Making a sincere attempt to bring an unimagined and unexplored treasure trove of modern Sinhala literature to the English reading community, Montage is bringing Mahinda Prasad Masimbula’s award winning novel Senkottan translated by
Malinda Seneviratne, veteran journalist, writer and poet. Senkottan (The Indelible), a remarkable creation of literature by Mahinda Prasad Masimbula was his debut effort in his literary career for which he won the State Literary Award in 2013 and short-listed in Swarna Pusthaka Literary Awards and many other Literary Award Festivals in the same year. The book has been published by Santhawa Publishers and ‘Senkottan’ has blazed the trail in the self-publishing industry as one of the best-selling books in Sinhala literature.
CHAPTER 4, PART 1
Aney budu akke! Don’t hit me…please don’t hit me!’
It was Heen Ridee who was thus wailing around seven o’clock in the morning. Podina had caught her by the hair and was hitting her backside with an ilapatha until the broom made of ekels came apart.
Aney budu akke! Please don’t kill me….I will never do such things again!’
Podina was like one possessed. Nambu Henaya and Baba Henaya watched from a distance trembling with fear. Nambu Henaya took one step forward. Then he stepped back again, knowing well that if he uttered even a single word, he too would be treated with the ilapotha. Each stroke that fell on Heen Ridee caused them both to wince.
‘Vulgar woman! Do you think you are at an age for this kind of matrimonial nonsense? Tell me! Have you already been defiled? When amma and thaaththa get back, it’s from me that they will inquire, don’t you know that? Amma, Rambadi Loku Amma and I advised you endlessly, don’t you remember? Did you care at all for any of that, tell me!’
She continued to beat her sister with the ilapatha. Unable to bear it any longer, Nambu Henaya took a few steps towards them. He pleaded with utmost deference.
‘Podina…you’ve beaten the little girl enough now, don’t you think? Her backside must be severely bruised. These are things that happen out of ignorance after all…’
Podina stared at him for a moment. Then she pounced on him and let him too have a taste of the ilapatha.
‘Get away you good-for-nothing…go bring a branch with sharp and stout thorns so I can rub it on her right there…to cure her of her hunger once and for all. If there was a man with any manhood in this house random, ill-bred cads would not pour vulgarity through the windows.’
Nambu Henaya knew that he will be at the receiving end of endless censure from now onwards. He retreated, crestfallen. Baba Henaya stood like a statue, transfixed with shock. The woman who was hiding in the arecanut grove at the end of the path outside the gate and watching what was unfolding intently was Garu Ridee. It was a splendid gift that she had received that morning. She could not wait to spread the bad news throughout the length and breadth of the village before the sun reached its zenith. She too had a cowcatcher set of teeth, just like that of her brother Nambu Henaya. She was different to him only on account of being a woman, a distinct craftiness and a loquacious mouth. After a while she came halfway towards the gate and with a nod of her head commanded her brother to come towards her.
He was hesitant though. She, on the other hand, needed to talk to him. Nambu Henaya looked at Garu Ridee now and then at Podina. His gaze moved from one to the other. His sister was a stern creature too. He was like an arecanut caught in a giraya, caught between the twin blades of the nutcracker. The insistent command in the sister’s eyes compelled him to leap over the fence and go towards her. Heen Ridee, sprawled on the ground continued to wail, clutching her locks of hair. Podina, exhausted by her exploits was seated in the verandah, catching her breath. She noted from the corner of her eye the surreptitious behaviour of the brother and sister beyond the fence.
‘What happened? Was it some kind of lustful story?’ Garu Ridee whispered her queries into her brother’s ear.
‘You speak as though you know everything, don’t you? I was watching how you were spying from the arecanut grove all along. Get away sister without causing me further trouble…’
‘I told you not to get involved with this dirty family did I not? Did you listen? You couldn’t resist the lust-devil, could you? You were fooled, brother….absolutely fooled! You were fooled by that she-devil’s light red skin. You saw how wicked she can be! It’s hardly two weeks since that little girl attained age….and she took a man into her room in the middle of the night! Despicable! Sure, they are from our clan…but the old woman…she’s robbed me of so many puberty rituals. They haven’t suffered enough…..damn them!’
Podina heard the last words which Garu Ridee had spat out with considerable venom. She picked up the half broken ilapatha and ran towards the gate. Garu Ridee realized that it was time to leave. Nambu Henaya was once again rendered helpless. Podina screamed at the retreating woman.
‘What were you kutukutu-fying? Were you teaching you brother how to be a husband? Such men are an insult to all males, you know! Tell him to pluck a jak fruit or a breadfruit. He will pee at the foot of the tree!’
Garu Ridee, for her part, unleashed foul words of her own and disappeared among the trees. Nambu Henaya avoiding Podina crept through a gap in the fence near the Suriya tree, a fair distance away from her. He crawled towards Baba Henaya. Podina turned back and saw Heen Ridee, still sprawled on the ground and sobbing.
‘Go ask your man if the chillie stung him well. Get into the house. Now! You can’t leave until amma and thaththa return. Couldn’t you have waited until you actually grew into a full woman, I ask you! You’ll realize when you get into trouble one day what kind of lover visited you at night. He’ll toss a little one into your lap knowing well that there are enough people here to take care of the baby…’
She raised the ilapatha once again. Heen Ridee fled into the house. Nambu Henaya was still trembling with fear. He breathed more freely only when he saw Guna Ralahamy, who hastened through the tract of paddy fields and stepped into their compound. Podina threw away the ilapatha the moment she saw him and came out to greet him. Much of the fear that had possessed Nambu Henaya disappeared the moment Guna Ralahamy arrived. He took a few steps towards him, along with Baba Henaya.