Itipahan (Burly Lamp) Chapter - 28

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"

Niyathapala stroked Soome's head. He thought that Soome was quiet because of the poverty-stricken situation at home. Niyathapala who thought that her silence and occasional shriek were all the same got up from the bed. She yelled and cursed both him and Duleena. Niyathapala, who was lying on the bed stroked Soome's soft face by pushing the child between them a little.

'Chee ...' Soome brushed off Niyathapala's hand.

"Soome, what has happened to you? Why? Was there any shortcoming on my part?" Niyathapala was furious to hear 'Chee...'.

"I am afraid of overdoing it rather than shortcomings. I could not properly feed these two. What is it for you?" asked Soome turning onto the other side.

Niyathapala thought that Soome was a woman who could not be satisfied. What had he done other than feeding Soome and two children? Unlike other soldiers, he did not waste his salary.

He had done nothing to cause harm to Soome. But she was not happy and behaved as she wished. Niyathapala thought that Soome did not want either to lead a family life or to bear children.

"Soome, you should think about the children before engaging in politics. It is the duty of both us, to make a good future for the children. We should work for their future," said Niyathapala expecting a response from Soome. But she remained silent.

"Why? Have you got Pittu in your mouth that you could not speak with me?" Niyathapala asked after a while.

"I can't talk with fools," Soome said in a rough tone. Niyathapala was shocked. He felt like waking her up and beating her up until she fell down. With great difficulty, he suppressed that impulse.

"I am a fool. You should feel for the first time that I am a fool. I feel like taking my own life by eating my own flesh thinking about my own foolishness," said Niyathapala who rose up from the bed and kicked the door. He went out leaving the door with the broken lock and began walking up and down in the courtyard. Duleena lay on the mat helplessly. She was sad and asked herself: "What is this drama that Soome and her son -in-law were about to perform!" Everything happened unexpectedly. She thought that there was a curse on the family. Throughout her life, she suffered from this curse. There was no end to it. Duleena covered the elder son with a sheet and got up from the mat. Duleena, who peeped into the room, noticed that the door opened by Niyathapala still remained open. The door should not be kept open but it could not be closed. She tiptoed to the door and peeped inside. Niyathapala was nowhere to be seen. Without making a sound, she opened the door. Then she went up to Soome's bed. She realised that Soome was awake.

"What is that yelling in the dead of the night? Men cannot tolerate. We, women should get used to tolerate. What strength is it to have a male in the house? " she murmured.

'Chu ...' "Mother, you go to sleep," she said in a pitched tone. Soome thought Niyathapala would come at any time and lie the bed.

"Mother, you sleep without waiting here like a statue," said Soome seeing that Duleena was still looking at her. Duleena went towards the kitchen quietly.

"I am a fool. Get up Soome. Yes, I am an absolute fool," Niyathapala who came into the house after a long time said, lying on the bed. Soome tried to pose as she was fast asleep. But Niyathapala did not let it go.

"Get up. We should settle this now. You had gone to the university and you also went to prison. You associate with high class people. Then, you are intelligent. I am ignorant, penniless and an absolute fool. Soome, get up and speak up," Soome could not tolerate the stench of liquor coming from him.

"What a sin is this having drunk a mouthful of liquor? Will you sleep without troubling me? " Soome said as she could not bear it up any longer. Niyathapala got up from the bed again.

"You must tell me the truth. Soome, do you see me as an absolute fool?" He said trying to calm down himself.

"When you behave like this, I think so," Soome turned onto the other side.

"One day you will get fed up of pestering me. That day is not very far. Soome, I will sallow some poison for sure," Niyathapala said.

"Those who take life would not talk about it," she murmured. Niyathapala spoke for a long time. He was scolding and lamenting. The child had a habit of sucking the breast in the night irrespective of whether there was milk or not. Though the stench of liquor was unbearable, she could not turn to the other side to sleep as the child would cry, looking for the nipple.

"Mother, I will come back by noon. You don't have to look after the elder. Look after the younger one till I return," Soome said dressing up in the morning, after a couple of days time. Duleena looked at Soome with wide open eyes. Duleena knew that she had neither strength to refuse nor willingness to share her views with her daughter.

"When you give the bottle of milk, the child will drink it and sleep. Mother, then you can attend to your work", Soome said while putting the bag made of cloth over her shoulder.

"Puthe, I don't know whether the child would cry or not. Come as soon as possible," Duleena said as Soome stepped onto the courtyard.

"I will return quickly. If the child starts crying after being fed, leave it alone. You should not bother about his crying for everything," Soome stroked her elder son's head. He was in the courtyard. He got up and walked a few steps after mother. Then, he stopped and gazed at her.

Ranjith Warnasuriya, a couple of other comrades and a young woman, who was introduced as Subha Siriwardena, were engaged in a discussion in a room. Soome peeped into it and returned to the living room and picked the party-newspaper.

Ranjith Warnasuriya, who came into the living room even before she unfolded the paper said," Comrade Sister, come in." Soome who went into the room tried to smile with everyone in it except with the young woman. Soome thought that her attire, fashion, manner of speech and the disposition showed features of an upper middle class person. Soome thought that such a woman of upper middle class should not be a good omen, unsuitable and should not be involved with party activities. Soome could not understand the rationale of attracting anyone of any social standing to the party.

The woman named Subha Siriwardena looked at Daisy Suzan and smiled. But Soome did not smile back.

"I know about you, Comrade Sister. I am Subha Siriwardena. We should get to know each other and work together. Sister, what do you think about revolutionary songs?" Subha asked Daisy as if she had known each other for a long time.

