Amid
Asantha U Attanayake
Homecoming!
After how many years!
Of course, my friends welcomed me, for I came home after five years.
We went out, chatted, argued and fought not only over a cup of tea, but
over lunches, dinners.
Just like good old days.
 Little by little chatting and chattering diminished, but I must tell
you, not all of a sudden. I almost didn't feel it even.
And one was honest enough to come out with the truth.
The so called truth!
Since you came from abroad, and you were not here for quite some
time, you know, people are inquisitive. Well, things have changed since
you've gone.
Yes, things have changed, and I accept it.
It was still my country, and I was her child, wasn't I? Didn't I come
home, to her after all?
Well, accept the reality. Yes, one of my uncles migrated to Canada
and one aunt is in England and my cousin that is, my aunt's son married
an English lady with whom others in my aunt's family are unable to
communicate, for 1956 has seen to that more or less.
True, another of my aunt lives in a refugee camp and we got to know
that her daughter gave birth to a son there.
Well, here I am, sent abroad, to pursue something.
I must tell you, circumstances have been not very bad for me, for I
didn't go to pursue anything else, but higher education.
But things have changed, that I obtained an identity card of a
research scholar of a reputed higher education institute abroad apart
from the national identity card I already had.
Well, I was going back because the vacation was over. Do you know
what happens when two rule one?
At least two major things happen. Number one is you will find a
neatly defined or tried-out-to-define (by barb wires) territorial
boundaries with a piece of no man's land in between. Let me tell you
more about this no man's land. It is a free-zone, like a vacuum. But it
has air though breathing is not easy, for the air is no one's. So it is
like a vacuum. No ownership. And on either side, the owned territories
exist, and the air is so much tight there that the vacuum gets
pressurized from both sides.
So, listen to my story. I was entering through one man's land and
don't forget, even there I have already been someone to be inquisitive
about. So, they asked for my identity card. Well, I am a responsible
citizen of my country, I obeyed. They seemed to be quite inquisitive.
Perhaps, more than I thought they would be.
But then, did I think that they would not be all that inquisitive?
After all, my country is in crisis. I was born here and it's a different
thing. I like peace prevailing in my country. Once I come back I can
return something I learned and acquired from outside. Well, back to the
track.
They were not MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) but Structural ones
(with limited space given to me to phrase my answers). I am on my way
back to pursuing higher education.
Of course I came for the vacation. Yes, my parents are here. I was
born and brought up here. Well, why I didn't go elsewhere to study was
not really my choice, the financial circumstances were such that one had
to compromise. Do I travel alone? Of course yes. A lot? Not much for I
have my exams.
Why all such questions? Do I look like a rowdy? My friends say I have
a proud look. Well, it could very well be, for both my father and
grandfather are proud men who earned their reputation by being honest
and hard working.
But, I did not get my identity card back. A strange thought was
creeping into me.....
For some unknown reason, they were not ready to trust me.....
Suddenly I felt something.
A Stranger!
How could that be? This is my land. I trusted them enough to trust
me. I am one of them those who want to live peacefully.
Feeling of betrayal? Helplessness? Who betrayed? My own countrymen?
My own land? How could it be possible?
I entered the free-zone. And well, the air had been of course very
tight. I can't tell you how tight.
I knew another man's land did exist once I crossed the no man's land.
So, here it was.
They too inquired about my identity card and I had to wait. So I
waited.
Where was I going? To study what? Interrogation was too creepy. I
felt uneasy. Anyways, I am a peace lover. I should have faith in me. And
that's the end of it. But they also did not believe me. It was openly
written on their faces.
I came out.
Started walking ahead.
No one trusts me. No one believed what I said.
I, the complete stranger, you will find still walking.
And that is the second thing that happens when two rule one.
She, who has been listening so intently that she was totally
resonating with him in his fathomless stream of thoughts, which was
flowing and over flowing through those heart-rending words, those
soul-tearing memories, suddenly was speechless. She wanted to do one
thing. To kiss the hand that narrated the story.
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