Itipahan (Burly Lamp) Chapter - 11

By Sumithra RAHUBADDE

*****

(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"

******

Soome realised that she could not bear up her feelings that Sriyadari Akka's departure from the village. Sriyadari Akka showed her love, affection and kindness from the day she met Soome. No one else in the village had ever shown her such an affection or kindness. She did not console her mind considering that affection is similar to the collective feelings she had received from the rest in the village. She understood that love and affection received from Sriyadari Akka for the first time in her entire life had cemented in the heart. Love gives life to vital needs essential for living. There is no need to articulate mother's love for her. But mother who worked from morning to dusk, had no time to console her with a word, comb her hair or massage her head until she fell asleep. When the entire village had turned its back on her, it was Sirinatha and Sriyadari Akka who cared for her. When Sirinatha's position is considered today, Soome would be reluctant to give an answer to the question why Sirinatha had not turned back on her as others in the village. However, Soome had no hesitation in answering the same question from Sriyadari Akka's perspective. Soome considered Sriyadari Akka's mind as a winnowing fan. Nothing unworthy would remain in it. She never had sympathetic feelings towards Soome. She had only displayed the love and kindness Soome yearned for. She could not bear up the idea that one and only Sriyadari also leaving the village. Though Sriyadari had learnt how to type, finally, she had chosen teaching. Soome thought that it would suit her best.

"I will have no one in the village when Sriya Akka leaves, "Soome said.

Sriyadari Akka, who was wearing an `osari' with an embroidered jacket, a necklace of pabalu, her hair dropping up to the neck, carrying a suitcase in her hand looked sadly at Soome. She watched Sriyadari Akka's smile gradually diminishing.

"Soome, I will write to you," said Sriyadari Akka who attempted to control her cry. Soome looked at Sriyadari Akka silently. Sriyadari Akka got into Kande Mahattaya's Morris Minor car and disappeared. Now, there is nobody to speak her heart out, no one to talk with. Soome felt that she was isolated in the village without any help. Though the hardships that mother endured throughout the day was painful for her, she could not see any way of minimising it. The job applications Soome submitted since she passed the Advanced Level further contributed to mother's labour. For Soome to send applications, mother had to toil harder and harder. Soome recalled the day she went to see the MP with Village Headman as a day that gave her further strength and courage. She had to wait a long time to enter the MP's bungalow. The long wait made her body and the mind tired. If she had not gone with the Village Headman, she would have come back without waiting to meet the MP. Soome thought that instead of the kind person she knew she saw a person with a strong personality at the meeting, the MP as a sculpture made of stone but with a capacity to speak.

"Manthrithuma, can you remember this child who addressed the meeting held at Nagaha Handiya", the Village Headman introduced Soome. Similar to a Suruttu Mudalali who would turn up and down a one rupee note to make sure its authenticity, *Manthrithuma* looked at Soome's face and body for a moment.

"Why not, I can remember this child well. This child spoke very well that day. Why did you come here?", inquired Manthrithuma settling down into a chair. The Village Headman explained mother's misery with details in her presence.

"Child, can you go out?" Village Headman asked Soome. She left in rage intuitively knowing what the Village Headman was about to talk. After ten minutes, the Village Headman himself invited Soome back to the meeting with Manthrithuma.

"Ralahamy, told me that you are very innocent people. Now, there are excess of graduates. First I will have to solve their unemployment problem.

If something comes up, I will send you a message through Ralahamy. If you need, I can give you a character certificate. Since you are here, you can take one with you," Manthrithuma said calmly. Soome thought that her controlled anger would ignite reducing not only Manthrithuma but also Ralahamy.

"Do you want a certificate? Manthrithuma will give you a good certificate," said Village Headman painting a map of sympathy on his face.

Soome thought it was better if the ornamental leopard at the entrance to Manthrithuma's residence would get its life back. Though Soome had life, she had no strength to ambush them by doing what she wanted.

"I do not want certificates", Soome said decidedly. She was angry with herself for visiting the Manthrithuma because of her stubbornness. Though Village Headman gazed at Manthrithuma, he did not look back. Soome realised that if she was to find a job quickly what is needed was not certificates but to learn some skills. Sending applications for jobs changed over to applying for training positions. The post master explained making vague suggestions to Soome about the importance of the Gazette information.

