This is a Tamil short story taken from a collection titled “Eelaththu Ulaviyat Sirukathaikal” (Lankan Psychological Short Stories) compiled by K S Sivakumaran. Written in 1960 and published in the Thinakaran Vaara Manjari, it is titled “Inam Inaththudan” (Birds of a feather flock together). The rendition in English is as follows:
The Batticaloa mail train driven with a Diesel engine from Colombo Fort reached the Gal Oya railway junction passing through the western, north western, and north central provinces.
It’s past midnight now. Shortly a coal engine driven train will leave for the eastern capital Batticaloa (Maddakkalappu).
I am seated in a fully packed third class compartment. The passengers are mainly workers employed in the Gal Oya Scheme and Ampaara.
There is a whistle, and visibly a greenlight and the locomotive slowly moves.
As the train is speeding a little a young man comes running and gets into our compartment. He is wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants to match. Between his lips an Ardath cigarette lies as he carries his luggage with slight uneasiness.
He has his hair combed well and looks smart and steady. He sits opposite my seat while I light a cigarette.
I begin to continue reading the novel of Alberto Moravia.
“Hkkum – a light cough. I look at the direction where the faint noise comes. It is the new passenger He looks at me sharp without lifting an eye lid. For a moment I am disturbed and finds difficult to manage myself. I have seen his face somewhere before. A brief twirling of his lips with a faint smile ran through. I try to smile back. But I know it’s not a natural one. Only a cultivated false smile.
Since I live in Colombo, how can I show my 32 teeth to an unknown man and degrade myself?
A cool wind blows through the widows. The speed of the train was disgusting- a slow coach. The worst train service is the eastern line only.
I dislike the speed of the train. This Gal Oya- Batticaloa line the slowest coach run by the CGR. The speed of the Diesel engine is much faster than the coal run engine.
I am interested in finish reading the erotic novel by Alberto Moravia but my attention is now turned on the guy sitting opposite me.
Although I want to speak with him but my false middle-class pride prevents me from doing so. I close the book, the window too and crush the cigarette butt under my shoes.
I am whistling La Paloma, the Lain number featured in a Thamil film too, and look at him as if he is a non-entity.
His lips are twirling as if he wants to say something.
“Look friend you have grown big now. Are you in Colombo now? Can’t you recognize me?” “I am Sellathurai,”, he drags his name.
The sudden voice of his seem familiar to me. Even his face slightly reminds me of someone I knew long years ago. But I can’t recall where I have met him.
“We were classmates at the Aanaipanthy School, no? You have forgotten me I suppose. You are Sivakumar, right?”
“Yes, Yes, it’s only now I can remember. What are you doing now?”
“I am in Trinco, Chum. I work for a shipping company there. Going to my place now. Came in the Trinco train and boarded this train at Gal Oya station.” “Are you studying or working?”
“I am still studying”
Good. Unlike me disturbing my studies. Good and pride for us you are studying and becoming a big man.”
“O K. What’s special these days in Batti town? Are there any developments there? I am going there after six years?
He seems to be astonished that I am speaking good Thamil instead of the Batticaloa dialect. He may even dislike me for that.
But for me I can speak English fluently. In Thamil, unless I speak in grammatical Thamil, I find it difficult to speak colloquial Thamil. It may be due to my Colombo atmosphere and the people I associate with. Although this youth wears western style clothes, yet he speaks with me in Thami and that too in Maddakkalppu Thamil. It’s many years since I have heard the East Lanka variety of dialects. So, I want him to speak more and more using those dialects.
He lights a cigarette and calls me, “Come will you, let’s have a glass of beer. It’s nice to have it in the chilly night. We can sit in the Buffet and chat”
“No, please, I don’t take alcohol. Thanks.”
“Surprising! Living in Colombo, doesn’t take drinks. Beer is good for the body”
“Maybe. But I have some principles I follow”
There is a sudden change in his face. He must be realizing that he should speak with me with some respect. He doesn’t seem to be much educated. I wonder if has passed his SSC even. He works in a company wearing trousers and shirts. My mind thinks like this. No end to pomposity and showiness.
Perhaps, most of the youth in Maddakalappu are like this. He maybe just an example like a morsel of rice in a boiled pot of rice. Anyhow I must go there and see for myself.
“So, when are you returning to Colombo?” he asks me.
“I really don’t know, I maybe there for a week in the town. O K. Are there any changes in the town?”, I reminded him.
“What change! It’s the same like before. Why, aren’t you going to see it yourself” and stopped the conversation. He doesn’t want to talk further. Me too did not want to bother him anymore.
The Restaurant car boy came shouting “Koppi Koppi. ”. I call him buy a cup of Coffee to Sellathurai. But he refuses to accept the coffee. Perhaps he too has his genuine pride. I buy one for me, it’s not coffee but hot water mixed with sprinkling of some dust in the name of coffee.
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