living at the edge of reason

The photo is a view from my new kitchen into the river in front where the fair damsels bathe in the 'diyaredda' at all meal times!!!

Yesterday was an interesting day in that when I left Hingurakgoda, I gave Sudath the last of the money I had, Rs 2800/- for his expenses on various things he was asked to do till my next visit on Wednesday night.That was the balance of all the money I had in the world!!! I had no money in the bank other than a minimum of 1000/ for bank charges and no money on me when I drove at night alone from Polonnaruwa to Godagama.I estimated that I would have just enough diesel to get me home and believe it or not the red low fuel light started flashing about two kilometers from destination!

About an hour from destination when my sister called me and asked if I would be able to make it to a stag night of a family member in Colombo, she was totally unable to accept when I said I did not have the money for the diesel to come to Colombo.

So today I put diesel on a 24 hour credit I was given in Godagama, and came into Colombo to sell my King Coconuts. Amila my driver who was ill all week, came this morning, maybe it was pay day for him so he decided to come in the morning and take the King Coconuts with me to Colombo.Once I sold my produce, set aside the money for the diesel and paid Amila the balance of his month's salary due to him, I did not have enough to buy a Barbara Sansoni sarong I was hoping to wear for a wedding reception tomorrow. The price of the sarongs today were 900 more than they were last I went to there and so I was that much short!! So I guess just pants(another word for trousers) would do!! I have to be thankful that it did not rain today(it has rained all week and I was left with 170 unsold King Coconuts on Monday), as otherwise I may not have been able to sell as many King Coconuts for the immediate debts.

I am due some money from a person I have helped through a crisis but does he realize that by helping him I have actually put myself through a lot of stress in the meantime!! The short answer is no as most people think I am still funded from up above and they mean invisible sources of gold and I mean just the goodwill of the Almighty. This has been the story of the past three years and somehow I have been able to pull this life off in many ways better than those with the largest bank accounts imaginable. So why be sorry!!!

Somehow I have been able to sell today to pay tomorrows debts. I still have not paid my last two months mobile bills, and when my phone is cut off at any moment now the truth will bite! After all I call friends more than they call me and they are all who can afford more than me to call!!! So what does that tell you about my friends! Hey any of my friends reading this don't take it personally, just you are all lumped in!!

I noted earlier that I have to work 7 days a week, and unlike most people I have to earn as well so I have to work in the shop tomorrow morning to sell my produce before going to a family wedding in Colombo in the afternoon. After all most will recall, I had to first sell my produce in the morning in Colombo,before going to my mother's funeral later in the day.That's how serious life is.My staff on the other hand will go to a funeral of an unknown relative rather than work and I still have to pay them.