Hernando Villa: A Sri Lankan Love Story

Hernando Villa

A Sri Lankan Love Story

Published by Terrence Perera at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Terrence Perera

This book is available in print at most online retailers

For Myrna

My Ever-Loving Wife

Preface

Events described in the book, such as the war, the race riots and the tsunami, have actually taken place in Sri Lanka. The incidents narrated in the book, in relation to these events, are also suggestive of incidents that actually took place.

Nevertheless, the incidents themselves are all fictitious. The book is a work of fiction and the characters therein bear no resemblance to any person, living or dead.

Terrence Perera is a product of Holy Cross College, Kalutara and the University of Ceylon. He is a Chartered Accountant, now retired, who has worked extensively in both Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe he also turned Horticulturist and grew roses for export to Europe in a metal plastic-covered greenhouse of extent one full hectare!

He was also a keen Lawn Bowls player and took part in Zimbabwe National Bowls Tournaments.

Terrence Perera is the author of two other books. His book, Turmoil at the Villa, is the sequel to Hernando Villa and his other book, Sri Lankan and Zimbabwean Memories, is a collection of memoirs of his life in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Contents

1 A Husband for Padma

2 An Adventurous Weekend

3 Side-Shows

4 Padma Goes to Churchh

5 Dancing in the Moonlight

6 The Two-Pronged Attacks

7 Aunt Emma’s Spend the Day Party

8 The Gate Mudliyar

9 William Goes to Oxford

10 The Earl’s Daughter

11 Mr. Rajanathan Intervenes

12 The Earl and Countess of Gentford Visit Ceylon

13 The Hernando Family Saves Little Padma and Her Parents

14 Preparations for the Wedding

15 Wedding Celebrations

16 Is She a Suicide Bomber?

17 Aunt Margie Comes to Stay

18 You Are My Father!

19 A Suitable Boy

20 Tsunami

21 Conclusion

Chapter 1

A Husband for Padma

Hernando Villa is the ancestral home of the Hernandos and was built in the latter years of the 19th century by Gate Mudliyar Elaris Hernando. It was a spacious house built on two acres of prime land adjoining the beach at Goratuwa. He gave the house the somewhat grandiloquent name of Hernando Villa. However, his standing in the community was such that no one considered the name inappropriate or pretentious.

The gate mudliyar is still remembered in Goratuwa. They still relate the story of how he brought honor to Goratuwa by being specially chosen by His Excellency, the Governor Sir Walter Warren to escort His Royal Highness, Prince Henry during his visit to the island. There is also the story of the great friendship that existed between the gate mudliyar’s son, William, and the Earl of Gentford: of how the earl and his family made a special trip to Ceylon to visit the earl’s bosom friend and how they all dined at Hernando Villa.

Nevertheless, old women do whisper to each other that the friendship that existed was not between William and the earl, but between William and the earl’s wife; that a romance had taken place between William and the Countess of Gentford during the days William was at Oxford; that it was the countess, who had insisted on the visit to Ceylon.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Hernando Villa was quite a different place from the house that the gate mudliyar built. The family had added a new upstairs wing and the whole house was air-conditioned. There was a spacious swimming pool and a tennis court. The garden, which adjoined the beach, was developed and was full of greenery and flowers.

The interior decor of the house was different too, the antique furniture of the gate mudliyar's time blending tastefully with modern furniture. When the governor elevated Elaris to the rank of gate mudliyar, he had had a huge portrait of himself, in his gate mudliyar’s ceremonial robes, installed in a prominent position in the drawing room of the house. However, the family had removed this huge portrait from its pride of place in the drawing room and relegated it to a back room. They felt that the portrait did not fit in with the décor of the room and also that its presence there was not in good taste. Nevertheless, once every year, on 25 December, they brought the portrait back to its place of honor in the drawing room on the occasion of the traditional family Christmas dinner.

The business enterprises started by the gate mudliyar and developed by his son, William, had flourished and grown into a huge conglomerate, playing a significant role in Sri Lanka's economy. The chairperson of the holding company was now Reshan, the great-grandson of the gate mudliyar.

Reshan occupied Hernando Villa. He lived there with his wife, Malkanthi, and their three children, Nihal, Manel and William. Nihal and Manel were in their early twenties, while William, whom they had named after his great grandfather, was eleven years old. Emma Hernando, Reshan’s spinster aunt also lived with them in the house.

Reshan and Malkanthi’s best friends were Gamini and Hema Pieris. Gamini was the manager of a large tea plantation up in the hills, in Nuwara Eliya. Hema was an old school friend of Malkanthi and had been the bridesmaid at Malkanthi's wedding. Gamini was a close friend of Reshan and had been his best man. Gamini and Hema met each other for the first time at the wedding.

