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| Sunday, 28 July 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Rising up to the occasion by Senarath Tennakoon Terrible heat, pooh. Acid smelling sweat all over. Bunches of people... Fat women, dwarfs and disabled... It's already twelve noon. Still the hospital gates are not open. But favourites go in showing passes. Some go without passes... Under the Bo tree there is a crowd. Legs do take me there! What's up. My heavens, what's this. A monkey wearing coloured short, shirt and a tie is lying on the ground. Arms and legs are spread out. Is it dead! Oh no... The tamer is addressing the fallen monkey; "Putha (Son) your mother is seriously ill. She is to be operated now. Otherwise, she will die. She has met with an accident. Now you should go immediately to the hospital. Now rise up to the occasion." But the monkey did not stir or utter a syllable. It just kept on rotating its blank eyes. Again the tamer spoke. "So you don't want to see your mother before she passes away. You are a bloody rascal. Now look here, your wife and child have come to go with you. The director of the hospital has sent a telegram to your name and they have brought it. Now Putha, don't play the fool here. Rise up to the occasion. you must go with your wife and child to the hospital at once. Your wife says that they have come by train and spent over ten hours on the road. You lazy careless chap, get up and go with them. Don't make me angry. I will skin you." But the monkey ignored the tamer's words. It scratched its head, picked up a louse and put it into its mouth and munched it. The tamer adopted a stern attitude. He took a long cane. As he rotated it around his head, the air whistled. The onlookers were astonished; and felt pity as the tamer would thrash the monkey. "Now I have to be rude with you. Do you see this? I will skin you and throw you to the dog; if you don't rise up to the occasion." So saying he sprang towards the monkey and thrashed the ground near the monkey's stretched out tail. The monkey did not even move its tail! Now the tamer adopted a very flexible attitude. Putha, your wife and child have gone. They went in tears saying that you are a worthless husband. Now Putha see who has come to see you. Now rise up to the occasion. Your neighbour's daughter, the pretty Nirmala, your secret sweet-heart has come to take you to see a film show." The monkey rose up to the occasion. The crowd dispersed as the hospital gates were open. The tamer collected the coins and placed the monkey on his shoulder... |
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