No Second Chance and other stories :

A sharp-eyed social criticism

Reviewed by Ranga Chandrarathne

First and foremost, I consider it is a privilege and pleasure for me to pen a foreword to No Second Chance and Other stories by young writer Lishan Perera. Although Lishan's familiar terrain is thrillers, the anthology of short stories 'No Second Chance and other stories' proves , with absolute no doubt, that the author is quite capable of not only shifting genres but also venturing out of his comfort zone.

The themes dominating the anthology are from the every-day life of a cross section of society, primarily from the upper middle class families in and around the metropolis Colombo. The stories, by and large, capture the dilemma of the dramatic personae in a changing milieu where age-old customs, tradition and social ethos erode under the confluence of globalisation and its corporate culture.

In the short story 'Hell to her plans, Hell to all of them', the author skilfully codifies the emerging realities in a globalised milieu. The story is woven around a proposal by Mrs. De Silva for her daughter Karen who has just arrived in Sri Lanka after completing her education in the UK. Karen, who has been dating with scores of boys, does not like the idea of her mother choosing a partner for her. Although the marriage between Karen and David seems to be one made in the heaven from every conceivable perspective, it fails simply because Karen is not ready to accept that her mother is correct.

Karen's reaction to the proposal is quite natural given the fact that new generation of youth likes to make their own choices in life and want to be completely independent of their parents' interference in their lives. The author has also portrayed the growing generation gap between the parents and their children who have had foreign education.

"No mother, for the last time! I will not go along with this plan of yours and marry someone you think is suitable. Nothing you say will make me change my mind! " . It was as if Vesuvius had erupted again, only this time not in Naples, Italy but at No 35, Gregory's Road, and Colombo 07.

The above powerful dialogue captures the essence of the mentalities of both the daughter and mother. The suitability criteria of a bridegroom have been changed over the years and it is obvious that the suitability criteria of mother's generation are not valid for daughter's generation. Mrs. De Silva represents the old generation who believes that they should make every decision on behalf of their children.

On the other hand, Karen would fall in love with David if he happened to meet her in a social gathering. The central issue of the short story is the generation gap and insensitivity on the part of old generation to the socio-economic changes in a globalised milieu.

The short story 'Montego Bay' deals with a journalist's trip to Jamaica turning out to be a remarkable encounter with a beauty. Apart from the story, what the author tries to depict is the increasing individual mobility in a globalised milieu where diverse people would encounter one another in unexpected settings. The couple who have no future of their relationship depart as strangers at the Katunayake International Airport.

'Fantasies' is a story of a village youth who has migrated to the city in search of employment. However, Nimal, the protagonist has found that the city is a hell. He can hardly save money so it becomes an everyday struggle for survival in the city of Colombo. Against all odds, Nimal dreams of migrating to the UK and to earn money. His dream is not to be a millionaire but to earn a little money in the UK which converted into Sri Lankan rupees would be a reasonable amount out of which he could send some money to his mother in the village.

Although the story seems to be a common scenario in the metropolis Colombo, the author has depicted the plight of thousands of such workers who have virtually been exploited by their employers.

Lack of education and poor knowledge of English are some of the reasons that make even vernacular graduate unemployable. Some of the issues that the author highlights are the incongruity between the education and the employment opportunities in the market, lack of legislature to protect employers and poor social security system.

The short story 'In the hands of Fate' deals with an experience in the battle front where a team of doctors struggled to save the life of a captain in the army. The crux of the story is about a lady doctor, Ashanthi who faces prejudices serving in conflict zone.

"Becoming an army doctor and serving in a zone as dangerous as this is no job for a girl. Only we men possess the stamina and strength to exploit ourselves to the fullest and work day in and out. You should go back to Colombo without being stupid." The author skilfully integrates the male prejudice against females in society into the dialogues. Though lesser in degree, prejudice even among educated segments of society against women still exists in Asian societies. Towards the end, Ashanthi's colleague realises that she is as capable as any male doctor, particularly, in an emergency.

"Cat fight Club" is a story which deals with servant's fight in a household. The Tamil servant and Sinhalese servant fights to win the trust of the madam. The story ends with madam sacking the two servants and doing house cleaning by herself.

The title story 'No Second Chance 'is about the Peraliya train disaster. The story is narrated from the point of view of a passenger who travelled in the ill-fated train, Samudra Devi or Queen of the Sea. Samuel who travelled in the train, drowned along with a thousand others in the tragedy.

"Would the giant wave-as immense as it was-have the power to knock over the Queen of Sea?

The answer was "yes" Samuel soon found out. The wave came crashing in faster than a rocket. ... Everything was happening in a blur-Samuel couldn't make head or tail of it. He saw the tracks being ripped off"

The author recreates the atmosphere of mayhem in an extremely realistic manner codifying one of the most tragic moments in the contemporary history of Sri Lanka. The author uses simple diction in relating the chapter of life in a globalised milieu.

"No Second Chance "is a contemporary anthology of short stories which truly represents the milieu. The author should be commended for his candid views and insights into contemporary society, mentalities of men and women from diverse walks of life and the realistic portrayal of society at large.

Among other things, the anthology offers a microscopic view on the contemporary Sri Lankan milieu under the confluence of globalisation.

It is evident that the author has done his research into the subject matter which has enriched his powerful creativity and rich imagination.