The Black Australian

Chapter 14 (Part II):

The Explorer

by Sunil GOVINNAGE

Continuing his discussion with the stranger he met a few minutes ago, Siri asked another question:

"So, you are a free traveller but I have many commitments and I also need to work a little more to pay off my mortgage. If not for my failed marriage, I'd already have paid it off. But one day soon I'll pay it off. Then I'll start travelling like you," said Siri and he continued, "Tell me about your travels in Italy. That's one of the places I'd love to visit. I've visited a few countries in Europe, but not Italy yet."

"Oh, Italy! Where shall I begin? Last year I was in Italy for three months. I travelled around Rome and finally moved to Napoli. It's a great place with gorgeous people. Whenever I visit Europe, I always go there. I normally go to the Piazza Centrale where there are cafes with live music. One lovely spring day, I was sitting alone in a quiet little cafe drinking coffee, which costs seventeen thousand liras. That's around seventeen Australian dollars. While sipping this expensive cup of coffee, I heard quart music coming from the piazza. As I turned towards the piazza, I saw an old couple holding hands and looking at each other. A symbol of eternal love, if you call it! Behind them was an old church. On top of the church there were these Byzantine horses brought over from Constantinople. I had a wonderful feeling about the background music, old lovers holding hands and great weather! It was a simple unrelated set of events but very inspirational! So I sat and wrote a poem about love, eternity and human fate. I have it somewhere in one of my old diaries. The point is having an experience like that is like appreciating a beautiful painting in a museum. If you don't go there, you don't experience it!" Gary took a deep breath and smiled.

He continued, "I think travelling has not only given me the opportunity to experience both wonderful places and people, but also the opportunity to experience a mysterious part within myself. What about you Siri? Have you learnt much from your travelling?"

"I don't think my travelling has taught me anything. I'm still unwise and suffering!" Siri said with a serious and sad tone. "But in your case it seems to be different."

"Yes, of course! I've invested in exploring the world and that's how I discovered that I wanted to be in theatre! If I didn't travel, I wouldn't have realised a hidden part of my personality! I'd love to be in theatre one day. Not in anyone else's theatre, but my own. I want to have my title, my story, my life and invest my energy in it. No more compromises in life! I'll wait however long it takes for me to achieve my dream. I've mentioned my ambition to a few people on my travels. Some thought it was a good goal and a few others laughed at me! What do you think about my idea?" the wise traveller enquired.

"A career in theatre is not a bad idea. I can't question your creativity. I don't know whether you need to go to university to learn performing arts. I've no knowledge of learning theatrical studies at a tertiary level. But, I know in Perth there's a special place called

'The Academy of Performing Arts'. They've produced a few graduates who have gone on to do bigger and better things, including Hollywood movies" Siri spoke slowly, contemplating the young explorer's best course of action.

"Tell me, how did you become this explorer, the poet and the artist?" Siri asked with a curious tone.

"I think the turning point happened when I was twenty. It was very strange. The main reason was the embarrassment of being demoted! I was a trade assistant at a combustion-engineering firm in Melbourne. Hard work! It was a job I considered to be important for earning money. When a new owner took over the company, he demoted me.

He didn't like me and replaced me with someone unqualified. I was humiliated, and said to myself: 'Gary, do you want to be the second-rate person? Is this what you want?' So, I quit. I quit a job that didn't help me to realise my dreams. Until then, I thought that money was the only important thing in life.

I packed up everything I had and rented out my apartment and went travelling. I went to Greece, and from there, I went to Italy. I had no specific plans. During this period I met people who earned far less than you and I, but they were happy, very happy!"

"So, how did you support yourself while you were travelling abroad?"

"I did everything I could do with my hands and legs! I've been a shoemaker with an old man called Alexis Dasilas in Athens. I used to work in a place called the Plaka. It is the oldest section of Athens below the Acropolis. Nearby, there is a small piazza, where I learnt everything about shoemaking. I learnt how to make timber moulds and how to wrap them with leather. I learnt to cut leather with glass because they didn't use machines. I've also been a barman, a waiter and a marble cleaner. In Italy, I used to work as a painter's assistant. I painted houses everywhere and met some wonderful people at the same time."

"So, can you work without a permit in Italy?"

"No, but I'm an Italian citizen! I've dual citizenship, Australian and Italian. A lot of people work for cash in hand. It's possible. You must try, Siri. It's fun, better than calling yourself a manager and sitting in an office that you may not like."

Siri was surprised when Gary spoke as if he were reading his mind. Siri replied, "Yes, I'm planning to be free. In fact, I became free recently because my wife left me!"

Siri smiled happily for the first time about his emotional and economic loss, after Rajini's sudden and unexpected departure.

"You see Siri, I've always been free! We are all free, but most of us don't realise that reality and become a prisoner of silly goals in life forever! Are you a prisoner?"

"I dunno!" Siri responded. "What are your plans now?"

