Abide With Me

The Lady of the Bees

A lone Kingfisher sat on the tattered awning of the fisherman's stall. Everything was normal, a busy morning at the fish market in the beachside town of Negombo.

Boats came in with the tide. Urchins rushed into grab ropes thrown out and raced through the surf to tie them to bollards. Once the boat was securely moored, they ran back with expectant grins and the grateful fishermen threw out a couple of small fish or crabs to the one who tied up the boat. This was a way of life here in the lanes and alleys that lead from the sea, past the village, to the more developed part of the town.

Birds were another ubiquitous feature of the fishing villages. Kingfishers to Cormorants, Seagulls to Fish Owls*, they all flocked to the beach right when the tide came in. The fishermen were welcomed by their families with hot food and toddy to offset the night of fishing in the windy, chilly waters. Women and girls then took on the task of sorting the fish for sale. Ones that were too small, damaged or unfit for human consumption were chucked out of the baskets. This was when the birds would erupt in a frenzy of feathers, fighting for tasty morsels. Again, normal.

The Kingfisher, however, was not there for normal. He shifted quietly on his perch and resumed watch. A Fish Owl that did not pick up a tossed fish, a Cormorant that walked away from a laden basket, two Nightjars that called in the day. Then there were strange boats, with fishermen wearing too many clothes! Now this, was promising.

The Kingfisher took to the sky in a flash of blue, dived headlong and came up with the fingerling in its beak - signal sent! The Nightjar's chuk-chuk restarted and was taken up from the coast - to the road - to the town - to the river - to the forest - to the mountains. A Messaging Mynah landed lightly on Flt./Lt. Parakeet's right, saluted and reported: "Troops being assembled at Negombo. Transport tonight to Kalutara." "Roger," replied Flt./Lt. Parakeet, and continued typing out a communique.

A large team of about 50 Otters and Beavers, 'college students', all fit and strong had come to visit Colombo's famous Monastery to learn martial arts. Due to the lack of accommodation, they were staying at Negombo.

"Who... who...who..." The call of owls echoed in the trees in forests and villages all across Negombo. Several robust specimens got together in pairs and small groups and winged to the villages. In farmhouses, bullocks and donkeys were being hitched to carts. The owls alighted, settling silently into the carts. One by one, carts left farms and hit the dirt roads leading to Kalutara town. From streams and lakes Otters and Beavers, active, young, eager specimens leapt onto the moving carts, hardly pausing to shake off the water from their bodies.

Inside each cart, Beavers got busy covering the tops of the carts with coconut palm leaves woven into a pliable thatch. These thatches were secured with coir ropes to provide shade. Each cart carried a troop of 6 to 8. The Owl in charge of each cart ensured that innocuous produce like pumpkin, fruit, bags of grain or straw bales were placed at the backs of each. Effectively, the occupants were shielded from the public eye.

Slowly, in twos and threes the carts left the dirt road and joined the paved road to Negombo. Stopping only for water at roadside wells, the convoy made good time in the sweltering heat and by the time the sun began its downward trek, the gates of the Monastery at Negombo were visible. As the carts neared, the gates were thrown open and saffron clad disciples ushered the vehicles and their occupants in.

The Senior Monk welcomed his 'guests' and showed them to a stream. After freshening up, the guests were shown to two Halls. Platters and baskets of food stood at the centre. The guests were seated in two rows on palm mats facing each other. In complete silence, each guest was served with a Purasai* leaf. Quick helpings of rice, vegetables and coconut curry, fish for the furry guests and fruit for the feathery ones completed a nutritious meal. The leaves were cleared in record time and the guests washed their hands and reassembled. Just then, hoofbeats were heard, followed by the laboured breathing of horses.