Christmas at "Pondside"

For this (2008) Christmas, we decided to stay at "Pondside" in Boralessa. As usual, we were without radio, TV, e-mail, or a fixed-line phone. Padma, Prasanna, and their two sons were also there. My sister had arrived for a visit from Florida after a 7-year absence from Sri Lanka. She and my dad also came to Boralessa and they stayed at "Beehive", the home of my cousin Marie, which is only a 5-minute walk from "Pondside". "Beehive" has TV and a spare guest room.



Rains have been plentiful recently so the pond was full

Boralessa is a Catholic village so Christmas is somewhat noisy because Sri Lankans light fire crackers for everything: weddings, festivals, election victories, etc. We had fresh, tasty food such as breadfruit, jak, and greens from the land. A disease had killed off most of Padma's vegetables and we were sorry to hear that. But her free ranging chickens provided fresh eggs and we also had coffee from our trees, plucked, dried and powdered by Padma. She had bought a second cow and both cows are pregnant now. Because the land is too small to support two cows, I told Padma to think about selling one cow. This would also enable to pay off the debt she incurred in buying the second cow.


The red "Jersey" cow was bought recently. Both cows are pregnant.

When they see my car parked at "Pondside", my relatives who live down the road drop-by for a chat. Ignatius, my dad's cousin, comes with his granddaughter Viveka. Ignatius has two children working in Italy but only one supports him.

Another visitor was Georgiana, the older sister of Ignatius. She must be close to 90 years now, and used to work in a nearby tile factory as a labourer. Feeble and with poor eyesight, she lives alone in a tiny house adjoining that of her brother. Georgiana's youngest children met tragic deaths about 30 years ago. Her son, wrongly accused of stealing a cow, was beaten to death by the police. Her daughter died as the result of an illegal abortion. I am fond of Georgiana and support her in a small way. (There are so many to support in Sri Lanka!) Padma is kind to Georgiana and gives her coconuts and produce from the land.


Here's Georgiana with Padma and the latter's two sons.

Most Boralessa people are now in Italy. They are well off, but getting in to Italy, legally or otherwise, has become difficult recently. So I see young men hanging around aimlessly. I am told that petty thefts have increased, along with drinking and gambling. I hope Italy loosens up so that these undesirables could be shipped there, as Boralessa has been doing for 30 years now.

This is Christmas lunch at the "Beehive". From left, my dad, sister Beaula, Bandara (Marie's husband), and cousin Marie, who is the oldest of the Braine cousins.



Fawzia and I are in this photo.