somawathie, if not with me, with whom are you going to play...it is of no use in putting up that," asked Sirinatha who had climbed on to a well-spread-out tree, on seeing Somawathie cutting down stumps. Somawathie planted the stakes as if she heard nothing.

"Are you playing alone? " shouted Sirinatha. Then Somawathie flashed a smile. "There is nobody to live in this house," said Sirinatha. "The inmates have gone on a journey," said Somawathie in a lighter vein.

When Somawathie had finished planting the stakes and fastening the arecanut leaves, one by one, Sirinatha got down from the tree and came to Somawathie's mock-house.

"Those who have gone on a journey had returned ..." said Sirinatha joining Somawathie in constructing the mock-house. The girls and boys, who were playing beyond the paddy field, had come to the place on seeing the construction of the mock-house. Somawathie detested as most of them were naked. She looked down on them.

"Shall we also join, "asked a boy. Somawathie looked at the boy who was completely naked. The girls were also naked.

"Join the mock-house we construct? ", Sirinatha asked the boy. Somawathie looked at the boys and girls. She noticed with disgust how yellowish-phlegm pouring down from the nostrils of a boy. She felt disgusted. She turned the other way on seeing the boy wiping the stream of phlegm with the tongue. A couple of boys began to construct the roof without instructions either from Sirinatha or Somawathie.

"We, Somawathie and I, only play in this house. We're, a lady and gentleman from Colombo. You are villagers and you should be afraid of us. You should keep your distance, "Sirinatha told the boys who covered the roof with bread fruit leaves and the girls who looked at it from afar.

"We aren't afraid of people of Colombo, "said the naked boys.

"You should be afraid of, this is a game," said Sirinatha.

"We aren't afraid even for fun," shouted a boy. Sirinatha hit the boy in the front and the boy hit back. Somawathie intervened to rescue Sirinatha. The naked boys and girls fled the scene.

"Ugly naked fellows", shouted Sirinatha.

"Really, why don't they wear clothes?" asked Somawathie who looked at the naked boys and girls fleeing the scene.

"That's the way here, it is nice to be naked then you won't sweat. Earlier I was also like them, "said Sirinatha.

"I do not like naked children," said Somawathie. She tried to prepare a hearth inside the mock-house. Sitting in front of the mock house, Sirinatha looked at the paddy field. He recollected that before Somawathie arrived he had played with the naked girls and boys who ran in. But after Somawathie arrived, he always played only with her. Sirinatha thought that Somawathie was different from the naked girls and boys of the village. She brushed her teeth in the morning and the evening, washed her face, and took meals in an orderly manner, always dressed in clean clothes. She brushed her teeth not with her finger but with a tooth-brush. She wiped her face with a towel. She had an array of beautiful clothes. Sirinatha thought that Somawathie lived like a princess though Duleena worked in the rubber estate that belonged to his father. She worked in the house, swept the yard, boiled the paddy and filled the attic with firewood. Though Somawathie did not always speak in English now, she knew her English. She was different from the girls and boys of the village; she was beautiful and fair in complexion. Sirinatha looked at Somawathie and thought that she was better than the naked girls and boys of the village. She was silently cooking the jak-leave curry in a coconut-shell which was put on the three stones that made the hearth.

"Sirinatha, actually have you got only the aunty?", suddenly asked Somawathie while plucking the jak-leaves. Sirinatha did not respond.

Actually, Sirinatha had only the aunt. He could not remember his mother.

He heard that his aunt and sister had been telling him often that his mother died in his childhood. Sirinatha heard that mother who had gone for bathing in the evening had been attacked by the devil. After a couple of days, mother died following high fever and shock. Father had performed a 'Tovilaya' but it was of no use.

He could remember well when father died. At the time, father earned a considerable income from rubber estate. There were only his mother, sister, himself and Sugathapala who worked in the barn at home.

Sirinatha remembered well even on that day father was reading a book late into the night. He and his sister, as usual, slept on the bed in the room adjacent to the father's room. At night, he could remember, that they were woken up by a shriek. The sister embraced him tightly shivering with fear.

