Itipahan (Burly Lamp) Chapter - 16

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"

Daisy was waiting in the College House's corridor expecting the arrival of a comrade as she received a message to that effect. She, who sat on the elevated cement structure, looked at the girls and boys playing tennis.

Daisy thought that the only problem of these boys and girls who did not feel any burden of life was to keep their body fit. A junior worker, who knew Daisy smiled with her and moved forward. He went in the direction of the canteen.

A couple of university lovers were searching for intimate places to sit.

Daisy asked a student for the time. Though the comrade had told that he would come at 3.30 p.m., now it was past 4 p.m.

"Why are you here, Soome?" Suddenly someone who came behind her asked. Soome stood up on hearing the voice. Sirinatha, whom Soome thought would not ever meet her again, was standing before her with a leather bag hanging from his shoulders. Daisy thought that now he does not show any signs of an adventurous youth but display the nature of a fully-fledged man.

"I am waiting for someone," she said. "A new friend?" Sirinatha asked smilingly. Although, her inner mind filled with grief realising the meaning of his remark, she tried to smile.

"There are a lot of new friends. I am waiting to meet one of them," said Daisy glaring at Sirinatha.

"Do not try to waste your life. I am worried about you Soome. Why are you trying to waste your time instead of learning and building up your life," said Sirinatha sadly. Though there was a genuine sadness in his tone, Soome's sub conscious mind could not easily accept his request.

"I am not trying to destroy myself. What's the meaning of your talk?" Daisy attempted to breathe the scent emanating from Sirinatha, secretly".

"I heard Soome had joined Che Guvera group. Is it nice for a girl to engage in such activities? A lot of males come home to meet you. Soome, don't you understand that this is nonsense. Don't you understand after earning the degree, that you could get an appointment as a teacher? Don't you realise that Soome?" enquired Sirinatha. He saw Soome's sarcastically smiling face.

Though Sirinatha wanted to ask, "why are you laughing at me?" he had no strengths to ask the question.

"Yes, I have joined the Che Guevera movement. If you like, Sirinatha could also join, but there is no room in the movement for crooks and those who are deserters!" said Soome tightening her lips but smiling, which Sirinatha intensively felt as a remark intended for him. "I am going" Sirinatha turned back. Daisy realised that it did not bring any satisfaction to her mind looking at him. Yet she was elated at the thought that she had told him a bit of her mind.

Comrades Kurukuladitya and Gamanayake, who were to meet Daisy, came late.

Though Daisy was happy about their delay, she did not reveal it.

"Comrade Leader had once again, been taken into custody," Comrade Gamanayake said. Daisy listened silently as it was something that she had anticipated.

"The Government would have learnt that we were preparing for the revolution. We could have carried out the revolution even without Comrade Leader, had a date has been finalised," said Kurukuladitya.

"All this is due to not having proper planning. Now, do we have to wait till the comrade Leader comes out of the prison to carry out the revolution?" Daisy asked impatiently. The movement, up to that point, was preparing to capture the power by launching a massive attack. Sisters and brothers were eagerly waiting for that day. Daisy thought that revolution should not be delayed further.

"Four other brothers have also been arrested along with the Comrade Leader.

Now they are going to arrest more brothers. Emergency regulations may also be imposed," Comrade Gamanayake said.

The situation has changed. Up to that point, what had been planned was to prepare for the forthcoming revolution. She was tasked to make uniforms for sisters and to keep them in safe custody. Though Peradeniye Wimal had informed her to carry out an important task, he did not reveal what it was.

However, the physical and psychological preparation had created a revolution within her.

"Everyone should protect themselves. The Government is scared of the movement and therefore, we should not forget that work to crack down our activities would be increased. We should arm ourselves properly and don't forget that N.M. and Colvin are more dangerous than Mathini," explained Comrade Uttamasinghe.

Daisy recalled that history would testify of such crackdowns in the run up to a revolution.

Revolution is imminent. That would create a sense of pride in everyone and what is to be done, is to light that flame.

"Puthe, who are these Che Guvera people?" Duleena asked Soome who was stitching a button onto a uniform. Soome looked at mother with a smile.

"Mother, who told you about Che Guvera followers," instead of answering the question, Soome asked mother a question.

"I don't know! All the villagers ask me about them. When I told them that I know nothing, they asked me to enquire from you about them," said Duleena while drinking a cup of plain tea. Soome thought of mother's response.

Since her childhood, mother did not question about her affairs. Now she is questioning her about Che Guvera followers because the villagers would have been asking her the same. Was it because they suspect her and they had asked mother about Che Guvera followers?

"Che Guvera Karayo means members of a new party. They are trying to eradicate poverty," Soome told Duleena in simple language. She saw no change in Duleena's movements. However, after a while, she asked, "Then, isn't Mathini good?"

Soome could not think of an answer to that question. It was she, who told mother that Mathini was better than any other leader. Now, she should inform mother of a person better than Mathini.

"By the way, what has Mathini done for us? I work as a slave at Mr. Paxton's residence in Jaffna. In a way, that time was good. Even now, I am doing work as a slave. It doesn't matter any Mathini comes to power, our slavery will continue. Then dear child, what else can we expect?" asked Duleena emptying the last sip of her tea. Soome kept a couple of buttoned uniforms.

She was impatient expecting the anticipated message any time.

All of a sudden, a Comrade came carrying the anticipated message. It was not difficult for Soome to understand why the strange Comrade had come with his dishevelled head and troubled face.

"There is a strong crack down. Therefore, comrade leader has sent a message from Jaffna prison. Accordingly, it was decided to carry out the revolution," the comrade revealed as he sat on the only chair in the hut.

