 “I was born to entertain”
by Tissa Hewavitarane
It takes me sometime to find my
bearings. There was none who could exactly tell me about my ancestors.
At present no one exists they are all gone. The flood of memories keeps
me alive. During to the past records Chinese were the major force behind
the early invention of explosives (a substance) that did not encourage
eternal life.
The Chinese began experimenting with a powder filled tubes. At some
point they discovered that the power tubes could launch themselves just
by the power produced from the escaping gas. Now it is confirmed that I
came from a colourful background of Chinese inventors. Therefore, I am
of Chinese origin. My foster parents who experimented with a substance
called sulphur and saltpretre combined with charcoal brought me to this
world in the second century BC. From my infant days I was subject to
various operations. Daily I was fed with a mixture of powder composed of
75% Potassium Nitrate (KNo3), 15% Charcoal (Carbon) and 10% (Sulphur).
 These substances are tightly packed into a casing of thick cardboard
or paper rolled up tube with a typical length to a diameter of 7.1. Next
a cotton twine coated with gunpowder is stuck to a wooden stick with a
red glowing tip. By now I have grown up to womanhood, a beautiful and
shapely figure. My parents brought me up to be a commercial commodity.
My beauty and quality lie in the hands of skilled workmen and
produces stars and colours once it is shot up to the sky. At an optimum
velocity a small explosion shoots the firework’s stars in desired
direction thus producing a brilliant effect. The colours with the
flashes, sizzling, soaring sparkling they are the greatest show in the
sky.
By now I have earned the brand name ‘Chinese crackers’ and was in
high demand. For all the years that I’d been living with my foster
parents I never had a good relationship.
They never cared about my happiness or what I wanted. I lacked love
and warmth only my real parents could give. The security of a warm heart
was something I never knew. I felt sad and suffered a lot when I saw
others being cared and loved. All these years I bottle up my feelings.
It was time for me to leave my homeland. I would have easily got hooked
to a rich bloke due to my dazzling looks and popularity. I had gained
recognition as one of the super stars. I never dreamt of a wealthy man.
I only wanted a steady person who could look after me with love. I
was drifted to a distant land by a businessman who shared my feelings.
He promoted me to the hilt we landed on a beautiful island called Sri
Lanka. The following day I was to participate in a fireworks display.
It was the 31st night fireworks show is just one of many hundreds of
displays that take place every year all over the world. Fireworks are
perhaps the most universally popular form of national and local
celebrations.
It was the night 31st December in the nation’s once again capital of
Sri Lanka Sri Jayawardanepura (Kotte) 150,000 people packed into a area
from one end of the banks of Diyawanna Oya to a splendid landscape with
the Parliament building serenely reposing in a placid lake, patiently
watching the city grow and bloom and perhaps capture once again the
magnificence of King Parakramabahu’s Kingdom close to midnight the music
begins with the national anthem and the salute to the dawn of the New
Year begins.
The golden spangles of an umbrella of light reaching a height of
about 150 metres spreadout over the heads of the crowd. The biggest bang
is produced when a 255-mm shell blossoms into a dazzling chrysanthemum
which explodes to create a floral pattern above a waterfall of silver
willow. For a moment there is silence. Then the audience bursts into
applause. Gradually, the fireworks display evolved as a form
entertainment that attracted huge crowds.
One of the greatest fireworks demonstration of modern times was the
display to celebrate the wedding of Prince of Wales and Lady Diana
Spencer in 1981. The finale over London’s Hyde Park consumed 2 1/4
tonnes of explosives in 18 minutes and ended with a giant Catherine
Wheel ‘sun’ emblazoned with the initials C and D.
Most of the millions of fireworks exploded every year in our country
are made by the skilful hands of our villagers. The rest are imported
mostly from China and the USA.
By the 21st century, knowledge of chemistry had advanced to the point
where technicians could make pyrotechnics safer more colourful, more
varied and more powerful. Turning away from elaborate ground sets they
concentrated on artistic aerial displays we see today.
People became fascinated by fireworks the way a baby is fascinated by
a jack-in-the-box or a bright flame of any kind.
And millions of people who turn out time and again to enjoy these
transient moments bring me joy, pride and happiness for, I was born to
entertain spectators around the world. |