When the Hernando wedding took place, there was the usual talk that usually comes to nothing of a romance between best man and bridesmaid. In this case too there was the usual talk, but it did come to something! It may or may not have been love at first sight, but Gamini and Hema married each other within a year of the Hernando wedding.

Another family with whom the Hernandos were friendly with were the Rajanathans. However, the Rajanathans lived in Canada. Prior to their departure to Canada in 1983, the Rajanathans and the Hernandos had been close friends, and they had continued to maintain that friendship even when apart. When the Rajanathans visited Sri Lanka, they usually stayed with the Hernandos, and the Hernandos too had visited them in Canada. Manel had visited Canada only a year ago and had stayed with the Rajanathans. Their daughter Padma and Manel were good friends.

The Rajanathan family had immigrated to Canada after the race riots in Sri Lanka, during which the Hernando family had saved them from being killed.

One night, just as Reshan and Malkanthi were going to bed, there was a call from Canada. It was a call from Mrs. Rajanathan to Malkanthi. After the usual greetings were gone through, Mrs. Rajanathan said:

Malkanthi, why I am phoning you is to inform you that Padma will be coming to Sri Lanka in a few days time to stay there for some months; she will be staying with my sister in Wellawatte.

That’s nice, replied Malkanthi, Padma can stay with us too, for as long as she likes.

Thank you, Malkanthi. The reason for her visit is to find herself a suitable husband in Sri Lanka. We prefer him to be a Hindu Jaffna Tamil belonging to our caste; it has been so difficult to find such a suitable young man in Canada, even though there are thousands of Tamils here.

I am sure Pushpa that she will find a suitable boy here. Perhaps we can help too. Reshan could inquire among his business friends and even Nihal may be able to find a suitable Tamil boy among his friends and acquaintances.

Thank you ever so much. Padma will phone you when she arrives. Please ask Manel to visit her as she is bound to be bored staying in the flat all alone with my sister.

Manel will certainly visit her and we all look forward to meeting her, replied Malkanthi.

Manel visited Padma as soon as she arrived. Her aunt was living in a fifth storey flat in a high-rise apartment building at Arethusa Lane, Wellawatte. The chauffeur dropped Manel at the entrance to the building and Manel took the lift to the fifth floor and walked to the apartment. Padma, herself, opened the door. They hugged and kissed each other in greeting and entered the sitting room.

Padma’s aunt was in the adjoining room on the telephone and they could hear her voice distinctly.

I am phoning to inquire whether your son is in the market, she was saying, my niece has just arrived from Canada. She is a pretty, well educated girl and she has come here to find a suitable young man….Oh! You mean, it is your nephew who is in the market and not your son. I am so sorry to have bothered you. I will phone your brother. Thank you, thank you.

It was apparent that the aunt was leaving no stone unturned in her quest for young men in the market for her niece. Both Padma and Manel were embarrassed at Manel overhearing this conversation and Padma apologized to Manel saying,

My aunt, you know, is very keen to find a husband for me as soon as possible.

The aunt was a kind old lady whose now one burning desire was to find a husband for her Canadian niece. Nevertheless, she wanted to do this all by herself or, perhaps, only with the help of her other sister who lived close by. She certainly did not want any help from the Hernandos.

Though the Hernandos were great friends of her sister in Canada, she distrusted them; in fact, she distrusted all Sinhalese and had a deep-rooted aversion towards them. She still remembered the horrendous sufferings the Tamils had undergone during the race riots of 1983. There was also the war that was ongoing between the government and Tamil separatists, where civilians of both sides were being killed.

However, she received Manel very courteously and bestowed upon her, her traditional hospitality. She plied her with cakes and sweetmeats and asked her, with solicitous concern, what she would like to drink.

Nevertheless, when Manel suggested that Padma come and stay with her for a few days at Hernando Villa, the aunt demurred. She was horrified at Padma staying, all by herself, in a Sinhala home. Staying with Sinhala people in a Sinhala home! Anything might happen! Visions of seduction, rape and other horrifying scenarios filled her mind. Nevertheless, she never envisaged what actually did take place by Padma staying with the Hernando family.

You know Manel, she temporized, it is better for Padma to stay here as there may be sudden marriage proposals and her presence may be immediately required. She could, of course, visit you during the day.

If Padma is required here at short notice, Manel replied, we could easily drop her here within the hour.

The aunt could not well refuse Padma staying with friends of her sister.

I will have to consult my sister about it, she finally said, I will phone her tonight when it is morning in Canada, and I will then inform you

Pushpa was of course delighted that her daughter was invited to stay with the Hernandos and readily gave her consent. Hence, Padma went the next morning itself to stay at Hernando Villa for a while.

