Published by Turner Maxwell Books

First published 2008
Copyright © Dexter Nathan 2005

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means without permission in writing by Dexter Nathan or Turner Maxwell Books.

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Warning: May contain explicit material, which is not intentionally offensive.
Not suitable for children

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental and may be more the work of your own imagination. Why not write a book yourself? Turner Maxwell Books are an alternative co-operative of new writers, working towards publishing inspirational literature.

Printed and bound in the United Kingdom for Turner Maxwell Books.

 

    The resplendent Island in the Indian Ocean, home for less than 17 million people then, ravaged by ethnic civil war now.
    Two families from totally different ethnic and cultural backgrounds living side by side in the metropolis of Colombo, long before the racial strife and civil war broke out in Sri Lanka.
    Elmo De Silva, the honest and upright police Superintendent from the Sinhala community, and his wife Marla who is from the Dutch Eurasian community with their two little children Travis and Larry living in Colombo constitute the perfect picture of a happy family.
    Their immediate neighbors, the Tamil family of former tea estate owner Rajasekar and his wife Kasthuri together with their five grown up children, each with diverse character traits and strengths go through the harsh realities of life more than their mother Kasthuri could ever bear.
    The religious and cultural differences of these two neighbors pose no barrier for their closeness and friendship. The two children of De Silva family, Travis and Larry grow up under the care of Kasthuri when their parents are at work. The older of the two little boys, Travis develops a closer bond with Kasthuri than her own children. As Travis grows up to become a teenager under the care of Kasthuri , he truly comes to regard her as his surrogate mother.
    Time goes by…….
 

CAST OF CHARACTERS

De Silva family

Elmo De Silva - Police Superintendent
Marla De Silva - Elmo’s wife / Works for the Australian High Commission.
Travis De Silva - Eldest son of De Silva family.
Larry De Silva - Second son of De Silva family.


Claudia - Elmo’s much younger half sister, Travis’ aunt.

Elsie - Elmo’s stepmother.


Rajasekar family tree

Muthu Kalingarayar (The family Patriarch) - Rajasekar’s father
Meenaloshani aka Meena - Rajasekar’s mother

Sathyabama aka Sathya - Rajasekar’s older sister.

Rajasekar - Head of the family (Does not use the family name Kalingarayar)

Kasthuri - Rajasekar’s wife (Mother of the five children in the family)

The five children of Rajasekar and Kasthuri

Dr.Ruben Rajasekar - The eldest son
Logan Rajasekar - The second son
Prassana Rajasekar - The third son
Uma - The eldest daughter and fourth in the family
Narmada - The youngest daughter and fifth in the family

Devi - Ruben’s wife, the daughter in law of Rajasekar family

Athena - Logan’s wife. Although from a Greek origin, Athena lives in Germany and marries Rajasekar’s second son Logan.

Arun - Uma’s husband, the only son in law in Rajasekar family.

Sister Veronica Ignatius - The Catholic nun, whose association with Prassana , the third son of Rajasekar family forms an important part in the story.

Peripheral characters in the story

Siri Ayyah – The rustic Sinhalese Carter from the upcountry village who becomes Rajasekar’s first mentor.

Mr.Thomson – The British planter under whom Rajasekar apprenticed.

Mrs.Catherine Thomson – The benign, good-natured wife of Mr. Thomson.

Cyril – The sycophant, who caused all the problems in Rajasekar’s life.

Chief Jailer James Santiago – The benevolent, fair-minded man, who is in charge of the biggest prison in Sri Lanka.

Lieutenant Sanka Senaviratne – The young and sadistic Army Officer.

Prologue


"Ladies and gentleman this is your captain speaking. We are on board flight KLM 747-bound Boston, please fasten your seat belts, we will be landing in Logan International Airport in five minutes." The announcement inside the plane created a flurry of excitement with passengers getting ready with their hand luggage and holding their little children closer to them.
Travis stood up to join the passengers disembarking from the plane.
The thirty-year-old Travis was still an eligible bachelor. With his 5 feet 9 inches tall frame that carried 185 lbs of bones and muscles, he certainly looked a handsome young man. With his curly dark brown hair, and metal-rimmed glasses that was currently in vogue, one could say he had the refined and sophisticated look of a young business executive, or a doctor, or a University professor for that matter. But he was a litigation lawyer by profession at Baker and Benton, Barristers and Solicitors in downtown Melbourne, Australia, where he lived with his mother Marla and younger brother Larry. Travis was one of the few people who gave up the legal profession for something else that he really enjoyed doing. Until two years ago he never knew what his real calling was. But, since then, he had been actively pursuing his penchant and recently managed to make his mark in what he chose to do.
Travis waited in line to clear his luggage at Boston Logan International Airport. It was around 3.00 AM, July 7, 1985. Closer to dawn! There was some delay at the Airport. Finally he came out of the checkout line and looked around for a telephone booth. He did not have to walk too far as he spotted the phone booth close by. He reached for his wallet, and retrieved some Yankee money.
"Operator my name is Travis De Silva. I am calling from the Logan International Airport. I am from Australia and have just arrived in Boston. I am here to trace a long lost friend of mine, who lives in Boston. Unfortunately I don't have much information about this person as I have lost contact with him for over twenty years. Other than the fact he was an eminent physician in the New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham, I have no other information. Is it possible for you to provide me with the name and address of a reputed Private Investigating Agency in Boston, so that I could seek their help? I need to locate this person very urgently." He said it without a preamble or pause.
"What is the name of the person you are trying to locate Sir? Let me see if I have a listing under that name to begin with. Otherwise, I will have to look up the information on the Private Investigating Agencies for you." The pleasant female voice at the other end said.
"Oh, that would be great. He was known as Dr. Ruben Rajasekar," said Travis.
"Dr. Ruben Rajasekar?" the operator repeated the name with an intonation. "Is that the controversial doctor, who was in the media spot light two years ago?" she asked.
The operator's question flustered Travis, what was she talking about?
"I am sorry Madam; I guess I am going to meet him after a very long time. Naturally I wouldn't know anything."
"Just a minute Sir, let me see if I could come up with a number."
Travis waited impatiently, the couple of minutes felt like an eternity. The operator came back on line.
"Sir, I have five names under the current listing. I don't see a Dr. Ruben Rajasekar, but I have a Rajasekar with the initial R. May be you should give it a try. Do you want me to connect you to this number?"
"Oh, certainly. That would be helpful." Travis answered reflexively, although his mind was very leery. It was another three minutes before the operator came back to him on line.
"Sir, I think we have Dr. Ruben Rajasekar on line. May be you should write down his phone number before I connect you to him."
"Operator, are you sure he is Dr. Ruben Rajasekar?" Travis asked again.
"Yes Sir, he just confirmed it himself. Except that he no longer practices medicine since his Medical License was revoked two years ago." Her voice now began to sound irksome.
Travis was confused for a moment, but then he jotted down the phone number excitedly. I never thought it would be this easy. Kasthuri would never believe this. Thinking about Kasthuri at that moment, took his memories back to the past. It was about twenty-three years ago. That was when he met Kasthuri for the first time as a little boy. The face of Kasthuri flashed back in his mind. Her benign smile and her kindly tenderness that was so palpable which touched him so deeply during his early childhood when they lived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, way back in 1963, had a lasting influence on his personality even after all these years.


