Five-year-old Upul watched how his friend Sirimal’s father was whitewashing his house. Sirimal’s mother was applying cow-dung on the floor. Sirimal too was busy cleaning the house. He was removing cobwebs with a long-handled broom.
Upul turned to his mother and inquired as to why they were doing so. She smiled and said, “They are getting ready for the New Year celebrations.”
Tears
He wanted to know why they were not white-washing their house. She did not answer his question but he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. Upul wondered why she was crying.
An absent father
May be his father was working in a distant place and he might not have sent money to whitewash the house. He realised that his father had not come home for more than five months. He had not sent any letter to his mother.
New Year’s Day
When the New Year’s day dawned Upul saw how people were moving about in the village dressed in colourful clothes. Children of his age too were well dressed. Some of them were exploding firecrackers.
Upul saw how Sirimal’s mother lit the fire in the hearth to cook kiribath. She also prepared various sweetmeats and the smell coming from their kitchen made him hungry. At the auspicious moment she served kiribath to her husband and Sirimal.
When he saw Upul looking at their house he quickly ran towards him with a plate full of kiribath and sweetmeats.
After handing over the plate of kiribath to his mother, Upul sat on the doorstep and started peering towards the road. His mother too was expecting the arrival of Upul’s father at any moment.
A telegram
Then a messenger arrived from the post office to deliver a telegram. It said that Upul’s father had been admitted to hospital.Upul and his mother knew that he would not be able to come home to celebrate the New Year. At that moment, Sirimal’s father appeared with a heavy parcel.
He greeted them, “Happy New Year to all of you!” and exchanged a few words with them. When he went away Upul ran towards the road expecting his father’s arrival.
The father arrives
Upul saw someone approaching the house. He was carrying a heavy bag on his head. At once, Upul identified him. He was none other than his beloved father. He had recovered from his illness. He looked very healthy and strong. He brought many gifts for him and his mother. Upul will never forget that day when the whole family celebrated the New Year!
