Ambayaluwo Chapter Three

 

Sunil's house stood on the upper side of the road. It was called Aluth Walauwa, sunil climbed the tree rows of steps leading to the courtyard of the house thoughtfully.

"Mother?"

"Yes, son"

"Are you asleep?"

"No"

Sunil kept his satchel of books on table and went twoards the dining table. The mother got 

rid of her drwosiness and having gone towards the dining table removed the reed cover and served the food Sunil.

Sunil's mother is Nelum Kumarihami. She was about thirty years, fair complexioned, tall and slender. She was wearing a blue saree and a white bluse. " Queen Elizabeth is just like mother" is what Sunil often Said.

" Are all yiouor sums corect. son?"

"Yes. don't serve me bitter gourd. what's this"

"Wetakolu"

"That too, I don't want "

"Then here are beans"

"That too, ha....ha...a little"

"Dry fish?"

"One piece; what meat is that?"

"It's straw mushrooms Don't you want?"

"I want; I want a little more"

"This is mutton"

"A little"

Sunil began eating.

"Start mixing the rice from one end, son"

"I forgot"

"Yes, you always forget"

"Why, didn't I eat well last night?"

"Eating well once is not enought. you must eat well every day"

"Will it be late tonight too when sister comes, moher?"

"No, appachchi said he will come early today" Nelum Bandara is Sunil's appachchi. He is the chief cleark at the courts. He goes to office in th car. When he goes he takes Sunil andn his sister Mainthri. this is beacuse the time of the courts tally to a great extent with that of her shchool. But since Gemunu vidylaya closes at one thirty in the afternoon sunil comes back wallking. Sunil ate his food thoughtfully.

" Mother, who is that man who breaks stones?" asked sunil finally.

"which, With the beard?"3

"Yes, yes"

"That man is called Galabanda"  said Nelum Kumarihami and smiled humorously.

But Sunil put on a serious look.

"Not that! I ,eam the name in the book"

"In what book?" The mother suppressed a smile.

"The true name?"

"That man's true name is Muthumale Walauwe Muthe Banda: after he came to that house he was called Galwalegedara Muthe Banda. For convenience all called him Galabanda"

"What a Prty"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just"

"Why just"

"Please mother shall I go to break stones?"

"Why?"

"No,I love it so much"

"Why is that?"

"A boy in our class too will come to tht quarry to break stones"

"A boy in your class?" asked the Kumarihami amazed.

"Who is he?"

"Niml: he is Galabanda's son"

"Is he also in puth's class?"

"Yes,why?"

"Aney, Aney" said theh Kumarihami in surprise.

''What is it?" asked the grandmother coming towards them. She is the mother of sunil's appachchi. The older Kumarihami is good looking, well groomed and buxom. Her fce is round and she is fat. He hair is silver grey and her face is wrinkled.

The mother was still smiling.

"What is it daughter?" asked the grandmoother

"Nothing. Galabanda's said to be in putha's calss"

" is it true?" asked the grandmother suprised.

"Do you know what his name is? It's Nimal " said the mother smiling again.

"This is the curse of teaching them free; and all the riff-raff going to big schools, " said the grandmother with force.

"Don't you go even to talk with that sort of fellow" she advised Sunil.

"Why grandomother?"

"There, you question me. I say don't because it is no good"

"Listen a little to what I say will you" said the grandmother as if she were a little angry.

The conversation mixed with humnour that took place between the mother and the grandmother was not understood by Sunil. Sunil who started thinking about it did not even care about what he ate.

"Son why do you eat only curries? " asked the mother and once again started serving him curries.