Padma loved her aunt and did not mind the closeness of her flat. Even though in Edmonton they now lived in a spacious house and garden, yet when they first arrived in Canada they had lived for many years in a flat similar to that which her aunt occupied.

Nevertheless, she preferred staying at Hernando Villa. There was no comparison between the villa and her aunt’s apartment. The villa was large and spacious, fully air-conditioned and with a well maintained garden going right down into the beach. She had an en suite bedroom all to herself.

Again, she had very little in common with her aunt. Their values and attitudes were so different. Padma had grown up in Canada, while her aunt had lived her entire life in Sri Lanka, with very little contact with the outside world. On the other hand, the Hernandos were quite a different set of people, more in tune with her own family in Canada.

She was also close to Manel and Nihal. They were of the same age group as her and had a circle of friends with whom she had much in common. She could not remember, but had heard that when she was very small, she had been close friends with Manel and Nihal; that was before her family had immigrated to Canada. She had also heard how their father, Reshan, had given them shelter during the 1983 race riots and saved their lives, just prior to their departure for Canada.

Very soon Padma’s visits to Hernando Villa became more frequent and of longer duration. She tended to be at her aunt’s flat only when her aunt had arranged for her to meet some eligible young man. However, so far she had not met the right man; she was rejecting every potential lover her aunt introduced to her!

The Hernandos also participated in the search for a mate for Padma. Reshan and Malkanthi were quite diligent in their efforts; even Nihal made inquiries among his friends. Nevertheless, the search by the Hernandos, too, was proving fruitless.

However, the situation took on a new twist. A mutual attraction was developing between Padma and Nihal! Padma was beginning to enjoy Nihal’s company more and more. On her visits to the house, she unconsciously looked forward to meeting Nihal even more than to meeting Manel.

Moreover, it was the same with Nihal. He would make it a point to stay at home when Padma was expected. He, too, was beginning to enjoy Padma’s company more and more.

The three of them would chat together on innumerable topics. On one occasion, they were chatting together on that all-important topic of finding a partner for Padma, when Nihal flippantly commented on the problems he was having in helping her.

Firstly, he complained, I have to ascertain, before arranging a meeting with you, that your potential soul mate is physically suitable; that he is neither too tall nor too short; neither too fat nor too thin. Then I have to ascertain the sort of job he has and his social background. Then, after examining in detail all these various matters, I have to find out to what caste he belongs. You know, we never talk about caste as it is an unmentionable subject in normal conversation. Inquiring into somebody’s caste is a highly embarrassing and delicate matter. I sometimes feel like marrying you myself, just to get rid of this huge burden of finding a husband for you.

Why don’t you do so? Padma replied in an equally flippant manner, It will save me from the burden of meeting and rejecting all these unsuitable lovers.

Nevertheless, after this exchange of words, there was an inexplicable constraint between the two of them. Manel, too, looked thoughtful.

There was the other occasion when Manel and Padma returned to the house after some shopping. They encountered in the drawing room a strange, weird looking man wearing a coat and a cloth in lieu of trousers, with a large book in his hand. There was also an umbrella close by, which obviously belonged to him. He sat close together with Malkanthi and Aunt Emma, and he was reading to them particulars out of his book.

He looked up, his face lit up with a broad smile at sight of the girls, and he nodded and bowed to them several times. Malkanthi introduced Padma to him saying, You of course know my daughter, Manel; this is Padma who is here on a visit from Canada.

He looked at her appraisingly, in a peculiarly obnoxious manner, as though he was undressing her! When the two girls left the room, Padma exclaimed:

Ugh! I do not like that man. The way he looked at me was disgusting; he looks a sex maniac! Who is he and why are your mother and aunt entertaining him?

Manel laughed and said:

"He is Mr. Karunaratne, a really harmless old man. Well, you are quite right in saying that he is obsessed with sex, but it’s not in the way you mean. He is a kapurala, a marriage broker, and he was looking at you in the same manner as a horse dealer would appraisingly look at a horse; as so much eligible flesh, available for sale to potential husbands, on which he could earn a fat brokerage fee. I think he has brought some marriage proposals for Nihal."

What she said was not correct. She knew that the marriage proposals the kapurala had brought were for her, but she was too embarrassed to admit it.

Padma’s heart missed a beat. Inexplicably she could not bear the thought of Nihal getting marriage proposals! She hated the kapurala and his disgusting manners and his disgusting marriage proposals. Why should Nihal need a kapurala? Surely, he could find a girl on his own and marry her! Padma could not adequately explain to herself why she was so upset at Nihal getting marriage proposals!

Two months had now passed since Padma came to Sri Lanka, but still there were no signs of a suitable husband for her. She and Nihal were getting more and more attached to each other, and were often having tête-à-tête conversations. Manel suspected that there was an affinity developing between her brother and her friend, but she was not certain and hence she kept her suspicions to herself.

