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Paduma's
World By Nihal de Silva
A
proposal for Kumari
Paduma is teaching Yodaya to fetch a stick. He throws it towards
the road; the puppy runs after it yapping excitedly, picks it up,
and runs off. Paduma has to chase the animal round the house to
recover the stick.
Paduma
comes round the corner of the house, the stick held high in his
hand. Yodaya barks in excitement, leaping in the air.
'This time bring the stick to me,' Paduma says, raising his finger.
'To me, do you understand?'
'Yap.
Yap.'
'Yodaya, bring the stick,' Paduma yells and, drawing back his arm,
flings it towards the road.
Yodaya charges after it, barking.
A fat
man has turned into the compound, and the stick hits him squarely
in the chest. He grabs and, by a stroke of luck, catches it in his
hand. Yodaya comes charging up.
'YAP. YAP. YAP. YAP. YAP.'
The
fat man's eyes turn into circles of white. Believing that his ankles
are in danger, he dances about, prodding at the pup with his furled
umbrella.
'Palayang satha. Palayang. Palayang.'
Go animal. Go. Go.
Yodaya
is only after the stick that the fat man clutches across his chest.
It dances about trying to get closer to the man but finding the
umbrella getting in the way, snaps at the pointed end.
The fat man is amazed at the tenacity of the animal; clearly it
is a dangerous beast. See, it has now attacked his umbrella. He
waves the umbrella about, trying to shake off the pup but Yodaya
is delighted with this new game and doesn't let go.
Paduma,
fearing that Yodaya will fly off the whirling umbrella and get hurt,
picks up the puppy. The fat man drops the umbrella and leans against
a coconut tree to recover his breath.
Paduma studies the visitor who is wiping perspiration off his face
with a red and black handkerchief. Bald head, luxuriant moustache,
expensive blue-checked sarong topped by a cream bush shirt: he looks
an important person. What is he doing here?
'YAP.
YAP. YAP.'
'Oi napuru ballawa bändala thiyanna bärida?' the man demands.
'Pare wath yanna bähäne?'
Can't you keep that vicious dog tied? We can't even go on the road.
'U napuru nä,' Paduma replies boldly. 'Sellamata burenne.'
He's not fierce. He just barks for fun.
'Sellamata?
Thava tiken mage kakula ivarai.'
Fun? In another moment my ankles were finished.
'Nä, nä.'
No, no.
'Huh, ekeng wädak nähä. Ko umbe amma?'
Huh, no use of that now. Where is your mother?
'Gei innawa.'
In the house.
'Kiyapang
Beligasmulle Cooray Kapurala äwith innawa kiyala.'
Tell her that Cooray, the matchmaker from Beligasmulla, is here.
'Mokatada awe?' Paduma is always suspicious of well-dressed strangers.
Why have you come?
The hand holding the umbrella twitches. The big man is controlling
himself with an effort:
'Mama parasthawak genawa.'
I have brought a proposal.
Paduma
doesn't know what the visitor is talking about.
'Matada?' he asks.
Is it for me?
'Umbata nevei, modaya, umbe akkata. Ammata kathakarapang.'
Not for you, you fool, for your sister. Now call your mother.
Paduma can see that his mother is stunned.
'Somapala
mudalali is known even in Dambulla,' the kapurala says, widening
his eyes for emphasis. 'He owns the biggest shop in Beligas village…
he has a lorry also.'
'But, Cooray mahaththaya, we are poor… we don't have much
to give the girl…'
'No, no hamine, don't worry about that,' kapurala says. 'The young
man has seen Kumari at the pola and is anxious to meet her.'
'But surely his parents will not agree. After all, they are wealthy
people and Kumari has no dowry…'
'The
boy, Siri, is very keen and his parents have agreed to fall in with
his wishes. When they see that she has been well brought up, other
things will be forgotten.'
'I agree to the arrangement, of course, but now they will want to
visit us and our home is small…' Manika looks about doubtfully.
'Are you sure they'll want to go ahead after they
see …'
'Hamine,
leave it in my hands. Have I fixed up so many couples,' the kapurala
says, rubbing his hands together. 'All parents in the villages around
here know about me.'
'What… what are we to do now?'
'The most important thing is to see that the horoscopes agree. Once
that is clear we can find a good day for the first visit.'
'Wait, I will bring Kumari's horoscope,' Manika says.
Paduma
eyes the packet of biscuits lying on the stool. Although his first
meeting with the kapurala has not been a happy one, he sees now
that the man has brought good luck.
Manika had sent him to Josa's shop to fetch a packet of biscuits.
Although the fat man has eaten far more than he should have, there
are still some biscuits left in the packet. Paduma knows what he
must do.
