Itipahan (Burly Lamp) Chapter - 6

by Sumithra RAHUBADDE

(Translated by Ranga Chandrarathne and edited by Indeewara Thilakarathne)

"I am a lamp burning on both ends

Known well that I cannot pass the night

Yet

See my friends

Foes

How powerful light

Burnt

To dispel the darkness"

As usual, Duleena went to tap the line of rubber plantation about 5.30 in the morning. Sirinatha had a desire to see Soomawathi on the way to pick up fallen cashew nuts. Sirinatha knew, now, he always had a desire to see her. The aroma emanating from her was a strange fragrance that emanated from no other girl in the village. She is more orderly than any other girl. Sirinatha thought even in the school, there was no other girl who could be compared to her golden colour complexion, dazzling smile and a thin waist. He thought it was even pleasanter talking with her; when she spoke, her eyes shone, smiled with her face and eyes, and even every word was interesting to listen to. Sirinatha could not understand why he, who played with her since childhood, had begun to develop a strange shyness towards her. Males in the village liked her mother, Duleena. There was a saying in the village that males liked to look at Duleena from a distance when she was tapping rubber. Actually, Duleena was a woman that any man would like to look at not twice but several times. Duleena's beauty was, now, waning. But she was still pretty. Sirinatha considered Duleena's daughter Soomawathi as an invaluable treasure who, had inherited finer features such as height and beauty from both sides of the parents.

Sirinatha, who slowly walked before the hut, looked into the room through the window which was covered with a piece of a gunny bag. The light of the small bottle lamp on the table dispelled the darkness. The maiden rays of the sun had begun to filter into the room. Amidst them Sirinatha's eyes surveyed the golden glow of her face. For a moment, Sirinatha looked at Soomawathi who slept on the camp bed wrapping herself in a sheet. He who looked from the window, thought how wonderful she was. Even in sleep, her face was as beautiful as a flower. Sirinatha made a feeble cry "Soome", a couple of times, peeping into the room through the window. Soome, in a deep slumber, quickly opened her eyes and looked at the window. She got up from the camp bed and stood before the window. Sirinatha imagined a sketch of a strange painting with a blend of astonishment and bliss emerged in her face.

"Sirinatha, Why....", she inquired.

"Open the Pelella, why?, are you afraid? ", asked Sirinatha hastily.

"Oh, no, I am not afraid of you. Let me open the pelella," said Somawathi who quickly opened it.

"Duleena Akka is not there? ", inquired Sirinatha who wanted to make it sure.

"Do you ask it only after coming in by opening the pelella?".

Sirinatha sat on the camp bed. Soome also sat on the camp bed a little away from Sirinatha and looked at him. She was still wrapped in the chettaya sheet of cloth (cheetya, a cheap sheet of cloth).

"Sirinatha, which way are you heading when you came here? ", inquired Soome getting a little closer to Sirinatha. He had a shy smile, and had his sarong hanging on the shoulders.

"I was on the way to pick up cashew nuts. If I do not pick them up, Premaratne would pick them up. "Sirinatha smiled and looked at her. Soome heard that Premaratne would get up at 4.30 p.m. in the morning to collect cashew nuts. Premaratne collected Cashew nuts and sold them at the village fair from his childhood. Sirinatha did not like Premaratne collecting cashew nuts from his properties. Soomawathi knew despite Nanawathi Haminne demanding Sirinatha not to collect cashew nuts, he would not listen to it.

"Then, Premaratne would pick up cashew today, "said Soome tightly wrapping herself with the sheet. She covered her legs and pulled them up onto the camp bed.

"That's ok. Let him pick up cashew nuts today. I wanted to see Soome today," said Sirinatha without looking at her. Then, with shyness he looked at Soome. Soome looked at Sirinatha and smiled. Sirinatha thinking that Duleena Akka would return only after dawn, drew closer to Soome. A smile flashed on her as she looked at Sirinatha. She smiled and thought that this was Sirinatha who would like her to become his servant in the future.

"I wish Soome would stay at home forever. I like Soome's presence. I feel lonely when Soome leaves at home and comes here. ", said Sirinatha.

