Bernard slightly raised his head hearing the footsteps on the flight of stairs and saw Sandra in her night dress descending towards the second floor. Before she approached him he quickly gulped down the glass of wine that was on the stool beside him. Then he turned his eyes towards the big photo in the living room, which had been taken in Paris.
"Need a cup of tea…?" She in fact didn't see the gin bottle before she asked that question.
"Already taken… again…?"
She understood that he had taken liquor beyond the usual dose. She came closer to keep the bottle away. With a smile on his face, he tried to take some more.
"Enough Bernard…! Unlike those days, you are taking more now…" She tried to take the bottle off his hand.
"A little please…!"
Bernard was too drunk and couldn't adjust his body to make his posture more comfortable. Giving the glass of gin to Sandra, he adjusted himself with his hands. Sandra emptied a half of the glass and the other half was given to Bernard keeping the bottle out of his reach.
"Take some more…" He was, at that time, making her to drink.
She took the glass closer to his mouth. Holding her hands, he emptied the glass and lay down on the settee. She hid the bottle of gin behind the settee. Since Bernard was drunk, he didn't feel anything and went on murmuring something incomprehensible with his eyes closed. He fell asleep in no time and started snoring. As it was not possible for Sandra to take him to the bedroom; to get rid of boredom and loneliness, she stepped towards the piano. A feeling of happiness crept into her heart as Bernard expressed his consent to fly to Australia with her mother to attend that sister's wedding one week prior to it. Sandra considered it to be a great opportunity as it would enable her to get away from the monotonous routine life and be with the members of her family at least for a few days.
Periyavar, getting up early, opened the window to see whether Koinmenika had turned up. Seeing Kapilasena's presence outside the locked gate, Periyavar understood that Koinmenika would not come that day and he went to Kapilasena to collect the milk bottle.
"Where's Koinamma…? Not coming today…?"
"Last night she complained of a chest pain…" Kapilasena informed Periyavar of the reason for her absence.
"Even yesterday Hamus came late… Took medicine for her…?"
"I asked her to come with me this morning…, then, she said she was feeling a bit better…" Keeping the milk bottle on Periyavar's hand, Kapilasena went back.
Bernard got up a bit late. Lying on the bed, he looked around to see where Sandra was. His eyes caught her standing in the balcony leaning against the rail and viewing the morning serenity. The god-designed female body which was made transparent through the night dress was clearly visible because of the sun rays peeping into the balcony and that attracted and satisfied all senses of Bernard. Putting her hair, which was wrestling with the breeze, to the right side of her shoulder and her posture being inclined more to one side added more beauty and attraction. The transparent figure seen through the night dress reminded him of a Greek stature. He didn't try to speak to her as he preferred to enjoy that beauty freely.
"Hamu, tea is ready…"
Periyavar's voice that came from the second floor was an invitation for tea. Unlike earlier, Periyavar didn't come straightly to the third floor without permission. He himself had imposed self-censorship because of Sandra. Hearing the Servant's voice, Sandra went into the room.
"Are you awake…?"
A pleasant smile appeared on his face.
"Then why didn't you speak to me…? I was waiting for you…"
Bernard thought she was prettier than earlier.
"I was enjoying you enchanting figure…"
She felt shy and overwhelmed by the remark he made and unknowingly her eyes caught her breasts which were transparent through the night dress. Bernard, lying on bed, stretched his hand towards Sandra.
"Tea getting cold…" Telling him that, she nestled against his chest.
"Koinamma also may have come…" Hinting out the time taken for sleeping, which was close to lunch time, Sandra said.
"Today, need to go to the Valuation office and check whether a new valuation report is sent… If I attend Natalia's wedding, at least two weeks I won't be able to be here…" As she admitted the fact that he had to get a lot of work done, Sandra got up approving his schedules.
