Life of Silibiris 26

Silibiris was buoyed by Kanthi’s invitation to visit her in the evening.
That was all he could think of all day while shuffling one file from one officer’s desk to another, occasionally bumping into Sivapalan in the cavernous corridors. Even Sivapalan noticed the bounce in his new friend’s foot steps.
Sivapalan could not contain his curiosity any further.
“Enna inru visayam thambi”
“Aanh?”
“Shori shori ….what’s the matter with you today?”
“Aaa nothing nothing”
“No no I see shomething different. Aaa I know, you got a jack in the bus”
“What jack”
“Youkno youkno…when stand behind girl in crowded bus”
“chee chee I no stand behind bus girl. I hanging on footboard polla”
“youkno youkno when we going to school in Jaffna bus…. we stand behind Jaffna girls and put jack…..ammo saami some them girls carry pins and needles”
Silibiris laughed out loud at the vision of Sivapalan getting quietly stabbed by school girls on the bus.
He casually mentioned to his friend over lunch about the girl in Kolonnawe Pelihouse.
Sivapalan was worried about his friend. He didn’t like the sound of this Kolonnawe Pelihouse area. He was cocooned by his own people at the saiver kade and the surrounds. But Silibiris was a village boy finding himself amongst strangers being drawn to a honey pot like a moth to a flame. Sivapalan warned his friend to be careful.
Kanthi was waiting.
She was waiting at the top of the road in the pretext of shopping for groceries when Silibiris jumped off the bus.
His clothes were not neatly pressed anymore. They clung to his skin wet with perspiration. His Brill creamed hair was dishevelled. Silibiris wished Kanthi had not seen him like this.
“Mokkada parakku?”
“Kawda”
“Oya”
“Ai methana?”
“Oya enakang maga balagena hitiya”
Kanthi walked beside Silibiris. In fact, right next to him…. occasionally accidently purposely brushing into him. He could sense her sweet smell. He felt shy. He could see the curios stares of the Pelihouse people. Worse still, he realized only too late that Kolonnawe Temple chief monk was standing by the gate pretending not to see them.
“kanthi lamaya ohoma hitiyanag”
Kanthi stopped in her tracks, bent down, worshipped the Chief.
“Mokada Sira unnahey penna naththe?”
“Thaaththa ayeth hirey, hamuduruwane”
“ekath ehemada. Honda, ehenang oyalamya dan yannako”
Kanthi worshipped the monk once more and quickly retreated.
Silibiris was transfixed not knowing whether to creep inside the temple or run behind Kanthi.
“Silibiris lamaya, athulata gihin moona hodagena gilanpasa tikkak bonna”
Silibiris mumbled something and slipped inside.
The temple abiththiya had been watching from a distance. He gave Silibiris a withering look but said nothing.
Silibiris changed into a sarong.
He peered into the well. He could see his own reflection. framed in the blue sky. Just like at home in Ambarawa.
He suddenly remembered Kusumalatha. Where might she be now? If she were back in Ambarawa Kusumalatha would be at the bathing spot in the weva under the Kumbuk tree.
Silibiris felt homesick.
A few minutes ago, he was being drawn to Kanthi like a moth to the flame. He was looking forward with excitement to being seduced by Kanthi. Yet all that changed in a moment of intervention by the Chief Monk. Now he found himself reflecting, on his life in Ambarawa.
Abiththiya rang the bell.
Silibiris was left standing with the realization that Life can change in a single moment.