Sunburnt Home - an Australian-Sri Lankan novel

Chapter 9 : Finding a job !

By Sunil GOVINNAGE

It was another pleasant morning despite the harsh weather predicted for the next five days. Jayadeva had shopping duties that morning to buy weekly provisions and Sunitha wanted to join him. He made sure that she had a good application of sun screen lotion and a hat before leaving home. He only wore a cap and was not bothered to apply sun screen lotions on his face as it looked as if he was wearing a white mask.

Jayadeva held Sunitha's hand tightly and walked through the narrow road when the sun radiated pleasant morning rays. Sunitha was happy to join her father as most of the time she did go for walks with Malini.

As soon as they reached a half way point to the shopping centre, Sunitha asked:

"Dad, why aren't you going for work these days? Are you on leave or looking for a good job in Perth? Mum said you are still on holidays and waiting for a good job! She said we have to wait until you find a job to buy a car! Is it true Dad?"

Jayadeva felt frozen despite the warm weather encroaching. He was unsure of how to respond as Malini had never revealed little Sunitha's worries about him not having a job and their inability to buy a car. He remembered telling Malini that he was contemplating going back to Sri Lanka, if he were unable to find a job soon.

"Yes Duwa, I am waiting for a good job! Yes, this is a kind of a holiday for all of us, don't you think so?" Jayadeva tried to smile but he felt that his words did not sound natural or genuine like his inner thoughts and anger for his failure to find a job soon.

"Mum said that if you don't get a job that we might have to go back to Achchi Amma's place in Sri Lanka! I don't want to go back, Dad, I like here. I like my school and the television programs!"

"Don't worry, we'll stay here. We are not going back, who told you that? Amma would have told you a little lie. Maybe she wanted to stop you watching too many TV programs!"

"So we are not going back to Sri Lanka. Hoooooooo.....ra......aaaay!" Sunitha jumped up leaving Jayadeva's hand.

"Dad would you buy me lollies? I like Australian lollies. They taste better!"

*****************

Despite the February heat, Jayadeva decided to wear a jacket to visit the Commonwealth Employment agency for a meeting. An officer there had arranged a special meeting to review Jayadeva's job situations.

"G'day Mr Gumm-age. How's the job situation going?"

"Good day! Things are not good. For the last six months, I was called for three job interviews, but no jobs!" said Jayadeva defeatedly.

"Well, as you may be aware, the recession has put at least some pressure on the job market. The unemployment rate hasn't improved over the last two quarters and it's not a good sign at all." The officer gave his justification pretending to take the burden and blame away from Jayadeva.

"Let me have a look at your resume and the last two job applications," the officer said.

Having quickly browsed through the documents, he said, "There are a few ways of improving your resume. This is a bit old style resume, isn't it? You need not put everything about your life here!"

"What's everything?"

"You need not include here that you were the head prefect in your school in kalu-taa rrre," the officer, said harshly and continued,

"You are not in Sri Lanka, and the school days are gone! You are a professional immigrant and you are now a recognised civil engineer in Australia. That's the point to market. May be you need some Australian work experience. We may be able to arrange some work experience for you!"

"Why work experience for me!" Jayadeva said angrily.

"I am a qualified civil engineer with nearly ten years of experience. Why should I apply for work experience? That's graduate trainee stuff! If these people don't want to give me a job, then, I'll go back home!" Jayadeva said angrily. "Okay, then let's work on your resume. We don't provide help in improving applicant's resumes. But we are here to help our clients to find suitable jobs," the officer said firmly.

"Then, find me a job!"

"You need not get upset, Mr Gam-mage!"

"Why not you visit a HR consultant and get some ideas about applying for jobs. Let me go and see whether we have got any new job requests today."

The officer returned with a fax and gave Jayadeva a copy and placed the original in his in-tray which had a foot long letters and other correspondence piled up like an unwashed food plates.

"This firm is looking for a civil engineer and their job description matches with your profile!"

"So, why didn't you tell me that early?"

"We received this fax an hour ago!" said the officer and pulled a fax sheet from his in-tray and showed him the time of the fax.

Immediately after the meeting, he rushed looking for the HR firm that has sent the fax. Their office was located at the west end of the terrace. Jayadeva walked without waiting for a bus hurriedly. Having walked under hot weather, he had perspired so much, so he had to wait a few minutes in a nearby hotel lobby to cool his body down, and dry sweat from his clothes.

As soon as after he mentioned the fax message to the Commonwealth employment's office, he was asked to meet a HR consultant specialised in recruiting engineers. A very young woman came, greeted him and directed him to a cubicle. Having perused his resume, the woman said, "yes, there is a job that would match your qualifications but we may have to massage your resume before we forward it to the company. Do you have a soft copy of your resume?"

Jayadeva browsed the deep end of his brief case and handed over a diskette as if he was there to sell a precious uncut gem for a merchant to polish and sell.

"Okey drorky! This is good! We'll give you a call in about three days. This is still the holiday season. Is this your telephone number?"

Jayadeva was happy but he was unsure of getting a job soon despite the meeting and support he had received so far.

On the third day, after the initial meeting, Jayadeva received a telephone call. An engineering firm wanted him to come for a job interview.

Jayadeva walked into the interview room and found three people sitting at the end of a large table. They looked very serious in their formal attire but he immediately realised that they are not as serious as they looked. Despite the conditioned air inside, Jayadeva started sweating but he regained his posture soon.

After having asked a few questions and discussing his engineering credentials, a very serious looking person in the panel wanted to know whether he had any local references.