* * *
The swollen part of the forehead was still visible. Nandana Menike lost the state of a blissful sleep that night owing to the pain she suffered from the bumps and bruises with the sleepless night. When Koinmenika came to her room with a cup of tea, she noticed that Nandana Menike was examining the bump on her forehead standing in front of the mirror.
"You didn't have even dinner last night…! Here… Have this tea… my child…"
"How come this bump here…! Like a big lump…! Need to apply something and rub well…"
Nandana Menike held a deep sigh and made no response. She couldn't remember how it happened as her mother attacked her running amok.
"Wait…, doesn't move…"
Nandana Menike didn't show her willingness when grandma tried to check her back, but she failed to do so.
"My god…! Like a devil, she can't even make out her own child when attacking…"
Koinmenika felt the chest pain again same as the previous day when she saw the bruises and bumps which had turned blue on Nandana Menike's back. The grandma clasped her niece in both arms as she knew the plight the niece had been confronted with from her childhood. She stroked her head with overflowing affection and kindness. She knew hundred percent that her niece was innocent and had committed no offense.
"Grandma, aren't you going to the bungalow today…?" keeping the empty tea cup on her hand, Nandana Menike inquired.
The question was answered with a silent sigh.
"These things may go to Hamu's ears too…" Nandana Menike looked perturbed and scared.
"Whatever people say, they won't care… They can sort out what is right and what is wrong…" Grandma's words set Nandana Menike's mind at ease.
During the day time Yasawathi remained inside her room like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Nandana Menike and Koinmenika were well aware of her unusual behavior at times. If she came out, it would be only for some urgent matters like call of nature or to fulfill other physical needs. Kapilasena was putting up a stile in front of the house on a decision taken by himself. Since the tea prepared for him had not been taken, Koinmenika came out with it.
"You see…, you haven't even had your tea… coming closer to Kapilasena, she offered him the cup of tea.
"No need Punchi Amma…, I'll have lunch soon after finishing this…"
"Have the Hamus come back…?" Koinmenika inquired about the people at the three tiered bungalow.
Since he had no way to refuse the tea, he took it keeping the knife aside.
"Periyavar told me that they had come back last night…"
"Has the news reached there too…?" Koinmenika knew the typical behavior of Periyavar and his inquisitiveness on matters of this nature.
"I think, not yet… but on my way back, near that Jak tree, one asked me something…"
"What's that…?"
"About that man, Yasawathi had blurted… But, how could I answer that kind of question without knowing who that person is…, These idiots always want to poke their fingers into others business. No other work… Rascals…!"
After having tea, Kapilasena gave the empty cup to Koinmenika and held a glance at her until she went out of his sight. He got back to his work hoping to finish it as early as possible.
* * *
Sandra was pondering over the call as to why Bernard asked her to come to Nandana Menike's house immediately. Though she asked the reason, Bernard didn't say anything and purposefully kept the receiver, for which Sandra got rather angry. However, since he called her with a perplexed voice, she got ready to go there. Periyavar became rather curious as to why Sandra was trying to leave the bungalow all of a sudden during that odd hour.
"Hamu called me to come to Koinamma's house…" Sandra briefed him the reason as she noticed the peculiar way he was looking at her hesitantly.
"Is Koinmenika's condition serious…? Periyavar asked casting a fearful look on his face.
"Why…? Was she not well…?" She wanted to learn how he had got to know it before her.
"Kapilasena told me that she had had a chest pain last evening…"
Sandra got bewildered and at the same time felt sorry for Koinmenika as she was the one who attended to all sort of domestic chores at the bungalow.
When Sandra arrived koinmenika's house, Bernard had already reached there. She ran to the house parking her car next to the Bernard's car. She found Bernard and Koinmenika were deep in conversation. As she entered the house, she heaved a sigh of relief as she saw Koinmenika was in good health. Afterwards her eyes surveyed the house to find out where Nandana Menike was. Bernard quietly signaled her to take a seat there. Sandra could get to know the details of the play regarding the story between Samantha and Nandana Menike. Sandra's revelation of her awareness of Samantha's interest towards Nandana Menike surprised both Bernard and Koinmenika.
