The unstoppable hands of the clock of time kept moving. The time table of the O/L examination was displayed on the school notice board. All the students of grade eleven classes had received their admission cards. The GCE O/L Examination Centre was located at a school close to the town. Nandana Menike came to the town with her school friends every day. The examination was held for many days and on the last day, there was only one subject and it was confined to a half a day. Since the evening was free, the members of the peer groups had planned to see a film to get rid of the pressure they had due to the studies for the exam. Nandana Menike too agreed without opposing Samantha's temptation.
"Where are our girls…? I don't know what they are doing being still inside…"
Rahula, who was beside Samantha, rather lost his temper and grumbled about the delay of the girls?
"Might have gone to empty the tanks and will come back after washing..." It was the response that came from Piyal.
"Hey, guard your tongue men… how dare you insult our friends like that…?"
Amidst jokes, Samantha was waiting impatiently to see Nandana Menike coming out of the gate with her friends.
"I think it is Punya, who may be getting late… she always…" Indika didn't allow Piyal to complete the utterance as he got hot tempered.
"If I start telling about your one… it's not the film that you are going to see today…!"
Indika was Punya's boyfriend. He was an Advanced Level student. He had taken the responsibility of booking tickets in advance along with his plan to meet Punya near the cinema hall.
"At least today, try to get a word from her without sitting on the fence…! Today itself, finish it off… ok…? We also keep looking at you giving many chances…" One of Samantha's friends was jeering at him tapping on his shoulder, as he knew Samantha's lack of courage or failure in expressing his idea to Nandana Menike.
"She likes me… I know it…" Samantha expressed his trust he had placed in her to his friends without any doubts as if he had conquered the whole world, though not yet declared.
"You…, keep quiet man… we know who you are… We just kept silent as we felt pity for you… Otherwise… isn't it…?" Talkative Piyal opened his loose mouth looking for help from another one.
"It took a longer time to explode… and that chance came to you…"
Samantha looked away as he didn't want to respond for he knew that it would only make things worse.
"Truly… eh… how was that lass those days…? What a scrawny thing…! But you see… now… what a gorgeous figure…!"
Samantha glanced at him with a frown as being unable to bear up his mockery and insult.
"You see… you see over there…! Our sweet hearts are descending…!"
Samantha turned to look at the girls who were at that time coming out through the school gate. Among them Nandana Menike looked so gorgeous and stood out of the crowd allowing no comparisons. The pride in his mind lit up his heart secretly. Amidst all sort of jokes, they came near a park located in the center of the town.
"No points of going to the cinema right now… let's wait here for about half an hour and then go…" Since there was enough time for the film, all in chorus agreed with that idea.
"Samantha, when is your wedding…? Are you going to have it before the results are out…?"
Nandana Menike looked at Samantha to learn what kind of reactions he would show to the words uttered by Piyal. Yet, as the only reaction, his lips held an innocent smile.
"Hey, have mercy upon this girl… at least today; finish it off shedding all doubts…" The talkative boy with his words dragged Samantha by his hand and pushed him towards Nandana Menike.
"What's wrong with you all…? Don't you have any other business…?" She looked at Samantha pretending to be in embarrassment blended with anger.
Letting his friends move towards the park, Samantha eyed her to slow down her pace.
"They think that between us, mmm…, mmm… a kind of relationship is there..." With much difficulty, he picked up the words and pronounced.
Even though Nandana Menike understood what he tried to get across, she looked away as if she didn't get anything.
"Actually… Nanda… I tried to ask you about it many times…"
"About what…?" She asked that question knowing the answer that would come from him.
"I like you Nanda…" filling his heart with full of hopes, he glanced at her with a pleading look in his eyes.
The friends were waiting at the park gate for Samantha and Nandana Menike. Suddenly, Nandana Menike's attention was drawn to a Volkswagen car parked on the other side of the road.
Bernard saw Nandana Menike when he was coming out of the Divisional Secretariat office which was situated opposite the garden. Since he had been paying special attention to her, he came straightly towards Nandana Menike.