"I'm going home to Melbourne. I'll find part-time work and stay with a friend for a couple of months. I'll go to my parent's house for a meal occasionally. In any case, I plan to set up my theatre company and you'll come and see my work, my friend!" he laughed. "I must go now. A gorgeous lady I met last week is coming by at twelve-thirty. Here's my card. Give me a call. I must run."

"Oh, please wait a minute. I've something for you, a small gift. This is a book I love to read over and over again. The main character, Larry, is an explorer and also a happy person, just like you! I bought this book today, but I can buy another copy. This is for you."

"Allora! Grazie ...Ciao."

Gary gulped down the water in his glass and disappeared like an angel, leaving Siri behind in the cafe at the back of a paint shop.

What a strange and courageous person he is. Never been to university, and yet so knowledgeable! Everyone has a dream, a passion to do something important. Gary wants to be a great playwright and he's willing to wait as long as it takes to achieve his dream. What's my passion? To be a writer, a poet. But what have I done to achieve my dream? I must go back to Sri Lanka and be with my friends, and continue to write poetry in Sinhala. Not here! I don't belong here. Maybe that's the reason why I can't write.

Siri got up, and started strolling down South Terrace again. He came across another sign:

Learn Scuba Diving

Only $350!

- I wish I did a scuba diving course while Rajini was here! But I don't want to be an underwater diver; I want to be a poet!

Siri retraced his steps and returned to the heart of the port city. He saw people gathered in a circle around the entrance to Fremantle Market. As he joined the crowd, he saw a woman wearing an ancient looking garment standing under the hot sun. Her entire face, her hair and the garment, were covered in gold paint. Siri observed her long eyelashes that were also covered with gold and her beautiful black eyes, shining like two bright diamonds. She moved her body as if in slow motion, but otherwise stood like a majestic statue in a museum. Every time the woman moved her body, she pointed to a person in the crowd, inviting women and children closer to her, offering them lollies. Her bright eyes soon caught Siri's, and she invited him to come closer. When he reached for her, however, she winked at him and gave him a flying kiss. The crowd laughed. Siri became self conscious, but he removed his Akubra hat and bowed, offering two gold coins before rejoining the spectators.

Sir Strolled through the Fremantle Market and went back to the bookshop. He browsed through the books again, for over an hour. Back out on the sidewalk, he looked for the woman with gold paint, but there was no sign of her. He went instead to the food hall and ordered Asian cuisine.

While he was eating, a couple came in and sat at a table nearby. Siri could smell the aroma of cheese and herbs coming from their food. Looking over again, he realised he had seen the bright dark eyes of the woman before. There was still some gold paint in her eyebrows. While the couple ate, they laughed and talked. Siri's curiosity was piqued, so he listened in on their conversation.

"Today's not a good day!" said the woman. "Two hours in the sun and I earned less than thirty dollars! I don't know whether it's worth doing this again next week!"

"Well, it was your choice! That's why I told you to take a course at TAFE. [1] You'd find a job easily, then!"

"You know I don't like studying. Then, I'd have stayed with my parents and continued my science degree!"

"What are you planning to do then?"

"I dunno! I suppose find happiness," she giggled. He bent over and kissed her affectionately.

They will go home and make love passionately. Despite her complaint of not having enough money, they seem happy. We all have an opportunity to be happy! Like that strange man Gary. Will I ever be like him?

Siri thought of Gary's story about the old couple who inspired him to write a poem about love and eternity. He looked around for inspiration.

People entered and left the food hall. The tables around him were laid out like dead kangaroos. There were dirty plates yet to be collected. Siri got up and walked out without looking at the couple. As he stood at the bus stop, he thought:

Everyone seems to be chasing happiness. Can we find eternal happiness? What's happiness? Can love offer happiness, like the woman with gold paint and her boyfriend, me and perhaps, Rajini?

Siri started chanting a Buddhist Pali verse from Dhammapada:

Pematho jayathi soko - pematho jayathi bhayan

Pematho vippa muthttassa - natthi soko kutho bhayam [2]

Siri recalled the meaning of Buddhist verse in English:

"Affection leads to grief, affection leads to fear.

One who is free from affection is free from grief, free from fear."

Well, I must start going back to the Buddhist temple more often. In fact, I must send the nomination form to be on the committee, and then I can associate with the monks more often and learn more about Dhamma.

As Siri strolled back to the railway station he felt happy as a child. The sun was now getting ready to take a deep dive into the mute Indian Ocean.

Siri knew that he had to head back to his home, and that tomorrow, he would go to his dingy little office with no windows to the world outside. However, there was a feeling of happiness and contentment growing in his mind as the last rays of the sun shone overhead.

(Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Footnotes

[1] TAFE - An advanced college for technical and vocational studies.

[2] The Buddhist Pali verse is a quotation on affection from Dhammapada (Piyavagga).