Taming the Blackees

by Davidson Goonetilleke

The Blackees were three school-going sisters with charming features. They were beautiful and dark in complexion. We, schoolboys, nicknamed them as Blackees, and of the three Blackees, the first one was Nelum, second was Manel and the youngest was Kumudu who was more beautiful with a long neck, pearly teeth and curly hair, like those of the statue of the African Princess exhibited in the Art Gallery. They were very pompous and snobbish because their father, Baron Ralahamy, was the richest and most powerful main in our village. He was the chief organiser of all the ceremonies in our temple.

Satellite

Though he pretended to be very pious and harmless, almost every day he got a tortoise killed for preparing his delicacy. In our young days marshy lands and water holes in paddy fields were infested with tortoises as eating tortoise flesh was regarded as a grave sin and a low act. So, those who ate it had to do it secretly. Somehow, our villagers had found out our Ralahamy’s secret and nicknamed him as tortoise Ralahamy or simply “Tortoise”.

Every full moon day evening Ralahamy with his wife and daughters visited the temple. As I had a crush on Kumudu I also went there without fail and hover around Blackees to get friendly with them. So, my friends nicknamed me as Kumudu’s satellite. Though Kumudu was responsive and willing, elder Blackees were always obstructive and offensive.

Cornered

One day my friends with the greatest difficulty cornered Kumudu and led me talk to her. While we’re talking joyously Nelum detecting us rushed in, brushing and pushing my friends and began to scold Kumudu for trying to get friendly with the buffalo. They had nicknamed me as buffalo doctor’s son as my father was a native doctor cum a farmer who kept a couple of buffaloes for ploughing and threshing. Sometimes they referred to me as the buffalo.

When my friends heard that I was insulted they had become so angry that they vowed to avenge Blackees.

On the following full moon day under the patronage of Ralahamy, a mass ceremony had been organised and notices were pasted at prominent places notifying that a very popular preacher would come to deliver a sermon at 8 p.m. and the event would end with a display of grand fireworks prepared by clever technicians.

My friends were busy preparing for the ceremony. They had caught five tortoises and wrapped them to show that they were fireworks packed in emptied coconuts. The hall was congested with people sitting on mats. We also sat in a corner with our packs. When the preacher was ushered in ceremoniously, all the people got up as a homage to the preacher. We also got up with them and leaving our parcels unpacked, rushed to the front and sat near the preacher. When the sermon was going on there arose a loud commotion.

Deflated

The women were screaming and the boys were shouting saying, “Tortoises, Tortoises, five tortoises have come to hear the sermon!”

Our Ralahamy, followed by his wife and daughters ran to the car and finding that all four tyres had been deflated and gone flat, roared in anger like an irritated tiger. The priest also rushed to see what was going on. Then Nelum shouted in anger and said, “All these dirty things are done by that buffalo, the buffalo doctor’s son, Sapumal, he is trying to get friendly with my sister, Kumudu. As we don’t like him he is taking revenge from us!”

The priest became more angry when he heard that my father was insulted by calling him a buffalo doctor, because my father was his brother. So he said, “Nelum, Sapumal is your cousin, if you don’t know, ask your mother.”

“If you call his father a buffalo doctor you also become buffaloes because he has treated you when you were small children. Sapumal is not a buffalo; he is a bright boy, and now a law student. Try to make peace and be good to him. His getting friendly with Kumudu will be a blessing to your family.”

He turned to Ralahamy and asked, “What do you say Ralahamy?”

Ralahamy also nodded in agreement reluctantly. Just then we heard an explosion of a firework, on the other side.

Firework

Leaving the elders behind we ran to see the display of fireworks. The people were struggling to have a better view when I felt someone pinching my back.

When I turned back with a jolt to my surprise I saw Kumudu behind me. She whispered to me and said, “Sapumal, you are not a buffalo, you are a cunning fox!”

Then I said in reply, “Kumudu, I invite you to my den and be my sly Vixen”. Just then another firework started sizzling and shot up to the sky forming a shower of golden spangles and stars beautifying and lighting the whole area. Kumudu clung to me like a frightened child clinging to her father while elder Blackees frowned on us jealously.