"Finished the exam…?"
His arrival caused a pin-drop silence for the group.
"Yes…" Nandana Menike responded as she couldn't compose her mind on anything
"Then let's go… my work is also over…"
Getting ready to react to Bernard's invitation, Nandana Menike looked at Samantha. By that time he had joined his friends passing her.
"Pushpa, I'm going home with Bernard Hamu…"
Nandana Menike, increasing the volume of her voice, informed one of her friends in the crowd as she had no other option to tell that unexpected change in the planned agenda. Samantha, with much disappointment, gazed at Nandana Menike as she was crossing the road with Bernard and heading towards the vehicle.
"You are a real fool… You could have covered the girl when you saw that man…" Samantha overheard one of his friends whispering in anger.
Nandana Menike, with a dilemma, occupied the front seat of the vehicle. Samantha's eyes could see that Nandana Menike was turning her head towards him as the vehicle started moving. Samantha's mind was engulfed with an unbearable pain.
"Before long… we can see her only in films…" The talkative boy told in a loud voice.
Samantha stared at him with mixed feelings. There was a greater possibility of what Piyal said to be true. Couldn't the transformation of Nandana Menike into a girl of such beauty be the cause of all these?
"Forget about all these and let's go ahead… Kumari… you were crying for want of a partner… you see, now it is also ok…" The volume of cracking jokes increased again. Samantha noticed that she was looking at him with a mark of shyness on her face and Samantha, in turn, treated her with a mild smile.
The fragrance flowing from Bernard reminded Nandana Menike of her day she attained puberty. The moment he embraced her on that day entered her mind with a sense of happiness. She remembered the strange feeling she experienced when her cheeks were touched by the stubble of his face. Though she wanted to look at him straightly, she didn't do so and she peeked at him. His mustache brought him rather a majestic look. There were a few gray hairs which were distinctly visible in his beard as it had not been shaved for three or four days? He possessed such a great look, and the words required to describe didn't come to Nandana Menike's mind at once. Bernard, sensing that Nandana Menike's attention was towards him, turned his head and spread a mild smile over his mouth.
"How many days more for the exam…?"
"Finished…, it's over from today…" A feeling of humbleness was etched in her tone.
"Oh…! Then I made a mistake… your friends would get angry… wouldn't they…? All of you were there near the park, I think; you all were going to celebrate the end of your exam…"
Slowing down the vehicle, Bernard broke silence expressing his regret for taking Nandana Menike away from the group of friends.
"No… no… Hamu… I had no idea to join them…" She promptly reacted that way not to show him that he made a mistake.
"How was the exam…? Easy…?" Speeding up the vehicle he asked.
She remained in silence.
"What are you going to do for A/L…?"
Another question! She was wondering as she was not in a position to answer a question of that sort at once. Bernard again glanced at her with the same smile on his face.
"Not yet decided…?" It was Bernard's attempt to break her silence.
"Who knows whether I will pass or not, Hamu…"
Since she had a dilemma regarding the exam results, Bernard thought not inquire about it again from Nandana Menike. A brief silence was in progress. Nandana Menike preferred the peculiar sound generated by the Volkswagen car.
"My wife Sandra likes to speak to you… since Koinamma is also there… shall we go there…?"
The suggestion was to accompany Nandana Menike to the three tiered bungalow. Bernard was inquisitive of her reaction.
"Bungalow…?" She expressed astonishment with her eyes wide open.
Bernard nodded his head instead of his verbal response.
"I have never been there…"
He realized that she has a willing heart to go there.
"That is it… having gone there… You can go back home with Koinamma in the evening."
Nandana Menike expressed her willingness quite happily. She had been trying for a long time to go to the three tiered bungalow with Koinmenika, but, to take her to the bungalow, Koinmenika avoided.
As the vehicle moved through the open gate along the stone strewn road, Bernard noticed Nandana Menike, with much interest, was looking at the garden of the bungalow.
