Husband Found Guilty By Dr Asoka Thenabadu

Husband Found Guilty
By
Dr Asoka Thenabadu

“Should I or shouldn’t I?” “Should I or shouldn’t I?” Nihal grappled and agonized with his tormented conscience .It was a very difficult decision. He had been brought up in a traditional Sri Lankan home amid the teachings of the Buddha and what he contemplated now was against the fundamentals of his religion and upbringing as a Buddhist. As the eldest man in the family, he had the responsibility of sorting out all the family problems. The throbbing one sided headache due to his migraine had come on as a result and he had flashes of light which blinded him. He had severe nausea and was near to throwing up his breakfast of milk rice and fish sambol. He would have gladly cut off half his head to get rid of the headache if he could.

He went outside for a walk to clear his head. His majestic ancestral home called ”The Walawe” in Singhalese, meaning the home of the aristocrats, was a massive house with wide verandahs, a central court yard, many large rooms, stables, accommodation for the faithful family retainers, and a granary. It was of early British colonial architecture and had been built on land given to the family by the British authorities in the early 1820’s in exchange for liaising with and managing the subjugated local population. Selling it was unthinkable as the many family members would be aghast at the idea. “Shall I turn it into a Boutique Hotel as most people had done with their “Walawaes?” No this would entail more expense and the returns would be uncertain.”

He then went into the shrine room which held pride of place in his house. The statue of Lord Buddha had an immediate calming influence on him. The fragrant scent of the jasmine, roses and lily flowers that his spinster sister and widowed mother picked from the garden, wafted across and permeated the shrine room. The burning joss sticks gave out a mist of smoke and an aroma that had a very soothing effect on Nihal. After a few minutes of deep contemplation and prayer, revelation came to him. The migraine had become more bearable.
He opened the almirah and pulled out the dummy drawer, revealing the secret drawer, which he opened.

It was all there, reds and blues, sparkling, tantalizing; the fruits from the deep pits that Sri Lanka was famous for .Even King Solomon had sent emissaries to Taprobane to obtain these perfect priceless red rubies and star sapphires. Needless to say, the workmanship of the gold and silver in which the rubies and sapphires were mounted was exquisite and was the work of several generations of the families of finest craftsman of Sri Lanka.
Nihal came from a very aristocratic family with very old fashioned ideas. This included the ways of arranging marriages among the eligible young folk. He himself had studied law at Oxford and had the British views, values and standards on selecting a life partner. However, his mother who was the matriarch of the family continued with trying to arrange a marriage on traditional lines for his spinster sister. Several young men and their extended family from “high class” aristocratic families had visited “to view the bride” but his sister was choosy. She herself had done a MBA from Yale and had modern views but was reluctant to upset her mother and revolt against the system. Finally, a young man who had studied medicine in Melbourne ,”from the right background and with the right connections” with a good sense of humour, was found suitable and was chosen. Then the problems arose! The grooms’ parents being very old fashioned,(and perhaps greedy!) demanded a dowry. Demanded, not requested!(“We need to pay for our son’s expensive medical education in Australia”) Unfortunately, Nihal’s family was unable to provide the large amount of money the family demanded as dowry. Hence Nihal’s predicament, dilemma and Migraine! He usually discussed everything with his loyal supportive, sympathetic sweet wife and he did so on this occasion and got her blessings.

He walked along Sea Street in Colombo, The Gold Bazaar, which was the main road along which there were hundreds of gold and jewellery shops along with the inevitable pawn shops interspersed. He stopped, looked around furtively and quickly walked into a pawn shop that had been recommended, with his precious package. He came out smiling as he had negotiated a good price for his heirlooms and a low rate of interest on redemption in an years’ time. He had a job offer from a British firm of lawyers and he felt sure that he could redeem the heirlooms of precious gems and jewellry when he came back to Sri Lanka on completion of his contract in an year’s time.
Nothing is sacred or secret in the old aristocratic family homes in Sri Lanka. Nihal’s brother in law(whom he called the “bothering law”) complained to the police regarding the missing heirlooms. Nihal was arrested and charged. His case was taken up in the district court.

“I find Mr Nihal Perera, the husband, guilty as charged, of “selling” the family heirlooms, and sentence him to one year in prison” said the district court judge, wearing his ermine cape and wig, a vestigial remnant of the British colonial empire and judicial system that still survived in present day Sri Lanka.
“However, as he has had an exemplary character up to date and as he pawned, not sold, the heirlooms, to give money as dowry for his sister, who is also a member of the family, the sentence is suspended, subject to good behaviour”

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