The shadows were lengthening on Galle Face Green heralding the close of yet another day. The rosy hue that painted the sky had its echoes in the sparkling waters that rose and fell rhythmically and on the flushed faces of lovers as they relaxed, the balmy breezes from across the waves kissing their cheeks.
A car drew up. Roshan and Ramanie the occupants opened their doors to let in the cool breeze and relaxed. They were very much in love and spent much of their time in the big city attending this happening or that, dining and wining, wondering how life could be oh, so pleasurable, as it appears for young lovers. Comfortably settled they chatted complacently.
Suddenly, Ramanie shot up as though she had struck on something important. “Rosh! Wednesday is Valentine’s Day! How come you never touched on it? Were you wanting to spring a surprise on me? What’s up your sleeve? We’ve got to live it up on that day. We’ve got to revel throughout the day, after all, it’s lovers’ day and therefore, our own day. Such possibilities being advertised galore! How about it?”
Roshan sat bolt upright in his driving seat, his face took on a solemn appearance. “Wednesday the 14th” he announced with emphasis, “also happens to be Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. Have you forgotten that? Want to know my planned program for the day? Skip breakfast; skip elevenses; rendezvous at 12 at the Fatima Church, Maradana; (care to join?) snack a lunch; a couple of biscuits for dinner; that’s it!” Reveler though he was he had his priorities and his home religious background, Lent was Lent no matter what. Upbringing dies hard. “Come, share with me my Valentine Day’s program. After all, we are lovers.”
A look of deep disappointment and annoyance was clearly written on Ramanie’s face. “What nonsense! Starve on Valentine’s Day when there’s so much of food going round”. Ramanie said, “Let’s go for service if you must, but it’s not a day of obligation either, holy smoke! It’s a working day too!” “Oh so it’s a working day when you have to attend mass, not a working day to go gallivanting in the city? Surely Ramanie, you can do that much once a year or maybe twice; only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. See the Muslims; they fast for a month.” “I’m not talking about the fasting, I’m talking about the feasting as it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t you see, even Valentine was a saint. So what if we celebrate the day in a befitting manner. You and your obsolete ideas; you seem to belong to another generation and an antiquated one at that. Oh why don’t you go into the kitchen and find some soot if you need that decoration on your forehead, so badly” Ramanie said. In spite of himself and his anger over the blasphemy, he quipped, “You forget there is no soot in modern day kitchens, thank God! But, let me tell you this, I don’t like your heretical outbursts” and he was about to start and move on when she threatened, “Ok, then I go on a Valentine’s Day spree with an office guy who has a crush on me”.
Roshan was quick on the uptake. “As you please, but I’m equally determined to do things in my own customary way, the way we’ve done since we were children.” At that moment when Roshan was about to start the engine Ramanie leaped out of the car, hopped a trishaw and vanished before he could recover from the shock. Deeply disappointed at Ramanie’s attitude to religion he had much food for thought as he drove home almost in a reverie.
On the said Wednesday, Roshan stuck to his day of fasting and abstinence program and at 12 left the office for church.
His boss, though a Buddhist had magnanimously given the Christians time off for the religious observance of the Christians. He was deeply distressed over Ramanie’s frivolous attitude towards observing this holy day. Will the marriage work, he wondered, with such a frivolous attitude to life?
He was at the altar amidst the crowd awaiting the application of the symbolic cross of ashes on the forehead, “Dust to dust ashes to ashes” when he felt a gentle nudge. There was Ramanie dressed in sombre attire as befitted the day to get the anointment of ash, the very event she had scoffed at last Saturday during their spat. A fitting Valentine’s Day commemoration. Lovers at the altar. Two lovers at the altar being reminded that they will be together, “till death do us part.”
Roshan smothered a sigh of relief as he flashed on Ramanie an appreciative smile.