"Please take what you want, without killing people.., "said the aunt. Sirinatha and Sriyadari heard it. Sriyadari looked at Sirinatha with protruding eyes.

Then they heard a lot of loud noises. Sirinatha still felt the thud of the heart-beat he experienced that day. Chairs, cupboards and tables were thrown here and there. One who peeped into the room shouted, "Sleep!" "Budu Ammo" were the final words of the father. The aunt shrieked. After the robbers or the burglars left, the villagers who gathered at home on hearing aunty's wailing, took father to the hospital immediately.

Aron, who took father to hospital returned to the village with the sad news of father's death. Sirinatha thought that father's funeral was an indelible picture in his mind; as if he could still hear the aunt's wailing before father's body. All of them wiped their tears looking at him and Sriyadari.

"We have only the aunt but we also have other relations, "Sirinatha said after a long pause. Since Somawathie remained as if she could not hear him, Sirinatha did not talk further on the matter.

"Is your school so big?" Somawathie asked Sirinatha after a pause. "Yes, it is very big and there is not a single cadjan-thatehed hut in the school," said Sirinatha swiftly. In the village school, there were two cadjan-thatehed wattle and daub buildings. Somawathie's classroom was one of them.

"Sirinatha, you are lying," said Somawathie after a while.

"No, it is not a lie. It's true. In our school, we do not address teachers as 'Iskole' 'Hamine', or 'Iskole' 'Mahathaya'. There are only teachers. Children wear white shoes. They don't wear sarongs. Girls wear white frocks." Sirinatha explained.

"I too wear beautiful frocks, put on shoes with socks when I go to school," said Somawathie as if preparing for a competition.

"But, your school has cadjan-thatched huts. There are only 'Iskole' 'Haminela', 'Iskole' 'Mahathuru'. Children wear sarongs. Children have to do menial work on instruction of 'Iskole' 'Haminela.' In our school, teachers won't get children to do the work", said Sirinatha. When Somawathie went home with Duleena that day, she thought a lot; she made up her mind, somehow, to go to the school Sirinatha attended and to learn well.

"Wash your face and eat a little bit of rice and curry", said Duleena, as usual and lit the bottle-lamp.

"I want to go to Sirinatha's school. I cannot go to cadjan-thatched school," said Somawathie who did not mind washing her face. Duleena leisurely lit the lamp without uttering a word. She wanted to admit the girl to a good school and to give her a good education. It was only she who knew her desire to bring up the girl like a princess. But she herself had to shoulder every burden like a man. If Heenappu was alive, he could have filled the vacuum for a father for the girl thought Duleena. Though Kumatheris Aiyya visited her two or three times a week, he did not care for the girl. Others who knew Kumatheris Aiyya's visits, also tried to frequent the house. She did not like Kumatheris Aiyya's visits but she did not strongly dislike his visits either.

"Mother, send me to the school Sirinatha attends," Somawathie told Duleena for the second time. She thought that mother would not agree to the idea.

How can I do that at once? I do not understand them. Be patient for a while," Duleena consoled the daughter. She understood that, she, somehow had to admit the child to the school Sirinatha Punchi Mahaththaya attended. Nanawathi Hamine said Duleena had spoiled the girl by entertaining her requests. But Duleena did everything to make the girl happy as a mother. However, Duleena doubted whether she was able to admit the girl to the school Sirinatha Punchi Mahathathaya attended as requested by the girl.

"I must go to the school Sirinatha attends. I must, somehow go" she said several times. Duleena promised that somehow she would admit Somawathie to the school Sirinatha Punchi Mahathathaya attended.

The following day, she sought Nanawathi Hamine's help to admit the girl to the school that Sirinatha Punchi Mahathathaya attended. Duleena could only ask Nanawathi Hamine for help. The other women of the village looked down on her and considered her as a woman without roots. They have enough strength to generate rumours about her and spread them throughout the village.