Chapter 1

The Surrogate Mother


It was the year 1963. Travis was seven years old then, He was a perceptive child, and understood things more than most children his age. That was the time they lived in Forest Hill lane, five miles away from the metropolis of Colombo, in the Island of Ceylon now known as Sri Lanka.
Travis’ father Elmo De Silva was a high profile Police Superintendent in the Island’s police force.
Marla his mother was of Eurasian origin, a very small community that descended from a mix ethnicity that resulted from the successive rule of Portuguese, Dutch and British, beginning from the 15th century. The community she hailed from was popularly called Burghers in Sri Lanka. She was indeed a very good-looking woman. She had beautiful unblemished fair skin bestowed on her from the genes of her Dutch ancestry mixed with the local natives. With a heart shaped face and standing 5 feet 7 inches with a slightly plump figure, no doubt she was a handsome woman.
Marla was a top-notch secretary, working for the High Commissioner of Australia. Elmo, his father was truly a kind soul; standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and built like a bear weighing 325 lbs he could be rightly described as a gentle giant. His close friends would often remark that he should have become a Church Priest instead of joining the police force, since he never possessed the stern and arrogant demeanor of a policeman.
Travis’ parents’ marriage for certain was fixed in heaven definitely by a kind God, for he could never recall a single moment when their parents Elmo and Marla argued over anything. They both had the heart that always loves to make others happy, a rare human streak that they both possessed.
Their deep love for each other always expressed in a dignified manner and never had traces of any frivolous manifestations in the presence of others. Travis and his brother Larry who was only three years younger than him virtually spent all their time with their neighbor Kasthuri, when their parents were at work.

The date was May 14, 1963 in Colombo Sri Lanka, where the weather was tropical all year round. Kasthuri was their immediate neighbor. She was 37 years old then, a petite woman, who was only 5 feet 1 inches tall with perfectly round feminine features with a proportionate weight to carry her small stature. She had a thick lock of raven black hair that has just begun to show shades of gray prematurely. Kasthuri always wore a red Pottu (a round dot that is the size of a penny) on her forehead like most Hindu women did after their marriage, which signified something that Travis never understood when he was a child. He remembered once Kasthuri cuddling him gently in her soft arms explaining to him that it was a sign of married women in Hindu culture.
“Red Pottu in the forehead indicates that a woman is married while the unmarried young girls would wear a black one. Besides a Hindu widow should never wear a Pottu, and in fact when her husband passes away, she is supposed to erase it permanently as a gesture of bereavement.” Kasthuri had explained.
Weird culture! Travis thought to himself when he was barely seven. He still remembered how Larry, his younger brother, being the timid child that he was, cried in fear the first time he saw the Red Pottu on Kasthuri’s forehead, mistakenly thinking it was blood.
It was the house at number 23, Forest Hill Lane that stood so pretentiously along that road. Their house had two floors and two carports for parking. The porch was built in typical colonial fashion painted in white that made it look very regal. They had five bedrooms upstairs and a living room large enough to be converted into mini basketball court. Downstairs they had a dining room, kitchen, library, office room, two additional bedrooms, servant quarters and an outhouse. They also had three bathrooms in the house and there was an additional one outside near the servant’s quarters too. In short, they had every comfort one could ask for in that house. There were two large cherry trees in the front yard adjoining the main road, where buses run. A six feet tall steel gate in the entrance was imposing enough to impede any intruders, while the fence right around their property with shrubs gave them all the privacy they need. Every 30 minutes or so they would hear the siren and the sound of the steam engine trains approaching and leaving the railway station which was only a 10 minutes’ walk away from their house.
By contrast, the house right next to their property was a modest single floor bungalow where Kasthuri lived. Travis rarely saw Kasthuri’s husband. In fact he even wondered if she had anybody who cared about her. The calm, placid maternal beauty in her face also bespoke of some unknown sadness!
On that day, Travis and Larry were playing in the front yard, the usual cops and robbers. They were running around their house along the fence hiding behind trees and bushes. Travis always was the tough cop in their games; he wanted to wear his father’s uniforms when he became big. Larry was the much smaller robber, the bad guy in all their games, and the playmate Travis reluctantly accepted having no choice. It was no fun playing with my younger brother. Seven year old Travis always thought. How he wished he had boys his age living with him in the house.

