9 BEAUTY OF INNOCENCE

Kapilasena asking the ladies to take a rest started preparing dinner by himself on that day. He spent money for that from his own pocket. Koinmenika highly appreciated his delicious meal. The presence of delightful expressions on Yasawathi's face more than other days, lit up Koinmenika's face with immense happiness.

"Hamu asked me to give this money to you…" She took out of the money pouch made of spun reeds hidden inside her blouse and gave it to Kapilasena. That was the monthly payments for the supply of fresh cow milk to the bungalow.

"How can I take money from Hamu…? Punchi Amme… He is the one who helped me to get the cows…" Kapilasena expressed his reluctance to take the money.

"You have to… otherwise… it may upset him…"

Kapilasena, thinking for a while of what Koinmenika said, accepted the money.

"Buy a new dress for you from this money, Menike daughter…" Turning towards Nandana Menike he tried to give the money to her.

She looked at the elderly women being unable to arrive at a decision of her own.

"Bappe…, Hamu Nona gave me a lot of new dresses. Let's buy something from this money for mother and grandma…" Nandana Menike came up with another suggestion.

The elderly women looked at each other filling their hearts with affection for their daughter.

"That's good…, Daughter, you better go to the town and select something for them…"

The money taken by Nandana Menike was placed on Yasawathi's hand.

* * *

Sitting on an arm chair placed on the balcony, and resting his legs keeping on the rail, Bernard gazed at the valley down there. For him, even thinking of the land going underwater within a short period of time was a wonder. He could view the number of scattering houses from the light of the lamps lit at different parts of the valley. He thought all those would go underwater and numerous difficulties and hardships would be faced by those settlers because of the upcoming development project near future. He was also one of them. Though there were some protests against the project at its planning stage, they brought no success. All those houses, lands, and everything, within a short period, would go out of their possession. Not only the villagers, but Bernard also had to face the same fate. He was thinking in bewilderment as to how he would face those oncoming circumstances.

Bernard lit up the vanilla cigar again to warm up himself from the cool breeze that blew from the direction of Dumbara valley. Sandra was playing the piano and the sweet melody that filled the bungalow accompanied a soothing effect to Bernard's restless mind.

Bernard barely heard Periyavar's voice half way through the staircase leading to the second floor. He informed Sandra about the readiness of dinner for them. The abrupt silence of the piano signaled Sandra's approach to the upper floor within a few minutes.

"Why…? What's wrong…? Without even a shirt… in this cold climate…" Sandra came and warmed him up giving a gentle massage to his neck while he was covering his bust with his hands.

He preferred the touch from her smooth hands.

"Shall we have dinner…?" Though she verbally invited him, she gestured her preference to remain in that way with him for another couple of minutes.

"Wait for a minute…, this cigar is a headache for you.., isn't it…?" He threw it away as he knew Sandra didn't like the smell of it.

Sandra sat down on his lap and leaned against his chest and covered it from the jersey she was wearing. She too felt the warmth of his breath.

"Just four months more for Natalia's wedding…, both will have to go…"

George was Sandra's father's younger brother. His one and only daughter who lived in Australia was Natalia. All arrangements had been made for her wedding. It was scheduled to be held in May in Melbourne.

"Amidst all these troubles, how can we go…?" Bernard in a low tone whispered.

"You are trying not to go there…? How can we neglect them…? Can you remember? The whole family came one week prior to our wedding…?"

The main challenge Bernard was confronted was, getting the lands and property, which would be going underwater, assessed properly. As Sandra was explaining, Bernard knew that there was no other way to avoid it.

"After settling all these… somehow I'm also thinking of attending it…"

"Anyway, we'll have to go there a bit earlier… mother is also is waiting to go there with us… She is scared to go alone as she is having pressure…"

It was Bernard's obligation and responsibility to fulfill mother in law's expectations. Since Victor lived in a foreign country, flying here and accompanying his mother was obviously a difficult mission.

