Life of Silibiris 36

Sinhala Hindu New Year was being celebrated by Ambarawa villagers with plenty of enthusiasm and tradition.

The village air was filled with the sound of Koha  Birds calling and the sweet smell of Kewum, Kokis, Aggla and Weli Thalapa.

Ambarawa school playground and the temple were the main focal points of the carnival atmosphere. Men were dressed up new sarongs and banyans while the women were dressed in colourful blouse and cheetah redda. The school playground held the popular events like “Lissana Gaha Naggema”, “Kotta Pora”, “Kana Pollen Gaheema” “Kamba Adeema “ and the like. There was incessant noise of Ali Don fire cracker noise set off by laughing dancing kids chattering excitedly running about like monkeys.

Older women gathered around the Rabana and banged away with gay abandon. Older men played booruwa card game in secluded spots.

Ambarawa Raja Maha decorated with flags was teeming with the villagers dressed in white, reciting gathas in loud voices. Perhaps not many of them really knew the meaning of what they were reciting like parrots in the golden paddy fields just before harvest time. What mattered to them was they were brimming with shraddhawa.

Siriyalatha was happy to see her son in a relaxed mood after a long time. It’s been nearly a year since he left Ambrawa for the “Big Smoke”.

She wondered what had caused this change but she dared not ask.

Haramanis too wanted to show off his son to anyone and everyone who asked about Silibiris. In the eyes of the villagers Silibiris is now a big man with a big Government job with a pension.

The girls at the bathing spot under the Kumbuk tree side-eyed Silibiris with respect. They did not want to cross him by making lurid jokes as they used to do only a year ago. They too had matured, Silibiris noted. Their curves were bigger around the hips, their walk had become even more rhythmic. Yet they still had a soft corner for Silibiris.

He saw Kusumalatha’s best friend Geetha amongst the bathing girls. She gave him a coy smiled. Silibiris too managed a thin smile.

“ Aiyya..when did you come?”

 “Last week Geetha Nangi. Where’s your brother these days?”

 “Aaa he is working in a bakery in Jaffna”

 “ Why aiyya you haven’t yet gone to see Kusumalatha. She knows you are in Ambarawa.”

 “ Kusumalatha? Here in Ambarawa?”

 “Where else she would be? Kusumalatha has been back home for nearly a month now.”

 “No I didn’t know”

 “Apoo, now that you are a big man you have forgotten us” Geetha accused.

“what big man Geetha? I am just a peon”

 “ Silibiris Aiyya, why don’t you come to the temple tonight. I will bring Kusumalatha”. Geetha picked up her clothes, Kohomba soap and walk up the bund reminding Silibiris once again not to be late.

Silibiris mind raced around like hyped up monkey.

He had eventually forgotten about Kusumalatha after she left the village presumably to get away from him. Her parents did not approve of him and the company he kept in Ambarawa. His friends had evaded the topic whenever he asked about her in the rare occasions he returned home from Colombo.

What had changed with Kusumalatha?

He couldn’t even remember what had made her angry with him.

He knew Kanthi was still in love with him in spite of avoiding him. But there was that small matter of Kolonnawe Vije in between them.

What the heck? He was curious to know if Kusumalatha had softened , if she is even prettier and her pleated hair still danced to the rhythm of her steps.

He couldn’t wait to see Kusumalatha again.

He  whiled away the time at home joking with his sisters, chatting with his mother about his job his friend Sivapalan and the big city. He answered Haramanis’s probing questions about where he is living in Colombo.

Haramanis had heard that Silibiris had left the Kolonnawe temple to live in a place not suitable for a young man. Silibiris retorted he needed his independence.

After dusk, Silibiris cycled to the temple on his beloved Roadmaster at the appointed time. He avoided seeing the Lokuhamuduruwo. Silibiris owed him a big explanation. Now is not the time.

He wet the bunch of Lotus flowers he was carrying using the water from a pot covered in a white cloth. He  looked  around anxiously to locate Geetha or hopefully Kusumalatha.

No sign of them.

His heart sank. This must be a dead rope given by Geetha for old times’ sake. Geetha too had a crush on Silibiris but in deference to her friend she remained silent.

He walked up to the bo tree scanning the crowd,

 

Then he spotted her.

Kusumalatha was standing by the racks of clay lamps with their flames gently dancing lighting up her face prettier than ever before. Geetha had already seen Silibiris. She signalled to Silibiris to go to Kusumalatha and melted away into the crowd.

Silibiris felt excited, awkward, and apprehensive all at the same time.

He plucked up enough courage to go stand next to Kusumalatha in silence. Kusumalatha opened her eyes after reciting the gathas but she had already sensed something very familiar.

Their eyes met. Kusumalatha was started to frantically look around for Geetha. Silibiris managed a hesitant, smile not knowing what to say.

Kusumalatha felt like running away but she couldn’t. Her feet had turned into clay. All she managed to do was to look down while digging sand under her clay feet with her toe. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Silibiris extended his arm full of white lotus flowers to her.

A symbolic peace offering…..

 Kusumalatha took some flowers as if driven by some external force. Their fingers touched sending simultaneous lightning though their bodies. Without a word between them Silibiris and Kusumalatha walked up to the stand in front of the Bo Tree, bent down in unison offering flowers to the unseen Great Teacher while re-wakening their hearts to the same wish they had made at this very spot what seemed like eons ago.