Manika
and Kumari will accompany the kapurala to the road. The moment their
backs are turned he will pounce on the packet. He will have to share
with Yodaya, of course, but there is enough left for both of them.
That's not all.
The
other party will come to visit and his mother will prepare a feast
for them. They will bring presents too. Perhaps he will also be
remembered.
Kapurala, stepping out of the house, says:
'There is one matter, hamine.'
'Yes?
What is it?'
'That rascal, your son,' the fat man growls. 'If he's here, he'll
mess the whole thing up. Make sure he is not seen or heard till
the marriage is agreed upon.'
'Yes, yes. We will make sure he stays away,' Kumari says. 'Otherwise
he's sure to disgrace us.'
'And
that dog,' kapurala goes on, 'it's dangerous. Get rid of it.'
'Amma, how many times have I told you, that dog is a menace?' Kumari
complains. 'I don't know which is the bigger nuisance, Paduma or
that wretched dog.'
'Ho-o-o-ve,'
Paduma's cry is anguished. 'Don't you touch Yodaya. He doesn't do
any
harm …'
'Padu,' Mänika says kindly. 'You know how important this is
for us. You can keep your puppy if you promise to take it with you,
and stay away from the house when they come to visit.'
Missing
the excitement, and the feast, is a big blow.
'Will you keep my share?'
'Yes, yes, putha. I'll keep something for you.'
Kapurala has a broad smile on his face when he comes wheezing up
the footpath.
'I
told you, hamine, that it will be all right,' he says. 'The horoscopes
match like the sun and moon. Somapala mudalali is very happy.'
Mänika's careworn face breaks into a rare smile.
'When
will they want to visit us? Oh goodness, there are so many things
to attend to.'
'I spoke to the veda about finding a good day,' kapurala goes on.
'He tells me that Sunday the 12th is very, very auspicious. Any
arrangement made on that day is sure to be successful.'
'But… but that is in five days' time,' Mänika wails.
'How can I get everything ready so soon? Can't we find another day?'
'No,
hamine, there is no other day; the veda is very clear about that,'
the fat man says. 'You must prepare yourself somehow. This is a
great opportunity for Kumari.'
'All right,' Mänika says faintly, sitting on the step. 'I suppose
we'll have to do what we can.'
'Yes,
yes and don't worry too much. Just make sure that boy is not here
when Somapala and his family come.'
'I'll see to it.'
'And the dog.'
'Yes.'
Josa
mudalali lends Mänika money to buy four plastic chairs. He
sees no risk, for will not Kumari soon be married into a rich family?
There is a new curtain across the main door and Mänika fusses
over the table with food and drink for the visitors.
'Amma,'
Kumari says. 'Isn't it better to send Paduma away now? He's sure
to mess something up if we let him stay.'
'I haven't done anything wrong. I'm only watching,' Paduma protests
bitterly. 'Why are you chasing me away?'
'It is very important that nothing goes wrong, Mänika says.
'It's better if…'
'But, amma…'
'Go,
you donkey, or I'll give you a good knock,' Kumari growls.
'Huh, just because someone is wearing a sari,' Paduma says to Yodaya,
'she thinks she's a princess. The bridegroom will run when he sees
her.'
Kumari picks up a broom. Paduma retreats, pulling on the rope he
has tied round the puppy's neck. Yodaya has smelled the food on
the table and has to be dragged away.
The
groom's party are not happy.
Somapala's wife gazes at her surroundings with distaste, Somapala
looks as if he has bitten on a lime. He stares angrily at the kapurala
and keeps glancing at his watch. Mänika looks despairingly
at the matchmaker but the man avoids her eye.
Somapala
mudalali says: 'We must be going…'
'Yodaya. Yodaya. Stop.'
A brown dog races into the compound, followed by Paduma, who is
waving a rope. Without breaking stride the dog leaps on the low
table where plates of food and tumblers with soft drinks have been
arranged. Food and drink fly in all directions. Somapala's wife
shrieks when a hälape hits her on the chest.
'Aiyo,
Aiyo…' 'I told you to keep this devil away…'
'We should hang Paduma from a tree…'
Everyone goes quiet when Somapala raises his hand.
'Paduma? Did you call him Paduma?' Somapala asks.
'Yes.'
'Is he the Paduma who got Josa arrested by the police?' Somapala
asks in a voice filled with wonder. 'Is he the fellow who ruined
the bicycle race last month?'
'Y…
yes,' Mänika admits faintly.
The old man appears to have a fit, for his mouth is open and his
shoulders and chest are heaving. Tears pour down his cheeks. It
is only after he controls himself at last that they realise that
he has been laughing.
'Why didn't you tell me Paduma is your son?' Somapala demands.
He then turns to his wife and claps his hands.
'Hamine, we must have this rascal in our family. The marriage will
take place.'
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