"Victor will go straightly from there…" He mentioned Sandra's brother there at that moment as he knew; Victor would be attending the wedding for sure.

"Yes, Victor told me that he would be flying directly to Australia… said to be accompanying Matilda sister too…"

Bernard looked at Sandra in amazement as he knew the bad health condition of her. Her spinal code had been damaged in a fatal accident that occurred about two years ago. The worst thing was she lost her twelve year daughter from that accident.

"Accompanying her is not that much easy…"

Sandra nodded her head approving what Bernard said.

"It is said that the son doesn't like to go to Australia without mother…"

Bernard thought that because of the inability to turn down the request of eight-year old Romesh, he had taken the decision to take Matilda with him.

"That girl's photos…, did you send them to Victor…?" After a brief pause, Bernard questioned Sandra as he knew that those photos were taken with the sole intention of sending them to Victor.

"Seeing Nanda's photos, he was really astonished…, He asked me something which I had even never dreamt of…" Sandra changing her posture slowly bent her head towards his neck.

He quietly turned his ears to know what Sandra was trying to reveal.

"Asked me whether that one can be taken to England…"

"Then, what did you say…?"

"Told him that I would ask you and let him know…"

The answer to be given to her didn't strike his mind at once. For him it was crystal clear that the girl, who had been brought up amidst terrible hardships, wouldn't be allowed to move even an inch away from Koinmenika or her daughter, Yasawathi. The loos of trust in Victor upon his irresponsible conduct after Yasawathi's pregnancy were a serious matter, which can never easily be forgotten. It could have been considered to some extent, provided he had the minimal courtesy to fulfill his duties, obligations and responsibilities as a father of that child, on his visits to Sri Lanka from time to time.

"Even thinking of making children again by Matilda a lie…, she will get rid of her anxiety over the loss of her child, if Nanda goes there…" Sandra again broke silence being unable to bear up the long pause.

"Is it to erase anxiety from her mind that the girl is taken there…? I thought that she would be treated and looked after as their own daughter…" Bernard, in response to that, reacted with a sharp look at Sandra.

"Victor didn't say anything like that… I just simply said…" She later repented on what she said.

He gave no answers for that. If he did really want, he had to ask it directly from Yasawathi. None could underrate or look down upon Yasawathi as she was nobody else, but Nandana Menike's Mother.

"Victor should ask it from Yasawathi herself…"

She took her head off his chest and sat straightly. Not only seeing Yasawathi, but also even speaking to her, Sandra never liked.

"For what that woman…? I'll ask Koinamma…"

"Are you off your brain Sandra….? Yasawathi is that child's mother, how many times have I told you that…? At least, even in the birth certificate, there isn't a mention of Victor's name, I suppose…"

She looked at Bernard in astonishment.

"If brother's name is not there in the certificate, whose name to be written…? Brother's name may be there, isn't it…?"

"You're mad Sandra…! To write the name of the one who left the child before it was born, to see the light of day… Besides, who are those people when compared with our family status…? Even if they had it in their mind… they are scared to put our surname…"

"Then…"

"That slot may remain blank…" Bernard felt pity for her as he remembered the stigma attached to her life as being an illegitimate child.

"Victor told that he wanted to give one or two lakhs to Nanda…" Sandra wanted to drop a hint at Bernard indicating that Victor had a kind of obligation and a certain amount of courtesy to help her.

"Money can't change her mind now… Yet, Victor, as the father of that child, thinks at least now to give something to her, it would be a great thing… a sign of humanity…"

The blowing breeze was cooler than earlier. Understanding that, she again bent her head towards his chest and nestled against it.

"Do not give money to the girl's hand…, better to open an account and let's deposit money in it… One day it will be useful…"

He felt the expression of her consent from her gesture. Sandra sensed the communication of the worms inside Bernard's tummy.

"Let's go…, I'm also hungry…" even the meals are getting cold…" Bernard at that time responded to Sandra's suggestion.

