Itipahan (Burly Lamp) Chapter - 29

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"

From a distance, Sirinatha identified the muscular-bodied person who carried a gunny bag on his back as Soome's husband Niyathapala. Sirinatha, who slowed down the car, stopped it before it went even five yards. Sirinatha knew that he had stopped the car and alighted from it not to taste the cold wind that swept the paddy field albeit he wanted to do so. Though Niyathapala carried a heavy gunny bag on his back, his back did not weigh down by the weight. Sirinatha thought that this man had enormous strength.

Niyathapala stepped on to the road having climbed up the embankment of the paddy field. He looked at the halted car and then at Sirinatha. "Have you visited home?" Niyathapala asked still carrying the heavy gunny bag on his back.

"I came to see my aunty. I paused seeing Niyathapala coming. What is the heavy stuff on your back?" asked Sirinatha and then combed his hair with his smooth hands. Though Sirinatha thought that Niyathapala would put down the heavy gunny bag, Niyathapala spoke as if he had something light on his shoulders.

"Mahattaya, I visited my brother to ask for a bag of rice. They themselves cultivate paddy and consume all. They don't think that I have two children. Can my children and I die of starvation?" asked Niyathapala. "Mahattaya, I am going," said Niyathapala and sped up his walk. Sirinatha felt that this man was shouldering the burden of life like a buffalo. He thought sadly that a tender woman like Soome should not have belonged to such a coarse fellow. As Nanda said, now Soome as well as Niyathapala are actively engaged with JVP activities. Though Niyathapala looked after the children, it seemed that Soome had no time for children. Duleena suffered a lot while looking after the children. Though he thought of talking with Niyathapala, he could not do so as Niyathapala left hurriedly. Though Sirinatha wanted to see Soome, he suppressed that impulse with a great difficulty. Suddenly Sirinatha thought of Soome as a child. "She should belong to him and he should posses her!" thought Sirinatha as he slowly drove the car.

"Today I met your Manamalaya ," Niyathapala said when Soome returned home. Duleena, who was fondling the child in the kitchen, was listening to the high-pitched uttering. "Who was my Manamalaya that I myself don't know?" Soome asked in a peculiar manner, playing with the words. Niyathapala was silent for a while as Soome rarely spoke in such a peculiar manner. "Who else other than Sirinatha! He alighted from the car and was looking at me while I carried the bag of paddy. He waited until I reached the road. Perhaps, to show off his car," Niyathapala said and twisted his mouth in a sarcastic manner.

"That man would know that you had seen cars. As a courtesy, he would have spoken to you. You are just blaming him," said Soome. She went into the house and threw the bag onto the bed. The elder son was sleeping in a corner of the bed. Soome thought that younger one would have been fondled by mother.

"You could not bear it when I blame him. I know the entire affair but you blame the policeman for seducing you after being seduced by Sirinatha." Niyathapala laughed loudly. Immediately Soome could not make out whether it was anger, sarcasm or insult associated with Niyathapala's laugh. But Soome was furious. She felt that such scandalous tales that Niyathapala concocted about Sirinatha showed his mean nature. She shared a bed with such a mean person. If she was seduced by Sirinatha, she could not involve someone else in it.

"Don't just fume, man. If I was seduced by Sirinatha, why should I be afraid to tell? Remember Sirinatha is not such a bad fellow," Soome said.

"Then was he meditating in the mornings, having entered the house when the old woman went to tap rubber? You, b...... b....., now trying to be a Pathini Amma, having committed all the dirty things," Niyathapala grabbed Soome by the hair. "Why? Are you going to hit me?" Soome asked looking straight into the shining eyes of Niyathapala who grabbed her by the hair. Before she had finished talking, Niyathapala dealt a thundering slap with his strong right hand. Soome quickly pounced on Niyathapala and bit Niyathapala's hand. Soome released his hand thinking that blood would ooze into her mouth with s sound of "Cheers"

"What had happened to you, devils? Can't you spend a day without quarrelling? Niyathapala, I did not bring up this child with all care for you to beat her up," said Duleena. "You go inside the house," Duleena said. Soome was waiting for a fight with her burning eyes like a bright spark of fire and focused them on Niyathapala's flaring eyes.