"I don't know anything about songs," Daisy said looking at Ranjith Warnasuriya. Subha laughed playing with her lips.

"Sister, please forgive me. I thought you had come here knowing it. Since you work in the Propaganda Section, I thought that you knew it," after that Subha expressed her regret for raising that question. Daisy instead of replying, took up the newspaper lying on a stool nearby. Subha commenced the discussion observing Daisy's silence. Daisy listened to the discussion by Subha and others on the pretext of reading the newspaper. Daisy thought that there was a lyrical tone in Subha's talk. At a glance, Soome noticed Subha changing postures as she spoke. Daisy understood though her Sinhalese pronunciation was fluent, that there was an English accent in it. Daisy did not like the manner of their conversation.

Comrade Lionel entered the office with a smile. Seeing Daisy was alone, he sat on the chair next to her. Soome thought that his smile was etched in her heart as that of a close relation.

"I could not come to see the baby. A son or daughter?" Comrade Lionel asked a question that no one had asked up to now. No one around, was bothered about her bearing children. They would not talk about her children either.

"Comrade, I now have two sons," said Daisy and raised her eyes and looked at the smiling face of comrade Lionel. He put down a few books and sat on the stool to get closer to Comrade Sister Daisy.

When Comrade Lionel asked, "Sister can you again help out with our work for the newspaper," Daisy agreed immediately.

"I learnt that comrade Niyathapala is working hard. That's good when there is one goal for the family. Then there won't be problems," Lionel said. Daisy remained quiet. Though the objective was the same, how to say that there wouldn't be problems and troubles? She should not tell anyone about problems between herself and Niyathapala. Though Soome thought that the situation would be okay when Niyathapala began to work with Comrade Gamanayake, there wasn't a significant change in Niyathapala's behaviour.

"I visited Sister Bernadette several times. If you have time try and meet her again. She will be very useful to us," said Comrade Lionel. He went to Comrade Subha, saying, "Shall I also join?" Daisy also joined and sat near Comrade Lionel. Subha Siriwardena once again looked at Daisy and smiled heartily. Soome thought that smiling would be a permanent feature of her behaviour.

Soome was happy that everything had been discussed with interest, enthusiasm and encouragement. She thought to a certain degree, that there wasn't a mysterious nature and secrecy as on the previous occasion. But she realised that everything had not been revealed and should not be disclosed. "Through revolutionary songs we should be able to create a need for the revolution among the people. We should equip the masses with ideas. Things that cannot be done by arms can be done through art. Art has a prominent place in revolutionary movements throughout the world," Comrade Lionel explained.

Daisy who left before the discussion was over went to meet Sister Bernadette. She thought that she wanted to meet Sister Bernadette not just because Comrade Lionel mentioned it. She realised that she wanted to meet Sister Bernadette urgently. Daisy, who got off from the bus at Thimbirigasyaya, walked to the church. Daisy who walked without any idea stopped at the gate as it was closed and waited a while for someone to come.

Though associated with isolation and mysterious atmosphere, she thought that the church had affluence. Daisy had to provide many explanations to get the church's gate opened. The young servant, who scanned Daisy from head to toe, finally opened the gate.

Sister Bernadette embraced comrade sister Daisy. She felt a relief from a great burden. Though both of them wanted to speak with each other, they remained silent unable to find words.

"Comrade Lionel told me that you gave birth to a baby. How is the baby?" asked Sister and took her by arms and got her to sit on a chair. For a long time, Soome just gazed admiring the serene nature of the Sister. Soome understood that this wonderful tranquility was something that stemmed from her inner heart.

"Why are you not speaking, Daisy? Tell me if you have any problems. At least, then you can reveal your heart," said Sister with a kind tone placing her hands on Daisy's shoulders. Daisy smiled slightly and took a deep breath.

If the columns of darkness that always enveloped her life could be chased away, it could only be dispelled by falling before this woman. But it would never happen. Therefore, Soome thought that crying was of no use. Instead of crying, she smiled.

"Comrade Lionel wanted me to visit you. I thought of coming since I was in Colombo," she said while arranging her dishevelled hair.

"Comrade Lionel is a very kindhearted person. I thought revolutionary movements only had rude people. I realised that I was completely wrong after I met him."

Daisy realised that Sister Bernadette was highly impressed with comrade Lionel. Such an impression would help to put the 'hook'. Daisy thought that through Sister Bernadette, a lot of members of the church could be converted into the movement. The church had embraced novel things slowly. The Church always had the ability to grasp things slowly and to propagate them.

"Daisy, have you had meals?" Sister Bernadette asked Daisy who was quiet." No, I haven't had any meals," Daisy said.

"Then, let's eat. The Buddha has said that nothing about liberation can be discussed while you're hungry," said the Sister inviting Daisy to the dining room. Daisy thought that there was a beautiful world inside the Church.

Soome became speechless as she noticed the orderly manner of the dining room. Daisy thought, how could the support of persons like Sister who used luxuries could be enticed to a revolutionary movement for the liberation of the poor? Soome, for a moment, looked at the painting of God mother with Christ hung on the wall.

"Sister, you have got a new friend!" said another Sister who came to the dining room. A very pleasant smile swept across Sister Bernadette's face. "Yes, a very good friend," said Sister, who threw her usual kind smile on Daisy.

Footnote

As Pittu in the mouth - A Sinhalese idiom where one could not speak with Pittu (a baked dough of flour often made with locally grown Kurakakan) in the mouth.