The Quarrel - Part II
A series of programs will be held to
honour the renowned literati Dr. Gunadasa marasekara, who turns 80 in
November. Kalahaya appears in his celebrated short story collection
Jeevana Suvanda. The short story, written in his usual lyrical style,
portrays complexities in the middle-class life. Artscope features the
English translation, The Quarrel, in five parts. The first part was
published in last week's Artscope
Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera Translated by Professor
Kusuma Karunaratne
It was about a month ago that Lily was brought to do our household
chores. Our former old servant woman left us to live with her daughter.
Since then, mother frequently complained that she was unable to do the
teaching as well as the household chores all by herself. Then father
took immense trouble to find a maid to do the work. He wrote to a number
of his friends requesting them to find a servant. That's how Lily was
found. She comes from Neluwa and at the time, she was about eighteen
years of age. Earlier, she had been working as a nanny at Matara. From
the way mother treated her from the first few days, I knew she disliked
Lily. Often, mother complained about Lily's inability to work
efficiently. Mother said she had been brought only to be petted by us.
Before this I had never seen mother scolding anybody like this. Leave
aside quarrelling, even harsh words were not uttered at home before. I
felt this transformation very strange. I was anxious as to when mother
would start scolding Lily and whether this would lead to a quarrel
between father and mother. Because of this, every moment I lived in
fear.
Mother, having served some sauce and curries into my plate, took her
plate and sat on the box in which provisions were stored. She took only
a few mouthfuls, pulled a long face and left her plate on the table. She
glanced at me with a worried look on her face.
"My god! What a waste" she exclaimed, after a while.
"Either this must be palatable or else my money, earned by wasting my
throat from dawn to dusk, must not go waste... Can anyone eat this
stuff... This curry is so saltish... Just see this ash plantain curry...
I wonder where on earth she learnt to use so much mustard... Where is
this wretch?" Mother got up from her seat and walked up to the door. I
followed her with the plate in my hand. I thought she went to thrash
Lily.
"Those who ate this stuff earlier must be either devoid of their
taste-buds or else everything she prepares must be ambrosia to them."
I was trembling with fear, thinking that father would have heard what
mother said. Stealthily, I walked up to the door and peeped inside.
Father was lying with his eyes closed on the easy chair beside the bed.
I was rather relieved when I guessed that father was asleep.
"See where that wretch is. I must teach her a good lesson."
I looked for her in the kitchen. She wasn't there.
"She's not here... She may have gone to the toilet." I said.
"She must be about the place... Drag her here by her hair." Yelled
mother.
As I walked out, I saw Lily doing something near the toilet. I was
certain, if I called her there would be a quarrel. Instead of calling
her I decided to tell mother that she's not to be seen.
"She's not to be seen here... May have gone to the rubber plantation
to fetch some firewood." I said.
"Lily! Lily!!" Shouted mother from the dining room window. This
window faces the rubber plantation. Fortunately, Lily kept silent.
"Wait till she comes. I'll teach her a good lesson." Said mother. She
took her plate off the table, sat on the box and started eating.
I finished eating quickly because of fear and anxiety. I thought I
should change the subject and decided to talk of that day's lessons,
which I learnt at school.
"That new lady teacher taught us some poems about the Olinda Keliya."
I said. Usually, mother likes to find out what we were taught in the
class. Then she would start criticizing. But mother was silent this
time, as if she did not hear what I said.
"We didn't follow anything of what she taught." I said so as to
attract mother's attention.
"Not that nonsense, I am thinking of the gloom that came over this
place." Said mother resentful of what I said. "If I keep this slut here
any longer. I am sure it will end up in a disaster. This wretch has come
here to ruin us; there is no doubt about it."
She got up and poured some water to the cup off the sauce pan.
"This looks like plain cold water. I wonder if this is boiled." said
mother. She gulped some water and sat on the camp-bed on which I was
seated. She was in deep thought as she rested her head on the pillow. I
too sat by her. Mother lay like this for a long time, as if asleep.
Usually mother rests after lunch in the bedroom. I was sorry as well as
wondering as to why she was resting on the camp bed. I know she does
this when she gets wild with father. Is she wild with father today too?
I slid back and leaned against the wall. Mother ordered me out of bed.
"Go away for me to rest a while." she said, fretfully, stretching her
legs.
I came out and sat on the bench which was lying in the corridor
between the bedroom and the dining room.
There was complete silence in the room where mother was and a similar
silence reigned in father's room. The schoolrooms too, which were free
of the afternoon chatter, were quiet. But I had an inkling that a brawl
would start out of this silence. Any moment, mother would start a
quarrel. Several times, I went to the room and peeped at father. It was
quite clear that father was not asleep even though his eyes were closed.
I thought how nice it would be if some one came to fetch father to see a
patient. If he were to go, no quarrel would start. I walked hither and
thither despondently. |