There was an occasion when Nihal and Padma had a close, frank conversation, all by themselves. Nihal began it by saying:

Is it mandatory that you have to marry a Hindu Jaffna Tamil boy of your own caste? Can’t you fall in love with and marry whoever you please, irrespective of his race and religion?

I can, but then I have to please my parents, too, she said, and after few moments added:

There is something I have not even told Manel. In Canada, not so very long ago, I was in love with a white boy. We would meet clandestinely, without the knowledge of either his or my parents. Finally we decided to get married secretly, but at the last moment I could not bring myself to do so. I could not make a break from our traditional way of life and bring grief to my parents who are conservative Hindus. My parents came to know of the affair, and that is another reason why I have been bundled off to Sri Lanka, to forget about the white boy and find a husband here!

Are you still in love with this white boy and are you eventually going to marry him? Is that why you have been refusing all proposals here?

No. We broke off and he is now seeing someone else.

At this assertion of Padma, Nihal experienced a delicious feeling of relief and happiness that he had difficulty in explaining to himself.

What do you propose to do now? he asked.

I do not know. Perhaps if some suitable proposal comes my way through my aunt or your parents, or perhaps even through you, I will marry, she answered smilingly.

But what will you do, if someone here in Sri Lanka, who is neither a Tamil nor a Hindu, falls in love with you and wants to marry you?

I really do not know. Perhaps if such a person is suitable in other respects, I may agree. I am sure that my parents will not continue to thwart my wishes. However, what is your opinion on marriage? Will you only marry a Sinhala Christian girl of your own caste?

That’s what my parents wish me to do. Have you not heard the story of how they prevented my great grandfather William from marrying a white girl, and she being an earl’s daughter too; and how William’s mother threatened to commit suicide? Nevertheless, that was about a hundred years ago, and attitudes and values in Sri Lanka have changed considerably since then. I will marry the girl I fall in love with and who falls in love with me, he boldly asserted; and then added smilingly, You can be assured that my mother will not think of suicide and that my parents will eventually give their consent.

Both Padma and Nihal were aware of the significance of this conversation; and where it was leading to; but they refrained from pursuing the conversation further.

Chapter 2

An Adventurous Weekend

There was a long weekend and the Hernandos were going up into the hills, to Nuwara Eliya, to spend it with their friends, Gamini and Hema. Padma was also going with them. The party consisted of Reshan, Malkanthi, Nihal, Manel and Padma. William was having classes that weekend, and Aunt Emma had insisted on staying behind to look after him. They left on Friday morning and were to return on Sunday evening.

The party encountered many police checkpoints, checking for firearms and bombs, in the course of their journey. The war in the North had had its repercussions on the rest of the country, and both military and civilian installations, as well as crowded civilian shopping areas, were targets of both remote-controlled bombs and suicide bombers. It was imperative for all those travelling to carry their identity cards with them to prove their bona fides. Padma, being a foreign national, carried her passport.

They passed through a number of checkpoints without any difficulty. The police were all quite polite and helpful. Nevertheless, at one checkpoint close to Nuwara Eliya, they were not so fortunate. The police officer on duty was hostile and rude. He demanded to see Padma’s identity card and was not satisfied when she said that she had no identity card and produced her passport. He questioned the genuineness of the passport. Although it was well known that suicide bombers, both male and female, had infiltrated into all parts of the country, this officer appeared to be excessively suspicious.

The officer may have been one of those extreme racist types who was not only anti-Tamil, but who also resented a Tamil girl being in the company of a Sinhala family, and hence wanted to make matters difficult for the entire group.

On the other hand he may have simply perceived the situation as an excellent opportunity to earn some extra cash. The car they travelled in, and their general appearance, suggested that the Hernandos were a wealthy family who would not mind paying a considerable sum to avoid the inconvenience of having to go the police station, the hazards and dangers involved therein, and the consequent delay to their journey.

The officer said that he would have to take them all to the police station, until they clarified the genuineness of the passport. He said:

Sorry, but you will all have to come to the police station for questioning and your car will be impounded and searched. The foreign passport of this lady has to be scrutinized further. There are many female suicide bombers masquerading with false identity papers throughout the country, and we cannot take a chance.

Reshan was aware that though they knew him well in Goratuwa, he was completely unknown here: that here the Hernando name meant nothing. Still, he was not prepared to give in mildly to this police officer. He also suspected what his real motive might be. He continued to argue:

You can surely see that this is a valid passport. We are a Sinhala family. Do you seriously think that we will have a suicide bomber with us? I am from Goratuwa and the Goratuwa police know me well. You can phone them.

No, no! the police officer retorted angrily, The Goratuwa police have no jurisdiction here. I am in charge here.

However, after