The initial measures for the re-settlement of the people, whose lands would go underwater due to the construction of the reservoir, began. Though the dam across the river was supposed to be completed within two years, the clearance of trees and the development of the blocks of lands in Rajarata in the dry zone were given to the new owners as the first phase of the project. The Re-settlement Unit had planned to provide each family of the new settlers with two acres of muddy land and half an acre of overland from the government side, the construction of the road network and the irrigation system to provide water supply for the new settlements were implemented. It was an uphill task for the new settlers to move from one place to another with their belongings. All the families employed in Nilgala and Millangoda were privileged to have the blocks of land aforementioned in the zone C of Rajarata. Koinmenika too had that privilege to obtain two acres of muddy land and half an acre of overland for settlement. She had no intention to desert her landlord. When Bernard informed her to acquire the property given to her, she decided to give the responsibility to Kapilasena to see the matters related to the land - the settlement procedures. He knew that neither Yasawathi nor Nandana Menike had the guts to take such responsibility.
Nandana Menike gave up her education being disqualified to do A/L. She had no interest to do the exam again. Sandra thought of taking a decision about Nandana Menike's future after attending the wedding of her sister and coming back to Sri Lanka. She expected to get the support from her brother too for that. Nandana Menike got used to spending more if her time at the bungalow. Koinmenika was so delighted that when Nandana Menike was at the bungalow, she tried to learn playing the piano and many other things from Sandra. Yasawathi didn't oppose anything as she believed the close relationship with the bungalow had a direct bearing upon the future prospects of Nandana Menike.
"Hmm… now Nanda is playing better than me…" The shuttle cock landed so fast on the ground before Sandra even thought of raising the racket.
Nandana Menike learnt playing badminton within a very short period of time.
"Hmmm… enough… terribly tired…" Peeping through the net, said Sandra.
Both of them lay on the flat meadow in supine position looking at the blue sky and relaxed for some time. Sandra noticing Nandana Menike was gazing at an eagle flying in the sky thought it was ideal time to inquire about that incident between Samantha and Nandana Menike.
"No news about Samantha…?"
Nandana Menike instantly turned her eyes towards Sandra. An expression of loss was etched on her face in no time.
"I feel sorry for both of you… That boy came to your place to express his feelings… and he did no harm for you… Adults should take decisions at crucial hours like this, thinking of their own time when they were in their youth"
Sandra's perception of the matter made Nandana Menike to have a better understanding of Sandra. If her mother had patiently looked into the matter like Sandra, a disaster of that nature wouldn't have happened.
"Both parties quarreled for nothing… in vain… I'm scared of that intelligent boy whether he would get upset…''
"Said to be doing A/L at Dharmaraja College…" automatically the words went out of Nandana Menike's mouth.
"Hmm… news keeps coming to you…!" Sandra sarcastically held a smile at Nandana Menike as if she were caught red-handed.
Nandana Menike tried to draw a smile onto her face with a pale look.
"How did you get to know…?"
"Somebody had told our Kapilasena Bappa…"
Since Sandra observed that Nandana Menike was still regretting over the incident, she switched on to another topic not to worry her any further talking about that.
"We will be in Australia by this time next month…"
"I'll be alone then…" Nandana Menike grumbled about the state of her mental agony over the recent incident and she was at a loss to understand how she could fight with her loneliness in the absence of Sandra.
"Hey, don't cry my child… do you think it's a long period…? No…, maximum one month…"
"Such a long time…!" Nandana Menike looked at her in amazement with her eyes wide open.
She didn't expect that they would stay there three more weeks after the wedding.
"I can't leave my mom alone there…, Bernard, of course, would be returning soon after the wedding as he has got a lot of work here… He told me of it several times…"
Nandana Menike suffered a lot not because of distancing from Sandra's companion for a short period of time, but being confined to the four walls of the house. She didn't prefer the monotonous life at home since the day she started going to the bungalow.
"Like other days, you can come with Koinamma…" Though Koinmenika had to go to the bungalow to prepare fool for Bernard after his return, Nandana Menike shook her head to indicate her unwillingness to go to there in the absence of Sandra.
"If you come here, you can play the piano… watch TV… and to get rid of your boredom, you can read some books also… There can be a lot of books of your choice… I'll tell Bernard too…"
"Oh… no…! He will shout at me… if I take his books…"
"Shout…? No, never… These days he doesn't have peace of mind because of these land problems… That is why he is rather moody… I'm sure he will never tell you anything…"
Nandana Menike responded with a gentle smile.
"Do you know…? Bernard talks a lot about you with me..."
It was unbelievable for Nandana Menike to hear that Bernard paying attention to her. She turned her eyes towards Sandra, which indicated a sign of alacrity.
"This time when he meets Victor in Australia, he will take a correct decision about you consulting him too… Bernard says it is Victor who should discuss that with mom, since we all are meeting there…" Sandra expressed effusively about Bernard's concern about Nandana Menike's future.
