People In Distress This Christmas

Bruised, Battered And Alone

By Ranee Mohamed

Hendevitarana Sudarma Susanthi, born two days before Christmas in 1975 is a woman in tears. She lives in Galhetiyawa Road, Siyambalapitiya.
It was not so long ago that this young woman was as happy as a lark, flying down every bylane in her motorcycle. She was also called the ‘girl on the motorcycle.’
‘But today as I walk the streets, the men tease me. They ask me where my boyfriend is, where my husband is. I do not have the answers…” said Susanthi.
Susanthi was introduced to a twenty eight year old ‘eligible bachelor’ – Ruwandika Gayan – by a family living close to her house. “After a four month love affair, Ruwandika Gayan wanted to marry me. As he was a quiet man, of few words, I thought it is best I settle down mainly because people were asking my mother why I was not married,” said Susanthi, speaking to The Sunday Leader.
“We married on December 6, 2007 and started our married life in my mother’s house. As he told me that he was engaged in business deals, I did not question him about him staying at home day and night. But when he did not give any money for household expenses, my mother began to question why,” said Susanthi in tears.
“When I asked him about his business he told me that he was running at a loss and wanted money to buy a threewheeler. As he was my husband, I gave the money to him. Then he wanted my motorcyle to visit his parents and he returned by bus. When I asked him questions he began to assault me,” said Susanthi.
What Susanthi did not realise is that her husband had always avoided photographs. ‘Even in wedding photographs Gayan is covering his face,” observed Susanthi.
“Then things turned for the worse for me, my mother told me that we should move out and start on our own so that he will feel the reponsbilities of a family. I was alone in a room with him in a house close by. He would assault me asking me for money. I was bruised and battered.I was heartbroken for my motorcycle T16961 had disappeared. I found myself going to work and paying the room rent while he would sit around the house. Then he started going out and returning only on Saturdays. I was too frightened to question him,” said Susanthi.
‘By 2009, a greater part of my hard earned money had disapapered. I had never received a single gift or jewellery from him.  I was the most unhappy woman. Besides he was forcing me to sell a small piece of land I had. It was only a few weeks ago that he asked me money for his brother to be sent overseas,” said Susanthi.
Living in anguish, Susanthi had been surprised when a neighbour had approached her with a cheque. “My neighbour was so angry. She told me that my husband had given them the cheque and taken cash and that she had given it to him because our family was close to theirs. But when they had gone to the bank there had been no money in the account. As they were shouting opposite our house, my mother paid them the money,”said Susanthi in tears.
Her ‘husband’ has disappeared from her life now.” He is living with his parents and says he is not coming back. In fact he is looking out for a new bride. I have not wronged him, never been unfaithful, did not have a child because he did not want a child,” cried Susanthi.
“Today I am reduced to working in a garment factory. I have lost all my savings. All the complaints I have lodged in police stations have been of  no use,” alleges Susanthi.
In a desperate attempt to get my money back, I have lodged entries in the Wattala, Mirihana and Sapugaskande police stations, but nothing has happened. This man has not even been given a warning by the police,” said Susanthi.
raneemoham@hotmail.com

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On The Verge Of Losing Their Home

The only happiness in the life of B.H. Sarath Pushpakumara (31) of No. 42 DewduraMetiyagoda  was the baby that he and his young wife were expecting.
“Our son was expected to  be born on September 9, 2009. But one day in July  my wife began wailing and before I knew it I was delivering a baby in my own home,” said Sarath.
“It was the most frightening experience. I did not know what to do, but now that our son had arrived, I did all I could possibly do to make him comfortable,’ recalled Sarath.
But what this young labourer did in the proceedure of childbirth had not been good enough. For after having rushed his wife to the Batapola Hospital, she was transferred to the Balapitiya Hospital and therafter to the Karapitiya Hospital.
“What was worse was that our infant was put to the Intensive Care Unit for three months,” said Sarath.
From then on the infant was put to three hospitals. “We did not have any money with us for I am a daily wage earner. I found myself borrowing Rs.3000, Rs.10,000 and so on for treatment for my baby. Finally it reached a stage where there was no way to find money. So I pawned our house to a mudalali nearby and got Rs.130,000,” said Sarath.
“We went to the KandeVihare and prayed to the Divine to make our baby well. Now it is not just the debt I had to pay, I had to find money to buy milk food and for our day to day expenses,” lamented Sarath.
Soon time flew and the debt inflated – the time has come for Sarath and his wife and baby to give up the house and step onto the streets.
In a strange turn of fate,  the mudalali showed this poor couple great understanding and kindness.  For he knew that this young couple will have to move to the streets if he acquired the house as per the agreement.
“He is willing to wait, but the time has come and he is impatient too. He has given us time to settle the debt…..but we have no way of finding the money,” cried Sarath.
“I am willing to work for any master, do any work, even as a helper or carpenter or any kind of work if some kind person saves my family from going to the streets,” said Sarath crying desperately.
It is ironical that Sarath and his wife are on the verge of losing their home because their baby was born at home.
Sometimes the desperate have no way out of the turmoil that life coils around us. For Sarath, the hope is in other human beings.
And if there is hope there can be happiness.
raneemoham@hotmail.com