The performance
by Chintha Hewage.
She was sitting on her
wheelchair; motionless, with her frizzy graying hair adding a horrible
look on her face. Her face was wrinkled and pale. Her hands rested on
her lap shivering slightly. She was glaring at her toes with
expressionless sunken eyes without looking up. It looked as though she
was unaware of the presence of the visitors.
 Senal winced at his beautiful wife’s grip on his arm tightened at the
sight of the woman on the wheelchair. Although it was Nirmani who
informed Senal about the unfortunate woman, she stepped back horrified
still clutching her husband’s arm; because the very woman who was
reduced to a wheelchair had been Senal’s lawful wife three years ago.
After the divorce she disappeared strangely leaving no trace of her.
The sight of his ex wife now sitting as a vegetable brought him a
mixture of strange feelings than a simple sympathy.
Celine was an attractive woman though she always got on his nerves.
She whined when he got late for dinner or hung around with friends on
Sunday evenings. To her complaints of having to stay at home alone doing
his bidding, his explaining the noble duties of a housewife did not hold
water at all. The bickering, long faces and stuffy uneasy atmosphere in
the living room, kitchen and the bedroom led to constant yells and rows
making her leave snatching a few of her possessions, fuming in one
summer night.
She had no income other than what he had provided which made him
wonder how she broke free so bravely to live on her own. The suspicion
leading to an assumption of ‘she is having another lover’ filled him
with bits of jealousy and fury. She was once a play actress and he knew
she had a number of friends.
“She cheated!” He writhed in rage. The shame of being deceived
swirled in him. Then beautiful Nirmani entered his life suddenly and
miraculously. Now Celine, sitting helplessly made a sudden jolt of joy
in him that he battled so hard to hold back. ‘She deserved it. Serves
her right’ His heart began to swell. He examined every detail of her
pitiful nature. He suppressed the satisfaction in his heart. Nirmani
suggested that he should help her. It was time to show his generosity
and forgiveness.
The kind, successful ex-husband took charge of the rehabilitation. He
made a few calls, talked to some ‘big shots’, and asked a few questions
from the nurse who gaped at his performance.
He finally said “I’ll see to it”. Three days later Nirmani got off a
taxi and walked briskly towards the private nursing home where Celine
was kept clutching an envelope, wearing an excited smirk on her pretty
face. She muttered something to the nurse who smiled broadly and
escorted her to a closed door.
When the nurse had left leaving Nirmani inside, she glanced at the
neat cozy bedroom with a wheel chair.
The owner had disappeared. But the armchair facing the large window
made a faint sound indicating the presence of another living being other
than Nirmani.
Her bare feet rested on the floor and her hand rested on the arm of
the chair. She gazed outside of the window as if she was lost in
beautiful memories of her ruined past life.
“He agreed to pay an annuity!” Nirmani spoke casually. The figure
remained motionless.
“But I convinced him to pay off an adequate amount and wipe off his
hands.” The figure moved slightly.
“He agreed to donate twenty hundred thousand rupees for your welfare.
I’m supposed to hand over the money to your guardian, but I deposited
ten in your bank account and ten in mine as our agreement!” The smirk on
her face broadened. Her eyes twinkled as the figure had started moving
more significantly.
The weight switched from the chair to bare feet. The figure started
standing up didn’t make Nirmani gasp even the slightest. Then she turned
gracefully tossing her beautiful hair back, to face Nirmani wearing a
mischievous grin on her flawless wrinkleless face and started ambling
towards her.
“Impressive!” Celine sang sweetly clutching a grim frizzy gray wig in
her hands. “Outstanding performance Celine! As it always had been!”
Nirmani replied. “Yours too!” A shade of a charming smile drew across
Celine’s face as she turned to look at a framed photograph of a
graduation party on the wall which indicated ‘Merissa Art Academy.
Performing art diploma’ batch 1999’.
Nirmani smiled glancing at her picture standing next to Celine’s
smiling the same graceful victorious smile. |
