Compassionate Loan

Samaranayaka carefully licked the edge of the envelope  and pasted  it shut.

He could feel the bulk and the weight of the application inside. He put it in the out tray and adjusted the the other letters so that his letter would be placed on top.

That was three weeks ago. Today should be the day it would get approved.

He has spoken to Wije , the peon who works in the loans section .
"මම උදව් කරන්නම් , හැබැයි ඉතින් අපිටත් සලකන්න ඕනේ .   මේ ඕල්ඩ් රිසව් බොන්න ගත්තට පස්සේ වෙන මොකුත් බොන්න බෑ වමනෙට එනවා " 

( I will help but you have to look after me . After getting used to Old reserve arrack I can not drink anything inferior)

Wije’s terms were clear. Samare calculated the debit . 800 Rupees. Tution fees for a month.

Samare’s mother was ailing for a while and last month she succumbed to the beating she has taken from life. Funeral was done at his childhood village and his brother in law spent for the coffin and the other arrangement.

“රණසිංහට  සල්ලි තියෙනවා  , බිස්නස්  කාරයෝ  නේ  . අපි  වගේ  මාස  පඩි  කාරයෝ  නෙමෙයි  නේ  “ 

(Ransingha has money , as he is a businessman and living on a monthly salary) Samare kept telling his sinking ego.

Samare’s office crowd came to the funeral in a hired bus in the afternoon.  It was then that Bandu mentioned about the compassionate loan.

.

“මචන්  application එකක් දාපන් , මම  හිතන්නේ  තිහක් විතර  ගන්න  පුළුවන් ” (Apply. I think you can get about 30 thousand)

Samare’s mind moved from the past to the future, he moved on to making plans of what he would spend this money on. On it’s journey through time Samare’s mind stopped in the present for a brief moment to notice Rosi’s new pink sari.

“I will pay the rent. That would take the land lord of my back. Will also pay up portion of the outstanding tab at the grocery . Will buy the mathematical instrument box that Putha has been asking for . Also will take some musket from the bombay sweet house . Lalani like musket.

Samare even knew what she would say. after all these years he ought too.

"අනේ  සමරේ ඇයි මේ  සල්ලි  නාස්ති  කලේ"
 (Oh Samare , why did you waste money).

He would smile . She would make a plain tea with Ginger , serve with two slices of the musket .  

"වැඩිය හොඳ නෑ. සීනි නේ " (Not good for your blood sugar) , She would say.

"සමරේ  මහත්තය   , සමරේ  මහත්තයා "  (Mr Samare , Mr Samare) He looked up to see Wije standing at his desk.

“සමරේ  මහත්තය  , ඔන්න වැඩේ  හරි . ලොකු  සර්  කිව්වා අද හවස  යමු  කියලා ටැප්  බාර් එකට  , දුක  බෙදාගන්න ”

( The loan is approved. My manager proposed to go the Tap bar to have a round to share your grief)

"හුටා' (fuck) Samare’s tongue beat his  mind.

He could almost hear Lalani’s voice    “හාල්  ඉවරයි ” “ලයිට්  බිලත්  ඇවිල්ලා “ ( Have to buy rice & the electricity bill also has come).

Rent, tuition fees , vegetables, light bill. Samare could feel the whirlwind brewing up in his head.