Sri Lanka Diaries: Part Six
On returning from the elephant orphanage that evening, I was too tired to venture out for dinner, so I decided to remain in my room at the guest house, consume the remaining potato crisps in the Pringles canister and reflect on my experiences so far.
I was glad to have made it to Sri Lanka, as impulsive as my decision had been. On the other hand, I was also frustrated at not having someone to share my adventure with. My friends in India aren’t the kinds who’ll say yes to even half of the impromptu travel/activity plans I come up with. I’m too unconventional for them. It’s a pity, really. For a while in the beginning, I didn’t like engaging in these unconventional activities without company till I realised I should be enjoying my time on earth irrespective of others’ participation. So then I started doing all kinds of things by myself, to the point where I now found myself enjoying my own company much more than others’. It has lead to many moments of loneliness and despair, where I have wished to be with at least one other person who could laugh and get silly with me.
It’s funny how I’ve made friends with the sea, my camera and even stray dogs, but when it comes to humans, there’s always the lingering thought of whether I’m being taken for a ride, again. On the up side of this lack of strong social ties with other people, I find it hard to get bored when on my own.
My train of thought hadn’t travelled a long distance when the warm orange glow of the table lamp beside me caught my fancy and out came the digital SLR from its black bag. There’s something about warm lighting that’s irresistible to my photographer’s mind. I managed to get a few shots that would have made great photo album covers for this trip. It’s another thing that I wouldn’t use them on any cover because of my obsession with chronology, hierarchy and an honest portrayal of events. Even if irrelevant and irrational, I’d have to use the first photograph I took after landing in Sri Lanka for the cover of any photo album.
I must have daydreamed a bit after taking photos and before falling into a slumber, as I can only remember being woken up by the helper’s knock on the wooden door and a cheerful, “Good morning!” the next day. I really like it when people greet me in such a manner. As on the day before, I quickly showered, got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast and chat with Mrs. Dunuwile. More than the actual conversation with her though, I was looking forward to seeing the kids and their pretty teachers doing what they did best. The view from her garden was most satisfying!
I had decided to go to Colombo after so much debating with myself that it drove me insane with indecision. Yes, we Librans aren’t known to be the least frustrating decision-makers especially when doing it for ourselves. I discussed my forward travel plans with Mrs. Dunuwile and asked her for the bill for my stay. She made sure I signed the guest book even before I went back upstairs to pack my bags.
It was while leaving my room with my bags after packing them up, that I had one of my most cherished moments of the entire trip. She was standing in the kitchen stirring a cup of tea. I was standing in the passage outside my room door, having just locked the door with the key. A cursory glance to my left brought her eyes close to mine. She smiled. I smiled. My heart skipped a beat, as I had one of the rare “…and their eyes met” moments in my life. I had never known such bliss to exist without the exchange of even a sigh. “I am definitely coming back to Kandy,” I smiled to myself. “Maybe I can teach at the school.”
I bid a final adieu to Mrs. Dunuwile and thanked her for the packet of Sri Lankan tea she pressed into my hands and walked downhill towards the lake to make my way to the bus stand and to Colombo.