The vehicle was parked under the portico of the second floor. He opened the front door inquiring about the surrounding to ascertain whether Rover was outside or inside the kennel. Having heard the sound of the vehicle, Periyavar, entered the living room of the second floor and opened the door for his Master to enter. Nandana Menike looked here and there remembering and comparing a mansion she had read in a fairy tale.
"Aha, Koinamma's daughter is here…" Periyavar's smile filled with betel stains, cast off her discomfiture.
"Where's Rover…?"
"Just now put into the kennel…"
Bernard came to the living room hinting Preiyavar what he had to do next. When the Tamil laborer went down to the ground floor with Nandana Menike, Rover started barking fiercely from which Nandana Menike was petrified. Periyavar quickly went towards Rover to control it as it became rather restless due to the instinct of an outsider inside the bungalow. Having seen her niece waiting near the stair case of the ground floor, Koinmenika held her hand and accompanied inside. Periyavar was busy running here and there for the preparation of lunch for her, while attending to it; he told Koinmenika that how Nandana Menike came to the bungalow with Bernard Hamu.
After lunch, Nandana Menike got a message asking her to come to the second floor. She came there with Koinmenika. This time she, quite freely, enjoyed the splendor of the huge living room. On the wall, there was a huge photo of Bernard and Sandra which had been taken in Paris keeping the Eiffel Tower in the background. Nandana Menike mentally examined the degree of Sandra's resemblance with her appearance. There was a rack, beside the piano, on which there were many ornamental items. In front of these items, there was a small table upon which a chess board was kept with its dices. It drew her special attention for which she couldn't give any valid reason.
Sandra descended from the third floor to the second floor through the decorative wooden staircase. Every part of the bungalow was well furnished adding more beauty and for Nandana Menike they seemed to be beyond her imagination. Nandana Menike thought, the presence of Sandra wearing a light green short -sleeved blouse and a pair of shorts, as if a princess had come to meet her. The niece stared at her grandma from the corner of her eyes adjusting her frock as she found a few inches above her right knee was seen from the posture she was sitting on the chair. She remembered the pieces of advice given to her by her grandma on such occasions. Nandana Menike felt that she had come out of a dream world and had been physically wandering in such a world in reality for about one hour. Nandana Menike left the three tiered bungalow with grandma after posing for a few photos with Sandra. Nandana Menike's happiness doubled and tripled when she was offered some Sandra's aroma scented clothing items.
Nandana Menike's heart filled with anxiety as she couldn't see Bernard Hamu since the day she came from the bungalow.
* * *
Samantha couldn't reckon how long he had been waiting on the hillock beside the tamarind tree. He waited there with much confidence expecting the arrival of Nandana Menike at the water spout. He noticed some of the settlers of the estate at the water spout and returning them after their washing. The feeling of hunger hinted him of the futility of his waste of time over there. His understanding about the water supply to Nandana Menike's house from the pipe line of the laborers' quarters located down the natural water pool took a long time to remind him.
However, he thought of a way to let her know of his arrival. The only resort he had was to go near her house. In case, he was seen by her mother, Nandana Menike would be in trouble. His mind didn't allow him to do that. He thought of establishing a rapport or a friendship with Kapilasena, as he would be able to convey an urgent message through him.
Samantha was thinking of a series of strategies to find out a possible channel through which he could safely meet Nandana Menike. Once he thought to meet Kapilasena to get some clay from him for some sculpture work. Yet, he knew that it wouldn't be successful as clay was taken from the paddy field down the water spout, and that would definitely lead to suspicion. Meeting him in order to learn how to make pottery from pottery's wheel could never be done because, if that news reached his parents' ears that would create more crises than expected.
Postponing the idea of going to Nandana Menike's house, Samantha turned back to go home instead. The main reason was his hunger had gone beyond the limit of tolerance. Even though he took the plate of rice after going home, he felt no appetite. His mind always looked for nothing else but Nandana Menike. When he was pouring water into his cup, he noticed the mouth of the goblet had a crack. He was quick off the mark. He knew that it would be a viable approach to get his plan successfully implemented. He drew up the plan telling his mother the need of buying a new goblet. He got ready to get the maximum benefit from that opportunity. He started writing a love letter mentioning all his love feelings.
