Life of Silibiris 31

Many months passed by.

 It’s almost 6 months since Silibiris and Sivapalan took residence in Margaret Nona’s House,

 Well, on the mezzanine floor of her 10m2 hut made of planks and corrugated iron sheets. Their room was accessible only by a bamboo ladder placed against the single window.

 This was paradise to the duo.

 Sivapalan no longer had to wait until business ceased at night before he could creep under a table of his uncle’s Saiver Kade to go to sleep. Better still. He did not have to work in the saiver kade serving sop out of a bucket or wash the thalis or work as a kitchen hand for the privilege of sleeping there.

 Silibiris no longer had to suffer Kolonnawe temple abiththiya’s death stares either. He did feel a bit guilty about not visiting Lokuhamuduruwo more often though.

 They both could go to Sumana Akka’s Kasiya Spot behind the Plantain Grove , drink until they could barely stand up, stagger home and somehow clamber into their abode through the window.

 Kanthi got over her anger soon enough to let Silibiris back into her house... horengli.

Well not exactly. Silibiris could sense Kanthi’s mother had no objections.

She often absented herself in the pretence of visiting a neighbour’s house. Besides she welcomed the extra income she received by providing meals to Silibiris and Sivapalan.

 Like a good friend, Sivapalan never lingered after the meals. He would leave Silibiris and Kanthi to have their own fun without the intrusion of a third wheel.

Kanthi however had enough street smartness to never to go beyond the point of no return. She seemed to promise more but always delivered just short of what Silibiris wanted. This always made him wild with anticipation. Wanting to come back to her day after day hoping tonight is the night.

Kolonnawe Pelihouse or Bambalapitya flats girls of Ceylon those days were still somewhat of a conservative bunch.

 Seeing that the mother had no objections, Vije's friends stopped harassing Silibiris.

Perhaps it was more to do with the regular scolding in Pelihouse Brand of choice words Kanthi sprayed on them liberally. Initially, Vije’s friends wound her up more and more to hear her scolding in utter filth but eventually they too became tired of the game. Some of them even ended up joining Pachcha Sira and Vije in Welikada Prison over one criminal activity or other.

 Pachcha Sira was serving a 10 year prison sentence. Vije was serving 5 years for being an accessory to the crime.. They have been inside for over a year now. Justin from Obeysekera Town, Upali from Wellampitiya and Sangadasa from Dematagoda were encroaching into Sira’s territory day by day.

 Sira got the wind of this and began plotting a way to get back to running his territory one way or the other.

 Silibiris had been back to Ambarawa only twice since he took up  residence in Margaret Nona’s up-ladder room. The last visit ended up Haramanis shouting at him and Siriyalatha ending up wailing away pleading with Silibiris to come home more often.

Other than his family, nothing drew him to Ambarawa any more. Kusumalatha had not returned from wherever she had been sent away to. The village patikkiyo at the bathing spot under the Kumbuk tree by the wewa no longer beckoned him.

Instead, Kanthis’ sandalwood soap smell lingered in his nostrils. Kanthi’s Talcum Powdered face mesmerised him. Her playful touch set him on fire. Sivapalan’s company filled him with fun and joy while the job at the Ceylon Agriculture Department filled his pockets at least for half the month.