| Paduma's
World By Nihal de Silva
A
funeral in Josa's house
Paduma could not have wished for a grander homecoming, for a police
jeep comes to the village only when someone is to be arrested. When
the sound of the vehicle is heard, most of the adults, and all the
children, of the village come out to see what is happening.
The
black jeep stops near Josa's shop and a constable opens the rear
door. When the boys jump out there is a gasp of wonder from the
crowd. Someone rushes off to fetch Paduma's family while Mahi's
mother strikes her chest and collapses on the ground. Uleris vedarala
stands there with his face like thunder.
'Where
did you run off to?' he demands wrathfully. 'I should catch and
skin you.' 'You must look after children better,' the constable
responds severely. 'These fellows were nearly sent to Arabia as
slaves. We just managed to save them.'
There
is a murmur in the crowd and angry looks are directed at Uleris.
Mahi's mother, who is hugging the boy to her bosom, directs a stream
of abuse at the vedarala.
Paduma
is surprised when his mother and sisters greet him with tears of
joy. Not one word of blame is directed at him; they also roundly
abuse Uleris vedarala and Patholay for having failed to bring them
back safely.
'How did you miss the way?' Paduma's sister Kanthi asks. 'Didn't
that fool Uleris get everyone together before coming down?'
'No.
We searched all over but couldn't find anyone from our naday. Then
we saw someone like Uleris going down the steps and followed him,'
Paduma says. 'We found out later it was someone else.' 'Anyway I'm
glad you came back safely,' Mänika says. 'I'm never going to
send you with that awful man again.'
Paduma
is anxious to change the topic before they ask too many questions.
'Why are white flags hung on Josa's shop?' he asks. 'Has Josa died?'
'No, not Josa,' Kanthi explains with a laugh. 'It is Josa's uncle.'
'Josa has no uncle,' Paduma says, for he knows everyone in the village.
'From where did Josa get an uncle?'
'This
uncle lived somewhere else and died in hospital,' Kanthi explains.
'Josa is going to have the funeral here.'
'Where is the body?' Paduma asks. 'In the shop?'
'How can you keep a dead body in a shop?' Kanthi answers in exasperation.
'The body is at Josa's house.'
The
bigger boys in the village get most of the fun out of funerals.
No sooner is a death reported, than these youngsters come to the
house of the bereaved and offer their services to put up sheds,
arrange chairs, hang white flags and plaster every fence post and
wall with printed posters. The family provide these boys with all
the food and drink they can consume till the funeral is over. Paduma
can't wait till he is old enough to join this gang of helpers. He
is not without hope even now and gathers his friends together.
'Let's
go and ask Josa if he needs any help,' Paduma suggests. 'He'll know
we were not here when his uncle died; otherwise we would have come
earlier.'
'That Josa always gets angry when he sees us,' Mahi says nervously.
'Maybe we should leave him alone …'
'No.
No,' Paduma says. 'This is the time to show him that we are his
friends. We must go and try to help.'
'Josa is giving Orange Barley to everyone,' Bothalay says. 'Mustn't
miss the chance.'
Josa
mudalali owns the biggest house in the village, one of the very
few with an iron gate by the roadside. It stands open and the boys,
who have never been allowed to get beyond this point before, look
around with wonder.
White
flags and young coconut leaves hang down from ropes on either side
of the path. They see chairs placed in the garden and a few young
men; helpers no doubt, are lounging about. Parked under trees on
both sides of the house are several motor vehicles. Paduma has never
seen so many vehicles in the village.
Josa's
rich relations must have come to pay their respects.
The boys walk up the steps to the veranda and peep into the gloomy
hall. The furniture has been pushed against the walls leaving the
middle of the hall free for the coffin. To their surprise the hall
is empty, so the boys go up to look at the remains.
Two tall candles have been placed on silver stands at the head of
the coffin. The boys have to stand on their toes to inspect the
frail body inside. The flickering light shows a hollow-cheeked old
man with stick-like arms folded across his chest.
'Josa mudalali wagey nevei,' Bothalay observes. 'Mey miniha hari
kettuney.'
This man is very thin, not a bit like Josa mudalali.
'Näädäyo okkoma eka wageyda?' Paduma replies loftily.
'Mahi aliya wagey hitiyata kohomada thaththa?'
Are family members all similar? Although Mahi is like an elephant,
look at his father.
This is true, for Mahi has taken after his well-rounded mother.
'Ayii, magey ammita äda karenney nähä …' Mahi
starts to protest.
Hey, you are not to make fun of my mother …
'Umbala monawada methana karanney?'
What are you fellows doing here?
The boys turn fearfully to find Alice akka towering over them. In
their hurry to inspect the coffin and get a drink of Orange Barley,
they had forgotten about Josa's daughter Alice.
Josa's wife has died years ago. His other children have gone away
leaving one unmarried daughter Alice at home. She is a tall woman,
broad and flat with wild, angry eyes. She keeps to herself and rarely
speaks to people in the village. The small children are terrified
of her, believing that she is mad.
'Api awey mudalalita udaw karanna,' Paduma says bravely.
We have come to help the mudalali.
'Mokuth uwamana nähä,' Alice replies sharply. 'Okkoma
wäda karala iwarai.'
