Wanderers in Eternity – Chapter 1 (Page 7)
All the other children had left the premises by now. There was one automobile parked in the grounds.
A stranger came and asked her something. Janaki was shaken. Clutching the bag of books to her chest she ran to the main road. Usually with her father she turned to the left. She started running that way. If she could keep on going this way, she thought that she would eventually get home. Perhaps she would meet her father on the way. Hugging the bag, she ran panting and sweating under the boiling sun. She did not really notice or see all the people that walked by her.
Along with some others who had come to the Nugegoda junction, she crossed the road. She had to pass two more junctions. Gamsabhawa, where the village meeting hall was and Delkanda.
“Appa… Appa… Amma… Amma…” under her breath Janaki muttered to a rhythm.
A big red gasoline truck came to the main road from one side. Someone held her hand and stopped her. “Appa?” No it was not her father. Janaki shook off that hand.
“Be careful, little girl.”
Passing the gasoline station, she saw the few people who were standing nearby talking. For a moment, she felt an emptiness. In front of the gasoline station on the asphalt was a great big black patch. She jumped over it and ran.
“Appa… Appa… Amma… Amma…”
Only a little ways to go yet. Mother will definitely scold her for coming home alone. “Where’s Appa?”
“There are many juicy oranges on this tree…”
“Janaki.”
“Amma…”
Mother who showed up from nowhere stopped Janaki. Mother was carrying younger brother.
Mother placed Ranga on the ground and hugged Janaki and started to cry. Ranga cried as well. Janaki also started to cry without knowing why.
“Why mother, why?”