Application for training position for typing returned rapid responses than applications for jobs. Soome was happy to come to know Lal Malli as a result of her frequent visits to the post -office. After Sriyadari Akka left the village, there was no one to talk to. Every day, Lal Malli also visited the post-office to post his applications and also to read the Gazette. There were benefits of crawling into the post office. Daily newspapers could be read. Soome was attracted to Lal Malli's height. Though she had seen Lal Malli before their meeting at the post-office, she didn't know that he was a talkative person. Soome thought that Lal Malli's knowledge was as good as the teacher Ratnayake who taught Political Science at the school. Teacher Ratnayake had a remarkable capacity to explain political history. But young Lal Malli had not taught her anything yet.

"Soomakka, have you read Gorki's Mother?" Lal Malli asked one day, as he was walking out of the post-office. "Oh, no, is it a good book?" Soome asked showing an interest.

"Soomakke, those are the books people like us must read. I have read almost all the books associated with the Russian revolution," said Lal Malli with an enthusiastic voice.

"Can you lend them? Malli, I go mad just staying at home doing nothing, said Soome. At first, Lal Malli brought her two parts of "Vane Pannaraya Labu Hati". Soome considered Powel (a character in the novel) as a real hero. Hunger, inferiority complex, humiliation and humbleness are blood-relations of poverty. She saw the difference between herself who endured all hardships silently and Powel who confronted them all. Soome understood that a lot had to be done in the face of poverty, social injustice and that there was a great strength dormant in her little soul.

After reading `Mother', a flame of pride in Soome's mind lit up. She knew that flame of pride which brings a light to her soul, should not be allowed to put out. It was Lal Malli who brought the torch of flame from nowhere to light up that flame. Soome thought of her mother. Though the mother had embraced various miseries and sufferings throughout her life, her courage and determination had never been reduced even by a bit from her past to present.

"Soomakka, do you think that it is only you who have fallen into this misery? Is it only two of us who mail pounds of applications? Soomakke, this is the real situation that most of the educated faced in our country today," said, Lal Malli one day when he visited the Soome's hut carrying a couple of Russian novels with him. Soome watched Lal Malli's pupils focused on hers. Soome could see her face on his pupils when she kept on looking without batting eyelids. She thought that Lal Malli's shining eyes under his thick eye brows indicated stubborn yet a firm determination.

"Soomakke, we could not pass on our helplessness that follows people like us to fate. We must fight it. Soomakke, we only have to pave the way for a future in which none of us will have to bow down before the rich", Lal Malli said sitting on a fallen coconut trunk in front of the hut. The rubber leaves rustled as if to confirm what Lal Malli had said. A slight chill that came with the rustling of the rubber leaves comforted Soome's body.

Momentarily that chill got intensified and made her body shiver.

"Malli, how can we overcome fate? How nice, if we could do so? I like the idea wholeheartedly if that is feasible", said Soome with a few drops of tears in her eyes. Lal Malli held Soome by the shoulders. Both of them understood that they were helpless and that both had to find a way out from the situation. The tear drops that remained in Soome's eyes, shone brightly.

She had a partial smile in her face.

"Soomakke, we cannot be like this forever. We should reach our destination even by a trail through the forest," said Lal Malli releasing Soome's shoulders that he had been holding for a while. The quiet duo looked at the dark rubber plantation for a long time. They looked at the rubber plantation quietly as if they felt the dark dampness emanating from it. Soome thought that the dew that dropped under this dark dampness would create thousands of leeches. She detested those leeches that sucked blood from women like her mother.

"Lal Malli", Soome spoke breaking the silence.

"I have to go to Colombo for an interview at the Technical College. Mother could come but neither of us do not know the roads", Soome invited Lal malli indirectly. As expected, Lal Malli would volunteer.

"Soomakke, I will come. Anyway, it is better to be in Colombo. It is better to enter Technical."

Soome did not seek permission from Duleena to go with Lal Malli for the interview at the Technical College in Maradana. She did not think that she should seek permission from mother. Soome thought that it would be better to go with Lal.

"Tomorrow, Morning I am going to Colombo with Lal Malli for an interview," she told Duleena who was weaving a mat. Duleena only raised her head and looked at Soome without saying anything. For a moment, Duleena was unsure of the pattern to be used and then decided to use a tree-lined design for the mat in the making.

"Puthe, the coins for the bus?" Duleena asked suddenly reminding the bus fare.

"Mother, don't you have any money?" Soome asked without taking off her eyes from the book she was reading. She had one Rupee and twenty five cents which was sufficient for the journey. But she thought it would be better to have a little extra money.

"I have fifty cents. I will go in the morning and ask Nanawathi Hamine for some money," Duleena promised assuming that it would hurt girl's feelings.

