Itipahan (Burly Lamp) Chapter - 34

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"

Duleena could not see that Nanawathi Hamine had entered the house through the kitchen. Duleena was happy that Nanawathi Hamine had come when she thought of visiting her to ask for, tapping rubber in a plot again to supplement the income, as Niyathapala's pension was insufficient to maintain the girl and two children. Since the children were attending school, she had no responsibility of looking after them.

Duleena rolled up the mat she was weaving and put the kettle on the fire; 'Hamine sit' will you?

"I came to see how you are getting on. Now you can come, in the afternoon, since the kids are grown up," said Nanawathi Hamine as she sat on the long bench in the kitchen. Nanawathi Hamine thought that Duleena look beautiful despite the hardships she had endured. As the time had passed, a mature look had added to her beauty. However, Nanawathi Hamine wanted to say "nodaking" thinking of Duleena's liaisons-filled youth but said "innocent woman" on second thought.

"Hamine, I wanted to visit you to ask a favour," Duleena said tearing off a coconut husk to be put into the fire.

"If you thought of coming there, that's enough. But why do you want to visit me in a hurry?" asked Nanawathi Hamine getting up and peeping into the room.

Hamine, I wanted to ask for a plot of rubber for tapping again. Now two boys attend school. Meeting their expenses is not an easy thing. We only receive a small income as Niyathapala's pension," Duleena said.

"Isn't it for work that the girl goes to Colombo everyday? She goes early in the morning and returns in the evening, isn't she?" Nanawathi Hamine enquired, and sat on the bench again. Duleena poured boiling water into the jug with tea-dust. Duleena paused a while before responding to Nanawathi Hamine.

"That child does not do any work as such. She does what is called social service. But when she gets money occasionally, she would bring it home. Though she travels daily, she does not even have a proper dress to wear!" sighed Duleena, pouring a cup of tea, and then she offered it to Nanawathi Hamine on a sauce.

"Don't you drink tea?" Nanawathi Hamine asked taking the cup of tea.

"Hamine, please drink. I will also make a cup of tea for me," said Duleena, pouring tea into a cup and taking a pinch of sugar onto her palm. She sat on the bunk where she had been weaving the mat. Nanawathi Hamine, for a while, looked at Duleena's grey strands of hair.

"Duleena, who is that tall dark boy who often accompanies Soome? Everyone says that he often comes and stays the night?" said Nanawathi Hamine. It had been since two or three months that Praneeth had been visiting home. He liked the two children. When he came, the girl did not allow him to go until the dawn of the following day. The duo talked late into night. Sometimes the girl shouted as if they were quarrelling. Again, they would laugh hysterically. Duleena thought that the girl was happy again because of Praneeth. She had no authority to enquire about her affairs or to ask the girl about him.

"Hamine, yes, he comes. I did not say anything against it as it is okay to have the protection of a man since she has no husband," said Duleena. Nanawathi Hamine may have heard rumours.

"You are a cow! Is that okay? Ask Soome to behave well since she has two boys. Fellows would come but women have to be the target of rumours and ill-feeling," said Nanawathi Hamine getting up.

"I could give you a plot of rubber for tapping. That's not the issue. But are you still fit enough to tap rubber?" Nanawathi Hamine asked Duleena who followed her.

"Oh, Hamine, I could still tap rubber? Hamine, let me have some work," said Duleena, walking behind Hamine. Duleena thought that Nanawathi Hamine had come hearing rumours of Praneeth's visits to blame her. Though she did not know much about Praneeth, he must be a good-hearted soul. Duleena made up her mind to talk with the girl about the matter and to take up a plot of rubber for tapping from the following week.

Unexpectedly Daisy met comrade Lionel and sister Sujatha. She sported the same kind-hearted smile. "I thought of meeting Daisy and Subha as we happened to pass this way," Sujatha said. Subha was absent. Daisy ushered them to the living room. Daisy pushed the button of the electric fan to get rid of the stuffy air in the living room.

"We decided to leave the country," comrade Lionel said in a sad tone. That tone antagonised Daisy.

"What's that?"

"Nangi, the situation is extremely dangerous. We don't mind about the danger to our lives. But, what about these two toddlers?" asked Comrade Lionel in a disturbed tone.