At a stone throw distance separated only by a barbed wire fence there she was… Kasthuri seated in that adjoining property on a bench under a Jumboo tree. She was gazing at the two children running around, and playing. There was a sense of satisfaction and happiness in her face watching the children play. Kasthuri would always come out in the afternoon and sit there for hours under that tree watching the two children play, her heart deriving a sense of solace and comfort watching their innocent joy. When the children were not around she would sit there watching the street and vehicles passing by with a blank expression on her face.
Travis always loved the tropical Jumboo fruits. The tree was a beautiful sight to watch with its red and pink fruits popping out from those luscious green leaves. It was as though a tropical Christmas tree with red and pink bulbs in the middle of summer standing out in the yard.
On that day, little Travis suddenly noticed Kasthuri seated under the tree on the bench watching them play as usual. He caught her gaze and there was a moment of unspoken love and affection in her eyes to which he readily succumbed. Kasthuri gestured Travis to come closer to the fence, and came towards the fence with a small bowl full of ripe Jumboo fruits, carefully picked by her. She gave the fruit bowl to him over the fence.
Little Travis blushingly uttered a “thank you” on that first encounter and awkwardly said, “I am Travis and what’s your name?”
“My name is Kasthuri.” The sound of her voice mesmerized him and there was an instant bond established with those first words of Kasthuri, which Travis was never aware of, to this day.
This ritual continued for weeks. On different occasions Kasthuri would keep ripe Mangos for them, the yield from the untended trees around the house she lived in.
Besides their parents Elmo and Marla, there were other members of the family in their large household, but Travis hated all of them.
Elsie, Elmo’s stepmother and the children’s grandmother, was a wicked old wretch.
Claudia, his Aunt, his father Elmo’s much younger half sister, was a willful, bubble-headed young woman. Claudia always acted frisky, and her mind was too preoccupied with the men of her dreams all the time.
Not to mention, the cook woman Ramani, whose cooked meals the guinea pigs would run away from, was an awful sight.
Then there was the gardener Rahul, who was a grown up man but mute and mildly retarded. As it is, Travis had a hard time communicating in sign language with him, but on top of that, Rahul was retarded, which Travis found annoying.
Elmo De Silva was from a conservative Buddhist family, although Elmo’s father’s (Travis’s grandfather) second marriage to his stepmother Elsie, who was a Christian had brought about both Christian and Buddhist values in him. Claudia, Travis’s Aunt was his father’s half sister from his grandfather’s second marriage.
Travis was a talented child; his hidden talents went unnoticed except for Kasthuri who knew from day one that he was a special child. His mother Marla was too busy to know it. She simply shrugged it off with an occasional sweet motherly compliment whenever Travis showed the beautiful pictures of animals and human faces he was able to draw, merely looking at pictures in the books and magazines. But the same Marla was brimming with pride, when she saw that her little son was able to read books before even he started school.
Travis was fond of stories like all children, except that in his case they took him to a realm far beyond his present environment that he would dwell there long enough, reluctant to come back. Only the previous year when he was six and in grade one, where most children would barely learn to spell words, Travis wrote his first short story scribbled with a pencil in one of his father’s important office files.
Police Superintendent Elmo De Silva had kept some reports about unsolved homicide cases. Amidst his reports he was puzzled to see Travis had written something with his pencil running into three pages.
“Travis, come here!” His father had a stern tone in his voice, which startled his mother Marla.
“What’s the matter Elmo you seem so upset?” Marla came to the living room from Kitchen.
It was around 7.00 AM and they both were ready to leave for work. Travis himself was dressed up to go to school, while all the others in that house were still snoring in their beds.
They had arranged a private van to pick up Travis every morning and also bring him back home in the afternoon. There were few other children from the neighborhood, who also joined Travis in that van. Travis attended St. Thomas primary school at Mount Lavinia, ten miles away from where they lived.
His father, Elmo would frequently go to his school during lunch hour to spend about 30 minutes with Travis, which Travis found very pleasing. Especially the kids in his class made Travis feel like he was some kind of celebrity, whenever his father showed up in his high-ranking police uniforms.
On that morning, Elmo could not make out what Travis had scribbled in his big office file. But he knew it was little Travis’ works.
“Why did you scribble on the pages of this file Travis? I had kept records of my important office work.” His voice had more a mellow tone now.
“It was not scribbling dad, it is a story that I wrote.” The innocent answer surprised and pleased Elmo. He was amused and for a moment that he forgot he had to go to work. He took the time to decipher what Travis had written.
Travis had written a little story about himself being the hero who saved a young sparrow that was dropped off from the nest on the cherry tree. With the little boy restoring the young one back to his mother, the story came to a completion. The story had a happy ending with the separated nestling reuniting with his mother. Elmo read it aloud and at times when he had difficulty Marla came to his aid and helped him out. It was on three full pages that Travis had brought the story in to a completion.
Elmo chuckled in sheer paternal pleasure, when he was reading how Travis had described in his own words the pangs of separation between the mother bird and the forlorn baby bird. Marla kept a straight face but joined in to compliment Travis.
At that time, little did anyone realize that the six year old, who wrote a story in his innocent way, would grow up to become someone famous.