* * *

Samantha telling his mother that he would be going to the temple, he stepped towards Nandana Menike's house with a lot of hopes. He paused for a moment under the tamarind tree, where he used to meet her while going to school. He saw a few squirrels running one after the other along the branches and eating ripe tamarind freely. He remembered that Nandana Menike was fond of tamarind. He kept the book he had in his hand on the rock and plucked some from the branches which had bent down with ripe tamarind.

The sun rays were not that much violent. The surroundings created a pleasant view soothing both mind and body. Since he had not gone for a haircut after the O/L examination, his hair had grown to the extent of covering his ears half way. He recalled his sister teasing and jeering at his moustache which was just appearing above the upper lip. He touched with the tips of his fingers and derived a sense of pride of his adolescent masculine. Placing the ripe tamarind beside the book, he adjusted his disordered hair by both hands. While doing so, he was reminded of a story book in which he found the presence of nymphs on giant trees. On that day he prayed to all invisible gods and goddesses to bless him to get an opportunity to have a word with Nandana Menike as all the previous attempts fell into the pit of despair.

Going down the steep slope area up to the water spout was not an easy task. Nandana Menike found no difficulty as she went up and down to school every day. He raised his sarong half way to make easy for him to walk down. He reached the water spout and found nobody there. Since the water at the water spout was cooler in the morning hours, nobody preferred to come for a bath. The branches of the Russa* trees provided a canopy to the top of the mountain over the water spout. Having seen Kapilasena down in the clay field, he stepped towards him.

"Uncle… what about that goblet? Have you brought one…?"

Kapilasena raised his head half way to see whose voice it was. Then he noticed Samantha standing beside him. Kapilasena was filling clay into a half-cut barrel. The sweat and mud that had smeared all over his body clearly indicated that he had been at hard work since early morning.

"Yesterday when I was returning from the fair, I brought one…, it is in the old house…"

The young man was satisfied with that response.

"Do you carry the barrelful of clay…?" It was a puzzle for Samantha, as how a man of that nature could carry such a huge amount all alone.

"What…? Eh… how can I carry this much…? Even a small amount cannot be taken as I have a pain on my back…" Kapilasena replied while putting the clay into the barrel removing the waste such as decayed roots of trees and pieces of stones.

Samantha, observing his strenuous efforts to earn a living, felt very sorry for Kapilasena. Samantha guessed that as a result of not having a proper education Kapilasena had chosen that industry. Samantha was firmly determined to climb up the ladder of success whatever the challenges lay ahead. Kapilasena broke silence noticing Samantha's thoughtfulness.

"After a couple of days… Chuti Menike is at home… you go and ask for the goblet…" Kapilasena told him to go there, thinking that if he waited for him, he would be getting late.

Samantha was over the moon as he got the most important news. He thought that going there with Kapilasena would be safer. If Yasawathi was found to be outside home, with her interference, the goblet would be given to him. If it happened again, his entire plan and the objective of his mission would be futile.

"No uncle, I can wait…"

Samantha was planning to go with kapilasena. He hurried filling the barrel with clay so as not to keep the young man waiting for a long time. The road from the water spout to Nandana Menike's home was a narrow and a stony one. Kapilasena keeping the barrel on his right shoulder, walked up with utmost care. Samantha trod on his heels behind Kapilasena with a heart filled with inexpressible thoughts. The only dream he had was nothing else, but to meet Nandana Menike and give his heart to her with the first love letter he had written. He was really lost in a dream world as he still couldn't convey his first love to Nandana Menike as he wished.

Samantha followed him again thinking how hard people had to work for survival, as he could witness with his own eyes. At the entrance to the Nandana Menike's house, there was a stationary vehicle. Samantha couldn't recall whether he had seen such a modern vehicle before. He had a glance at it with a perplexed mind. Kapilasena's pace slowed down with the sight of the vehicle. As they came closer, they saw the front door being opened and Sandra getting down forms it. Kapilasena put aside the clay barrel slowly and put down the half-raised sarong as a gesture of humbleness. Samantha got lost in the world of bewilderment, when he saw, for a moment, Nadana Menike through Sandra. Removing her sunglasses, Sandra approached towards them.

