BEAUTY OF INNOCENCE

Kapilasena, after a few minutes, came home by a hand tractor. A neighbor, who was on his way to Madagama to purchase fertilizer, had been stopped at the junction and made a request by Kapilasena. Listening to him, the tractor driver volunteered to help Kapilasena thinking of it as a meritorious deed to help a patient in his vicinity. Koinmenika couldn't assist her niece to get into the tractor, though she tried. Having observed that Kapilasena, with the aid of a neighbor helped Nandana Menike to get into the trailer of the tractor. The journey on the hand tractor was not an easy one as it was thought to be. A similar course she had to undergo as she did from home to Ulhitiya on the project truck. Koinmenika tried her best to reduce the effect of jerking by clasping Nandana Menike to her.

"You see… this man has stopped in the middle of the road…! Has he thought that this is his compound…?" The tractor driver grumbled as he couldn't take his vehicle, as a cab had been stopped blocking the road.

He slowed down the tractor and looked around. Bernard, realizing the mistake he had done, came hurriedly from a boutique by the road, setting aside inquiring about the direction to Kapilasena's house in Ulhitiya.

"Hamu…!" Kapilasena, recognizing Bernard Hamu, asked the driver to stop the tractor.

"Punchi Amme, you see… there… Bernard Hamu…! Kapilasena ran towards him who was about to get into the cab. Bernard paused for a moment.

Kapilasena looked at the tractor to see whether Koinmenika had got off the tractor. She was there keeping Nandana Menike's head on her lap. She even couldn't move even a bit being in that posture. Bernard followed Kapilasena up to the tractor. He was surprised to see Koinmenika with Nandana Menike on the trailer in a helpless manner.

"Why….? What happened…? Like a father seeing his child in trouble, he inquired impatiently. He could understand that Nandana Menike was not well as she was keeping her head on her grandma's lap so helplessly.

Observing Nandana Menike's critical nature, he placed his palm on Nandana Menike's head and felt that her body temperature was not normal. Her face was pale and her half-closed eyes revealed how uncomfortable she was. She felt relieved after seeing Bernard Hamu. She tried to treat him with a smile despite her bad health. He wasted no time. He took Nandana Menike to his cab and with Kapilasena's directions drove off to the medical Centre located at the Madagama camp. The doctor, who examined her thoroughly, told Bernard that it was due to exhaustion, she had got fever. He prescribed some drugs to be taken from a pharmacy and advised her o rest two, three days.

"You see… I told you very clearly… Before getting into the truck, a vehicle could be arranged for you to go… Did you turn your ear…? I guessed this sort of thing would happen… Nanda, you can't bear this kind of thing…" Bernard's words had a feeling of repentance.

Koinmenika looked down realizing the silly thing she did on the previous day without listening to Bernard's words. Visiting Kapilasena's new house, Bernard decided to take Koinmenika and her niece along with him. Until they got ready, Bernard walked round the house observing the progress of the construction work of it. He knew that Kapilasena would not be able to complete the work unless he was given some extra help by another party. Since he had none to get any support, Bernard volunteered to assist him further with financial matters to complete the work.

On their return journey, Bernard took much care to drive the cab without jerks. He purposefully avoided the narrow roads and short cuts and moved off. Both Koinmenika and Nandana Menike were silent throughout the journey and Bernard observed the reason for it and found both of them fast asleep owing to the discomfort they faced by travelling and their exposure to an unfamiliar environment with a lot of hardships.

"Hm… now it's ok… hm… get down…"

Opening the door of the cab, Bernard asked Koinmenika to get down. Koinmenika could not feel where she was. A world between dream and reality. She wiped out her eyes and looked around. She was surprised to learn that without knowing, she had reached the destination with her niece.

"Oh… didn't feel anything… Menike Dhuve (Daughter)… Menike…! Get up, get up… See, where we are now…? Get down quickly…!"

Nandana Menike opened her eyes to see where she was. She found it rather difficult to get down because of the drowsiness and weariness. Though she tried to walk, she lost balance and was about to fall. Bernard, realizing that quickly came forward and took her to his arms and proceeded to the visitor's room in the second floor. He kept her on the bed and called out Koinmenika.

"Let her rest for some time… I will get a doctor in the evening…"

Koinmenika got closer to her niece and stroked her head gently praying gods for blessings for her to get well soon.

"Where's Periyavar…? Periyavar…, Periyavar…! There's some stuff inside the cab… bring them…"

Periyavar came running and acted accordingly bowing down his head to him Master.

"Did someone come here today…?"

He nodded his head in negation and went out. Bernard allowing her to rest, and telling Koinmenika to keep an eye on her, retreated to his room.

By evening Nandana Menike showed a slight improvement of her condition. The doctor, who came in the evening, examined her thoroughly and gave her an injection. He advised her to rest further and in case of an emergency he asked Bernard to give him a call. For dinner, Nandana Menike had a few morsels of food, which she vomited soon after eating it. Koinmenika and her niece went down to their room in the first floor. Bernard, asking Periyavar to be on alert, walked up to the third floor. A regretful look was etched on his face, because of Nandana Menike's sudden deterioration in her health. When he was going to switch off the lights to retire to bed, the telephone rang and on the third ring, Bernard picked up the receiver. The call was from Sandra. He explained everything of what had happened.

"Last evening Victor called me and asked about Nanda… I got very angry and blamed him severely for bringing such a proposal to Nanda… Satish is a married man… a father of two daughters as well… I asked him not to poke his fingers to these matters till I come back to Sri Lanka and settle all these… What 's the purpose of being just a NOMINAL father…?"

"When are you planning to come…?" Her mention of 'coming' brought a sense of consolation to Bernard's mind.

He felt that Sandra was contemplating something because of the long pause from the other end. He guessed that her silence was due to the difficulty she had when she was thinking of facing Bernard.

"Don't worry… None is here to blame you... Sandra…!"

"I know it Bernard… but first, I have to solve the problems created by myself…"

"Shall I come there…?" He frankly put forward his idea of going to Australia and helping her to solve her problems. He considered it was his obligation to be a part of it.

"If need arises, I will tell you…"

Bernard was happy to hear of Sandra's decision of coming back to Sri Lanka. Through that Bernard thought Victor's plans of getting Nandana Menike entangled with someone and attempting to grab the property of Sandra would be undermined. Thinking of all those he lay down on bed with mixed feelings.

Periyavar was awakening by the knock on the gate. He looked around to see who it was as he heard knocking repeatedly. He noticed that Peter had come with bottles of milk. He did that job on occasions when Kapilasena had some other urgent work outside. Periyavar collected the milk bottles and went into the kitchen. He was puzzled as to why Koinmenika was late to come to the kitchen to prepare morning tea for Bernard as usual. He guessed that because of Nandana Menike's illness, she had broken rest last night and was still sleeping. He slowly stepped into her room to wake her up.

Nandana Menike was found to be fast asleep. Koinmenika was sleeping facing the wall. Periyavar shook her shoulder and called out. There was no response. He called her again clearing his throat. Yet no reaction. He shook her shoulder several times and called. By this time, he felt that Koinmenika's body was rather cold. From his common sense he checked her temperature again while calling her. With some difficulty, he turned her to the other side without disturbing Nandana Menike. Koinmenika remained motionless despite being shaken and turned. Periyavar sensed the difference and he was petrified. He learnt that Koinmenika had closed her eyes forever. She had heaved her last breath guarding her loving niece throughout the night. He ran up calling Bernard Hamu to inform the news.

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