Plus

Plus

Step by step they guide each other and sing together
By Dhananjani Silva
Forty long years have passed since Ebert and Mulin married. But Ebert has never seen the face of his dear wife while for Mulin too, she has not been able to look into her husband’s eyes. Neither Ebert nor Mulin has ever seen their one and only daughter who is now a mother of a 10-year-old girl.

Life has not been a bed of roses for this elderly couple who strive hard to make ends meet despite their disability. The Sunday Times caught up with them while they were on their way to the Nugegoda Supermarket, a place they often visit in the hope of making a few extra rupees. Holding each other’s hands tightly, step by step we saw them reaching their destination. Both husband and wife were born blind. “We come here on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays to sing. We make use of our talent to entertain the public and it is with the little money we earn that we survive,” says 68-year-old Ebert.

“It’s been two years since we started coming here and we do this as we have no regular income, not because we really like earning this way. It is rather strenuous for us to come all the way from Kimbulapitiya by bus. Initially we were working in the textile industry during the time when the Social Services Department had a special project to help blind people like us and buy our products. But it was shut down in 1977. Thereafter we receive Rs. 300 each month from the government but how can we survive on that alone?” Ebert asks.

“Earlier we didn’t have the strength to come and sing in public like this. But there is another blind couple who comes here and they too are from the Ratmalana School. It is they who introduced us to this place and now we take turns to come,” Ebert says.

He is joined by his wife who says that apart from singing they engage in various other income generating activities such as making paper bags, selling clothes etc.,

“Both of us are from the Ratmalana Deaf and Blind School and we met each other there,” Mulin says with a faint smile. Asked from where they learnt music they said it was an inborn talent and that they were also trained during the time when they were at the Ratmalana School.

Living in Kimbulapitiya, Katunayake they manage their day-to-day household tasks such as cooking, washing and cleaning, which according to them, is ‘not a problem’. But coming to Nugegoda even for three days a week is a hassle.
“With the help of a trishaw man we come to the bus stop in Kimbulapitiya to catch the bus to Armour Street. From there we take the bus to Nugegoda and once we get down in Nugegoda we know how to find our way to the Supermarket. When it comes to crossing the road we cannot make it without somebody’s help and that is the most difficult of all. However, we stay here only till about 1’o clock because if we get late we find it difficult to go back.

On our way back we walk up to High Level Road to get the bus,” Mulin said.
On certain days, they collect a fairly reasonable sum but there are also times that they hardly earn anything to cover their transport costs. When it comes to counting money they said it is rarely that they make a mistake and that when they touch a coin or a note they can tell the exact amount.

Asked what type of songs they sing Mulin said they prefer Sinhala songs.
“Sinhala is our mother tongue and therefore it is easy to remember the songs we listen to. We like to sing Hindi songs too but since we do not have a recorder there is no way that we can record the songs. Even the people who come here ask for old Sinhala hits most of the time,” Mulin went on adding that these days they are collecting money to buy a violin for their little grand-daughter.

Back to Plus