The patterns created by the cumulus clouds that scattered all over the blue sky were flamboyant. Planes were seen flying through such clouds. Nandana Menike could recall an angel, in one of the fairy tales she had read, moving through the clouds. Nandana Menike dreamt that if she got a chance to go abroad with Sandra, she also could fly like that through the clouds.
"I too like to fly one day to another country… like that eagle through the clouds… to fly… to fly far… far away… Not scared flying like that…?"
When Sandra being called by Nandana Menike. She used the term 'Hamu Nona' when it became unavoidable. Though Sandra asked her to call her by her name, Nandana Menike didn't show her willingness for it.
"When I was small, I was scared… but… since I have been many times, now don't feel so… Next time I'll try to take you somehow…"
Her pledge filled Nandana Menike's mind with a sense of delight. She had no words to explain how she felt. Nandana Menike had that trust in Sandra as she often practiced what she preached and she preached what she practiced.
There was a nimbus cloud invading the clear blue sky. Yasawathi hurried to cover the clay pots, which had been kept outside for drying in the breeze. She quickly collected some cadjans for that purpose. While she was covering the clay pots he got petrified discovering a saffron colour thread lying on the ground among the clay pots. It had not been smeared with mud or any dirt. There were some knots at equal distance in that thread as well.
"Brother… Brother… How did this come here…?" showing the thread, Yasawathi shouted.
"Oh… how come…? Is it Punchi Amma's…?" said, Kapilasena without thinking.
"No… no… this is an enchanted thread… that is why it is knotted like this…" It seemed that Yasawathi was under a spell as she was found to be so perturbed.
"An enchanted thread…! Don't touch it…! Take it away by means of a stick…" When Kapilasena was trying to take it away, Yasawathi prevented him from touching it.
Kapilasena picked up a stick and tried to take it out of the garden.
"I'm cock sure of the people behind this… "
He guessed to whom Yasawathi was referring.
"That woman, the postman's..., that day she did swear tapping on the floor that she would go from kovil to kovil to curse us… if we can boomerang this for them to get lost…"
Her eyes were blazing with fury. Kapilasena, knowing the fact that it was not easy to keep her under control, went out of the garden passing the stile. There he saw Koinmenika and Nandana Menike were coming back home.
"What's that…?" Koinmenika guessed looking at the stick that Kapilasena was carrying a serpent.
Yasawathi seeing Koinmenika near the stile hurried towards her to tell of the latest discovery.
"A charmed thread was found lying near the clay pots…"
Koinmenika's eyes turned from the stick towards Yasawathi.
"Charmed…?"
Yasawathi frowned at Nandana Menike hinting out as if it happened because of her. Nandana Menike placed her hand on Koinmenika's shoulder expecting some kind of solace.
"People have no other business other than casting spells on you…, nonsense…!" Koinmenika taking no notice of what she said.
"Why…? Postman's woman…! Everything, because of YOU…!"
Nandana Menike, feeling scared, looked away.
"What crime did this child commit…? Having just got hold of that boy's letter, what a big pandemonium you created…! There's nothing of that sort… of what you think…"
"Nothing…? Mother…, you know nothing…"
Koinmenika keeping her hand on Nandana Menike's shoulder pushed her towards the house as she felt that her presence could worsen Yasawathi's fury. After throwing away the thread, Kapilasena came towards the two women as they had not stopped their verbal attack.
"You are the woman who knows everything of this world… Mind your own business leaving this girl alone…"
Yasawathi sounded peeved about being advised.
"I created no confusion… last few days… it's not for nothing that these two had been murmuring and roaming here and there…"
"Ah… don't get an earful from me… "
Koinmenika retaliated strongly to control Yasawathi as she knew the charges made against Nandana Menike were baseless.
"It's your leniency…"
"Yes, it is quite true… It's because of ME that you did everything and finally got this child into your womb…!"
From that unexpected verbal blow, Yasawathi got pressurized to a great extent as the nature of her character was revealed in the presence of Kapilasena. Her breath went up and down so fast as she couldn't control her anger.
"Now enough…! Enough of everything… Do you want to lead a cat and dog life…? And become the laughing stock…? What's this…? No end at all…!" Kapilasena's interference could appease the anger of the two women to a great extent. They never expected that kind of verbal treatment from him.
Yasawathi walked fast to the house mumbling something which nobody could hear or understand. Kapilasena walked up to the stile and put the wooden rail across it and contemplated, a while remaining near the stile, about the thread discovered and the potential revenge from Samantha's mother. Koinmenika gazing at Kapilasena for a moment stepped towards the house quietly. Nandana Menike marked time rather regretfully thinking of her mother's treatment with the spoon of suspicion. Nandana Menike, being in a world of desperation, tried to distinguish the differences between her mother and Sandra in terms of their character traits. She questioned herself as to how these two characters inherited such contradictory behavioral patterns. She compared the family background and life experiences to make up her mind. Yet, she couldn't comprehend the applications of these factors to her grandma. Nandana Menike couldn't figure out why her mother could not inherit the good qualities of grandma though her mother was born and bred by her grandma. At times, Nandana Menike thought that her attitudes and her mother's attitudes were rather similar. That came to her mind when she recalled the number of times she avoided when Samantha was trying to express what he had in his heart. Hearing the footsteps of grandma, she got out of that trance.
