Two years later, Silibiris managed to scrape through GCE O/L
well enough to be considered to have passed O/L, thanks to the school Principal
who doubled up as the English Master, Kusumalatha who pulled him back to school
with her coy smile and occasional granting of an accidental touch, and
Dhammaloka Hamuduruwo who took a special interest in him after Siriyalatha's
insistent pleadings.
Nobody could help him with his arithmetic though, in which
he achieved a spectacular F. Silibiris did manage a result of Three Three as
the boys would say when inquired about their results. He obtained Credits for
Sinhala, Buddhism and English while receiving simple passes for Art, Civic and
Health Science. His credit pass for English was the first ever for Ambarawa
School which made him just as a big achiever as Danda who had received
Distinctions for Arithmetic, Sinhala, Buddhism and Credits for other subject
except English for which he managed a simple pass. Chandare had already dropped
out of school and the rest of the gang failed O/L including Kusumalatha.
By then, Dhammaloka thero had become an influential person
in the area, visited by many politicians and Heads of Government Departments.
He made it a point to find employment for local youth in Government Departments
or even the Private Firms which had commercial interests in the area.
Dhammaloka Thero made a special mention of Silibiris Credit pass in English to
such visitors as a great achievement of a local school boy from a poor settler
family
After O/L, Silibiris was at a loose end again. Haramanis
demanded he joins him in his trading activities however Siriyalatha wanted to
her son to find a Government job with a pension. Silibiris took advantage of
the parents tussle and whiled the time away at the local Tea Shop playing Daam
with the young unemployed men while telling tall stories, keeping an eye out
for the village lasses that came to the tea shop cum grocery store to buy daily
provisions.
He made it a point to be around when Kusumalatha came to buy
bread every morning. After leaving school, they did not have the same
opportunity to meet unnoticed.
Silibiris loved her sensual walk to and from the shop. Long
pleated hair dancing rhythmically dangling over her back beyond her buttocks
which danced up and down to the same silent beat with every step she took
sashaying her wide hips. She would give him a glance from the corner of her eye
secretly giving him a small inviting smile. She was only too conscious of the
gossiping shop keeper who would make a mountain out of a mole hill of anything
he saw or heard. Kusumalatha was at an age she did not want unnecessary gossip
about her character.
One evening, she noticed Silibiris at the temple talking to
the podi Hamuduruwo. She gave her mother the slip, dilly dallying until he
noticed he. She signaled him to come over. She gave him some of her flowers to
offer at the Bodhi Tree, stood very close to him reciting the gathas together.
Kusumalatha hoped he noticed her fragrance, the young blossoming shapely body,
never mind the thoughts of one’s body decaying like the flowers. The meaning of Poojemi Buddham was far from his mind. He noticed her ample heaving bosom. He could smell her Sandalwood Soap fragrance. He heard her lilting voice. He felt her heat.
He made a wish. She made a wish. Unbeknownst, their wish was
identical.
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