"Mother, no, I do not want. I have one rupee and a little more," Soome said.

Soome's visits to Nanawathi Hamine's house stopped automatically after Sriyadari Akka's move to Colombo. Sometimes, Sriyadari Akka sent a letter giving details of her affairs in Colombo. In every such letter, Sriyadari Akka did not forget to include a request for Soome to settle down.

Soome was happy that Lal Malli took her to the place sooner than she expected. Someone who got into the bus at Wijerama junction talked with Lal Malli in a very friendly manner for a long period. Lal Malli introduced Soomakka as a sister to the stranger. Soome noticed that passenger's attention was naturally drawn to the three of them. Lal Malli and the stranger talked about a lot of things in a high pitched voice. Soome understood that admiration in her of Lal Malli was augmented by this encounter.

Following the interview, Lal Malli introduced Soome to some people in the Technical College. Soome was surprised to learn about Lal Mallie's net work of contact despite being unemployed. All of them were against injustice similar to the position of Lal Malli.

"This is one of our sisters. Her name is English; Daisy Suzan but heart and what she eats and drinks are Sinhala", said Lal introducing Soome to a couple of friends.

"Name is a bit heavy. But we will make it lighter when she comes here", one of Lal's friends said.

Soome understood that Lal Malli's world was more complete than her's. It was a wonderful world full of hope and understanding. Lal Malli preferred to take her into that world.

"Soomakke, we have a lot to do. At last, I told the Interview Board about you. Soomakke, you should be in Colombo irrespective of studying", Lal Malli said on their way home.

"I am surprised about you Lal Malli who knows a lot of people but still unemployed. First of all, try and find a job.", Soome requested Lal Malli who showed kindness and love in a sympathetic manner. Lal Malli smiled as he heard the advice. Lal Malli explained about the measures that all those who are in the same boat should take. Lal Malli explained that in order to take those measures that one should forget one's ego and be prepared to face any situation. Soome realised that she had learnt a lot within a short period of time.

"Soomakke, we have a lot to do. We should work like Powel. Not thinking of us but thinking of the suffering of the down-trodden," explained Lal Malli.

Soome was very happy and enthusiastic on that day. She also belongs to the downtrodden class. Mother and she suffer because they were born as members of the downtrodden. Soome thought if she could work for the downtrodden class to which she, mother and most of the villagers belonged; she would be able to give some meaning to life.

"We only know of two groups; one group is from Horagolla Walauwa and the other from Botale Walauwa. Other than those two families, we have no place here", Lal Malli said as they got off from the bus.

"Malli, don't say like that. Then what about Philip, N.M, Wickramasinghe.

Colvin! They are outside those Walauwas,' said Soome displaying her bookish knowledge.

"They have worked for those two Walauwas. Allow them to divide power like 'This time us and next time you'", Lal Malli said with passion.

"That's not true. They have done something to best of their abilities. Who can forget Suriya-Mal Movement, Hartal, Paddy Land Act? Who did them?" asked Soome. Lal Malli stopped in the middle of the road to answer the question.

"Soomakke, you can learn answers to all these questions. Akke, I will take you to someone who would explain these issues better than me. I will take you to that person", Soome left Lal Malli to go home with hopes reaching the sky and with the idea of meeting him again. She understood that whoever said was said that these things could not be accepted without further questions. Soome realised that she had a lot of questions to be asked on Botale Walauwa, Horagolla Walauwa, N.M, Philip and Wickremasinghe.

Footnotes:

Osari - A Kandian type sari.

Manthrithuma - The honorific Sinhala word for Member of Parliament (MP).

Suruttu Mudalali - A village merchant who deals with cigars.

Lal Malli - Younger brother Lal. A usual way of addressing a younger person by associating his first name with the word malli (brother). Vane Pannaraya Labu Hati - The title of a Sinhala translation of a Russian novel

Puthe - A fond way of addressing a son or daughter.

Horagolla Walauwa - Ancestral residence of Bandaranaike family who greatly influenced the politics of post-independence Sri Lanka.

Botale Walauwa - Ancestral residence of Senanayake family.

Suriya-Mal Movement- It was a campaign set up during the British rule in Sri Lankan (then Ceylon) to sell Suriya. flowers on Poppy Day for the benefit of Sri Lankan ex-servicemen.

The movement evolved into anti-imperialist in ideology.

N.M, Philip and Wickremasinghe - The pioneers of the leftist movement of Sri Lanka denoting (Dr N M Perera, Philip Gunawardena and Dr S A. Wickramasinghe.