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| Sunday, 30 April 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Tales from
the Walauwa
by Cat O' Logge Oh such a busy day it has been, infact make it days. Magilin was kept for ever so long on her feet, cooking. She says, for hamu nonage akka kenekuta. I must say that the walauwa household seems to be preparing a rather royal spread for this cousin of mother's who is visiting from Australia.
Yesterday Pala was dispatched to fetch a few jakfruits from the garden. One was quite ripe as I was told by Rudolphus the dog who is quite dotty over fruits and such. Daughter of the house spends hours feeding him bananas all the while telling everyone to "oh look! look!." Someone else had brought in a rath kesel kana and Rudolphus who is quite partial to plantains and bananas has been eyeing this too. Hamunona had watched vigilantly over her shoulder as she swept and cleaned the walauwa, reported Leela back in the kitchen. And everything that would be done to highlight the visit had been done. But this is where Rudolphus refuses to see my point. Frankly this is about all I enjoy when the walauwa family's relatives from abroad come to visit. Now I have been around for quite a number of these visits and I can tell you exactly what'll happen. There'll be the exclamations of "My, how the children have grown!". And even though over the telephone they appear to be listing out all their favourite dishes they'd like to eat, they'd go "Oh dear, nangi has really gone over the top for the meal and nangi will say that ah, it was no bother (And that is an out and out fib, I can tell you). Then they'll sit down for the meal and while saying "Oh how absolutely delicious the fried thora malu is, the relative will inquire about all the people she used to know. Even Leela will try her best to linger a bit longer at the table when she hears the cousin asking hamunona whatever happened to their neighbour's son who got dumped by that bossy girl down the lane. There'll be the inevitable talk of "Oh, how good the old times were". Oh, and another thing is that mother of the house will gently tolerate any dishes broken by the cousin's butter fingered children. Now if it had been Leela (a cat's dream, almost always drops a dish on the floor when laying the table for a meal) mother of the house would have readily recited half the family tree to say that that dish had been in the family for so many years. Oh and one must not forget the gifts they'll give one another. However the cousin's visit was also quite the same. And Rudolphus says that I'm quite a nasty little cynical cat always looking for faults, even on a day like this. (Oh, he'll say. One little girl was quite taken up with him, Ludolphus this and Ludolphus that) But believe me, I'll go through any of this, every day even. For that meal. Certainly looking forward to the new year celebrations at the Walauwa, I am. Well, at least the meals..... |
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People from all over the village have been bringing in various items
requested by the house. A couple of chickens were bought from Sarath who
sells a few every now and then. But of course, as I have seen on my numerous
tours outside the walauwa gates several people have their meat stalls in
various corners and junctions of the village. 
