Short Story

Escaped by a hair's breadth

by A.F. Dawood

It is a village where the elephant-human conflict is rampant. The poor rural folk are unable to live unhindered because of the elephant invasion at any time of the day. The marauding beasts invade the huts and hovels and wreak havoc of inexplicable intensity to their lives and properties.

They are unable to sleep peacefully at night because elephants go berserk, devastating the peaceful settlement.

The only salvation for the hapless people are a few concrete platforms built by the government to take refuge from the rampaging elephants. The concrete platforms are as high as the two elephants, so that they cannot reach the escapees on the platform. There are narrow concrete steps on both sides leading to the platform which could accommodate about 100 to 150 people.

There are also platforms made of wooden planks or bamboo strips and they are tied to branches of tall trees, inaccessible to the elephants. Some menfolk take refuge on the tree platform when elephants invade their huts.

Most of the villagers are blue-collar workers. They are farmers, blacksmiths, porters, tree cutters, masons, carpenters and stone heavers.

Their children attend the village school in great fear.

They walk through a maze of footpaths to school and could encounter an elephant. If they do encounter an elephant, they take to their heels to the closest concrete platform. Some unfortunate children have met with their death.

Errands

Sometimes the children are sent on petty errands to buy something from the village kiosk or fetch a bucket of water from the well. At such times they venture out of their houses with their heart in their mouth.

The children are at a loss to understand why their elders do not shoot the elephants. They continue to ask questions, “Ablin Mama, you've a gun; why don't you shoot the elephants?” asks a boy of 12.

“We can't shoot, not allowed Sena.” “Why Mama, elephants are a problem for us,” the boys say. “Then there's no safety for us?” says Pala who is Sena's age.

“Platforms are there for our safety,” says Ablin. “But elephants come to our village at different times; we can't always run to the platform.”

A little girl Mala said, “Why can't the government build an electric fence?”
“That's killing elephants in one way,” said Kineris.

Deaths

“But elephants kill people, that's bad. Jineris Mama, my Seeya died of an elephant assault,” Duleep said.

“Now many children don't attend Dhamma school, because of elephants,” Mala said.
“And how many people have died because of elephants?” Duleep asked.

Some villagers have well-trained Alsatian dogs which keep vigil when the inmates are asleep.

The slightest rustle of a twig, branch or shrub alerts the dogs which begin to bark incessantly and this is the sign for the inmates that elephants are nearby.

Men and women carrying their little sleepy ones rush to the concrete platform and some menfolk climb to the tree platform to save their life and limb from the rampaging elephants.

Ranapala returned to his hut after toiling in the field throughout the day. “Ah! Podi Menike, elephants came to the adjoining village last night.

Today they might come here.” Ranapala told his wife. “So you prepare the night meal early, and get ready to leave the house.”

So saying he left carrying a bucket and a cigar in his mouth.
Darkness

“Where are you going now?” Podi Menike asked, carrying her little son in her hip. “Just to wash myself,” he said.

“Come soon before it is too dark. Take a box of matches and a cadjan leaf to light your way home.”

The hamlet is cloaked in darkness; lamps are lit in the small houses dotting the village.

Nocturnal insects rend the air with a cacophony of sounds; but still Ranapala did not return from the well. Podi Menike was feeding the children when Jineris came.

“Ranapala went to the well to have a bath,” Podi Menike said. “In this darkness? How can he come home now? Elephants are moving about here and there.”

“Where?” Podi Menike asked. I'll tell him not to go out.”

“Yesterday two elephants came to the adjoining village, about 200 metres from here,” Jineris said. “Today they might come here.”

“Yes, Jineris, Ranapala asked me to get ready to leave because the elephants are coming. That's why I am feeding my children now.”

At this moment in the pitch dark, they saw a torch moving towards Podi Menike's hut.

“I think Ranapala is coming,” Podi Menike said. However, it was Juwanis Appu who came.

“Do you know the latest story?”
“Juwanis, what happened.”
“This evening elephants damaged all the small huts near the well.”
“Oh, my God, what a crime! What has happened to Ranapala.”

Concrete platform

“People ran to the concrete platform in the village; some climbed tall trees,” Juwanis said. “Juwanis, did the elephant kill anyone? Podi Menike asked.

“Only those who couldn't run, about five people died. Oh, “What happened to Ranapala?

Ranapala must have escaped.”
“Then why didn't he come home?” Podi Menike asked.

Suddenly the silence of the night was pierced by the cries of “Help, help.” A group of people with torches approached Podi Menike's house.

A few of them shouted in unison.

“Hurry up, hurry up, take your children and leave your houses, an elephant is close by.”

The fear-stricken elders carried their loved ones and fled to safe places.

From there they saw the devastating spectacle below. Two elephants were wreaking havoc.

Thatched roofs of the huts were ripped open; cabook walls and wooden planks were pulled down; utensils were trampled and damaged; trees were uprooted.

By dawn the elephants vanished.

Search party

As Ranapala did not return home the previous night, a search party including Podi Menike trekked along the footpaths in the village looking for Ranapala. Podi Menike's face was masked in sorrow.

“Let's go to the well.” Jineris said. “If he is killed, at least we can find his body,” Juwanis Appu said. “I don't think he was killed,” Babanis said, “because he could run very fast.”

“Then he will return home,” Juwanis Appu said. Podi Menike began to weep.

“At least we must find his body,” to give him a decent burial,” she said in between sobs.

The second party found Gilbert near the well. “We are looking for Ranapala. What happened to him?” Juwanis Appu asked.

“Nothing happened to Ranapala.”

“Then Gilbert, where is he?” Podi Menike asked. “He was with me last night in my hut. This morning he is going home.”

The search party turned back to go home. Podi Menike was happy with the news.

Search party

The search party found that Ranapala had not returned home. Podi Menike's hopes were dashed to the ground.

She broke down creating a scene in the vicinity. The few people who came to her house tried to pacify her.

“Podi Menike, this is his fate. Let's try to find his body.”

Then a man in the crowd shouted, “No, I'm not dead. I escaped death by a hair's breadth.”

It was Ranapala.