"Who else in this village doesn't know the characters of both mother and daughter? Though you try to wrap yourselves in Sil Redda, I also know about you, your daughter. Shut up, get out of here. Otherwise I will kick you," said Niyathapala once again punching the wife. Soome as if prepared for the target grabbed Niyathapala's neck. "Budu Ammo..." screamed Duleena while the child on her hand began to cry loudly. Niyathapala released Soome and pounced on Duleena. Niyathapala who violently shook lamenting Duleena by her shoulders, scolded Duleena and Soome with utter filth and went through the plot of rubber. Soome too loudly scolding fell on to the bed. Duleena stepped into the kitchen while trying to console the crying child. Duleena heard Soome crying and sighing. The elder one, who got up on hearing mother crying, looked at her with amazement. Duleena, who poured tea and gave a cup to Soome. Tears came down along Duleena's cheeks, when she looked at Soome's swollen eyes.

"Soome, Puthe, will you drink the tea! Get up and drink it," said Duleena putting down the child.

Soome who emptied the cup of tea again fell onto the bed. Soome could not guess what Sirinatha had told Niyathapala. What had Sirinatha spoken? Soome knew that nothing that would harm her would come out of Sirinatha. But she thought something had happened.

Sister Bernadette sat on the cement bench near the gate until Soome came in. Sister's serene nature was further polished up by the beds of flowers by the sides of the bench. Soome thought that the entire surrounding was engulfed with a wave of mysterious isolation. Soome tried to figure out the kind of life that Sisters led in this mysterious environment. But a person could not figure out the inside of someone else's life. "Sister is everything Ok?," Soome asked looking at the smiling face of the Sister. "Yes, let's go in," said Sister and entered the main road with Soome. She noticed a few drops of sweat sparkling on Sister's upper lips. She felt that Sister was breathing deeply. Soome observed shining youthfulness on her kind face. Though her age could not be figure out, she would have been twenty-five years of age, thought Soome. "Sister, are you afraid?" asked Soome when they came under the bo tree near the police garage in Narahenpita.

"I am a little bit scared. But, Daisy, I cannot afford to be scared. Let us take a taxi and go as quickly as possible," Sister said with a sense of urgency. Daisy and Sister who got onto the taxi went to a house in Dematagoda. Sister tiptoed. Daisy climbed the fleet of steps, carefully observing by the sides of the staircase. Sister was wiping the drops of sweats until Daisy tapped on the door.

The duo went into the house through the opened door and saw the smiling face of comrade Lionel. Comrade Lionel with his usual smiling face rose up on seeing Daisy and Sister entering the room.

"Was it a long time since you had arrived here?" Daisy asked.

"A little while ago," he said bowing the head with a smile. Sister, who went into the house, had changed into an ordinary garment. Daisy became sad when she noticed the manner in which Sister looked onto a mirror.

"Sister, do you feel sad?" Daisy asked after while looking at the mirror. Sister, who turned a little and smiled, looking at Daisy.

"No, I won't feel sad. What I am going to do is the right thing. I am with the church, for the liberation of people. Daisy doesn't know why I put on this gown. When I was about twenty, I saw an innocent young man on a sick bed and I was disillusioned with life. Because of that I thought of dedicating my life to the liberation of people," said Sister folding her white gown and putting it into the bag.

"It seems a quick decision!" Daisy said going up to the window. She understood that the world outside the window was very complex. Tiny shanties built extremely closed to one another enveloped the surrounding. There were men, women and children in the areas where there were space. Sister, who came up to Daisy on seeing as she looked out silently, observed the world outside through the window. For a moment, both looked at each other in silence.

"Yes, that was a very sudden decision. But, Daisy, I wan't repent," Sister said responding to the question Daisy asked earlier.

"It is not my nature to repent on something I did," she said. "Daisy, let's go" said she moving away from the window.

"Time is up. We should quickly go now," Comrade Lionel said. The Lumbini theatre was packed with audience. Daisy was happy about the interest on the part of the audience to listen to liberation songs. She thought that people had displayed both interest and energy. Both felt their faces lit up with happiness. Subha Siriwardena, who was among the brothers and sisters who sang liberation songs, immediately came up and hugged Sister Bernadette who was on the backstage.

Daisy understood that concert of liberation songs had captured the heart of the audience from the very beginning to the end. Daisy thought that the enchanting voice of Sister Bernadette and the kindness intermingled with it had further intensified by the meaning of the liberation songs. Daisy understood that the loud applaud received at the end of the each song, made the comrades happy.