Soome felt as if a tremor running through her body. Now, the moment had arrived to wash away the disillusionment of life. Daisy understood that she had a determination similar to a piece of steel and may even have to sacrifice her life for the benefit of the people of Sri Lanka who were undergoing hardships due to differences due to caste, class and have and have nots. She thought it was noble thing to sacrifice her life for a sovereign and independent Sri Lanka rather than trampling under the jackboot of colonialism.

"Sister, now go to the hostel. There are three comrades there. Meet them and they would give you a task," the comrade said only those words. That puzzled Daisy. Though she got angry with him for not revealing the task, Soome controlled her anger. On the other hand, she thought that this comrade really did not know the task that she had to do.

"What is the plan?" Daisy asked.

"You will know everything once you go to the hostel?" he said after a pause.

"The entire country will carry out the revolution at an agreed time, Sister, let us perform our duty," he said finally.

She took out the cloth-bag of notebooks, emptied the notebooks onto the camp bed. Though she had a couple of uniforms, she had not been instructed to take them with her to the hostel. However, she packed a uniform into the bag, thinking that she could use it.

Daisy also packed her only two gowns into the bag, albeit she did not know where, in which manner and up to when she had to be away. She thought that she should also include a pen and exercise book into the bag. Daisy wore a yellow skirt and a blouse with red flowers and put on a pair of sandals. Now she had to bid farewell and leave. She had to leave mother, the only being in the world who lived for her. But mother was not in the hut.

In the morning, Duleena told her that she had to pound flour. She thought that she should tell mother on the way, Daisy who closed the curtain of reed, went through the rubber estate towards Nanawathi Hamine's house. She thought that this road, through which Sirinatha came to meet her at her hut, is now engulfed in darkness. She thought that Sirinatha did not see any worthiness, even of a mustard seed, in her life because of their class difference.

She thought that distance to Nanawathi Hamine's house had been increased. She desperately wanted to go to the women's hostel. She thought that moment should immediately come and pass off. When Soome arrived at the house, mother was combing Nanawathi Hamine's head. From a distance, she saw the duo were deeply engaged in a discussion.

"Where are you going, child?" Duleena asked inquisitively and hurriedly when she saw Soome, who had prepared herself to go out. Soome saw Nanawathi Hamine looking at her with curious eyes, though she did not speak.

"A friend told me that one of my best friends had been admitted to the hospital. There is no one to be with him in the hospital, a student from a far away village. I am going to stay with him," Soome said in one breath.

Soome made sure not to give any space for her mother to answer or give permission to her request. She wanted to evade Nanawathi Hamine's comments and criticisms. The questions that mother would ask would not be coarse, ironic or defamatory in nature. However, Nanawathi Hamine's comments would often contain coarse irony and defamatory remarks.

Two women who could not utter anything looked at Soome with augmented eyes.

Duleena, who was combing Nanawathi Hamine's hair, suddenly got up, releasing the hair, as if something had happened and walked a little distance. Duleena looked at Soome with cloth bag hanging from shoulders scurried in a usual gait, until she disappeared. Soome did not turn back and look at Duleena.

Duleena, who took a long breath, tightened her flock of hair and tightened her cloth. When she turned back, she saw Nanawathi Hamine had followed her.

Duleena felt that her glance contained something like, "where are they going?" Duleena who knew she could not expect the same trust on educated Soome, from any other person and tolerated Nanawathi Hamine's harsh glance at her.

"Let others think anything, she is not a foolish cow to do a bad deed," she uttered to herself. Duleena thought that she or Nanawathi Hamine was not educated enough to advise Soome.

With a hesitance, Soome entered the hostel in Seram's Road. She was not sure of the name of the tree that covered huge towers in front of the hostel. Because of this tree alone, darkness cast upon the hostel premises.

Its usual colour and wretched look was also present.

From a distance, she saw three people were waiting for someone in front of the hostel. A thin rough-looking girl tried to smile with her.

Daisy saw her face like parted lips and teeth with a stain similar to that of Aralu. Daisy could not smile in response, though she tried to do so. The other two girls who were with her, looked at the direction from where Daisy came.

When she came closer, the thin girl came up to her.

"It is a familiar face, that's why I tried to speak to you," the thin girl said not allowing Daisy to speak. Daisy looked at her with suspicion. Daisy was sure that she had never seen this person previously. The other girls came forward. Cloth bags were hanging from their shoulders.

"Did you come for an important task or to stay here?" the thin girl asked again.

"I came for an important task," Daisy said as if she understood those words.

"Then we were looking for you, sister. There are three more sisters due here. Let us wait here until they come," the thin tall girl suggested.

The other two did not seem to oppose that suggestion. Within ten minutes, other sisters also arrived. Because of their hasty manners and suspicious behaviour, the sisters who were present could easily recognise them.

"We have gathered here for an important task. We will meet Comrade Lionel tonight at Ritz Cinema in Borella," said the thin girl looking at the other girls anticipating an opposition from others. She realised that all of them were listening attentively.

"Sister, you have not yet explained our responsibility!" Daisy said impatiently. The rest who wanted to raise that impatient question expected an answer to Daisy's question.

"We were tasked to arrest a person," the thin girl said with a responsible manner. Daisy was flabbergasted by that reply.

The tall and thin girl reminded the group who were chatting, that time had come to visit Ritz cinema.

"Then, let us go."

All of them went to Ritz Cinema in Borella.

Footnote:

Mathini - Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Puthe - Son

Plain tea - Black tea

Che Guvera Karayo - Members of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP; the People's Revolutionary Front). In 1971, JVP Members were known as Che Guvera followers.

Aralu - A (herbal nut) prescribed for in digestion, diarrhoea and used in Sri Lanka and dark brown in colour.