"Nangi, Aiyya resigned from the party. Nangi, it is not something done against or something that we could afford to do," Sujatha said in a traumatised tone. Daisy had doubts thinking whether they were giving excuses to leave the country.

"Those who like comrade Lionel can flee the country. Where could those poor boys and girls flee? They have only to accept the punishments imposed upon them either by this leader or that leader," said Daisy without hiding her feelings. She noticed that comrade Lionel and sister Sujatha were hurt by her remarks. Daisy knew that comrade Lionel was very close to Wijeweera. He had resigned from the party because of its new stance. She also distanced herself from the party due to the same reasons. Though she distanced herself from the party, she had the desire to triumph the ideology in her. The agony of the masses became the objective of her life. Daisy could not bear up the fact that comrade Lionel was fleeing the country.

"Nangi, I am not fleeing the country. I could not understand who will order my death. If I stay, I would be killed definitely. Why shouldn't I save my life? Don't I have the right to live? Aren't my children have the right to live?"

The way in which comrade Lionel questioned her shook Daisy. Like a fire, a great compassion enveloped in Daisy's mind for poor boys and girls who had to sacrifice their lives due to the political philosophy introduced for the second time by comrade Lionel and others. Daisy thought that it was unbecoming of those who were responsible either fleeing the country or staying with protection as two courts functioning in the country which imposed the death penalty on those who followed that philosophy or those who did not follow it. What would be the plight of her children if she had to face someone's bullet? She thought with compassion for all those who were in the same boat, that she had no willingness to flee or the capacity to do so.

"We can understand what Nangi says. But we have no other decision to make now. It is not an easy task for a man like me who loved the country and a woman like Sujatha who also loved the country to leave the motherland. By now, fellows of both parties are following us. Nangi, we cannot stay long. Tell Subha that we left. Nangi, you should protect yourself from both parties. Be careful," advised comrade Lionel as he was getting up to leave. He grabbed her hands with his warm hands and bid farewell. Sujatha embraced Daisy and cried. Comrade Lionel went off allowing Sujatha to cry.

"Nangi, Ayubowan until we meet somewhere some day," said Sujatha releasing Daisy's shoulders. Daisy looked at comrade Lionel and sister Sujatha leaving quickly with a sense of pain and fear. Daisy was flooded with memories of all events leading Sister Bernadette who has become Sujatha. Daisy had a strange sense about the trust they placed in her by revealing their fleeing the country.

Who could tell that would not cause harm to her life, as she severely criticised the party and the leadership? She repented no one could put the party onto the right track by taking the leadership away from the present path filled with incorrect policies. As discussed earlier, she went home with Praneeth whom she met at the bus stop. Praneeth bought sweets from the bazaar for Daisy's children.

"Daisy, I have sweated a lot. It is better to have a bath," Praneeth said as soon as he stepped into the house. Duleena peeped in from the kitchen on hearing voices of the girl and Praneeth Mahattaya. Duleena went back to the kitchen with her head downcast.

"Mother, we will comeback soon after a bath. Make some tea for us. Where are the children?" Soome peeped into the kitchen.

"There, he is playing with children," said Duleena and began to sweep the kitchen with an ekel broom. Duleena thought that it was inappropriate for Soome and Praneeth Mahattaya to go for a bath together but she had no strength to say anything. If Soome opened up her mouth, she would come out with something unpredictable. "One day my husband asked me to rub his back. I refused and he scolded me the whole day." Soome said when she saw Praneeth rubbing his back.

"What's wrong in rubbing your husband's back? It's quite normal," Praneeth said having stopped rubbing his back.

"Now I regret my action, not because I did not rub his back but because I did not take him even for a half a penny. He could not talk half an hour on anything. When I talked, he would make silly remarks. But he was a good-hearted fellow," said Soome pouring water over her whilst sitting on the skirt of the well.

After Daisy finished bathing, Praneeth started his bath. When a couple of village women came to the well, Daisy who was getting dressed smiled. The women looked the other way until Praneeth finished his bath.

"For me it's okay. But you are a woman! Would it be a problem for you if I visited and stayed over night? Villagers will spread rumours. I try to look things from your side," said Praneeth on the way back. Daisy hit his shoulder and laughed loudly.

