Sunday - The newspapers are full of pictures of my visit to Khettarama Stadium to greet the cricketers. Unfortunately the colour of the cake was green, but I couldn’t do anything about that, except to wear a blue ‘Osariya’ to offset that! Thankfully, SB is not in the country; otherwise he would be jumping in front of the cameras. Anyway, finally it was a disappointment because Sachin didn’t offer me a piece of - cake!
Monday - Now they tell me they have to increase the price of bread to seven fifty. I asked them what the people would say, after I promised them a loaf at three fifty. Kingsley says the people will forget all that as long as we win the cricket matches. I told him that people will start comparing me to Marie Antoinette, specially after I took that cake to the cricket team. Kingsley thought about that for a while and asked,’Marie who’?
Tuesday - SB is back and with him comes the news that that Susanthika girl is coming with a silver medal. This is becoming a real nuisance because if I didn’t greet her they will say I like only the cricketers and that too because of Reggie. But I can’t take a cake and go to the Airport, I told SB, and he said she would get the girl to come to my place. And, who would think that this same SB nearly ruined the girl’s career for drinking beer....
Wednesday - It’s GL’s birthday, so I sent him a card. Now, it’s hard to think that the chap is fifty one! Come to think of it he is my age but half my size! I must tell him that if he dyed his hair and removed his glasses, he would look like a university student. But then, there’s another rumour that he has dyed his hair grey and wears spectacles just to look like a professor.....
Thursday - Mangala has reshuffled the boys at the House by the Lake. They have been instructed to tell the country what a good ruler I am. He also wants me to do a ‘question and answer’ interview with the public. I reluctantly agreed. I am worried about what they will ask me, but he says it will be just like those friendly interviews with Lucien or Palitha....
Friday - Fowzie has done it again. And we were blaming the doctors all this time! Now the buses and the trains are not running and they want me to intervene. The question is, what do I do with Fowzie? I could make him the Minister of Fisheries, but then, the chances are that the fish will go on strike......
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