"But, as far as I know, she hadn't given any hopes to him…"
Koinmenika bent down and wiped out her eyes from the edge of her cloth she was wearing. Sandra's proper understanding of Nandana Menike brought a sense of consolation to Koinmenika's heart. Bernard too felt rather relieved and realized that all the gossips that circulated all over had been made up stories to cling mud at innocent people. Koinmenika called Nandana Menike to come to the living room. Since there was no response, Koinmenika stood up to accompany her. Sandra too went with her. Nandana Menike, clasping the pillow, had been lying down on the bed facing the wall. Sandra sat by Nandana Menike and gently touched her back showing her affection.
Nandana Menike got startled with that unexpected touch and the pain because of the bruises and bumps. Sandra had placed her hand on a swollen area of her back. Nandana Menike turned with much difficulty and pain and saw Sandra was seated by her. She sat down and looked at Sandra. She saw Sandra's eyes expressing overflowing affection and kindness. Sandra cuddled up her affectionately. Nandana Menike burst into tears and hid her face on Sandra's chest. Koinmenika again experienced the sudden chest pain and went out of the room rubbing her chest by her right hand. Bernard looked at her quite sympathetically.
"Where's Nanda's mother now…?"
Koinmenika could not bear up the distress, when she again felt the chest pain more severely. She sat down on the chair rather uncomfortably.
"Koinamma…!" Realizing Koinmenika's unusual change, Bernard quickly got up and held her by her shoulder and spoke to her.
He called out Sandra loudly as he knew Koinmenika was going to faint. Hearing the noise, she came to the living room with Nandana Menike.
Nandana Menike, in a state of shock, stroked grandma's chest gently.
"Periyavar told me of her chest pain… Didn't you take her to a doctor…?" Bernard, getting rather agitated, asked Nandana Menike.
She shook her head with sobs, which indicated negation. Without consulting anyone, Bernard got into action. He got ready to take her to the hospital with Kapilasena. At the same time Nandana Menike too got ready to go with them. Sandra persuaded her to remain at home because of her bumps and bruises. Yet, she understood Nandana Menike's reluctance to stay at home with her mother and thought of a way to take her to the bungalow. Not a single word was uttered by Yasawathi opposing Nandana Menike being accompanied by Sandra. Sandra's heart was filled with much pleasure by the meritorious deed accomplished by Bernard taking Koinmenika to the hospital for medical treatment at that crucial moment.
* * *
Nandana Menike was taken to the visitor's room of the second floor. She was first asked to have a body wash with hot water and the adjoining bathroom was also arranged for her use. Sandra applied some oil and cream on Nandana Menike's bruises and bumps and asked her to relax, as Sandra could read the expressions on the girl's face because of the trauma of that unpleasant event. Sandra went out switching on the ceiling fan. Nandana Menike slowly lay down on the bed like an obedient child and tried to tame her mind, which was like an active volcano.
Sandra, instructing Periyavar to prepare enough food for Koinmenika's family too, went again to the Nandana Menike's room and found she was comfortably sleeping. She was fast asleep even when Koinmenika came back after medical treatment. Sandra asked for her consent to keep Nandana Menike at the bungalow that day. Koinmenike, scratching her head and without hurting Sandra, told her that Nandana Menike had never stayed a single day outside her home.
"How can this be an outside place for Nanda…? Then, I'm also an outsider…!"
Sandra, with a pale look, tried to articulate she too had a right to look into Nandana Menike's matters. Koinmenika contemplated that Sandra was a blood-relation of the niece.
"Sorry if I hurt you Hamu…?" The elderly woman apologized to her for what she uttered earlier.