There were a lot of things happening in their household that daddy and Mommy did not seem to be aware of, Travis often thought to himself. But Elmo knew most of the things. No one could fool him easily. Travis never liked the way his Aunt Claudia behaved. She always wore thick red lipstick with loud makeup that looked so gross. She always wore tight skirts and skimpy clothes to flaunt her body.
Once, Travis was looking for a missing toy. He had looked everywhere and couldn’t find it. He searched every room and finally went into Aunt Claudia’s room. The little boy stood there completely scared and embarrassed for a moment. Claudia was standing stark naked in front of her mirror, admiring her plump body. She did not see the little boy behind her, near the door. Then she suddenly noticed him and freaked out.
“Get the hell out of here Travis. Who asked you to come in here? Don’t you have any manners to knock on the door before entering?”
Little Travis found her behavior disgusting and ran out of there immediately. He wanted to tell his mother about the incident, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
Travis resented Aunt Claudia’s presence around the house. Something was wrong with her. The moment she saw a man, any man for that matter, she would put on an unusually sweet demeanor and act very demure. His father Elmo was terribly embarrassed of her pretentious behavior, especially when his junior officers dropped into discuss some urgent matters. Elmo had warned that Claudia is not to show herself up and entertain any of his visitors. He had ordered the cook woman Ramani to serve tea when Marla was not around and wanted Claudia out of sight. Claudia was very upset over this and instigated their grandmother Elsie. Together they made an issue with their mom Marla. Their mother Marla was always at the receiving end.
Travis always wondered where his mom was getting all the endurance and patience to put up with the two wicked people like his grandma Elsie and Aunt Claudia. In fact Elsie and Claudia always stuck together and ganged up against their mother Marla. Their father Elmo always had a hard time resolving their issues. Most issues were left unresolved, may be dad should think of entering them in his file, where he keeps records of unsolved homicide cases. Travis knew about that file, since Elmo had mentioned it to him on the day he made his maiden attempt at writing his first short story.
Leaning provocatively on their front gate, Claudia would always invite young men passing by, to talk to her. The men would drool over her and she loved that attention tremendously.
But by 5.30 PM both Elmo and Marla would return home. Some times their mom Marla arrived before their dad. But mom was always tactful. She would avoid any confrontations with their grandma. She wouldn’t mention anything to dad either. Mom always would wait until dad sees things to his own eyes. She would never say anything to hurt anyone, but one thing was clear. She was under lot of pressure since of late, Travis thought. The pressure undoubtedly came from the two wicked creatures in the house. On one occasion money was gone missing and they tried to blame it on Rahul, the gardener, who had been inside the house. But it turned out that grandma Elsie had smuggled it out and dad did not say anything, only to avoid a pandemonium.
Their mother Marla was always one hundred percent behind their dad. She never, ever questioned his decisions or criticized him for anything he did. On the other hand, she would readily offer valuable suggestions at the hour of need. In fact dad and mom loved each other very dearly and always worried about each other’s safety in that household. Now they had became increasingly worried about their two children as well, since they were left alone in the care of these two mean spirited women in the house.
On that day, Marla had arrived home early from work complaining about a severe headache. It was around 1.30 PM. Travis and Larry both had eaten the horrible lunch cooked by Ramani. They were used to that. Marla had brought some food from a Restaurant and both Travis and Larry had a second go at it.
Travis always had spoken to his mom Marla about the nice lady, who lived right next door to them. He also made it a point to show the ripe mangos Kasthuri had given him the previous day.
His younger brother Larry was seated on their mother’s lap. He was mama’s boy, so possessive of Marla. Travis, on the other hand, was fiercely independent and forthright. Marla was pretending to listen to Travis but her mind was preoccupied with a number of nagging issues in their household. She had begun to lose her peace over the two women, who try to manipulate her husband in the household. Her heart felt heavy, she needed a walk. May be she needs to go to the park with the two children. She announced to the children that she was going to take them to the park. Both Travis and Larry became very excited at the idea. They loved the precious times their mother spent with them.
The park was only about 10 minutes walk from their house. It was closer to the railway station. Ten minutes later, they were there. Marla sat on the park ground, and watched the children play on the slide and the swing.
Suddenly Travis screamed in excitement, “Larry, Kasthuri is here! Look, look… she is seated under that tamarind tree.”
Marla turned to look in the direction Travis pointed. She saw a beautiful woman in her thirties, attired in a saree, and seated on the lawn under a tamarind tree.
Before they knew, Travis ran like a rabbit to her and greeted her with excitement, “Hello Kasthuri!”
“Hello Travis.” Kasthuri responded likewise, with her sweet smile.
Travis bubbling with excitement called out to his mother. Marla rose and walked in the direction Kasthuri was seated. Little Travis introduced Kasthuri formally to his mother on that day. They exchanged pleasantries and soon realized how much they enjoyed the simple conversation except for Kasthuri’s language barrier in English. Kasthuri was able to speak to the kids in simple English and found it difficult to carry on a conversation with a grown up in English.
Quickly sensing this, Marla switched to Sinhala, the native language the majority in the Country spoke. Now Kasthuri was able to carry on a conversation with Marla with greater ease.
Marla learned a great deal about Kasthuri on that first encounter. She learned Kasthuri was a Tamil woman, whose first language was Tamil. Kasthuri was also fluent in Sinhala language, since she was a second generation Indian immigrant in Sri Lanka. Though she had very little schooling, Kasthuri apparently was from a decent family. Kasthuri had lost her father when she was a very young child, and had been brought up in virtual poverty by her mother, who had a small dwelling and some farm animals with which she made a frugal living in the hill country of the Island known as Kandy. Kasthuri was married off to a forty year old man at the tender age of sixteen, much against her own wishes. Her husband Rajasekar was a landowner of Tea, Rubber and Cocoa estates in Kandy and other parts of the Island. Kasthuri’s old mother apparently having no support to bring up her only daughter forcibly married off Kasthuri to the landed proprietor, who was obsessed with the nubile young lass.
Kasthuri had gone through a miserable married life with her husband, who was not only wealthy at one time but reckless as well. He was indulging himself with wine, women and song, while his business was mainly under the people he deputized. Soon all the people who worked for her husband Rajasekar established their own businesses on the side.
Kasthuri had five children, three boys and two girls. Only she, her husband Rajasekar and her elder son Ruben lived in the house next door to De Silva family at that time. All her other four children lived with Kasthuri’s mother, the children’s grandmother in Kandy. Kasthuri described her five children in the following order.
Ruben: The eldest boy, a gifted child and scholar on whom she dotted greatly. The boy had sterling qualities with a caring nature and exemplary character.
Logan: The second boy, a self-absorbed sports enthusiast. Cares less for the feelings of others but his own, very much a self centered character.
Prassana: The third boy who seemingly harbors a great deal of deep-seated anger combined with a propensity for violence. His rebellious attitude and daring nature always got him in to trouble both in school and outside.
Uma: The fourth in the family, the headstrong girl, who always tries to emulate her eldest brother Ruben, but with little success.
Narmada: The fifth and youngest girl in the family, who could be described as dull-witted and sharp-tongued.
That completed the picture of Kasthuri Rajasekar’s family children.
Kasthuri also mentioned to Marla how she relied on her eldest boy Ruben for moral support and consolation. She also mentioned how the other two boys were not quite studious. She also mentioned about her third son Prassana, who had become a College boxing champion at the age of 14 in the featherweight class.
Either by twist of fate or total recklessness her husband had lost all his wealth. May be a combination of both Kasthuri confessed to Marla. She admitted she was not educated enough to understand her husband’s business operations during the times he flourished. But she knew enough to know that her husband was the biggest Tea exporter in Ceylon in the past, and his supplies were regularly shipped to the world market.
When her husband Rajasekar lost everything, they moved to Colombo. They still had some ancestral property and house in the hill-country that her husband never talks about. Kasthuri also said her husband had a large family of relatives and a long line of half brothers and sisters, who were enjoying the remnants of his labor and the application of his business acumen.
After listening to Kasthuri’s story, Marla sighed. Was it a relief or simply a consolation on seeing another person’s plight she wasn’t sure. But certainly she felt much better and her spirits were up after talking to this nice woman, who happens to be her neighbor. There are lots of people in much worst situations than I. In life, one has to look at people who are less fortunate to take heart, Marla consoled herself.
The thought made her feel positive. Marla took a great liking to Kasthuri immediately.
Soon it was dusk, and they all walked back to their homes. Marla noticed how Travis during their walk home was holding Kasthuri’s hand happily as though Kasthuri was a close member of their family. She had never seen Travis this happy before. However, Larry still clung to his mother’s side.

When Marla and the two children approached the front gate they heard a big commotion in the porch area. The old grandma Elsie was screaming at the top of her voice and Rahul was standing down on the steps wailing to her, while cook woman Ramani looked on, totally bewildered. Rahul was attempting to make some incoherent, unintelligible sounds and pleading with Grandma Elsie. Elsie was barely 59 and in good health but always pretended like she was much older and very sick since she did not want to do anything around the house.

Kasthuri was able to see the disturbance and hear the noise coming from her neighbor’s yard but pretended like she did not see anything and went inside her house. She wanted to spare the embarrassment to the two children’s mother to whom she had just got acquainted.
Marla was embarrassed and puzzled as she entered the porch area.
“What is going on here? Would you please keep it down and stay calm before there is a crowd here to watch this.” She looked at Grandma Elsie and said in a neutral but firm manner.
“Yeah, sure, why not? You could say anything to me, can’t you? I am just a nobody in this house. I expected this would happen. I have been wasting my breath every single day lamenting with Elmo to look in to Claudia’s marriage, but he is too busy and this unfortunate girl is wasting away. Only if he had listened to me this wouldn’t have happened today, nobody in this house respects my opinion.”
Elsie was ranting and raving while Rahul was still crying, making gestures of appeals to Marla pathetically.
Ignoring Rahul, Marla entered the house and noticed that Claudia was inside, seated in the couch weeping copiously. Elsie screamed again “I don’t want this dirty rascal in here anymore. Out of my sight, and away from this property.” She shouted this time in Native Sinhala language so that Rahul could understand.
Rahul was an orphan and had nowhere to go. Elmo’s father had kept Rahul’s mother in their employ for a long time. Rahul’s mother died of ill health few years after Emo’s father passed away, and that’s when Rahul had been barely 15 years old. Rahul could not attend school for long since he was retarded but his body had grown up to be robust. He was a very able bodied worker when it comes to manual labor. He was a good man, loyal, very naive and very protective of the two children. He had crooked protruding teeth and always had that silly grin when someone insulted him.
Travis didn’t mind Rahul but he did not want Rahul to hold him close, since he detested the odor of Rahul’s body.
On the day of this upheaval, little Travis felt very sorry for Rahul for he knew he was a good man. Something has happened today and the wicked old witch is accusing poor Rahul. Marla quickly assessed the situation and asked Rahul to return to his quarters, and remain there until Elmo returned. Elsie became increasingly irate on seeing how Marla was dealing with the situation.
She screamed again. “I ordered him out of this vicinity and never to step back in to this property. Now you give him permission to go back to his quarters?” Old woman looked even uglier when she was mad, Travis thought.
“I am not ruling out on anything, and all I am saying is let Elmo come home to deal with this issue.” Marla said in a calm voice.

