The Great Pretender

M.Y.M. Meeadhu

It was raining heavily, lightening flashed. Thunder rolled. All these created a terror stricken atmosphere. Pedestrians sought shelter at the Maradana bus halt. They were half wet and half not wet.

The scene of the people taking shelter some how or other attracted the attention of a middle aged Muslim gentleman who was standing with an umbrella over himself. It was evident from his sight that he was waiting for the bus bound for Borella. All of a sudden, his eyes were focused on a scene with great surprise.

“Oh!, what a pathetic condition it is! How is this woman going to bring up this infant? Alas! How is she going to spend the night in the heavy rain?’ That gentleman gazes at the boy crying in the biting cold. His limbs curse the cruelty of rain and being unable to tolerate the pitiable sight of the mother and the baby he stands wonder struck. He realized after a few minutes that the bus with 103 route number had already passed the bus halt.

That gentleman has been working as a ticket issuer at a Borella Cinema for the last five years. He is accustomed to seeing the sad scenes that follow in the films but the scene he witnessed touched his heart. The next bus arrived. The gentle man managed to get in to the bus after some struggle, “Hello! Cader! Why are you very late today? It is already 6.35. The show would have begun,“ said his friend Ravi who was traveling from Fort to Borella after having worked over time.

But as far as Cader was concerned, his mind was haunted with the thoughts of that woman and her baby.” Today it was because of heavy shower I got delayed,“ replied Cader and engrossed in deep thought. The bus passed Punchi Borella. “what a sin! How will she protect her daughter from the severe cold? she had only a tattered cloth in her hand. She looked half naked without proper dress. It is not even a month since she delivered the baby. It cries without bearing the cold, instead of being protected from woollen sheet worn round the body in a cradle and made it sleep after lullaby.

The cold wind makes the body shiver and cry.

Thus, being beset with thousands of thoughts, Cader was floating in the wind of sympathy. At last, the bus too reached Borella.

His legs pulled him into the theatre where the manager began to pester him with various questions for his delay. He was uttering something aloud. But those things did not reach Cader’s ears. He went straight into the theatre and occupied a vacant seat. The show was in progress.

He rose from the seat. He wondered! What’s this same scene here too! On the main road a begging woman with a baby is in the pool of blood as a result of an accident with a car. Cader became restless! He came out of the theatre. He said to the manager, ”I am not well today.”

The manager looked in the pale face of Cader who said, ”I beg of you to allow me to get back home earlier”. The manager could not resist Cader’s sudden change of mood and promptly replied “ Okay! you are permitted to leave for home and take full rest. Then you can report back to duty tomorrow or day after tomorrow as you wish.”

Cader took lodging in a house on the Forbes Lane. But he could not sleep at all during the whole night. His mind was awake with the pathetic feelings for that deserted woman and the agonizing baby.

How can this woman bring up this child at that unprotected pavement without any basic facilities for living? Was the question repeated in his mind and it was like a blow of an iron rod upon his head. I should buy a tin of a milk food, new bangles, new toys while reaching home. “You should have taken all these toys and you should not forget!.” These words of his wife irritated him. ”Who is going to buy a tin of milk food for this woman? Who will stitch a skirt for her?” Alas! He held the head tightly and buried his face in bed. Sleep embraced him some how or other.

Next morning he set out to the hotel for breakfast. He saw the same woman at the pavement, begging with her baby in her hand. My hand picked a five rupee coin from the pocket and placed it in her hand. There was jingle of the coin. His heart was in full bloom. “ she will buy something for that baby.” He then became satisfied with the expectation that she would buy some thing for the baby.

Having had breakfast, he hurried to take up the duty of matinee show absent mindedly. But, as it was a Poya day. there was not a matinee show. Cader left for home. His thoughts centred round the life of that beggar family. The bus in which he traveled stopped at Thihariya and he got down and approached the door of the home. He took the baby caressingly and kissed it lovingly.

“That’s right! It is almost two months since I delivered the baby. You don’t want to give particulars for birth certificate even after two months passed. We will have to face problems for our negligence. Then you will realize your carelessness. What can I do as a woman? How many days have passed since I told you to bring a tin of milk food?

The baby is crying continuously in the night. This time you have to bring two tins and go to Colombo!“ uttered breathlessly Cader’s wife. But the Cader’s thoughts were diverted to the case of the beggar family that he came across in Colombo. ‘Who is there to give particulars for the birth certificate of that baby?

“ Who will prosecute against the parent after lapse of three months? That beggar woman eats the remnants of bread and other eatable things thrown by the people and bring up the child by breast feeding it. But here, after drinking pure milk and eating meat or fish regularly there is quarrel over purchasing of milk food.” His mind wondered what the world it is!

The salary that Cader draws in Colombo is not adequate to meet the expenses of the meals in Colombo and the expenditure of meals at home. He compares his life with that of the beggar woman. The following day he waits for bus bound for Borella at Maradana bus halt as usual.

His eyes searched for something. It was the same person in distance. That person with the same baby talks with another person. ”Is it her husband,” I ask myself. It seems the deserted husband has come back to her. I guess! Let her get a new life. It was Cader’s prayer. After a while he noticed the two persons coming towards the bus halt. Cader over heard the beggar and the middle aged man were sharing a secret. Cader was restless. He stood behind and listened to the secret exchange of words.

“How is the new way of earning? How much have you got as daily collection? I have employed another woman like you to do the same job. She has an enormous income. She earns more than a thousand rupees a day. Alright. How much have you now? Hand it over to me quickly. I’ll pay you one third of your daily collection. Okay!” The man asked woman.

The beggar woman takes five hundred rupees out of her torn blouse and stretches it to the man. I think you are keeping your commission with you. “If you pretend in a better way in future you can earn more than what you earn now. Try your best.“ The man disappeared with the collection, taking the money hurriedly without showing his identity to others in the crowd. The beggar woman resumed her usual lamentation and complaints of abject poverty to all the strangers passing that pavement. Some of them gave ten rupee notes. Others gave twenty, fifty - in the course of the day.

Cader who got the full picture of the deceitful drama played by the beggar woman and her sponsor. His mind underwent a change of mood and got into the 103 Route bus to report to his duty at the Cinema. The bus runs fast carrying that gullible and the innocent man Cader whose mind is still haunted by that despicable incident of the beggar woman with a baby.

A special Note: This short story was submitted to Mawanella AGA office through the Grama Sevaka of Dumbuluwawa Wasama on March 2, 2009 as an entry to participate in the National Literary competition conducted by Department of Cultural Affairs, 8th floor, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla. This short story won the first place in a competition organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs.