 The vagabond
by Swarnapalie Amerasekera
Even if I live to be a hundred,
I will never forget Adrian the vagabond. Boys have nick named him Ravi
Shankar. He is also known as Pissu Adirion.
He is about twenty years. He walks about the streets of Homagama,
with a flute in hand. He utters incoherent words, and whirls about his
flute high above his head, amidst the hootings of the urchins.
All of a sudden, he squats on the ground, and starts playing his
flute. All of a sudden, the jeering and the hooting stop; crowds gather
at the spot.
 The audience is mesmerised by his sweet music. They seem to be
spellbound and listen with rapt attention. He plays only sad love songs.
I first saw him at the Homagama bus stop, while waiting to board a
bus going towards my school. His hair is curly, but dishevelled. His
shirt was an expensive one, but was almost half unbuttoned. In spite of
his shabby attire, he had a very adorable face. He had a handsome
youthful figure too, and looked quite different from the common herd.
When I saw him, he was squatting on the pavement near the Homagama
bus stop and playing his flute. His sad and plaintive strains brought
tears into my eyes. I was deeply fascinated by his sweet music that I
lost count of time forgot to get into the bus and was late to school by
half an hour. What is more, the music is in my heart. In fact, I found
it difficult to concentrate on teaching as usual, as his sweet music
lingered in my ears.
During the lunch interval I told about this incident to a friend of
mine. “You mean that Pissu Adrian,” she said, and related this tragic
story to me. He was a diligent student from an affluent family. Music
was his hobby and he spent his spare time ringing out his crystal notes.
It happened that at eighteen he fell in love for the first time. The
object of his love was Deepika the girl next door. She too was
mesmerised by his music and also fascinated by his handsome appearance.
She was an attractive schoolgirl and she too loved him deeply.Adrian was
a Catholic and Deepika was a Buddhist. Their parents became aware of
this affair and strongly objected to it but religion, caste or creed is
no barrier in love.
However much they loved their parents they couldn’t stop it. They met
each other daily at their secret haunts and exchanged vows of eternal
love. The dreamy joy of youth in love entered their lives.
Ultimately Adrian suggested thus to his sweet heart “After we finish
our education. I will find a job and marry you secretly. We shall hide
from our parents for some time and later throw ourselves at their feet
and get their blessings.”
Deepika’s aged father who was often proned to heart attacks, desired
to see her comfortably married before his death. He decided to give her
in marriage to her English master. He wanted to go to Nigeria after the
wedding as he had won a scholarship abroad and he wanted to take Deepika
with him. Her father was adamant that she should marry him. She had no
alternative, but to marry him. Her father admonished her thus. “You are
still only eighteen and you are not mature enough to select your own
partner. Parents know best.”
She informed Adrian about this compulsory marriage. With a heavy
heart Adrian went to the Ratmalana airport to see her beloved for the
last time. He was so pure and true in his deep attachment to her that he
thought that true love is to give and not to receive and he inwardly
thought that Deepika should lead a very happy life.
As the aeroplane was to take off from the Ratmalana airport, he waved
at her wishing her bon voyage and went on gazing at her until it was out
of sight.
That very moment he fell unconscious. He could not recover for a long
time. He was rushed to the General Hospital. He regained consciousness
but the doctors found him odd. No doctor, God, nor exorcist could cure
him, and he goes on wondering along the streets, playing his flute and
his sad and plaintive notes bring tears to our eyes. His real name is
Anton though it changed to Adrian after this tragedy, due to jeering
crowds. |