Nothing is needed. All the work has been done.
His hopes are being dashed and, so far, there isn't even an offer
of a drink. Paduma screws up his courage and tries again.
'Mudalalita kathakaranna puluwanda?'
Can we speak to the mudalali?
The woman stares at them angrily for a moment, then shrugs her shoulders
and goes to the back of the house.
One look is enough to convince Paduma that he is right. Josa mudalali
is in a good mood, for he is smiling broadly as he pushes the curtain
aside and comes into the hall. Paduma notices that, instead of the
sleeveless vest he normally wears when working in the shop, the
mudalali is smartly dressed in a bush shirt and clean white sarong.
Josa's smile remains in place till he is close to them. Suddenly
his hands whip out; Paduma and Bothalay find themselves held by
the scruffs of their necks. The smile turns into a snarl as Josa
propels them towards the front veranda, almost lifting them off
their feet.
'Meyka hondata ahaganilla,' Josa says through gritted teeth. 'Mata
umbalawa ayi dakinna oney nähä. Meheta awothing kang dekeng
ara pol gahey ellanawa.'
Understand this clearly. I don't want to see you here again. If
you come here I'll hang you up by your ears from that coconut tree.
The kick lifts each of them over the front steps and into the garden.
Mahi, who has escaped punishment, is already running towards the
gate. Paduma and Bothalay get to their feet and dust themselves
down. As they trudge towards the gate they hear the jeers and laughter
of the young fellows who had been lounging in the garden.
Disappointed and shamed, the boys walk through the village looking
for some distraction. Most of the villagers are busy preparing for
the New Year festivities and few of them are to be seen on the road.
Paduma leads the boys in a wide circle, first to the bund where
they throw stones at the water and then to inspect the cane basket
where old Siri aiya has been collecting the fish he has netted.
The funeral house draws them like a magnet, for there isn't anything
else going on in the village. They find themselves walking past
the gate once more. Paduma looks wistfully at the young men still
lounging around the compound. If only Josa had given them some work
to do.
Two policemen on bicycles ride past the boys.
'Eh kosso kohenda awey?' Bothalay asks. 'Mokada meheta awith thiyenney?'
Where did those cops come from? Why have they come here?
'Awurudda kaleta enawaney,' Mahi explains, 'soodu kelinawa allanna.'
They come during the New Year time to catch fellows gambling.
Paduma nods wisely for he knows that when the men in the village
play cards for money they always end up fighting.
In the home garden opposite Josa's gate is a tall jak tree. A movement
in the branches attracts Paduma's attention. Seated on a horizontal
branch leaning across the road, and looking down solemnly at him,
is a large grey monkey.
'Mey balanna,' Paduma calls out excitedly. 'Äli wandurek ävilla.'
Look. A big monkey has come.
The boys look at the black face of the animal. Monkeys are not welcome
in the village for they cause a lot of damage. Whenever they are
spotted, the villagers get together and chase them back to the forest
with firecrackers and stones.
Since there are no villagers about to help them, Paduma decides
that it their duty to chase the beast away. They collect a pile
of stones and begin to throw them at the monkey. The animal sits
motionless, watching with interest as their missiles pass safely
beneath the branch. It seems to be laughing at them.
They redouble their efforts, throwing larger and larger rocks.
The two constables come riding round the bend. There is a thud followed
by an anguished yell. The bicycles become entangled and crash to
the ground, throwing the riders into a roadside ditch. The boys
stare in horror as the two uniformed men scramble to their feet
and, with bloodcurdling oaths, leave the fallen bicycles and come
charging towards them.
They know that they can't outrun grown men along the cart track
with fences on either side. Paduma turns through Josa's gate and
races towards the house.
They hear the constables cursing and yelling close behind them and
dare not turn around. They ignore Josa's young helpers and dash
straight into the hall. Josa's daughter Alice, who has rushed out
to see what the commotion is about, spreads her arms to stop them.
Paduma and Bothalay, fast and nimble on their feet, duck under her
arms and get past. Mahi Bada knocks against her arm, loses his balance
and collides with the coffin.
The casket topples over with an enormous crash.
Paduma grabs the stupefied Mahi by the collar and drags him through
the curtain separating the hall from the rest of the house. It is
his intention to dash through the back of the house and get away
over the rear fence.
Sheer surprise brings them to a sudden halt. There are seven or
eight men seated round the table, each of them holding a roll of
money. One man holds a pack of cards in his hand; Josa has a bottle
of arrack in his. Everyone is utterly still, as though struck by
lightning.
The constables come charging into the room.
Paduma stays at the back of the crowd when Josa and his friends
are led towards the waiting police jeep. The policemen look happy;
one constable holds up a clear plastic bag filled with money and
cards for the villagers to see.
'What about the uncle?' Mahi's mother asks. 'How will they have
the funeral without Josa?'
'That's not his uncle, he claimed the body of a beggar who has died
in hospital,' a woman replies. 'Josa wanted to cover up his booruwa
session. He had got down all his mudalali friends for the party.'
Josa's eyes scan the crowd furiously before he is bundled into the
vehicle. Paduma, well hidden behind Mahi's mother, wonders who the
mudalali is looking for.
|
