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From China with radiance
My country of birth is China. I
was born to a business family where everyone was happy and
selfsufficient. It was only a matter of increasing the family fortune
through sweat and dedication. As such Chinese were reported to be number
one entrepreneurs in the whole of Asia.My childhood days were spent
mostly at our work-place. After school I came home, to spend the time
with my fellow workmen. As I gradually turned to adulthood, I bade
goodbye to my school and joined the family business. Here everyone was
nice to me and I was looked after well.
Every morning a hefty man bathed me, and gave me a massaged followed
by an oil bath. I had reams of newsprint, and multi-coloured liquid for
breakfast. This rejuvenated my body and I was fit for the day’s work.
Every few seconds rollers of ink propelled down my body. It gave me a
soothing effect and I screamed with pleasure.
When I get hungry food is served with a can of liquid. A nourishing
meal enabled me to produce large sheets with illustrations, and text to
satisfy more affluent people in society. Writers, poets, authors,
academic groups emerged. They loved me as I maintained quality. I came
under good care and bound with hard covers, some soft, to give maximum
protection. We as a group were put into card board boxes and sent to
shopping malls to be displayed on book shelves.
People who visited me want round with a vigilant eye to get the best.
My family was large. I have many brothers and sisters, so my parents
looked for a partner for me to be given in marriage.They looked for
suitable men around the world. Advertisements were placed in newspapers
as marriage proposals.
Replies poured in abundance. There was a big demand. But my parents
looked for the highest bidder. Finally one by one disappeared from home.
Few remained in their motherland. Some migrated with their spouses, to
far away lands. I made Sri Lanka my home and settled down in Colombo,
the hub of the business community in printing.
Tissa Hewavitarane
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