28th December 1997

All set to party

It's party time and as our glamorous models Dinali, Nushara, Mariza and Shivani get set to welcome the New Year, the folk at Ramani Fernando Salons turned up with some exciting new looks for them. 1. Model Dinali: Hair is pulled up into a high pony tail with some strands let down to create a dishevelled yet trendy look. Hair is highlighted in copper strands 2. Model Nushara: Hair is blow dried straight. The front section is pinned overlapping to create an elegant look. 3. Model Mariza: The front of the hair is pushed from one side to the other side to form an overlap. The back of the hair is slightly done into a French pleat. 4. Model Shivani: Hair is blow dried straight into flicks. Hair and make-up were by Johann, Cheryl and Dilhara with Ramani (see pic below)

The Cleaner Girl

The Cleaner Girl was on the final short list of the recently conducted Commonwealth Short Story Competition

By Hemachandra Vithane

She sat on the cross board of their dinghy, peeping at her reflection in the water. Her aged father, Kadira, had lifted all his crab-traps but no crab had been caught. She saw him folding the Rs. 500/- note into a peculiar shape while the boat drifted aimlessly. There was a story behind this note.

Back at the Guest House, she was cleaning room No. 48 in the morning. Hussein sat there in the room, trying to forget his home town, Male, for the time being. He noted the young beauty, Surupi, attending to her cleaning chores. She was mopping up the bathroom floor when Hussein came there, smiling amiably at her.

"You are a beautiful girl: why are you in these old rags? Your skirt is torn and the blouse is dirty; a girl like you should be in more fashionable clothes." She did not understand a word of it. She lef hurriedly when he tried to caress her cheek. He somehow managed to drop something into her basket.

"You can buy a new skirt and a blouse with that money and please wear them when you come back," he said. She did not understand a word of it either as she knew no English. However she knew his behavior was not prompted by sympathy. She ran down the stairs to the washing area, to hang the linen on the clothes-line to dry and gave the empty bottles to the garbage-van driver in her usual way. He gave her a one rupee coin for the whole lot. She went inside a room and emerged in her clean, casual clothes. The young man, Sena, waving his hand to the van driver, took Surupi on his bicycle-bar and disappeared at the bend of the gravel road. Hussein, still watching, hated the rascal and frowned through the third floor window of the Guest House. "That chap would cheat the money from her and would spend it on arrack' Hussein thought, 'He looks the nasty type so common on the street' Surupi did not mind the Rs. 1 coin but could not explain to herself why a Rs.500/- note was dropped in her basket by an unknown resident at the Guest House. It was a problem. What would happen if Sena knew of it? She would lose her casual job if the manager got wind of it!

They came to their empty and silent hut. In the canal, their four ducks were frolicking and cackling in unison.

"No crabs Sena, not a single. It is a horrible day" shouted Kadira from the river, hopelessly throwing both bands out in the air.

"Doesn't matter, father, I have some money." Sena was already on his bicycle to go for items for dinner when Surupi gave the Rs. 1 to him.It was the coin given by the friendly driver. She then got on to the cross board of the dinghy and handed her problem over to her father. He folded the note in such a way that it took the form of a paper boat.

Surupi, you are a good girl. Sena loves you as much as I do. He will take care of you when I will be no more," he said and put the paper boat of Rs. 500 on the flowing Ben River and watch it disappear. He caressed Surupi's shiny hair.

Continue to Mirror Magazine page 3 * Designers' Choice!

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