They do not see anything wrong in Kumatheris Aiyya who entered the house in the night by force. But she is a woman of easy virtue. Duleena regretted that her daughter would also label her in that manner. They say that a male can be cleansed and taken into the house. But women of the village tried to look down on her, especially in community activities, as if she was a disgusting woman who should not be allowed into a house. She had never been invited to an alms giving for 'kiri' 'Ammala', no betel leaves were given to her inviting for a wedding, no invitation for her for a 'Pirith' chanting or for an alms giving. If invited, that was only to wash plates. No household would invite her to do any work in the front section of the house.

She could not go beyond the low-chair or parapet wall in the back yard of the house. In this respect, Nanawathi Hamine is extremely good. She does not ill-treat the child. She only wants to get the work done. She also has the habit of helping out whenever help is sought. Duleena said Nanawathi Hamine that she wanted to admit the little one to the school Sirinatha Punchi Mahathathaya attended. Nanawathi Hamine remained tight-lipped.

"Let the girl mind her own business. When she reaches the right age I will arrange a partner for her," said Nanawathi Hamine after an hour or two.

Though Duleena became furious, a poor woman like Duleena could not afford to express her views. How could Nanawathi Hamine who could not find a man for herself, find a partner for the girl.

"Hamine, it is not the case. As a mother it is my duty to provide the girl with a good education irrespective of whether she learns or not. If not, she would blame me one day", said Duleena. She put another bundle of coconut leaves into the fire which boiled the pot of paddy. If she did not educate the girl, she would have to toil in Ralahami's kitchen, pounding paddy, boiling them and to satisfying her hunger by eating the leftover rice and curry from the kitchen.

"If she gets to know of your behaviour, she would one day blame you. When you educate them, they become swollen headed. Forget about it Duleena", said Nanawathi Hamine engaging in some task. Duleena, did not say anything. Therefore, she was fuming with rage. What would the girl do when she gets to know it one day? Was Nanawathi Hamine trying to say that she had given birth to an illegitimate child? She only knew how all those things happened.

She was furious that, every man and woman in the village had at least something to be blamed of. If there was a will, there was a way. Despite her hardwork, Nanawathi Hamine spoke against it. She recollected how she led a miserable childhood without a mother or a father and subjecting herself to others' bullying. After boiling the paddy, Duleena spread it out on the mat to dry in the sun. She did not miss out the familiar pattern she usually made in spreading the paddy on the mat.

After spreading it out on the mat, she threw some dried up 'Hanasu' onto the attic whilst blowing onto her sweating breast.

Nanawathi Hamine was getting Somapala to pluck a jak fruit from the tree.

On seeing it, Duleena became furious. She thought that Nanawathi Hamine treated her like a dog after getting her to do almost all the household chores. Sugathapala put down the jak-fruit near Duleena. Her face was distorted with rage. Nanawathi Hamine who came behind Sugathapala, immediately noticed it.

"Sugathapala, cut this Jak-fruit for Duleena," Nanawathi Hamine told Sugathapala who was about to go out. Sugathapala cut the jak fruit into three or four pieces with the hatchet. Duleena began to remove the cloves of jak fruit. Nanawathi Hamine sat by Duleena and helped her out.

"Your little one wanted to go to Sirinatha Mahaththaya's school?" asked Nanawathi Hamine leisurely. She knew why Duleena became angry with her. Duleena did not respond.

"I will tell Kande Mahaththaya about it and somehow, get it done. You do not have to worry so much about it," said Nanawathi Hamine when Duleena did not reply. Duleena listened silently without uttering a word. She questioned herself whether she would allow her child to toil hard at others' houses as she did.

Footnotes

Thovilaya: A ritualistic incantation using the mask of the devils.

Budu Ammo: Sinhalese expression of a sudden impulse like a deadly pain.

'Iskole' 'Haminela', 'Iskole' 'Mahathuru': Sinhala terms of addressing female and male teachers.

'Alms giving for kiri' 'Ammala.': This is a special alms giving where seven mothers who breastfed their children were given special meals on the occasion of a child birth.

Hanasu : The dry flower of the coconut.