Suddenly, he grabbed her hand and drew her closer to him. Soome rested her head on Sirinatha's shoulder with warmth of a brother. On the spur of the moment, she reminded that she was still a school girl. She reminded him that Sirinatha was her best friend as well as her worst enemy. But she understood that she could not afford to drop the hand from his grip. She felt an enchanting warmth which commenced from her hand, ran all over her body.

A scene from the Tele-drama Itipahan

"Can I see you every morning while on my way to pick up fallen cashew nuts? ", asked Sirinatha. Soome looked at him silently. She did not know whether to say 'yes' or 'no'. She could not get rid of the proud idea of being a good girl. At the same time, she also thought that she had no other friend like Sirinatha. At the moment, she understood that she had been enticed by his enchanting warmth.

"Sirinatha, let us meet on the way to school. Besides I stay at your home till evening," muttered Soome attempting not to hurt his feelings. But she wished secretly that Sirinatha would come every morning to see her.

She did not like to talk with anyone else as much as with Sirinatha. It was only Sirinatha who knew well what to talk or what not to talk with her. She thought that Sirinatha had a tenderness that no one else had in the village.

"But I will come every day", said Sirinatha ignoring her objection.

Sirinatha made up his mind that at least, he should have a glance at her through the window on his way to pick up cashew nuts.

"I do not like you to address the meeting. Aunty said that it was not good for school children to get engaged in these things," Sirinatha made use of the opportunity to bring up the issue he had waited for a couple of days. Everyone in the village knew Soome's oratorical skills as she won oratorical competitions at school and at Dhamma School. Anyhow, she was a fluent speaker. Because of this fluency the MP liked Soome who was still a student, to get onto the stage and address the gathering. Soome was also eagerly waiting to address the people. Duleena could not control her.

"Sirinatha, then you have come in the morning to ask me not to address the meeting?" inquired Soome who got up from the camp bed. Suddenly she thought that Sirinatha did not like her abilities. It was after her speech at Dhamma School that the MP visited her. He praised her a lot in the keynote speech he delivered at the prize-giving of Dhamma School. No one in the village had praised her before. Village folk always found fault with her, instead.

Therefore, she remembered that she did not get used to talk to them. They thought that she was proud. She thought that it was better to mind her own business than to associate with them. She did not seek permission even from her mother to address the meeting as requested by the MP who appreciated her skills unlike villagers who ridiculed her. The MP had already instructed her about the speech.

As instructed by the MP, she had to deliver it with hand gestures, nodding and intoning her voice which he had already mastered. Last night Soomawathi delivered the speech to her mother who listened to the speech.

She happily said, "It was first class".

"Why should children speak on stages? Canvass for votes? They are grown up males' work. Soome, do not go to speak at meetings ", urged Sirinatha.

Disappointed, Soome looked at Sirinatha.

"Sirinatha does not like. Or else Sirinatha is jealous of my speaking at the meeting," muttered Soome.

"Why should I be jealous of you? I am telling this for your own good. Villagers would spread rumours", uttered Sirinatha with a sincere tone.

"I don't care about rumours. Anyway, they call me 'Vesa Petiya'. What else they could tell me? I am not afraid of the villagers", said Soome stubbornly. Sirinatha was amazed at her stubborn nature. He did not know that Soome was aware of villagers' calling her 'Vesa Petiya'. But she knew everything. Sirinatha thought that Soome possessed the physical features of the white man as well as his personality traits. She did not yield easily to anyone and did not like to associate with the villagers. Still she dressed smartly, ate, drank and behaved in an orderly manner. Duleena Akka, her mother, brought up her child like a cub doll. She washed Soome's clothes, her plate and even her clothes that she wore for bathing. Villagers did not like Soome getting Duleena to do the work. Despite that, Duleena Akka did not stop working for her daughter. Sirinatha knew that villagers identified Soome as an ornament that Duleena had brought from Jaffna and that she wanted to keep her like a wax statue in her house.