"It is through the medium of art that people should be educated. Not everything can be done by lectures," Comrade Lionel said. When she heard the melodious voice of Subha Siriwardena, Daisy thought how beautiful her voice was. "As I want to catch the bus, I may leave early before it gets too dark," Daisy told Comrade Lionel. When Soome reached the bus stop, she saw Niyathapala walking slowly towards the bus stop. Soome tried to smile with Niyathapala who was crossing the road and coming up to her.

"You didn't say that you would come here to watch the concert. Otherwise we would have watch it to the end," Soome said without looking at Niyathapala.

"I did not think of coming over. All of a sudden, I thought it would be good if I came. When I arrived, I saw Soome coming out," Niyathapala said combing his hair with a comb retrieved from his pocket. "Do you have money?" Soome asked after a while, "Why?" "Let's have something? I am hungry. I haven't had anything for lunch," said Soome.

"There is a vegetarian hotel in front of the weaving mill. Let's have some Thosai."

The duo walked to the Thosai shop in front of the weaving mill. They saw how the area was populated with men and women despite the dusk. Men and women of diverse backgrounds were moving to and from with a certain air of urgency. Soome's sadness was intensified by seeing the weary faces of the suffering men and women.

"Soome, it is better if you could also look after the two children without leaving them in mother's care? They are now like children without parents," Niyathapala said at the right moment. Though Soome did not speak, she threw a sharp glance at Niyathapala.

"Before you look after the masses, Soome, you should look after the children born out of our blood. They need the warmth of mother and father. We should look how that old woman brings up children," Niyathapala said in a high-pitched voice when he could no longer bear up Soome's silence. Soome raised her eyebrows and looked at Niyathapala.

"Duties to the children are, somehow, fulfilled. We should work not only thinking two children of ours but also all the children in the country. For me, there is no difference between my child and that child who sleeps under the lamp post there," Soome said pointing at a couple of children who sat under the lamp post by the road.

"Those are nonsensical ideas in your head. Soome, can you consider the child you had given birth to and that child on the road as the same? Our mother brought us up with great care. Those wretched two boys grow up in the wild," Soome thought Niyathapala was speaking not with anger but with frustration.

"What are you asking me to do?" Soome asked while trying to suppress her anger.

"Stop this nonsense, at least, until the two boys grow up. I also work for the party. You stay at home. Do anything after they grow up," Niyathapala said in a subdued but firm tone. Soome did not speak. They went to the bus stop after finishing their meals.

Duleena's lullaby could be heard up to the village council's road. Soome walked behind Niyathapala listening to that sweet lullaby. She thought that the melody which was heard amidst the sounds of nocturnal birds and crickets, had added a flavour to the surrounding. "There is no peace for that woman too," Niyathapala who walked ahead said. Soome thought that she should not talk about this issue with Niyathapala who tried to trap her in. Niyathapala wanted to confine her to home relieving her of other activities. That attempt on the part of Niyathapala brought a smile to Soome.

"Why? Children aren't having meals today? As the child was crying, it was too late for me to cook a curry and rice. But I boiled jak seeds and a curry of coconut milk," Duleena told Soome who was combing the hair of the elder son lying on the bed.

"We had Thosai from a restaurant!" Soome said looking at Duleena, in a subdued tone.

"Shall I make a Sambol to go along with Jak?" Duleena said as if she did not hear what Soome said.

"No, now I cannot eat. Mother. Even Thosai we ate feel like coming up," said Soome, slowly removing the feeding nozzle from the child's mouth. "Mother, don't always put suppuwa into the child's mouth. The child's teeth may get disfigured." Soome said so that Duleena could hear. Duleena did not speak and looked at Soome. Soome did not understand the difficulty of calming down the child without a suppuwa.

"It had never had a breast to suck on. It should, at least, have such suppuwa," Niyathapala said in a loud tone so that mother and daughter could hear him.

Footnotes:

Goniya - a big gunny bag used to carry rice. It is somewhat similar to a big bag of cement.

Nanda - Aunty

Paththini Amma - An Indian Goddess famous for her unshaken fidelity.

Sil Redda - A white cloth that is used to wrap the body when observing sil on a Full Moon day.

Budu Ammo - A typical Sinhalese expression of fear and shock which is somewhat similar to English expression "Oh My God!"

Sambol - Coconut Sambol is a traditional Sri Lankan dish prepared with mixing scraped coconut with chilli, salt and lemon.

Suppuwa - A feeding nossel.

Manamalaya- Here the Sinhalese term similar to that of Bridegroom has been used in a sacastic manner referring to the ex-boy friend