Bernard didn't attempt to interrupt their conversation. Koinmenika, finally expressing her consent to keep Nandana Menike at the bungalow, walked up to the Nandana Menike's room to tell about it. She didn't try to wake her up as she saw her comfortably sleeping on a comfy bed. When Bernard started his vehicle to take Koinmenika, Periyavar brought the dinner prepared for Koinmenika's family. Since there were a few containers, Periyavar had to go to the kitchen two three times. A feeling of happiness crept into Bernard's heart over the thoughtfulness and concern she displayed for arranging dinner for them. After a few minutes of their departure, Nandana Menike got up and stepped towards the living room. She could observe Sandra sitting on the settee, listening to an English song, with her eyes closed.
"Nona Hamu…, How about grandma…? Not yet returned…?"
Sandra guessed the fearful expression etched on Nandana Menike's face could have been due to the chest pain of her grandma.
"They came back getting treatment and just now left with Bernard…"
"Then what about me…?" Nandana Menike was curious about for not taking her with them.
"You were sleeping at that time… Koinamma waited for you for some time… since you didn't get up she went… So you can stay with me here today… is it alright…?" Sandra holding her hands expressed her pleasure for being able to keep the girl under her care.
Nandana Menike was really surprised, as she couldn't believe how her grandma agreed to allow her to stay at the bungalow. It was the first time in her life that she stayed outside home without Kionmenika or her mother. That drew a fearful look on her face.
"Don't get scared child… Koinamma knows very well that you're not an outsider…"
Those words made a deep impression on her mind as she had admitted Nandana Menike as her own daughter. She knew in her heart of hearts that Sandra was treating her that way as her father was none other than Sandra's own brother, Victor.
After his return, Bernard could see Nandana Menike only at the dining table. Nandana Menike witnessed how Bernard showed his love and respect to his wife. After dinner, Sandra started playing the piano. Bernard after chatting a few words, stroked Nandana Menike's head lovingly and wished her good night, before he retired to the third floor.
Lighting a Vanilla cigar, Bernard walked up to the balcony. Leaning against a chair, he attempted to figure out how that relationship between Victor and Yasawathi matured to go to that extent. He could not imagine any reasonable clue or evidence for the growth of that relationship. About half an hour later, Sandra stepped into the upper floor. He heard Sandra entering the washroom. The cool climate of the month of January pervaded everywhere. Bernard could not bear the cool breeze that blew across the Dumbara valley. He went into the room, shut the window and lay down.
"Are you sleeping…?" Sandra, coming out of the washroom in her night dress, asked Bernard.
"It's very cold today…! What does the girl say…?"
"Feel sorry for her… getting ridiculed for no reason… Though the boy kept coming behind her, hasn't yet started an affair…"
"Can you remember the day when I took her here…? When I picked her near the park, I'm sure she should have been with that boy…" That memory flashed through his mind.
"She told me about that… Why do you always call her 'Kella.., Kella…?' (Lass)
The way he addressed the girl was a poser for Sandra. Bernard usually called the estate children as 'Kolla' (lad) or 'Kella' (lass).
"She is also an estate lass…"
"Everybody knows she is an estate girl… Only that…?"
"The relationship you have…?" She held a sharp look at Bernard. The look was quite sufficient for Bernard to recall whose who Nandana Menike was.
"Now sleeping…?"
"I'll go and see…"
Sandra went out of the room. Though Nandana Menike was the daughter of Victor, the estate guard's deformed wife was her mother. He didn't have the guts to forget about that. It may be a disgrace for the family. Nandana Menike was deep in thought gazing at the ceiling fan. She was still awake. Sandra sat by her. Nandana Menike became rather uneasy to look at Sandra directly as she was in her night dress, which was transparent.
"Why…? Don't you feel sleepy…?" Nandana Menike preferred the fragrance of the perfume that blew from Sandra.
"Shall I stay here till you sleep…?"
"Why, you are not going to be here with me…?"