Luckily, at that point their father’s Jeep nosed in through front gates and Marla heaved her chest with relief.
Elmo strode into the house. One look at everybody’s face, and he knew something was wrong. He quietly walked pass Claudia who quickly rushed to her room, which was downstairs next to Elmo’s office room. Marla quietly guided the children to the kitchen and tried to fix their dinner. She made some tea for Elmo too. Elmo quietly changed into a pair of shorts and T-shirt, and then returned to the kitchen area. They did not speak to each other for a few minutes. A certain air of tension and uneasiness pervaded the atmosphere of the house.
Seated in the kitchen table Elmo tried to sound very casual, talking to Travis and Larry. Finally when the dinner was done, he asked Travis and Larry to go to their room in the upstairs and play until he asks them to come down. Then he turned his eyes on Marla.
“Marla lets go to the living room and discuss this, ask my step-mother and Claudia to come over” Without waiting for a response, he proceeded to the living room and perched himself on his rocking chair. He always sat on that chair when something bothered his mind.
Marla went inside and three minutes later returned with both Elsie and Claudia. They were all now seated in the living room. The air was solemn and Elmo was clearing his throat, not knowing how to begin.
Suddenly old woman Elsie shrilled as though she was in frenzy. “Why there are only four of us here? Where is that lowbred cooly now? To begin with it was partly your fault Elmo, for allowing that dirty rascal to stay in this house for so long. The very sight of him makes me sick to my stomach.” She went on and on with her barrage.
“All right that’s enough,” said Elmo finally, his tone very firm.
“We are all adults, and we can understand what has happened here.” Elmo knew how the old woman’s mind worked. More than that, he knew her half sister too well, and he also knew that Rahul was guiltless. Rahul has been part of the household even before his stepmother Elsie entered the family after her marriage to his late father.
But what Elmo didn’t know was that the old woman in the afternoon accidentally returning from her shopping spree heard some strange sounds in Claudia’s room. When she entered her daughter’s room unannounced, she was disgusted to see Claudia trying to force and subdue retarded Rahul in an attempt to seduce him, while he was trying to break free. She had completely undone her bra, her breasts completely exposed; she almost had Rahul down, restraining him.
Elsie was aghast, “You stupid bitch you did it again, only this time with a retarded idiot. Have you any shame left in you. Last time I had to get the driver fired because of your stupidity, and now I don’t have a car to go out whenever I want.”
Claudia was slightly embarrassed but not at all worried about her mother’s disapproval, since she knew her mother would always stand behind her no matter what.
That was the whole incident behind the entire commotion in the house that evening.
Though Elmo could not surmise exactly what had happened he unmistakably knew that his half sister had attempted to seduce a helpless, retarded man. Claudia had her first abortion when she was barely fifteen, and Elmo hadn’t forgotten that. His mind was preoccupied with how to appease the old woman, in order to restore the peace and calm in the household.

Elsie would stop at nothing. “Elmo enough is enough I have told you that it is not wise to have an unmarried young woman in the house; she is going to be 25 soon. It is time that you did something. When your father died he left everything under your care. This property and the whole house, which he wanted to leave for this girl in his Will, he simply couldn’t, since Claudia was a minor then. Elmo, you know very well that is why he simply left everything under your care.”
But that wasn’t true, Elmo’s father was very bitter with Elsie. Elsie loved to go to the clubs and associate with the members of the higher echelons in the society, when she was much younger. It happened a long time ago, but Elmo remembered it very vividly. Elmo has just graduated from the University of Colombo then, and had come home for the weekend. He found his father very ill. He was suffering from an ailing heart literally and metaphorically. But this time he took gravely ill. The same night he experienced breathing problems and had called out to Elmo, who rushed to his bedside in the middle of the night. At that time, his late father made a confession to Elmo. On that night, his father had expressed concerns about Elsie’s behavior. She had couple of male friends from the club, where she regularly goes for socializing. His father also shamelessly admitted that he caught her sleeping with a mutual friend of the family. He advised him to be careful with her and take care of the little girl Claudia, who had just turned nine at that time. He also asked him to open his drawer to retrieve the copy of his Last Will and Testament. Old man also told him that all arrangements have been made with the probate lawyer to register his Will. According to that Will he was leaving all his property to his son Elmo De Silva and not a penny to his lawful wife Elsie other than what she was entitled to under the prevailing provisions of Family Law Act in Ceylon at that time.
The next morning he had departed the world.
All the past incidents suddenly flashed back in Elmo’s mind at that moment. He looked at his stepmother, and felt only one emotion. Contempt!
Elsie turned the discussion of that evening in to an argument. She became increasingly argumentative and made some nasty remarks about Marla, who was caught in between.
Elmo for the first time since Marla knew him became angry. Marla had never seen her husband angry. No matter what bothered him he had the ability to contain himself and remain calm. But he was visibly upset on that day when Elsie directed her spiteful remarks at his wife. Marla was so touched by Elmo’s reaction. Her husband defended her, when his wicked stepmother was hurling her venomous remarks. She realized how much her husband loved her.
In the end, it turned out so ugly. His stepmother Elsie would stop at nothing. She threatened to swallow poison and kill both herself and Claudia, since the ill-treatment for both of them in the house in her own words was, “so unbearable.” Elmo was so aggravated by now that he curtly replied: she would be doing a favor to everyone in the world by carrying out her threat. After saying that, he did not wait. Instead, abruptly rose from his seat and walked to the stairs with Marla following him.

Meanwhile, Travis in the upstairs keeping his ears to the walls, heard most of what was going on in the downstairs.

The same night just before going to bed Marla noticed that her husband was so tensed and worried. She stroked his hair gently. “Elmo, are you worried?” Elmo just responded with “mmmm” that followed a sigh. Marla held him closer. “Elmo these things happen and we just have to be strong for our children and not lose sleep over everything.” She was saying that to pacify him although she was the one who really lost sleep with the situation in the house.
Noticing that Elmo did not have any reaction she changed the subject. She began to talk about her meeting with the next-door neighbor Kasthuri, relaying all the information she gathered from her, hoping that would change the prevailing mood in the bedroom. It elicited only one response from Elmo. “Interesting!” Said he, and pulled Marla closer. The next moment he cradled Marla in his thick hairy hands and closed his eyes to go to sleep.

