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Sunburnt Home - an Australian-Sri Lankan novel

Chapter 26: 'We can look after you, son!'

A week after the bitter encounter Jayadeva had with Asela's cricket coach for not giving his son a Fair Go, Asela complained a feeling of numbness in his right hand. At first, Jayadeva thought that it was a silly psychological justification by his son, for his decision for not continuing to play cricket. When Jayadeva realised that Asela had decided to give up playing cricket; his favourite game, Jayadeva thought of sharing his feelings.

"Putha, don't do silly things! You should not take those fellows dropping you from that match seriously. Those fellows may be racists, but you should continue to play cricket. It is just one incident of rejection, but life is full of ups and downs. You learn that life is not as easy as walking across a cricket pitch. "

"No Dad, I had enough of cricket, and with this pain in my arm, I can practice any more. Let us take a break from sports for a while! "

" If you don't like to play cricket, what about other games! What happened to your interest in basketball? You are a good player, and can not you remember the film we watched, White Men Cannot Jump? If you don't want to play cricket then play another game! Perhaps basketball. Don't give up your ambitions because of some nasty racists bastereds.

"I have no ambitions, Dad!"

Malini who heard Jayadeva's sermon came rushing and stood in between father-son and yelled at Jayadeva in Sinhala.

"Are you mad, putting racist ideas into this innocent child's mind? If Australia is a racist country, then why did you bring him over here?"

Jayadeva withdrew as a soldier who lost a battle and rushed into his study, but he heard the conversation between the mother and son.

"Putha what is this pain? Show me your hands."

There was a pause, and then he heard, "okay, now raised your hands above your head. Now give me your hands and push my hands with both your hands, Yes, faster, faster."

Jayadeva realised that it was a proper medical examination, but he wasn't unsure of the intention of Malini's exercise.

The following day, Malini took Asela to their family GP and came home with a referral letter to a neurologist.

After the children went to sleep, Malini talked: It looks as that Sam got a neurological problem.

I am really concerned. It was not an imaginary pain as you have been saying. We need to take him to a neurologist. Imanaged to get an appointment to show him to Dr Neville Bradley this Friday?

"Who is this Bradley? Could he fix Asela and advise him how to deal with racists in Australia? "Jayadeva said sarcastically.

For you, life is either black or white and nothing in between! Life is a continuous problem solving process, and not a journey on rose petals. Malini said with a sad voice and continued,

"Dr Bradley is one of the best neurologists in Perth. When I did my internship at Royal Perth, he was my senior registrar. When I was working full time, I sent him patients regularly. You have to take Asela to Doctor Bradley's clinic this Friday.

"So why not you take to see your Bradley fellow, " Jayadeva retorted.

"I cannot go because I have a couple of appointments with clients on Friday, and I cannot cancel them. You must somehow other take Asela, so we can find out what is wrong with him." Malini said with a sad voice.

" It can't be something serious. All the pains and complaints of that and this came after the last cricket game." Jayadeva gave an excuse as he was under the impression that Asela is medical condition was a made up story. "

" His pain is not an excuse to avoid playing cricket. He is in pain. Sam told me how you embarrassed him by shouting at his cricket coach and the team manager. Sam said that he was shamed, and some of the boys had bullied him at school after that incident! "

"Well every woe in this family is my fault! Yes, I am guilty of bringing all of you here. Yes, I am at fault, " said Jayadeva accepting an unavoidable verdict.

****

That Friday afternoon Jayadeva went to Asela's school during the lunch interval, and picked him up for an appointment at Doctor Bradley's clinic.

" Dad, what about a treat for me? I didn't bring my lunch, Asela" said as he got into the car.

"What is that for? What have you done to deserve a treat? You should have continued your cricket practise without your pain in the hand story?"

" I am not lying! Cricket is done Dad, now I can't hold even my pen to write. I am hungry, and let us go and have a burger."

" That's junk food. Let us go home and have a quick bite, otherwise, Ill get the blame for feeding you junk food!"

Asela didn't say anything and closed his eyes. Jayadeva switched the channels of the radio for mid-day news on Asia-Pacific news on ABC Radio.

The third news item was about Sri Lanka. The announcer said: A report released by UNICEF in Colombo suggests that malnutrition among the primary school children; one of the most vulnerable population groups is on the rise in Mahaweli settlement scheme in the north-central province. The latest survey confirms that stunting and wasting among the pre-school and primary school children had continued despite the special feeding programs aimed at vulnerable children. The report also further revealed that that continued droughts will have a further impact on children's nutritional status.

"Dad, isn't that the place where you worked in Sri Lanka, Maa-he-vally? What is stunting and wasting, Dad?"

" Oh I thought, you were sleeping! Did you hear the news? Yes, it's sad news about the poor nutritional levels among the children in Mahaweli area where I worked. When children don't get enough food,they don't grow properly. So such children are shorter compared with their age or become thin, Jayadeva explained.

Asela listened to his father attentively and asked a question.

" So had I lived in Sri Lanka in your Maa-he-vally area, I wouldn't have grown taller, isn't it, Dad?"

" No putha, you would have grown normally as we have plenty of money to feed you. Only poor people's children develop health problems such as stunting and wasting."

" So why then only some people are poor? Is that the reason that Aborigines have thin children walking around with dirty clothes?"

Jayadeva was glad that they reached Doctor Bradleya's clinic located near the Royal Perth Hospital. With difficulties, he managed to find a parking spot and walked to the clinic just five minutes before their appointment.

Doctor Bradley examined Asela and put him through a few exercises to determine the functions and strength of his upper limbs.

Having examined Asela comprehensively, the doctor said: " Things seems to be okay, but I would like to order some x-rays; scans of his brain. Had you or Lee noticed that Sama's right lower limbs are a bit weaker. I mean slightly week in muscles structure?"

" No we haven't noticed anything as such, Jayadeva replied after a pause."

"Is it a serious doc? Jayadeva questioned impatiently. "

" Oh no! It could be quite natural,and I have seen more wasted muscle in patient's and found nothing wrong in most of them. I want this radiological test to make sure that everything is okay with this young man, said the doctor and smiled confidently."

" By the way, you can play any game you like, Sam!Your Mum sent me a note giving a bit of the history through the GPexplaining a few things. I would like to find out whether your pain gets worst if you continue to play. You can do any normal activity without fear, said the doctor and pat on Asela's head and smiled."

"Okay I'll see you soon after the tests. Here are the papers. The doctor gave the request for radiological tests and when he saw Jayadeva's fearful face, " he said:

" Don't worry. I am sure the scans will not reveal any nasty finding as such. I just want to make sure that there is nothing serious, and if not for Malini, I wouldn't have requested the tests and keep him on my watchful list.

****

"He is a cool Doctor, Dad! He is not stressed like Mum used to be, when she was working in the surgery. I don't mind doing that kind of work. He is really a cool person?"

When they reached the car park, Jayadeva saw a few Aboriginal kids looking for cigarette butts and going around the car park collecting cigarette butts into plastic bags.

"What are they doing Dad, collecting cigarette butts? Are they going to smoke?"

˜I don't know son. I have no answers to your questions. But we can look after you as we have money."

" Do you mean to say that the Aboriginal kids can't see cool doctors like Doctor Bradley? "

"I suppose they could. We are all Australians and have equal medical facilities. "

"But Aboriginal kids are poor, aren't they? "

" Jayadeva tried to hide his tears as he turned the car to the Hay Street through the car park where the Aboriginal kids were still looking for cigarette butts."

" I don't know about the Aboriginal kids, but we can look after you Putha! "

(To be continued)

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

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