The evening walk starts quietly enough.
I will not go into a lyrical description of the area, as it is not the purpose nor most intriguing element of this post. Sri Lanka is beautiful. Period.
On my jaunt after a while I notice people step into their windows, verandahs and then to the garden and road itself. They nod their heads or stare. Some smile shyly. My attempts at greetings are met with shy mumbles. Or blank stares. They all watch me from house to house, fence to fence until I disappear from their vision.
Over two hours of mostly this, The Plastic Man drives by. He passes me and stops. I pretend I am interested in his wares and ask for earthenware cooking pots. He obviously doesn't have them but I am desperate to speak to someone. This smiling business is hurting the corners of my mouth.
He greets me with "Arâ Madam ge gédérin ne?"
You are from that Madam's house?
I am surprised. How did he know? Did he go there? Does she know him?
Negative to all questions. He heard and guessed it was me.
Oh.
His name is Sudarshan and he is from the next village.
Looking back down the dirt track I can see a few people watching this exchange.
The family of three who were at the boutique by the lake watching me dispassionately are going home now.
Smile, smile, smile, that's me.
They are blank. Mother, teenage daughter and son. Infact downright hostile I think.
I feel horrible at that thought. Maybe they had a rough day. A rough year. A rough whole life.
The two females have their heads covered.
I have my arms uncovered....
Maybe they are just not comfortable or are sick of strangers coming into their village and wanting them to smile.
As I proceed back down, there are three young women near a hedge I passed earlier. They are looking way more chatty than before. Maybe they know Sudarshan.
One is very pretty. And bold. She says "you are from Colombo?"
I reply, not exactly. From the suburbs.
"You look as if you are from Colombo", she states.
Oh. I have the look.
I start talking to them. They are very friendly now.
Then I see Suneetha from my place of stay frantically coming in search of me.
She is worried I have lost my way, besides dinner is ready.
As we walk back I tell her about Sudarshan who knows me.
"Who??"
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