Yasawathi, while combing and checking lice on Nandana Menike's head, cast off the displeasure she had developed towards Sandra, when she was told of the way how Nandana Menike was welcomed by them. The daughter incessantly went on talking about Sandra and Bernard. The descriptive explanation of the bungalow brought some consolation to the ears of Yasawathi.
Koinmenika was delighted to see the progress of Yasawathi as she was accomplishing her day today affairs methodically ever than before. Yasawathi who suffered from physical deformity right from her birth onwards was transformed into a happy woman as she could witness the promising prognostication of her lovely pretty daughter and her future. This did bring immense consolation and satisfaction to Koinmenika.
"Why did the Nona Hamu take photos of yours…?" Yasawathi asked her daughter as she wanted to know the reason.
"To send them to Nona Hamu's someone…"
Yasawathi was shocked to hear the news of Sandra's attempt to send photos to the daughter's father in that way. Since she had no information about Victor, or she had never heard of him from anybody after he left the country, she thought she would be able to get some sort of information from her daughter.
"Mother, have you seen the Nona Hamu's brother…?"
She just said "no" to her question to indicate that she hadn't seen him.
"There weren't many lice when you were bathing from the water spout…" When she mentioned that, her mind flashed back to her meetings which she had with Bernard from time to time at the water spout.
"It is you who don't allow me to go the water spout…" She responded with a resentful tone.
"Then…, for what purpose do they send those photos…?" She wanted to prolong the story about Victor with Nandana Menike as she didn't like to bury the past she had with him.
"I don't know mother…, I think he is like me… By the way, it's NOT that mother… Sandra Hamu asked me whether I like to go abroad and study…"
The suspicion over Sandra's indirect plan to possess Nandana Menike at once entered Yasawathi's mind.
"Then… did you agree with that…?" Yasawathi tried to see her reaction to it.
"How can I go there without knowing English…?
Yasawathi's social knowledge was not sufficient enough to understand Nandana Menike's desire to go abroad.
"Those Masters, who are supposed to be abroad…, aren't they coming to our country…?" Yasawathi was trying to sniff out about Victor.
"Twice or thrice a year, they are said to be coming here… Not only that, they say that he is having a hotel here as well…"
"If they have hotels here, they should be here round the clock, I mean… to look after those…"
"Mother…, those hotels are not like the ones you think… Those are meant for tourists… not for the local ones…, for tourists coming from other countries…" Imagining the hotels Nandana Menike had seen one day in Kandy, she explained the size of them stretching her hands.
"Let me also have a glance at those photos said to be taken…"
"It was taken from a camera brought from a foreign country… and said that those photos would be sent by some means…" Sending he photos taken from the digital camera to Victor by Sandra through the Internet was briefly explained to Yasawathi by Nandana Menike.
"Then you too ask for one of them…"
As Yasawathi reminded her, Nandana Menike decided to ask for some photos from Sandra.
Next morning, with Grandma Nandana Menike went to the three tiered bungalow. Yasawathi derived a sensed of happiness about their leaving for the bungalow. After they went out of her sight, Yasawathi went to the water spout for a bath, and when she was coming back, she noticed that the postman Gunadasa's son was having a chat with Kapilasena. She became rather inquisitive of his presence at her place.
"The child has come to get a goblet…"
She knew quite well that Kapilasena didn't make goblets. Besides, she felt rather annoyed as Samantha looked away without facing Yasawathi.
"Then… are you sure you are making goblets here…?"
"That's it… I have never tried out goblets…, I told him… Anyway, I will get one for you when I go to the town next week or week after the next.
"Hmm… that's good…" saying that Yasawathi headed towards the kitchen of the old house.
Samantha marked time hoping that Nandana Menike would come out of the house at any moment. Yet, he thought that staying there for long would be not that much wise as Yasawathi came home.