The following two days were the weekend. Both Elmo and Marla were at home and the children loved the weekends, especially when their parents were with them. They wanted to hire a new driver since the time Elsie had fired the last one. But Elmo always put it off with a good reason. Elsie was very annoyed that she could not have her outings. She needed a driver to go to the ladies club to meet with her old friends. She missed yapping with them. Women who had husbands with means and lot of time in their hands were the members of the ladies club. Elsie also loved to drink, and she could not drive by herself since the time she had a near fatal car accident ten years ago.
Elmo had delegated the household management to Elsie. He would give a percentage of his monthly income to Elsie to pay the salaries to Ramani, Rahul, the household groceries, Laundry, shopping and any incidental expenses. Claudia would also get her pocket money from her mother. But Elmo would never ask for accounts, for he knew that would earn Elsie’s displeasure. Often Elsie would complain that there was not enough money left to cover the monthly expenses.

It was the following Saturday afternoon. The weather was mild, neither too hot nor too breezy. Elmo and Marla seated outside on their lawn appeared to enjoy the nice weather, sipping the tea Ramani had served. But beneath their calm composure, there had been nagging issues. Claudia and Elsie, the two women causing all the unpleasantness in a happy family, had to be dealt with. But, how? Elmo looked at their two children.
Travis and Larry picking the cherries fallen from the tree, totally unaware of what their parents are being subjected to.
It was at that moment, Elmo and Marla saw Kasthuri coming out of the rear entrance of her house, across from the fence that separated the two properties. She was approaching the bench under the Jumboo tree and Marla got up and walked to the fence. Leaning on the fence Marla greeted Kasthuri with a warm smile. “Why don’t you come around and sit with us for a cup of tea, my husband would like to meet you as well.” Marla cordially invited.
Kasthuri quietly responded with her genial smile. Accepting the invitation, she walked around passing the main road to enter into De Silva family property. She passed through the large steel gate that lead to front yard of that mini mansion, the De Silva family called their dwelling. Elmo stood up to greet Kasthuri like the gentleman he was. He had barely introduced himself when they heard the loud exclamation from Travis.
“Kasthuri!” He came running from where he was and perched himself on Kasthuri’s lap, as though it was his rightful place. Kasthuri gently held Travis and kissed him on his head affectionately. Elmo was very surprised to see his son’s reaction, for Travis was a boy who wouldn’t easily get close to strangers.
Larry came running after Travis, but went to his mom though.
Elmo looked at the pleasant faced woman attired in a powder blue saree seated right opposite him. He began the conversation very casually. They spoke about the weather, the grass that needs to be cut, the plants in the lawn, the erratic bus service, the local by-elections and among many other things Elmo tactfully inquired about Kasthuri’s family too.

Kasthuri told him about her eldest son Ruben. He had recently passed the entrance exam for the University Admissions with flying colors. She also mentioned that Ruben prepared for the exam all on his own without attending any schools, since the financial circumstances of the family prevented him continuing formal schooling. However, studying on his own he had become the outstanding candidate from Colombo district.
She also mentioned how her eldest son Ruben always won accolades and awards of achievements in school, from his childhood. Ruben was working for the Central Bank of Ceylon, as a clerk at that time. Ruben wanted to pursue Medicine but his father forbade his wishes saying it was not a feasible idea since the family couldn’t bear the burden of sending him to Medical School, which was so costly.
Apparently, this has made Ruben very disappointed, and he had started coming home very late after work since of late. Kasthuri surmised that Ruben was either going for movies or meeting his friends to avoid confronting his father at home. Quite on the contrary, Ruben was neither interested in movies nor in any other forms of entertainments. Moreover, he never had any friends. He always went to the British Council and American Center, the two reputed libraries in Colombo, either to read or study. He was addicted to textbooks. Kasthuri did not know anything about what he was reading, but she knew that her son was a brilliant boy.
Ruben was a very private person. By nature he was always taciturn. He had an unusually high IQ. His grasping and comprehension power was probably ten times higher than most people, which isolated him from the world at large. Ruben found interacting with everyday people very frustrating. Without his knowledge, he had turned himself inwardly from childhood and had become taciturn, which neither his mother nor anybody else around him understood. He never discussed anything with anyone but intuitively knew the right thing to do.
Kasthuri also complained about her second son, Logan, who was not showing any interest in studies. She described Logan as a self-absorbed young lad, whose interest was limited to sports and girls. But she didn’t mention about Logan’s selfish nature. End of each month when Ruben makes his remittances to Kasthuri’s mother, who was staying with Kasthuri’s other children in their house in the hill-country town of Kandy, that’s when Logan would pull a fast one with the monies sent. Being the second eldest in the family and mainly because their grandmother was not capable of going to the bank or the post office, the remittances were always addressed to Logan. But Logan would keep half of it for his pocket money, and give the other half for the family’s upkeep to his frail grandmother.
In the past, Ruben had spoken to his mother Kasthuri about his younger brother Logan’s irresponsible and selfish nature.

Kasthuri also mentioned about her other children to both Elmo and Marla. Her third son Prassana, who was showing signs of becoming an outstanding sportsman, had lately become a problem joining the wayward kids. Recently, he had been suspended from School, for assaulting his class teacher.
The other two children, her two daughters Uma and Narmada, the budding young girls left in the care of their grandmother in Kandy, were also attending school.

That afternoon both Elmo and Marla spent more than three hours with Kasthuri while the two children were playing outside. They never felt the time passing, and Travis always came running back to Kasthuri every now and then, in the middle of his games just to get a compliment or a hug from her. He was a little distracting during their conversation and it was quite noticeable that he wanted Kasthuri’s attention all the time. Elmo noticed Travis’ quick attachment to Kasthuri; and his mind was deep in thought.

Around 6.00 PM, Kasthuri excused herself to get back to her house so that she could fix dinner for her family. But their casual encounters over the fence and get togethers in the evenings continued in the next few days. Travis was getting more and more close to Kasthuri. It was as if the boy loved Kasthuri more than his own parents.
Marla felt a slight trace of maternal jealousy coming over her, especially when she saw how close Travis had become with Kasthuri within a short time. Marla also felt a little guilty for feeling that way. Meanwhile, the unpleasant atmosphere and uneasiness in the De Silva household continued in all other counts.

