The Black Australian:

Chapter 15 (Part II)

The vanished trails

by Sunil GOVINNAGE

Siri woke up in the morning, and listened to the songs of birds at the back of the house. Sisira's house was located on a hill. The room Siri slept in had access to the surrounding bush land through a glass door. Siri opened the door for fresh air and heard the echo of a train. He walked into the bush and sat by a tree and meditated, focusing on his breathing. When he opened his eyes after half an hour he heard the echo of another train, coming from the valley below.

Sujatha Prepared appa in the morning and they had a typical Sri Lankan breakfast with leftover chicken curry and pol-sambol. After having breakfast, Sisira wanted to know whether Siri had any particular plans for the day.

"I thought about catching a train to the Blue Mountains so that I don't trouble you guys. You must have enough work to do without escorting me around Sydney."

"Oh, we can always do shopping on week days. Remember, I only work for three days. Sometimes I do a late night shift so I have an extra day-off. What's the use of going to see the Blue Mountains! It's just like our hill country in Sri Lanka. But it's marketed as a scenic paradise and there are stories about three rocks called The Three Sisters, which are based upon an Aboriginal dreamtime. We have better rocks and folklore in Sri Lanka, though many people don't know about them!"

"Do you know that the Blue Mountains are the remains of a giant plateau that rose out of a river delta about 80 odd million years ago? It was the home of the Aboriginal peoples for 25,000 years. Until eighteen hundred and thirty, the mountain range was a natural barrier against early European settlers who wanted to expand westward. These days of course, it's a spectacular bushland and retreat for Sydney residents and visitors," added Sisira, encyclopedically. "You must visit Botany Bay to get an idea for how White fellows have turned this great land into an urban jungle!"

"I've never been to Botany Bay!" Siri confessed.

"Oh, then you must go there and feel the vibe of the place. There's nothing much to see other than the dockland!"

"Why do you say that?"

"You see, the first settlers of the Sydney region were Aborigines. I think they were called Eora. They were hunter-gatherers but also lived on fish. The Eora people had been living in the Botany Bay area for 20,000 years before Captain Cook arrived in seventeen hundred and seventy. Seventeen years later, Captain Arthur Phillip left England with the so called First Fleet to claim this southern land for the British Empire. The Fleet arrived during the dry month of January, seventeen hundred eighty eight."

"Oh, that's why we have our Foundation Day celebration on the twenty sixth of January, right." Siri wanted to confirm a historical fact which he was not sure of.

"Not exactly!" continued Sisira, with his historical narration. "Captain Phillip and the mob were disappointed with Botany Bay; the site was not secure, and they couldn't find any drinking water. So they sailed north, searching for water and fertile land. The crew anchored and captured the shores of Sydney Cove on the twenty sixth of January seventeen hundred eighty eight. The first settlement consisted of tents. Then, they built wooden huts and buildings using bricks and sandstone. The area they settled around is now known as Circular Quay."

"So, Circular Quay also has a link to our convict past?"

"Yes, Siri, there is a convict past everywhere in this country!"

"But, Sisira, Perth was not a Penal Colony!"

"That may be the case, but Sydney began as a penal colony. Brisbane was the same. You can visit Morten Bay when you go there in two days time. It was set up as a penal colony."

"I didn't know that," said Siri and yawned.

"My lecture must be really boring for you! Isn't it? Anyway, let's go for a drive."

After a long journey, Siri kept a diary note that night:

Today, my visit to Botany Bay ignited ecstasy and depression within me. My ecstasy was evoked by recollections of the poignant happiness of my childhood and the best times at home. There was depression too as I would never be able to regain the precipitant stream of joy; the vanished past. I have not had such a feeling for a long, long time!

I do not exactly know how all that came up within me, after seeing Botany Bay; the container yard at the far end, which was full of containers, was similar to the Colombo dockyard which I can still imagine right now, in front of my eyes. I can remember those days, Amma taking me to the Colombo Harbour for the first time in my life. How all these years have changed our lives! I can travel into those beautiful days only through the mirror of my mind. I read during those days. The books I read in Sri Lanka, especially the great trilogy by Martin Wickramasinghe - Gamperaliya, Kaliyugaya and Yuganthya - were the greatest books in my life in those days. Wasn't the beautiful prose written at the beginning of the novel, Kaliyugaya, describing exactly the feelings I experienced today, when Nanda, a character in the book was reading a letter sent by her son living abroad and she was surrounded by a similar atmosphere, the distant scenery of a container yard? And she described how the smoke of the steam ships came out over the sky in the dockyard. She also described the load of containers, and roads similar to those that surrounded Botany Bay. All these feelings I experienced today were written in a book in my native language, so many decades ago. My memory is fading with all those picture frames coming to my mind so rapidly; I can see the drooped face of my mother standing in the distance. Maybe, I am drowsy now ...

Siri wanted to take Sisira and his family out for dinner that evening and asked their preferences. Both Sujatha and their daughter, Nimali, wanted to visit a new Indian restaurant in Hornsby, but Sisira was not keen on Indian food. Finally, he deferred to the wish of his family.

The restaurant - Taj Palace - was located in a back street, away from the busy main street in Hornsby. When they arrived at the restaurant, it was almost deserted. After all of them were seated, it took almost ten minutes for a waiter to bring the menu to their table.

"I'm sorry, Sir." A woman with an Indian sari who was at the counter came and apologised: "We are short of people today. In fact, two of our waiters reported in sick. I have to be at the counter to take orders over the phone. My husband will come and take your order in a minute. He had to go out to get some ... stuff".

After another five minutes, a middle-aged man came and introduced himself as 'Joseph' and took their orders. Siri ordered spring rolls, a few more entrees and drinks. The man took the orders and went to the bar at the other end of the restaurant. They could get a glimpse of the bar from where they were seated.