"I will come tomorrow morning", Sirinatha told Soome with a stern look and set out. She looked at Sirinatha from the threshold though she did not utter anything. Though Sirinatha was her best friend from her childhood, Soome thought that he was jealous of her. Soome looked at Sirinatha who wrapped himself in sarong to protect against the morning cold and now disappearing. Although Sirinatha was so faithful to her, she would not miss the opportunity to address the masses.

A large crowd from the village had gathered to listen to Soome speaking at the meeting. After two speakers addressing the meeting, the announcer, clearing his throat, introduced Soome in a touching manner.

Though Soome did not like that introduction, she had no option. She had tied her hair into two and was in a charming skirt and a jacket. She bowed the gathering and commenced the speech as instructed by the announcer by saying "Amme, Thathe - Akke and Aiyye". Since she had been in the school debating team, she was quite used to waving her head, intoning her voice and questioning at the appropriate stage of the speech. As instructed by the announcer, she posed questions like a fluent political speaker. She expressed all what she wanted to say. As the MP and the guest speakers applauded, the crowd too applauded her. Soome noticed the flashing of cameras. Soome believed that definitely her snap would appear in the newspapers. Duleena listened to the speech by the side of the stage. She did not think that though the girl had rehearsed the speech ten or twelve times at home, she would deliver the speech brilliantly before the people. Duleena was proud of her daughter. As the girl concluded the speech, the applauding reached a climax. Soome bowed and came backstage. She was given a big glass of orange barley. It was a relief to her dried up throat. For the first time in her life, she had a sense of enormous pride as if she had achieved some success.

She was proud of the fact that she, who had been looked down upon by the villagers, had been warmly welcomed by such a large gathering. The crowd had acknowledged her ability. Soome noticed that her mother was proud of her. She looked at her with a feeling of more than pride. Soome wiped her sweat and smiled at her mother.

"Let us go home", Duleena said smiling. Her words sounded as if she was seeking permission from someone above her social status. "The MP would take you home, if you wait till the end of the meeting. Until then be here", said the Village Headman who came to see them. The Village Headman with his hands in the pockets of the black coat kept looking at the mother and the daughter.

"Ralahamy, when the meeting is over, it would be too late? We can go by bus. I have headache now", said Duleena who knew that it would be late when the meeting was over. Ralahamy murmured something to the MP and Duleena and Soome had to return home by the MP's green frog-like car.

"The girl's speech was first class. Manthri Thuma was very happy about it", Jakolis Appu who drove the car told Duleena, looking at the mirror. Duleena sat in the front seat gripping it. Soomawathi was leaning against the seat with closed eyes and looked at Jakolis Appu. Because of the headache, Duleena could not even respond to Jakolis Appu.

"Those are not good for school children. Besides, what politics is for you and I? ", Nanawathi Hamine inquired Duleena the following day when she came into the kitchen after tapping rubber. Nanawathi Hamine was impatient though she thought earlier that there was no point in speaking to Duleena.

"Hamine, we do not go into politics. I went there because of the girl's willingness. Besides, we could not ignore Mambar Mahatthaya" replied Duleena to Nanawathi Hamine's inquiries. It was only Duleena and the girl who knew that they went to the meeting because the girl liked it very much.

"You should not even allow tapping a line of rubber kattiya. You are trying to spoil the villagers. Ask for Pinpadiya when Mamber and Dudly Mahattaya went to the Council. So you have also taken the girl to the stage? Nodaking Vitharak", said Nanawathi Hamine and spat a stream of saliva. Duleena swept the yard which had until then remained un-swept silently. Duleena who was sweeping looked stealthily at Nanawathi Hamine.

Footnotes:

Pelella - A curtain made out of reeds

Dhamma School - Sunday School for Buddhist children

Manthri Thuma (Mambar Mahatthaya) - Member of Village Council

'Vesa Petiya' - illegitimate child born out of wedlock

Amme, Thathe - Akke and Aiyye - Mother, father, sister and brother, a typical way of addressing the people by a certain political party.

Dudly Mahattaya -

Nodaking Vitharak - derogatory term in Sinhala expressing utter disgust

Pinpadiya - Public Assistance Monthly Allowance (PAMA)

Rubber Kattiya - plot of rubber land

Cheettaya - chintz