Few days later Marla received an invitation to attend a party in her office, hosted in honor of a foreign diplomat, who visited Colombo. Only an exclusive list of High Commission staff and their spouses were invited for the occasion. The dinner, dance and entertainment were to be held on the following Saturday at Galle Face hotel.
Marla was facing a dilemma at home. Since the latest upheaval with Elsie and Claudia things have gone from bad to worse. Both of them openly exhibited their animosity towards Marla and Elmo. The two kids were not spared either. Marla was wondering how she could leave both the children at their care, when she had to attend this function with her husband and come home very late in the evening. Perhaps it is going to be after midnight before they return home. Marla spoke to Elmo about it the same night before going to bed.
She was surprised when Elmo suggested that she should ask their neighbor Kasthuri. Elmo wanted Marla to ask Kasthuri if she could baby-sit their two children on the day of the function. It was something Marla herself had in mind. Besides, Elmo also suggested that they should invite Kasthuri and her husband Rajasekar over to their house for dinner the next evening. But he was careful enough not to mention that he checked out on Kasthuri’s husband Rajasekar, who as Kasthuri claimed to be, was a wealthy man once.
Elmo was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Force. He was able to check out on anyone’s background information. His police brain never took anything at face value. He was surprised to study the reports he received from his department about Kasthuri’s husband Rajasekar. The man had no initials and records revealed he called himself Rajasekar, and sometimes the same name was contracted into two parts as R.Sekar to reflect the initial. The reports confirmed that Rajasekar, who was also known as R.Sekar was a philanthropist and one of the wealthiest men in Kandy. Further reports confirmed that the once wealthy Tea Estate owner Rajasekar had disappeared in to oblivion a few years ago.
Most people knew that he had lost his tea Estate in St. John's Hills in the interior parts of Kandy and the rubber Estate in Koslanda, Ratnapura, but nobody in the circles knew where he was now. Apparently, one of Rajasekar’s Managers had become the General Manager at the Brooke Bond Ltd; a Colombo based Tea Company that exports tea to the foreign market.
When Elmo personally contacted this other person over the phone, he didn’t know where his former boss Rajasekar was living currently. With all the missing pieces to the puzzle and the benevolent nature of Kasthuri put together, something kindled Elmo’s curiosity. Something doesn’t add up here. Obviously, there was something missing in the picture and what was it? Elmo wondered. He was determined to find out what it was. He decided to get acquainted to the mysterious Mr. Rajasekar, who wants to remain unnoticed, leading a frugal life right next door to his residence.
Although he did not quite tell everything to Marla, he thought he should invite their neighbors Kasthuri and her husband Rajasekar to their house. He could not simply figure out why he was interested in them, but he definitely was. As a prelude to this, he felt he should meet Rajasekar and Kasthuri together in order to discuss if Kasthuri could baby-sit their two children in the weekdays.
He felt it was proper to discuss about remunerating Kasthuri for her trouble. Marla was quite elated about Elmo’s suggestion. She had taken a great liking to Kasthuri. They both knew the one who really going to be excited is none other than their seven-year-old son Travis.
The same evening when she met Kasthuri near the fence, which was the demarcation between the two properties, Marla asked if she and her husband Rajasekar could come over to their house the next evening for dinner. Kasthuri was very pleased with their invitation and promised to speak to her husband Rajasekar about it.

Later that evening, when Kasthuri mentioned about their neighbor’s invitation to her husband Rajasekar, she was completely taken aback by his reaction.
“You are an uneducated woman. You talk to anyone and everyone who pretend to be nice. It is just a social veneer. Those people seem to have some means. What could they possibly have in common with someone like you? You want to call them your new friends? Don’t you understand they are sympathetic towards you, and looking down at you? They are not trying to be friends with you? You are so dumb that you can’t even see that.” Rajasekar snubbed his wife Kasthuri.
“Why are you talking like this? Are you never going to change? Can’t you at least see the goodness in other people?” Kasthuri protested.
“You are nothing but a peasant woman I got stuck with. Friendship has to be on equal terms. You have nothing in common with them. They got class. You are so out of class with them. Birds of the feather flock together, and I cannot meet people like that with you on my side.” Rajasekar’s words were adding insult to injury in Kasthuri’s heart.
She was very disappointed and hurt. She was used to this humiliation, and in fact it hasn’t changed since she married him. She was desperately hoping her life would change. At least becoming close to these neighbors made her feel like she was somebody, but it only took two minutes for her husband to make her feel so small, and destroy her hopes as he always did.
She had been really sad that evening and never went out to speak to Marla or see the two children. She could never understand her husband’s arrogance, even when he had been reduced to almost nothing. She went to the shrine room where she had kept a pantheon of the Hindu Gods. She lit the holy lamp and prayed. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Her Gods never responded to her, but she was adamant that someday her prayers would be answered.
Yes, some day my prayers will be heard and all my misery would come to an end, she told herself. Her naïve belief and faith gave her hope and strength. She felt better after praying. It was something that she did with devotion every single day ever since she was a child.
She came to the Kitchen and commenced cooking dinner. She heard a clunk at the door, and the gentle footsteps that followed it. Her son Ruben entered the house. He was early that day. Kasthuri felt so relieved and better when she saw her eldest son. The lanky looking lad approaching 20 years was a pillar of strength.
“Ruben how was your day my son? You’re early today? Why don’t you come home early every day like this son?” The fondness and maternal love was unmistakable in her tone.
Ruben looked in his mother’s direction. “I am fine Amma (mother); it is just that I did not go to the library today after work.” He said in his soft voice and gentle mien.
Ruben went inside to change and when he was back in the Kitchen, Kasthuri served him tea. Seated on a chair, he was silently listening to his mother, and observing her cook dinner. Ruben was always in the habit of sitting in the Kitchen, watching his mother’s cooking, while listening to everything she had to say. After a while, on that day, he was his usual self. Gazing at his mother, he offered no word of consolation, but understood his mother’s every pain. There was something about her eldest son that made Kasthuri very strong. Emotionally Ruben was always there for his mother.
He was not in the habit of consoling his mother when she was sad, but just the look in his eyes bespoke a million words of consolation. All Kasthuri needed at that moment was, simply look in her boy’s face to get the strength she required. Whenever Kasthuri said anything about his father Rajasekar, Ruben would say nothing, but his eyes would silently exude contempt.
There was something about this lad that was very remarkable and everybody noticed that right away. Not only he was very smart, but also his lanky exterior belied his inner strength and mental fortitude. He would not openly oppose his father. In fact he would never speak to him either. He respected his father, but was feeling helpless like his mother, trapped in the circumstances of the family. On the other hand, Kasthuri knew her husband was in some way intimidated by the presence of their eldest son Ruben. Ruben was probably hundred times smarter than his father, and so unlike Rajasekar, blessed with a good nature too, Kasthuri thought. Ruben would never say anything to his father but always made the right decisions, without consulting anyone.
Kasthuri found him to be the buffer between herself and her abusive husband. After dinner, she mentioned about their neighbors, and how she had become friends with them. She also told Ruben about how De Silva family had extended an invitation that Rajasekar had flatly rejected. Ruben was quietly listening to his mother. He understood his mother’s disappointment. His discerning mind was always quick to read between the lines.
After Kasthuri blurted out everything, Ruben’s response was as calm as always it had been.
“Amma I think you should visit them tomorrow. Don’t worry about father. Let him have his own way, but I will be home tomorrow early and if you so wish I will accompany you and pay a visit to our friendly neighbors.”
Kasthuri felt so happy when Ruben said this. He was not only her son but also a savior, ever since he came into her life. She could still remember the day Ruben was born in the Kandy hospital, twenty years ago. Kasthuri was seventeen and she turned to her bedside to see her new born that came into this world after 18 hours of grueling labor. Her husband Rajasekar never came to see the child for three weeks. Even after she had been discharged from the hospital he did not come home to see his first born, at least not until after one month or so.
Apparently, Rajasekar had been out of town, she was told by some of his staff that came to visit her in the hospital, twenty years ago. When she turned to see the infant’s innocent face, she just felt all her emotional and physical pain ebbing away.
She felt as though the God has sent an Angel to save her. Yes indeed Ruben was the anchor, the raft she was clinging to, when the tidal waves swept away in her life in the past twenty years. Now, the same Ruben, grown up to become a young man with such great intelligence, such great maturity and such great understanding, staying on her side gave her the strength she needed. She felt like she had the strength that nobody had when Ruben was on her side. With that thought she retired to bed that night.