Nandana Menike indicated her sense of fear as she had to be alone in an unfamiliar place.
Sandra with a pleasant smile lay down next to her.
Bernard enjoyed some gin freely. He was rather impatient about Sandra's delay. Since morning, his obsession with her beauty provided a stimulus for him and eagerly anticipated to be with her companion. He got up to see what she was doing. The lights of the visitor's room were on. He went there and stood at the entrance and peeped inside. He cleared his throat to indicate his presence there. Sandra raised her head and found Bernard at the entrance. She walked up to him and asked for permission to spend the night with Nandana Menike. As Nandana Menike heard a murmur, she slightly raised her head. She noticed Bernard and Sandra were whispering something in a low voice. She saw Sandra keeping her arms on Bernard's naked shoulders and giving a lip kiss.
Nandana Menike closed her eyes and turned the other side. The lights went off and Nandana Menike heard footsteps on the flight of steps of the upper floor. She was worried about the night which she had to spend all alone. Within a few minutes, the fragrance of the Sandra's perfume made Nandana Menike feel that Sandra was again beside her.
"Did you sleep so soon…?"
"No…" In an inaudible voice she said.
Sandra lay down next to her. She cuddled up against Nandana Menike putting her arm over her chest from which Nandana Menike felt an inexpressible sensation. She could not recall a single day, other than her infancy that she had slept with her mother in that way. She particularly felt that strange feeling as Sandra cuddled up her wearing that scented, light night dress and the breasts being closely touched against Nandana Menike's hand.
* * *
Peter having seen Kapilasena filling clay in to the barrel came towards him. Sensing that Peter was going to say something, Kapilasena stopped his work and paid attention to him.
"Yasawathi's daughter also did the exam…?"
The manner he asked the question, made Kapilasena guess the release of exam results.
'Yes, why…? Results released…?'
"Hmm… yesterday it was broadcast on radio…"
"I met Gunadasa, the postman. You see… his son has got through the exam with flying colours…"
"Great… Good luck…! Innocent fellow…!" Unknowingly the words came out of his mouth
"If Yasawathi sister had got to know it, she would have died of sighing…"
Kapilasena got confused as to what he meant by that.
"No… she did an utter foolish thing, creating a big fuss over the connection he had with her daughter…"
"There is some truth in what you say. We can't deny either…"
When family backgrounds were compared, Gunadasa's family had more stable economic base. Kapilasena guessed that Nandana Menike had a kind of interest towards Samantha when she requested Kapilasena, from time to time, to inquire about Samantha.
"By the way… how is the result of that child…?"
"After that incident, she didn't go even a single day…" Kapilasena said thoughtfully in a low tone.
"It is true… nobody goes to school till results are out. Ask her to go to there and see it…"
Kapilasena decided to go home stopping his work half-war as the want to tell Nandana Menike about that news. But she didn't show any interest to go there as she thought of the baseless complaint made on Samantha's visit to her place would possibly be inquired.
"I may have not passed the exam…" She felt that she wouldn't have a good result to come up to the pass mark.
Still, there was no good rapport between Yasawathi and Nandana Menike. Yasawathi admitted that because if her sheer folly, Nandana Menike was reluctant to go to school. She just marked time silently.
"Anyway, better if you go to school to see your results…" Kapilasena tried his best to send her to school.
"I'll ask Grandma…" She thought, going to school with Koinamma would be safer.
Kapilasena, seeing Yasawathi going to the kitchen, signaled Nandana Menike to come near him. She held an inquisitive glance as she couldn't get at what he was trying to say.
"Bappe…"
"Samantha child has got through the exam very well…"
"Who told…?"
"Peter… Gunadasa has told him…"
Kapilasena noticed that tears were wetting Nandana Menike's eyes. He understood that she would feel very happy about his success. Kapilasena still suffered from the blunder he committed allowing Yasawathi to have the letter which ultimately both lives were dragged into a hell of troubles.