"Hmm…, heavy work…! Where do you make pots…?"

"The other side of the old house…, Hamu Nona, would you like to see it…?" He pointed out the place with some interest.

Sandra looked at that direction and changed her mind of going there as she guessed the possibility of meeting Yasawathi there.

"Who is this…?" Sandra asked inquisitively looking at Samantha.

A slight smile drew up on Samantha's face with little effort.

"This young boy from the other side… From the Temple road…, has come to collect a goblet…" Kapilasena said pointing out the mountain on the other side.

Sandra, without saying anything, first glanced at Samantha, and next paid her attention to the other side pointed out by Kapilasena.

"Hamu Nona, don't you come in…?" Kapilasena again asked her with a timid look.

* * *

"To go on a small journey with Nandana Menike… Hamu went in to take her…" The words used were quite sufficient to get the message across.

Samantha could sniff around the arrangements being made to take Nandana Menike away. Both of them understood quite obviously that Sandra was waiting outside for Nandana Menike. In a fraction of a second the seed of doubt took roots in the heart of the young man that the possession of Nandana Menike was not going to be a reality one day. Only after a while he could notice Nandana Menike when she came out with Bernard. Samantha being seemingly in a lost world felt so helpless when Nandana Menike's figure was clearly seen with her beautiful dress. What that talkative Piyal once said, struck his heart like a flash of lightning.

"You will be able to see that girl only in films…"

Indeed, she looked prettier than an actress and, she was undoubtedly more beautiful than Sandra. Samantha slightly noticed that Yasawathi was peeping through the door.

Nandana Menike while walking with Bernard, being close to each other, glanced at Samantha with a cordial smile showing no effort to speak with him. She got into the vehicle when Sandra opened the door. Samantha, being unable to pronounce a word, got lost in an unknown world like an astonished alien. He threw away the tamarind he had brought for her without letting anybody know about it. He heaved a long sigh of desperation and felt as if he had forgotten to breathe until the vehicle left. A defeated look had been etched on his face. When Kapilasena with much effort was trying to lift the clay barrel, Yasawathi came running to help him. After that only she could see Samantha's presence there.

"Follow me, young man…" Kapilasena, while moving towards the old home carrying the barrel of clay, asked him to follow him.

Avoiding the resentful look cast on Yasawathi's face, Samantha stepped towards the old house with Kapilasena. Samantha collected the goblet from Kapilasena paying him the money for it and looked around to see the presence of Yasawathi. Anyway, she was not to be seen.

"Uncle, can you do me a small favor…?" A pleading look was cast on Samantha's face.

Kapilasena looked at him thinking of what sort of favor being asked for.

"Can you give this book to Nanda…?"

"There… you see Nenda" * (Nenda - Aunty)

Kapilasena misunderstood the word 'Nenda' (Nenda - Aunty) instead Nanda and turned his eyes towards the house.

"Not Nenda (Aunty) uncle… but Nandana Menike…" His eyes expressed a sense of fear.

Kapilasena was rather reluctant to take the book as his hands were dirty with clay. Samantha could realize it. He kept it on the small bench positioned on the knee-high ledge of that old house.

"Uncle…" Getting ready to leave, he hesitantly called him again.

Kapilasena raised his head and glanced at him quizzically as it to expect something more from Samantha.

"Uncle, let not the book go to Yasawathi aunt's hands…" He stammered when he uttered those words.

"Ok, Ok… young man… I'll keep that on her hand itself…" with a wide smile that cast on his face, he promised to do so.

Samantha felt enormously relieved. He left Nandana Menike's place light heartedly as he firmly believed that the letter would reach her hand without any doubt.