"Oh, what a long time you have taken to realise that? People of the village will make rumours whether a man comes for me or not. That's written all over my head. Praneeth, don't stop visiting. I have got a lot to speak with you?" said Daisy passing the bucket in her hand onto Praneeth.

Daisy had a lot to talk with Praneeth throughout the night. Praneeth had the strength to listen without sleeping with Daisy who talked incessantly about Lionel, Sujatha, Sirinatha, Niyathapala, Uttamasinghe, Lal Mallie, Wijeweera and two children.

"You don't know Praneeth; when I came of age, able-bodied men in the village tried to grab me. Mother and I could not sleep. Mother slept keeping a billhook nearby and I watch from the window," said Daisy with a drop of tears that he had never seen. Though Praneeth wanted to console her, he felt he was tongue-tied.

"We both are single women. You can see how mother would have lived then. My mother is not an immoral woman. Noble men in this village tried to enter this house by pushing the door in the middle of the night. If they could make it or not, we are supposed to be prostitutes! Somehow or other, mother did not allow villagers to seduce me. But I had to sacrifice my womanhood to a uniformed rascal because I worked for the party," said Daisy tying up her loosened hair. "Daisy, what is the use of telling these things. Let us forget them. You have to educate these children well," Praneeth said.

"Yes, I have to educate them. But don't I have a life for myself? I could not just give up living. I have many things to do. I should do something for the suffering men and women. To do something for women like us. But the problem is that I don't possess the weapon," Praneeth laughed knowing well what she meant by weapon was English.

"To learn English is not that difficult. Besides, you can read and understand. I will help you to sharpen the weapon," said Praneeth and asked whether they were having tea. "Don't wake up mother?" Praneeth said dragging Daisy by the hand as she was going into the kitchen. Soome saw the younger son sleeping with mother in the kitchen. As Soome was about to put the kettle on, Duleena woke up.

"Wait I will make tea," Duleena said.

"Mother, you don't. You had better sleep. Praneeth said not to wake you up," said Daisy and poured kerosene from a bottle on to a few sticks of firewood and lit the fire.

"Mother, haven't you been sleeping?" said Praneeth who entered the kitchen. Duleena who tied up her hair, turned back and smiled with Praneeth Mahattaya. "Daisy pour a cup of tea for mother," Praneeth said who was standing near the door. Soome with a reprehensible face looked at mother. But she poured a cup of tea for her.

"Don't know where Sriyadari Akka is? They may also be afraid of me. Anyone would be afraid of us because of the situation." Daisy said sipping the cup of tea. She thought although no one knew which party carried out killings and revenge; it was natural for all to face the curse and revenge.

"If you want to see Sriyadari Akka, we can visit her. You'd better find out the address," Praneeth said.

"Oh no, we should not visit them. We should stay as we have been before," Praneeth thought that Daisy said those with anger.

"But you visit Sirinatha," Praneeth said. She was shocked. She thought that there was a hint. Daisy noticed a clear change in Praneeth's eyes.

"Yes, I go to see Sirinatha! I wanted to relieve my heart. My life belongs to me. It is I who take decisions about my life," Daisy said getting up from where she sat on. Praneeth thought that she was very angry.

He thought of going to bed without continuing the discussion further. Praneeth felt sorry thinking that Daisy had warned him not to interfere with her life.

"Daisy's husband had died. But his wife was still alive, he thought. Though the marriage life between Nalani and him had been over, could it be considered a marriage? He did not expect a substitute woman from Daisy to fill that void. She was a woman with whom he could talk many things about life. The satisfaction he derived from speaking with her could not be gained from talking with a thousand women.

Her friendship was genuine. Praneeth thought that he could not get away from that friendship. "Praneeth, do you think if the present system goes on, can it be changed even by a hundred years from today. We hardly have leaders who go and meet the working people.

All these things are lies. In 71, a group was destroyed and they are taking another group for a ride now. Why don't you speak? Don't you have anything to say?" Daisy who woke up in the morning, woke up Praneeth and commenced the conversation again. Praneeth listened, attempting to dispel sleepiness.

Footnotes:

Nodaking - A Sinhalese phrase expressing utter disgust meaning, "I may never see you again!"

Ayubowan - Sinhalese way of greeting which means

"May you live long".

Praneeth Mahattaya - Mr. Praneeth.