Wanderers in Eternity – Chapter 9 (Page 3)
“Really, I would like to do that,” Ajith replied. “Now, to me, any place is the same on this earth…. the same earth.”
As if not hearing his son’s words, victor Henagam lit up a cigarette. Rainwater fell off of the eaves and muddied the yard. Ajith kept looking at the bubbles rising in the muddy water.
“There comes the woman who just finished talking.” When Suneetha said this, Ajith looked up and ahead.
Anula who spoke last on stage and her daughter Visaka came running towards the house. Anula holding on to the raised and gathered hem of her pale yellow sari one hand. The chintz dress that Visaka wore was also soaked by the rain.
“Oh, don’t stay outside like that. Come into the house,” Anula said as she stepped on to the porch. :You, ladies and gentlemen, please do sit down. This is our home.”
Ajith’s eyes were drawn to Visaka. He thought that she looked just like her mother. The only difference was that Anula was a little order.
“Reverend Subuthi had also come and listened to my story,” Anula said. “He said he will come here. There he is.”
Ajith looked ahead. The priest with his head covered by an umbrella was not alone. Ajith recognized the young man who was sharing the priest’s umbrella.
“While you were telling your story, we stood in the back and listened,” the priest said as he neared the porch. “We were delayed on the road.”
“Please do come in, reverend,” saying this Anula turned to the interior of the house. “Let me bring a white cloth to cover the chair.”
When she went in, Visaka followed her.
The young man who came with the priest kept staring at the Henegamas as if in disbelief. Ajith spoke to him.
“Vasantharaja, this is my mother and my father. This is my sister, Suneetha.”
“I know.” Vasantharaja leaned against a pillar on the porch. “I know.” Victor and Mallika were dumbfounded. It was as if a restlessness was born within them on seeing Vasantharaja’s eyes.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” Vasantharaja said in very clear Sinhalese. “I know who this is…. Do you remember Lionel?”
Saying “My son!” Mallika started to cry all at once.
“Lionel- that is I. We are born and then we die, mother. This priest here explained it all to me.”
“We did and we are born again. There is no end to this eternity… All the attachments are temporary,” reverend Subuthi who was still standing on the porch side. This was when Anula came back out with a white cloth. While placing this over a chair, she at the young man who had come with the priest.
Vasantharaja was also looking directly at Anula and Visaka. After placing the cloth over the chair hastily, Anula allowed the priest to sit down and then worshipped him. All the others followed her actions.
“This is a very strange meeting, isn’t it?” the priest said.
“Anula…” Vasantharaja murmured. “Can you remember me?”
“Ian;t this man, reverend? He killed my husband, Siripala.” Wailing out loud, Anula ran out of the porch to the pouring rain. It was as if the soaking in the rain was a relief to her.
While everyone on in amazement, Vasantharaja also ran out to the yard.
“Anula….Anula….. Please forgive me, Anula… please forgive me for all the mistakes I made in my life, Anula.”
Yelling “Mother!” Visaka also ran out to the rainy yard. Hugging Visaka, Anula cried. Ajith could not hear everything that Vasantharaja was saying while kneeling down in front of the two women.
“Anula…I am Lionel…. I walked away from your love, Anula. Because of a revolution I gave up my whole life, Anula. Then I was born again, and again I joined a different revolution and killed innocent people, Anula… please forgive me, please forgive me, Anula….” His words were mingling in the downpour. the burning end of the cigarette that Victor threw out was doused by the rain.
Everyone who was staring in amazement on the porch heard the wods spoken by reverend Subuthi.
“Good people, look at all the attachments that we create while we go around in this cycle of Samsara. Good people, look at the tangled web we weave because of the desires and cravings that we bring upon us in the meantime. When we can’t even hold on to our own selves, why do we create attachments saying these are my parents, these are my children, this is my wealth and this is my race, good people? Let us do what we can for the others. Let us give for the sake of others… It is by giving only that this craving and desires can be lessened. It si by giving that we are liberated. Then by virtue and meditation we can purify our thoughts and bring the mind to one pointedness. That is where Nirvana is, good people. That is where true enlightenment is….”
Hearing reverend Subuthi’s words, Ajith walked out to the yard. He felt that the falling rain was washing his heart as well as the surroundings and purifying his whole being.
April 2, 1995
Sunday
English Translation completed December 24 1999
Internet Preparation Vicumpriya Perera.