"Well, I can give you two references," said Jayadeva and gave a sheet of paper with Douglas Kirklands and Professor Lankanatha Weerasuriya's contact details.

"Oh how do you know a safety inspector in the Mines Department? How do you know this UWA Professor? He is a world class expert on agricultural research according to your statement here. What's your connection with these people?"

Jayadeva explained how he came to know them.

"Oh, so you know them through your Sri Lankan connections. I didn't know that there is a Sri Lankan club in Perth!" He said warmly.

Jayadeva grinned innocently.

A panel member politely asked Jayadeva's passport to verify his Australian residency status. As he walked out of the air conditioned office in to the hot sun again, he realised that it is another hot summer day in Perth. He thought that the cruel sun was radiating unbearable heat waves from heaven above with the intention of burning everyone down below.

A bus indicating the destination 'Cottesloe' arrived. Although, it would have taken him towards home, he decided to walk down the terrace and entered the King' Street without a specific aim. He stepped into a café, just to find a shelter from hot weather and saw a pile of Sri Lankan tea boxes. He sat on a corner table where he could glance at tea boxes and ordered a small pot of tea.

Having gulped a couple of glasses of cool water and a hot cup of tea, he decided to take a bus to Nollamara Buddhist centre. It was not a long walk to the bus station on Wellington Street.

He showed his health care card and his day travel ticket to the bus driver who responded with a weary glance. His eagle like eyes perused Jayadeva's clothes and old brief case. There were only a few passengers and Jayadeva located a seat away from the driver.

Although Jayadeva knew that the Buddhist Centre was closed on weekdays, his intention was to make a vow to the Bodhi tree there. He desired to chant and pray for early employment as he was worried about what they receive fortnightly as unemployment benefits. It was a struggle to balance the money for day-to-day needs and above all, he was concerned about disappearing savings they had brought over from Sri Lanka eight months ago. He knew that if worst comes to worst, the remaining funds would not be sufficient to settle the matters with regard to their rented house and buy air tickets to return home.

-- Going back home is not the solution! We must find things to settle down here soon. Sunitha is already happy with her school and she has already blossomed. We must make here our home and children will find their home here...She will start year one soon....No... NO...! going back is not the way. I must find a job here.... I must stay...we must stay...we all must stay...there is no other way...we must stay...

Though the Buddhist Centre at Nollamara never resembled a Sri Lankan temple, it was situated in a very quiet place and located in front of a large public play ground. The centre was just an old rundown house that Buddhist people had purchased some years ago, and there was a large hall under construction next door. There was no dagaba [1] or devalas [2] in the premises as in a temple in Sri Lanka. Having gone up to the Bodhi tree, Jayadeva realised that he had come unprepared and even without any water for a Bodhi pooja. He walked back to the main junction that crossed Wanneroo Road and Morley Drive and purchased a large water bottle.

When he returned, there was an old woman and her daughter preparing for a pooja. From the way they spoke, Jayadeva realised that they were Thai people. He looked at them and smiled. When the women realised that Jayadeva had only a bottle of water, she offered him flowers and a little oil lamp.

Jayadeva let the women to continue their Buddhist rituals first, and left his jacket and brief case in the veranda of the temple hall and unburden him.

Sea breeze had begun to emerge without any notice and the weather had changed making a big difference not only to his body but also to relieve his mind. Although he felt comfortable due to the change of weather, he was worried about going back home taking two buses after having to walk again nearly a kilo metre, to the main junction on Wanneroo Road.

*******************

Jayadeva was fast a sleep with Asela on the floor when the letter was delivered by a courier. He had returned from another job interview that morning and was not happy about his performance at the interview. A panel member had asked several times for Jayadeva to repeat each and every sentence again implying they had difficulties to understand Jayadeva's Sri Lankan accent. Another member politely reminded him to speak slowly.

On his return, he just had something to eat and went to sleep keeping Asela on the other side of the bed-less mattress. Malini and Sunitha were sitting in the lounge room watching the Olympic Games in Korea. Once the father and son felt sleepy, Malini went inside and switched on the pedestal fan to move the hot air inside. Malini opened the large envelope and learnt the good news. She immediately realised that there is no return now, as the monthly income of Jayadeva's new job was equivalent to almost the half yearly salary that he earned in Sri Lanka. She thought she would wait until he woke up to share the good news.

Malini didn't know Jayadeva was dreaming despite him having secured a good job in line with his qualifications.

He was playing backyard cricket with grown up son in their new Perth home. As Asela batted without any fear, Jayadeva ran fast and bowled with a large grin. Asela stepped forward fearlessly and hit hard. The next moment he dreamt him waiting in the members' lounge at WACA grounds [3] in East Perth. He carefully listened to an announcement that Sam Gum-mage was the first Sri Lankan born cricketer to play for the prestigious Western Australian team. Having hit fifty runs, Asela removed his helmet and raised the bat towards the members' lounge as he knew his father would be there happily watching his mile stones in cricket which was a dream of his father for a long time.

The fan rotated making a creaky noise but both father and son were sleeping happily despite the warm weather that circled outside their small rented house which sheltered an unemployed Sri Lankan family for the last eight months in a far off land.

Footnotes

[1] Pagoda - A Buddhist shrine, also referred as Chethi and may take different shapes and sizes depending on the country of location.

[2] Devala - The Sinhala word for a shrine room in Buddhist temple that are normally beautifully enriched with statues of various Gods that Buddhists worship.

[3] WACA - Western Australian Cricket Association

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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.