 
The promise
by Irangika Nawaratna
“Morning Aunty!” I greeted my
next door neighbour on a Monday morning. Even though she’s in her late
seventies, she and her husband are always a joy to see - a cheerful
couple, enjoying gardening and a hit at any dance floor!
“Good Morning sweetheart, going for work early today? Oh you know
what, my son said he’ll take us to the Dehiwala property he bought last
week. He’s a very courageous man, he was always like that from the time
he was very young. Have I ever told you how he once took me to the
doctor when he was only eight when I was down with a really bad flu? He
ran to the road in rain, and appeared with a taxi...” she continued.
“Uhmm, Aunty I got to go. Need to go early today, heaps of stuff to
do at the office. Take care, Aunty!” and I rushed down the lane to the
bus stop as she waved.
That’s Aunty Mary. She asks me thousands of questions but never gives
me the chance to reply to any. Instead, she ends up connecting the
conversation somehow to her son and how he took her once to the doctor
when he was only eight! She has two children, the eldest son who’s doing
a really good job, according to her.
The younger is a daughter, who’s married to a European and lives in
Brazil, as I’ve heard from the couple. On Saturday at six in the
morning, the doorbell rang. I hardly opened my eyes, and almost crawled
to the door. It was Aunty Mary. She had worn a bright orange lungi and
was very excited.
With a bright smile, she handed me her spare door key so that I can
feed her pet dog Lassie when she and her husband were away. She said
that her son promised that he’ll take them to the property on that day.
Later in the day, I saw the couple sitting at the veranda, still
dressed.
 “Hi Aunty, how was the property you went to see today?” I shouted
peeping from the garden wall. They weren’t excited and I read from her
eyes what she was about to say. “We still didn’t go darling, Son didn’t
come yet,” she was glancing at the road again. “May be he is busy,” I
said to ease things up but it hardly worked!
Days passed by and I didn’t see Aunty Mary or her husband, Uncle
Wilson in the garden where they usually are. Aunty hardly came out and
never watered her lovely roses. And if she was out, all she did was
stare at the road. Uncle stopped his morning walk, and stopped going to
the boutique to buy the newspaper. Lassie came to my place often, and I
always knew she was hungry.
One Saturday, I visited Aunty Mary. She forced a smile when she saw
me. “He still didn’t come. May be he is busy after all,” she began. “He
usually never forgets and never breaks a promise. He loves me, he can’t
hurt me so he must be busy.” She went on, “You see, he works at an
American Company, and his boss is very fond of him. Of course, he’s a
hard working lad. He must be caught up with work. Dear, could you do me
a favour please, could you check the phone book, and dial his number and
see whether he’s alright. He usually doesn’t forget a thing easily and
he never breaks a promise,” she repeated. I tried the number but the
number seemed to be not in use.
I didn’t tell Aunty Mary so, but told her that I will keep trying the
number back at home. And I did try the number several times later,
though I could not reach Aunty Mary’s son. It’s been almost a year now
and the lives of Aunty Mary or Uncle Wilson aren’t easy anymore.
 They stay at home. Aunty can’t do work at home alone anymore so a
helper comes during the day. I bring uncle the newspaper every day
morning, and Lassie lives with me. Their garden isn’t a garden anymore
and Aunty’s roses are history. One morning as I was taking Lassie for a
walk, I saw Aunty Mary’s son driving towards our lane. I hopped to the
road and waved to stop the car. I wanted to know his reason to forget
the promise. “Hi, I don’t know whether you remember me, I live next to
Aunty Mary’s,” I said.
“Umm, yes?” he said in a ponder.
“Sorry to stop you like this but I’m little worried about Aunty Mary
and Uncle Wilson. They’ve been waiting for you for a very long time.
They were told that you will take them to the property you bought at
Dehiwala?” I questioned.
“Dehiwala? What land? ... Um ... oh, Dehiwala. Yes, I bought one once
but then I sold it within a month. I don’t really remember telling Amma
about it. Well may be I just told her when I called her.” “Oh, and she
tried calling you!” I explained.
“Ah yes, I changed my number,” he said simply throwing me a cold
smile, closed up the shutters and drove away fast. I felt a tear rolling
down my cheek as I was staring at the dusty drive. What a son!
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