The following day Ruben came home early as he promised.
He showered, changed and was ready by 5.00 PM to visit their neighbors. Kasthuri herself had baked a cake and some sweets that morning to be taken to the little children Travis and Larry.
Around 6.00 PM, they both set out to visit their neighbors. Marla had stayed home on that day and Elmo had come home two hours early to receive their guests from next door. When both Kasthuri and Ruben entered their house, it was Elmo who was at the door to greet them. Marla, who was inside came to the veranda to receive them as well. When Kasthuri formally introduced her eldest son Ruben to Elmo and Marla they were both little surprised by the fact that Kasthuri’s husband Rajasekar did not accompany her. But they were polite enough not to ask about it.
Elmo called out to his children,
“Travis and Larry come down here. You have got some new guests wanting to see you.”
Both of them came down the stairs, and when little Travis saw Kasthuri he was so excited that he came down taking two steps at a time. In his excitement he failed to notice the second person with Kasthuri. Only when he went right to her and sat on her lap that he noticed Ruben, whom he had not met before.
Kasthuri introduced Ruben to the two children.
Larry was taken aback by this and went to his mother. Travis looked at Kasthuri’s son Ruben and was trying to survey him quickly. His presence didn’t bother him, but he felt a slight envy coming over him when he noticed the affection in Kasthuri’s voice when she turned to Ruben to say something. As far as little Travis was concerned, he wanted Kasthuri’s exclusive love and attention for himself. While this was going on in the downstairs living room, Elsie and Claudia never came out of their rooms.
Elmo was interested in talking to Ruben who was seated right next to him. After exchanging a few words with Ruben, Elmo found himself feeling a little awkward since he quickly sensed that he was talking to a man half his age, who was twice more knowledgeable than himself. Marla herself who caught the bits and pieces of their conversation was amazed at the vast general knowledge Ruben possessed and the high command of the English language he exhibited.
Though, a man of authority, Elmo by nature, was very soft-spoken. But Ruben had a certain air of confidence about himself, which Elmo noticed. Not even his senior officers would talk to Elmo this confidently. But Elmo was also quick to notice Ruben’s introverted nature. Unless he asked him something Ruben would not volunteer the information. Whenever Ruben answered him, it was direct, precise and to the point in carefully measured words.
He learned that Ruben had just quit his job at the Central Bank of Colombo on that day to take up a new job at the Entomological Department. Few days ago, Ruben had mentioned to his mother that he was going to take up a new job as an Entomological Assistant. Kasthuri never understood what Entomology was all about until Ruben briefly explained that it was something to do with the study of insects and parasites.
Elmo also gathered that Ruben had received outstanding grades in Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and Physics that earned him the admission to the Medical School. He must be the only candidate, who opted out to take up a job, completely skipping Medical School admission, for the sake of supporting his parents and siblings. When Elmo pondered, he realized how much he admired the young lad for his exemplary character and commitment to the family.

The dinner was served around 8:00 PM. Marla had prepared mixed fried rice with cashew nuts and minced vegetables. Kasthuri found it a little bland since she was an expert in the Indian Culinary Art. Ruben on the other hand, relished the shrimps Marla had cooked.
The children were seated with them and it was quite noticeable that Kasthuri couldn’t enjoy the meal very much, since she was paying attention to Travis and Larry throughout the course of the dinner. Dinner came to a completion with desserts and sweets. Marla opened some of the sweets Kasthuri had brought for them. The children went berserk with what they tasted.
After dinner, when they were seated in the living room, it was time for both the children to go to bed. Strangely, Travis refused to go to bed and wanted to stay with Kasthuri. When his mother Marla was trying to be firm with him, little Travis demanded that Kasthuri come to his bedroom and stay with him until he falls asleep. When Marla cut him off flatly Travis looked at Kasthuri appealingly. The little boy had a beautiful round face with thick curly hair. His big brown innocent eyes looked at Kasthuri beseechingly. Kasthuri did not have the heart to turn him down. She turned to Elmo and looked at him, as though it was an appeal on behalf of the little boy.
The expression on Elmo’s face was mellow and gentle. His knowing smile implied he understood everybody’s feelings. He turned to his wife Marla.
“It’s okay Marla if Kasthuri wants to go upstairs with the children for a few minutes, until they go to sleep. We can wait for her.”
That settled Travis’ demands. Kasthuri and the two children went upstairs while Travis was holding Kasthuri’s hand and bouncing in excitement. When the children were upstairs Elmo decided it was a good time to talk about what he had in mind with Ruben. In fact he was hoping that he could speak to Kasthuri’s husband Rajasekar about it. He was going to ask if it would be okay for them to seek Kasthuri’s baby-sitting services for a payment of Rs.150 a month. In retrospect, one hundred and fifty rupees back in 1963 had a lot of value and it was a very generous amount. Elmo put this to Ruben in a persuasive manner. He told him since Kasthuri has a lot of free time available during the day it wouldn’t be too demanding on her. Besides his children loved her company, while the extra income could go in to Rajasekar family. Ruben wasn’t expecting this, but he felt it was perfectly acceptable provided it was okay with his mother.
Thirty minutes later Kasthuri came down from upstairs, after the children had gone to sleep. Ruben turned to his mother and explained what Elmo had just proposed. Kasthuri readily favored the request from De Silva family. It would be very fulfilling to spend her time with the two children as opposed to listening to her husband’s criticisms at home, she reasoned. Moreover she felt the extra income could be sent to her other children who were living in Kandy with her feeble old mother. Elmo requested them to speak to Rajasekar and let them know before Friday. He also mentioned about the function at the High Commission both Marla and he had to attend on the following Saturday.
Kasthuri had a quick word with her son Ruben in Tamil, and turned to them to indicate that she was willing to start the very next day. She didn’t feel it was necessary to talk to her husband Rajasekar, as she knew what his reaction would be. Ostensibly she felt defiant about deciding things on her own for the first time in her life, and surprisingly it made her feel good.

Commencing the next day she began coming over to De Silva’s residence around 7:00 AM and spent her time with the two children until both Marla and Elmo returned home, which was usually around 5.00 PM or shortly after. Thus, started Kasthuri’s days of becoming the surrogate mother to Travis, which lasted for the next ten years until De Silva family immigrated to Australia.