"Uncle…, then… I will come back a couple of days later…"
Kapilasena, while inspecting the half-dried pots raised his head slightly and expressed his agreement with a smile. Samantha's eyes, just before leaving, again turned towards the house, of which the doors and windows had remained closed.
"Is Nandana Menike not at home uncle…?" since Yasawathi was not close by, Samantha asked Kapilasena in a low voice.
"Ah… She has gone to the bungalow with Punchi Amma…, I'll tell her that you came here… when she is back home…" He said throwing the betel quid out of his mouth.
Samantha blamed himself for wasting his time without inquiring about Nandana Menike's presence before. Repenting on his foolish behavior, he went back with a heavy heart.
Nandana Menike had a shower from the attached bathroom of the huge bed room of the second floor, and after the shower Nandana Menike was given a make-up by Sandra. She left no stone unturned to change Nandana Menike's mind to go for a new dress, which Nandana Menike had never dreamt of. Sandra gave her a short blouse and a pair of shorts and besought her to wear them. Eventually, Nandana Menike had to put them on because of Sandra's insistence.
"Grandma will shout at me if she sees this…" She covered up her legs with both hands shyly as they had been exposed up to her thighs.
"Wow…! You have got beautiful hair. I never had such long hair… and your hair is thick…, any hair style can be done…" Sandra admired her hair while adding a hair style to Nandana Menike's long hair.
"Hamu Nona…, you have short hair… why is it brown…?" Nandana Menike was trying to puzzle out why she had such dyed hair.
"Last year when I was going to Singapore, I got this done… This colour is a new fashion…, Nanda, don't you like to colour your hair…?"
"Oh, no…! Grandma will kill me…" the words came out of her mouth before she thought of them.
Despite much objection from Nandana Menike, she was accompanied to the first floor for tea by Sandra. Koinmenika got lost for words when she noticed Nandana Menike with her make-ups and the dress. She couldn't believe her eyes and gazed at her in amazement. After a few seconds, she shed tears of joy.
"Koinamme…, your niece…! See…, how pretty she is…!"
Koinmenika nodded her head in agreement.
"It should be…, isn't it Koinamme…? If our brother sees her with his own eyes…" Without any sense of seriousness, Sandra went on expressing her idea.
Nandana Menike stared at Sandra in astonishment as she got a shock from what Sandra mentioned. The question, which she had asked thousands of times by herself was answered leaving no doubts. Sandra noted the distinct change in the behavior of both Koinmenika and Nandana Menike. She realized that Nandana Menike had not been aware of who her father was. Koinmenika, with much discomfort left the place without uttering a single word in order to avoid the crucial situation. Sandra inquisitively looked at Nandana Menike being unable to read the mind of the girl, who could obviously trace some evidence of who her father was. Sandra failed to understand the drops of tears that filled Nandana Menike's eyes, whether they were to be tears of pain, tears of joy or a blend of both.
At this crucial hour, Nandana Menike could see Bernard Hamu entering the bungalow through the garage and the kitchen of the first floor. He preferred the clothing items Nandana Menike had put on.
"Wow…! Very pretty…! You… dressed her for…?"
His arrival at that unexpected moment put everybody at ease. Nandana Menike, getting rid of her bewilderment, hid her shyness as soon as she saw Bernard Hamu. Her exposed long legs, and short blouse brought her a new look and freshness.
"Let me see…, come closer…" Bernard's voice was light.
Becoming more helpless, Nandana Menike glanced at Sandra with a pleading look. He held her hand and took her closer to him.
"Ah… Hamu…!"
Bernard having understood the awkwardness of Nandana Menike because of the unfamiliar dress she was wearing hinted Sandra to set her free from that discomfort and went towards the flight of stairs leading to the second floor.
"You are not used to this type of styles… that's why…, come with me… let's go to the upper living room…"
By the time she came to the living room of the second floor, Bernard had gone to the upper floor. On days when Bernard came home early, he had the habit of getting a wash and spending his free time leisurely there for some time and again going down to the second floor. Since Sandra knew that he would not come quickly, she went to the piano with Nandana Menike and started teaching the ABC of it.