The fruitful search

Siripathy Jayamaha

Four hours after the tsunami. The eerie silence of death, weeping and desolation were all around them. Dr Tilak Siriwardene and his wife Dr Seela were tired. Two sleepless nights in caring for the afflicted. Seela was expecting her second baby. They were on their way to Kegalle, their home town, with their one year old son. It was dusk. Suddenly Seela cried.

"Tilak, stop the car, I saw someone lying by the road. A woman was on the road. She was cuddling a baby." Seela closed her eyes. She had seen enough. She did not want to see any more. The woman spoke feebly. She said that her husband and two of her children had been washed away. She pleaded with them to take her baby to the Salmalgama Temple and leave him at the entrance. Her brother, she said, was the chief priest. They had not met in years, because he did not approve of her marriage.

"I am dying, please lady, do this for me. My brother has always been a gentle person who understands, the hearts of those in despair. Just leave him there. He will look after my baby. Please my lady, in the name of your beautiful daughter whom you are carrying, do this.

The Blessings of the Triple Gem will give her much joy in life, and happiness to you both,"

"Please say yes." She fainted.

The mother was admitted to the nearest hospital. The Siriwardenas took the baby to Salmalgama.

"Tilak, did you hear what she said - a daughter, what a wonderful prediction and blessing from a mother."

He was about eight months cuddly, fair, rosy cheeks and blissfully asleep. They gave him some milk from their son's infants milk, using the spare feeding bottle. They wrapped him in their son's cot sheets. They cried:

"Lord Buddha we know you will look after him. We have brought him to your home."

They covered him with a collapsible mosquito net. They left with heavy hearts. Salmalgama slept, quite unaware of the new comer to town.

Ven Mettananda Thera was a light sleeper. He heard the cries of a baby. The time was 4.30 am. It came from the shrine room side. There, on the steps he saw a waiting baby. He took him in his arms. The crying stopped. He carried him into the Shrine Room.

"Please my Lord Buddha, you have given me a tiny stranger early this day. Please, I need your guidance."

He felt elated. He woke up his assistant. They placed the baby on a mattress. The Ven Thera called a few of his dayaka sabha members. As requested they came with their spouses. One member brought Fr Malcolm, the Catholic Parish Priest. Fr Malcolm took the baby in his arms.

"Ah ha, a little angel for my friend Metthananda to take care of." A birth certificate had to be arranged, the DMO examined the new resident. Perfectly healthy chap. "Shall we call him," said Fr Malcolm "Salmantha Devagama or Devapura?" All agreed. All were happy. The ladies took care of the little one's needs.

"We are going to make Kiribath" said one. "Fr Malcolm, Sumanatissa, and dear Pinwathune - I want to tell you something before you leave. This angel as dear Fr Malcolm called him, will stay with me, here. My Dayaka Sabha Members must look into her welfare. If any one out there in town does not agree - please tell them to sort it out with the person in the Shrine Room. As for me, I have obtained His Gracious Permission - God Bless You All. Amen!" said Fr Malcolm and started to clap. Funny all joined in. Even the two monks.

Salmantha grew in the temple, under the branches of the serene Bo Tree and the protective wings of the Ven High Priest. The boy was bright. He learnt his lessons with dedication, was well versed in the scriptures - Buddhist and Christian. At 23 he passed out as a doctor. At the age of 26 he was a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was attached to the Kegalle Hospital. His healing hands and soothing smile became the talk of the town. All loved him, the hospital staff, colleagues and the patients.

One evening, Dr Salmantha had visitors - A Bhikku, a Catholic priest, a gentleman in a national dress and two pleasant looking ladies clad in white. Of course Dr Salmantha was a frequent visitor to the Salmalgama temple and church, but this was the first time that the two priests had paid him a visit. He was honoured. Then a strange thing happened. One of the ladies walked up to Salmantha, embraced him. "Putha, my putha." The strange-unexplainable magnetic attraction of a son to a mother - Salmantha too put his arms round her and wept. There were lots of tears in that room that day. Son said to Malcolm. "She is truly your mother and Mayadunne Thera is your maternal uncle, her only brother". Salmantha fell at their feet. He hugged her mother, carried her and kept her on his lap, with his head resting on her breast. She narrated the story. She had struggled through. Survived. Being a graduate had found employment was determined to find her son. Reluctantly she had gone to Salmalgama temple. Mayadunne Thera continued the story. He and his sister blessed the gentle folk who had acceded to a mother's plea.

Just then the Siriwardena couple came. A courtesy call or may be a divinely orchestrated visit. Dr Seela was staring at the lady wiping her tears. The face seemed familiar. Dr Salmantha had heard of the Siriwardena couple. He introduced his mother to the high priest of the Salmalgama temple Fr Malcolm and the rest. Seela suddenly realized that something was happening. She fell at the priest's feet and Tilak's too. They told him about the baby. Fr Malcolm and Ven Mayadunne smiled. The good monk introduced Dr Salmantha to the Siriwardenas the babe they had left at the temple on that most beautiful day. They cried, they laughed, they talked. Seela told Salmantha's mother about her prediction of a daughter. Yes! They were looking for a partner for her - a happy girl.

A mother had been looking for her son, while another, for a partner for her daughter. How dreams can be very real.

A few months later Dr Prof Salmantha Devagama left with his bride Priyanthie Siriwardena on an UNDP assignment to the Pacific Islands.