Ambayaluwo chpter four

 

Since it was Friday three was no need for Sunil to change his clothes. The mother had given him permission to wear at home the clothes that he had worn to school on frieday. 

After he had eaten his lkunch he took his shoes off, patted the dog Neela which was tied in a corner of the building where the barn was and went under the lovi tree in the courtyard. He did not go there for any special reason but happened to go there without any conscious effort. He only thought of Nimal. Sunil could no forget him.

Sunil stepped down into the garden of the walauwa. There were two grown trees, a betel creeper climbing a Kahata tree, a Cashew tree with an earthenware pot in which there were honey bess and a sweet waraka tree. He passed them all and went down. He then came up to the fence and reached the sour guava scrub jungle. The sour guava fruits were ripe. He hastily plucked a few anbd ate them. They were sweet like bee's honey. He crammed his two trouser pockets with guavas. Then he put guavas right round the waist between his body and the shirt.

Sunil then remembered the story of Columbus. Columbus sailed the seas and discovered a new land. Can't one go on land and discover a new land? Sunil went further into the land. A mongoose ran away in front of him. The crickts which were deceived by the darkness of the woodland began screeching Sunil fearlessly went further. A wild mango had fallen on the ground. He picked it up and gnawed at it. It was sweet. it could be said that it was even sweeter than the kind known as papaw mangoes. There were three more. He picked them up too and went further down. On a tall guava tree there were three fruits. Sunil climed it and picked all three of them, He remembered princess Madri who went to pick fruits in the jungles. Is it dificult to live only on fruits. Sunil sat on a bough of the guava tree and ate some of the guavas. He then heard a voice. It was somewhat familiar to him. Yet he was unable to identify it at once.

"Mother why is it that we don't have rice today too?" asked the familiar voice of a child.

"Although we had broken stones we did not get money for it yet", answered an unfamiliar female voice. Sunil looked around. He saw a shanty at the foot of the slope. The conversation came from that direction.

''Why, the paddy of this field?"

"This does not belong to us"

"Why?"

"We have sold this"

"To whom?"

"To Aluth Walauwa"

"Why is that?"

"Your father fot entangled in a land case and as he coulkd not pay the lawyer's fees he sold the paddy field"

"To whom?"

"To Aluth Walauwa'

"Then Sunil and the other's will be having rice everyday"

"Who is Sunil"

"He is in our class, That's the boy from Aluth Walauwa"

"Is Sudu Appo's name Sunil?"

Sunil's doubts were cleared.

That was Nimal and his mother.

"Evenm to make roti why did you take such a long time, mother?" asked Nimal.

"I came only now after plucking tea leaves"

"Where did sister go?"

"She went to Ihalagedara to pound rice"

"Then sister will be  bringing a little rice?"

"Yes"

Sunil got down from the guava tree and proceeded twoards the hut. The hut was thatched with cocount leaf. The walls were of wattle and daub and the floor was sameared with cow dung Sunil walked towards the front of the shanty.

Nimal clad in sarong and a banian was seeated on a bench. He was holding an enamel plate on his left palm and eating roti with scraped cocounut. Nimal who heard footsteps looked over his shoulder and after keeping the plkate on the ground got up

"sunil, Where are you going?"

"I came for a walk"

Instantly a woman came out of the house. He also heard the babble of little children. Sunil become aware that they too were cating roti.

"I was wondering who it is, it's Sudu Appo isn't it?"

"Where are you goiong this way?" aslked Mo,a;'s mother. Sunil easily recongnized Ranmenika. He remembered that she came often to Aluth Walauwa to pound paddy. She was clad in a sopilded jacket and a chinitz cloth with red flowers. Nimal's mother resembled him bery closely.

" I just came" said Sunil bashfully

" In this jungle?" She asked and smiled

"Come Sunil. sit down" invited Nimal.

"Call him Sudu Appo son, otherwise they will blame us" Said Ranmenika.

: IOt doesn't matter" said Sunil going inside the house.

"It's a pity! There isn't even a place for Appo to sit down", she said and spread a piece of paper on the dirty bench Sunil sat down after putting the paper aside.

A voice was heard calling " son, son" That was the voice of Galbanda.

"Why appachchi?" Nimal went out and shouted back.

"Are you coming or not to break stones today?"

"Son tell him that we are coming" said Ranmanika it could have heard by Galbanda, too.

"Are you coming to break stones today or tomorrow?" asked Galbanda as if in anger.

"Then we'll gi" said Sunil.

Sunil and Nimal went off towards the stone quarry. The two friends crossed the stream. UJnil then theyt did not talk much At last Sunil broke the silence.

"Nimal, are you angry with me? asked Sunil holding his hands and lokking at his face.

"No"

"I fell very sad because I hit you"

"That doesn't matter"

''Did your arm hurt you?" asked Sunil rubbing the back of Nimal's palm.

"No it didn't hurt me" said Nimal although the hand was slightly swollen as a relsult of the kick with the shoe on 

''You even got a beating from your appachchi because of me isn't it?"

"It doesn't matter"

'' I will never hit you again" said Sunil taking the finest guavas and the mangoes from his poclet and offering them to Nimal.

Nimal took a few of them

"Where are you going now Sudu Appo?"

"Chi! Don't call me Sudu Appo; call me Sunil just as on other days"

"If appachchi hears, sh'll beat me"

"Why"

"I have been asked to call those at Aluth Walauwa that way"

"Anyway don't call me Appo, if you call me Sunil, that's enough"

Galaband's angry voice as heard again

"Oh God, won't you all come today?"

"They have already started coming there" shouted Ranmenika.

"Are your legs groken?'' asked Galabanda again.

"Your go, I'll come later" Whispered Sunil into Nimal's car. Sunil hid himself in the Kanda shrubbery and Nimal went to the stone quarry.

"Where is sister?"

"She is said to have gone to pound paddy."

"Can you break stones alone until I tie the buffalo and come?"

" I can"

"Then I'll come soon" said Galabanda and went away.

Nimal stared crushing stones with a small hammer, when Galabanda's call to the buffaloes was heard in the distances Sunil slowly went towards Nimal.

"Give me also a hammer Nimal"

"You can't do these things, blisters will come on your plams"

"Then why do you break?"

"I am used to this"

"I too will get used"

"What for?"

"Then why do you break stones?"

"To buy rice for us"

Sunil laughed.

"Why rice?"

"Ti eat"

Sunil laughed more. He thought Nimal's answer was childish.

"Is rice bought by beaking stones?" 

"Rice is taken from paddy,paddy is taken from paddy fields"

"That is not the way Nimal Stones are broken to be paved on the roads"

"Yes when stones are broken we get money, from the money we buy rice"

Sunil could not understand the argumnent. He too asked for a hammer and started breaking stories. But Sunil soon realized that he could not do the work carefully, nimbly with ability Before long Sunil's hand started paining.

"My hand is paining a great deal, Nimal"

That is what I told you ' said Nimal and laughed

"Let me see your hand?"

Nimal showed both his hands Sunil who saw the corns that had come up on Nimal's palm was surprised. He compared Nimal's hand with his.

"Your hand is very soft" said Nimal stroking the palm Suddenly the noise of a car was heard Sunil identified it by its sound.

Its our car. I'll hide"

Sunil went behiund the heap of granite stones and hid himself. The Morris Minor car climed the hill with a big noise. In it was Nelum Bandara and Maithri.

"I'll go Nimal, we'll meat tomorrow" he said and jumped on to the road and ran.

"Rice is taken from paddy, paddy