Wanderers in Eternity – Chapter 2 (Page 5)
“Oh, little master.”
“All of you are the same. From the same bunch of coconuts.”
“Then you are a breadfruit,” Suneetha kidded.
At this time, Lionel hit his sister. Suneetha came running into the house and made a complaint to her mother. Very soon, Lionel received a good beating from mother. He sat in a corner of the yard and cried till night fell. He came back in when he sniffed the dried fish that Aggie Nona was frying.
When Victor came home that night, Suneetha’s complaint was renewed. Furious, Victor caned his son in a manner that he would never forget.
Lionel went to bed without his dinner. While tears streaked his cheeks, he fell asleep. He was awakened when mother came and rubbed some oil on the blisters on his back. But he pretended he was asleep. Within him flamed a raging though to take revenge from his whole family one day.
A few days after this incident the family went on a pilgrimage to Katharagama. In the hiring car, next to the driver sat Victor, and Ajith say next to him. On the back seat, Lionel and Suneetha were both competing for the window seats. Mallika sat between the two of them. As they left Colombo and the car was speeding down Galle Road, Lionel realized that his sister had the better seat which faced the ocean. He was not happy about this. But he kept quiet and travelled with a sour face. When everyone got out of the car at Kalutara to offer money to the temple, Lionel took Suneetha’s seat.
“Look, mother,” Suneetha started to cry. “Brother stole my seat.”
“I want to sit on this side,” Lionel said stubbornly.
“How obstinate is this boy!” Mallika yelled at her son. “Give that seat to your sister.”
“She had this side all this time.” Lionel was trying to find excuses. “I want this side now.”
“Lionel give that seat to your sister.” Victor also scolded him. “Or do you want another beating from me?”
With a long drawn face Lionel went back to his old seat. After this he did not speak a word. Everyone else chatted happily all the way.
Later when they stopped in Galle for lunch, Suneetha offered her seat to her brother because she felt sorry for him.
Though Lionel said “I don’t want it,” he did take the seat. After this he enjoyed the scenery all along the coast line and cooled down from the sea breeze.
Lionel listened with disgust when mother and father spoke of his sister as a girl with good qualities and an understanding. But he hardened his feelings like an outsider who could not hear these comments and got lost in his own little world. His stubbornness grew a great deal during this journey.
“I will take revenge from all of you one day,” he told himself.
The town of Katharagama brought some peace of mind to everyone. Lionel imitated his father when he swam around in the Manik river. They managed to get a room for the night at the Ramakrishna guest house.
The elders were planning to have an early dinner and then go to the shirne. As if forgetting all his anger and animosities Lionel started playing with his younger sister and brother. They did not go too far from the premises. Instead they ran around in the sandy yard and along the shiny tiled floors of the hallway.
“Come and eat,” Mallika called her children. “Come and eat.” She was asking them to join in the feast offered by the organizers at the guest house.
“Come and eat,” Suneetha also yelled out imitating her mother. “Come on and eat.”
“Come on, come on,” Little Ajith also tried to imitate. “Kanna Sami, Kanna Sami.”
“Mother did you hear that?” Suneetha was amused. “Little brother said Kanna Sami.”
“Kanna Sami?” Mallika repeated.
“Kanna Sami, Kanna Sami,” Ajith kept on saying.
“He must have heard that name from somewhere.” Victor guessed. “Maybe by the river…”
“Kanna Sami, Kanna Sami,” saying this Ajith became contemplative.
“It’s not Kanna Sami, son. It is Kanda Sami.” Victor corrected him.