The telegram was sent to the Galle Fort post office...addressed to Mrs Careem. No number or street mentioned . Mrs Careem..Fort Galle Ceylon. So the kindly Post office sent out the postman to deliver the telegram to Mrs Careem..and there were two..
Yes, if he went to Jiffry Careem's house...which is almost opposite to our Lighthouse street side entrance to 'Pakistan House'...Jiffry Careem or his wife Naima Careem could have opened it and perhaps laid it aside after reading the telegram...because it would not make any sense to them. The
content read...." Your husband is critically ill, please contact Shewak"
Yes, the telegram reached Mrs Careem..my mother. I remember that my mother speaking to herself, and saying "Shewak, Shewak....I don't know who this is..Rabbil Aalameen! Shewak, Shewak,.....and it dawned to her. Yes it must be Shewak..ram...Shewakram.
Shewakram and some others came to a lunch..to our house in Fort Galle. My mother had prepared
a lavish meal and made a special effort to do a "poolichche meen"(paraww fish with mustard. tamarind and coconut cream sauce)..because my father mentioned to her that his business associate friends would simply love this !
I remember the name 'shewak' well because..that lunch day, my father arrived with his friends earlier than projected...and the rice was not yet kept to boil. My mother said.." The rice is not ready...I haven't even washed the rice" and my father replied that they cannot wait too long, so he said "we'll get some bread from the National Bakery ..down the road. It's alright, they are not particularly bothered about rice and they will enjoy the meal with bread" and he said they called bread 'bun rotti'
to be continued
'bun rotti'
No comments:
Post a Comment