"Your mother… incorrigible…! Can never be made to understand anything… very obstinate…"
What Koinmenika said was true. Ten years of her school life with school mates, their interactions, cordial relationships were just confined only to a memory because of her stubborn nature. When Nandana Menike thought of Samantha, she felt that she had been locked down in a world of loneliness. Though she couldn't visualize his smile, she often derived a sense of delight by drawing that smile on the canvas of her mind.
* * *
Kapilasena, wearing the turban, was near the gate. He couldn't bear the morning dew. Therefore, he had the habit of putting on the turban until the sun shone particularly on misty days. Koinmenika held a quizzical look at Kapilasena as he was seen in the compound without going to the cow shed.
"What are you doing there…?"
"Haven't you finished milking yet…?" she asked Kapilasena as supplying milk to the bungalow was part of her duty.
Kapilasena turned his eyes towards the cow shed and drew a smile on his face, Koinmenika too turned her eyes as he did and noticed Yasawathi coming with a bottle of milk.
"The cow is friendlier with Yasawathi than me…"
Hearing of Yasawathi milking by herself was good news for Koinmenika. Yet, she didn't utter a word to appreciate it as her mind was pre-occupied with the heated argument took place the previous day.
"Menike, are you still getting ready…?" Grandma asked her niece about her delay.
"Punchi Amma… It's said that next week demarcations of Ulhitiya are going to be done…"
Kapilasena reminded Koinmenika of the participation for the occasion on demarcation of block of lands under the resettlement process in Ulhitiya.
"I can come with you once the Hamu leaves for Australia… I think Wednesday we have to go…" Koinmenika tried to remember the date Bernard had fixed to go abroad.
"Tuesday evening leaving here…" Nandana Menike reminded the date of departure.
"Then Punchi Amma too can go with us…"
"If all can go… we can see the place also…"
Kapilasena suggested that if everyone could go there all would be able to see the new block of land in which they were going to settle down near future.
"I can't move with the people going by the Lorries…" Yasawathi expressed her unwillingness to mingle with the villagers because; people were transported to the new site by the Lorries of the project.
"Such a long distance, how can I go with this child behind lorries…? Those who went there keep telling that on the way, they got covered with dust…" Kapilasena remembered the clouds of dusts that dispersed when a vehicle moved on a road under construction.
"Whoops… needless to say anything about that… As said, it is better if Punchi Amma can stay back… after monsoon rains you can go there…"
"You better go and see the demarcations… Peter also going there… Isn't he…?"
After Koinmenika and Nandana Menike went to the bungalow, Kapilasena got ready to go to the clay field to get some clay and he wanted to finish that task before the sunset.
"Brother, can you meet the exorcist today and get some advice…?" Yasawathi tried to send Kapilasena to the exorcist to get some protective measures done against black magic. Even though, Kapilasena was one year younger to Yasawathi, she called him "Ayya" (elder brother). When Koinmenika expressed her displeasure for calling that way, kapilasena responded his consent positively.
"It is in the evening that a few coins come to my hand…"
He told her of the empty pocket he was having at that moments and his inability to give 'Panduru' (offering) to the exorcist in the morning.
"Here…. five hundred rupees…" She took a few notes from the inside if her blouse and gave it to Kapilasena.
"Money…! From where…?"
"Money given for domestic expenses…"
Kapilasena gave some money out of his earnings to Koinmenika for the daily expenses to keep the fire burning at home. He remembered that amount was again given to Yasawathi to keep it more safely.
"Where did you put that thread…?" Yasawathi inquired about that thread which was suspected to be charmed.
"Put it into the hollow if that Gansooriya tree… You want me to go today itself for that work…?"
"Can't put off…! If harm is done from those spells… we have to act quickly to boomerang it to them and to make them suffer from it-self…"
Kapilasena keeping the clay pot aside thought for a moment since he found himself sitting on the fence.
"What are you thinking then…?" Yasawathi didn't like the way he scratched his chin and his thoughtfulness.
"Don't know how much will the exorcist expect for a job of this nature…?"
"You just go and ask about that… Somehow we will find money… I've got a small saving too…"
"What about… If I asked your mother…?"
"She will start preaching…" Finally, when things go wrong, you and we are the victims.
Kapilasena realized that Yasawathi would leave no room for him to postpone the meeting. He placed the hoe behind the house and thought of fulfilling Yasawathi's intention by meeting the exorcist.