'Joseph' who took their order opened a bottle of whisky, filled a glass and drank it neat. Then he disappeared inside. There was no sign from the kitchen for a few minutes. After about five minutes, the man appeared again and took the orders from the newly arrived customers. He went back to the bar again and repeated the same drinking prayer.

After they had been waiting for over twenty minutes without even plain water to drink, Sisira got agitated. He went and asked the woman at the counter to serve them with their drinks and entree, if possible.

Once again, the man came out and served himself with another drink from the bar.

"What shall we do?" asked Sisira.

"Gee, can't you see him drinking? How long will we have to wait here for food? Sujatha said with an angry tone this time.

"Bloody Indians! I told you not to go for Indian food," Sisira expressed his anger and continued, "you wait and see what I'll do to this bastard before we go."

"What are you talking about?" Sujatha tried to pacify her agitated husband.

"If we don't like the place, let's go somewhere else," suggested Siri.

Finally, their drinks arrived. However, by that time, they had decided to leave.

As they left the restaurant Siri asked, "Why did we wait all that time?"

"Well I want the bloody Indians to learn a lesson. They would have cooked our meals!"

"Please, stop this nonsense! Ever since that job at Air Lanka was given to an Indian, Sisira has changed his attitude towards all Indians! When we were in Canada we had a lot of Indian friends. We used to regularly go out and eat Indian food," Sujatha explained Sisira's behaviour.

They drove around and found an Italian Restaurant in the next suburb and had dinner.

When Siri woke up, the following day, both Sisira and Sujatha had gone to the fish market in Sydney. Nimali served him breakfast and sat at the table to keep him company.

"Uncle, what did you think of Dad's tantrum last night?"

"Oh, he has changed. That was not my friend! I can't believe the way he behaved himself last night! He was always very fond of Indian food. When we were studying at Issipathana, we had Indian food - thosai and vade - almost every day!"

"I think they both have changed after arriving in Australia. I think they're still more Canadians than Aussies!" said Nimali.

"Why do you say that?"

"I think they're very demanding, especially when they go out. Why couldn't we wait for the food?" she said, and smiled. "Uncle, have you noticed this funny trait about Aussies? They are more laidback and not aggressive. I think that they are not bothered about customers. See how many minutes we had to wait before we even got water yesterday. That wouldn't happen in Canada or the USA! I think that's why we have a flourishing fast food business in Australia!"

"They were not Aussies. They were Indians!" responded Siri.

"Do you want another egg hopper Uncle?" asked Nimali avoiding Siri's remark. "No I'm all right! Du, tell me frankly, what do you think of the little incident yesterday?"

"I think the whole incident boils downs to a simple fact: the way we look at people or make judgements in life. I heard Dad yesterday, fully fired up about the settlers at Botany Bay. Just like the white settlers, we have settled down in Australia! We need to accept things as they are. We can't change the history of this country!"

"Well, the world will not progress unless we try to change things!" Siri countered.

"I must disagree! I think the important thing is to look for similarities and not differences in people. I don't care if I'm called black, white, brown, Indian or Sri Lankan. Sometimes I introduce myself as an AusLankan! Those labels would aggravate the situation in Australia, particularly among the ethnic groups. The situation in Canada is very different! In Canada, the Aboriginal people are called the 'First Nation'. Canada, by the way, seems better, but they have their own problems with race and racism against First Nation people. The situation in Australia is different. I used to get upset when we arrived here. My classmates used to bully me but not anymore. I know who I am now!"

"Why is your Dad so angry? He was so different at school. He was as calm as a Buddhist monk, then!"

"He has changed, Uncle! So have you! I've seen a photo of you in one of Dad's old albums. I think in one photo you had a long beard and curly hair. You were with a pretty young Aunty! I think it was while you were at the university. Where's that lovely Aunty now?

"Somewhere on this planet, I presume!" Siri replied, as he didn't want to talk about Anula.

"Okay, do you want tea with milk or black tea?" Nimali asked as she started cleaning the table.

"With milk, thanks."

Siri went outside and decided to walk up the hill behind the house. He went back to his room and put on his jogging shoes and began his walk. It was calm and only the whistle of the morning birds disturbed him. Siri recalled more of the conversation he'd had with Sisira about Botany Bay, the first point of entry to Australia by Westerners.

Siri thought - Who knows? There must have been other visitors to Botany Bay who are not recorded in the history books. The ancestors of the Aborigines must have come from somewhere. Who knows the real history? History is nothing but a record of changes in time and space.

He heard the echo of a train through the trees overtaking the sound of bird songs.

Two hundred years ago there wouldn't have been a noise of a train. But today, without trains Sydney would not survive! Everything is linked and inter-woven; we cannot go back in time! We all need to change! Even the earth has changed. From what Sisira told me, Blue Mountain was once a river-bed. Now it's a mountain!

Siri knew he had to move tomorrow and leave his friend behind. Maybe he would never visit his friend again. He realised the changes both in himself and his friend. They were no longer teenagers who shared an interest in Sri Lankan literature. The teenagers had become adults and developed other interests in life. Now, they were interested in new books and writings and various events though they may not become a part of history.

The noise of another train disturbed his reverie. The birds' songs overtook the sound of the train that rushed through the town, again.

How much have the trains changed history? If not for trains, Sydney would have collapsed. Captain Cook or Captain Phillips, and those who came with the First Fleet, did not introduce trains. Things have happened and will happen again and again; and will continue to happen until the end of this Samsara.

Siri pondered about his next stop in his journeys to the cities in the Eastern States: Brisbane and Cairns.

Who knows what would happen there or whom I would meet?

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