INSPECTOR EKANAYAKE

Canute Ekanayake was the product of a leading school in Colombo, where he passed the G.C.E.(O/L) Examination with five distinctions and three credits. His ambition was to become a Sub-inspector of Police. His elders advised him thus: "These days you can't pick and choose jobs. Therefore, you get into any suitable job at the first opportunity." ”No, no,” said Ekanayake, "please don't stand in my way. My ambition is to join the Police." 

On submitting his application, Ekanayake was called by the Director of the Police Training School at Kalutara, for an interview. Although he was well up in height, his chest measurement fell short by one inch, and the poor fellow was rejected. Then he did a bee-line to his Member of Parliament and got a letter to the effect that in other respects the latter could recommend Ekanayake, and therefore a slight deficiency in the measurement around the chest should be overlooked. The Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge opened the letter, read it, replaced it in the same envelope and kept the envelope against Ekanayake's chest and after measuring said, "Young man, your chest measurement is still short by one inch. Letters from Members of Parliament etc. won't go too far. So, take exercise and come back when you have enlarged your chest a little." Crest fallen, Ekanayake went home. But he did not lose heart. He consulted a physical culturist, got instructions from him and performed the necessary exercises morning and evening. 

To make a long story short, suffice it to say that Ekanayake found himself in the second batch of recruits to the sub inspectors' grade. After training, he was posted to the Chilaw Police Station, where he showed his efficiency, honesty and integrity. He did not get any quarters and therefore took accommodation in a guest house. In the guest house he was quite happy because there were two waiters, Peter and Jane, brother and sister, who left no stone unturned to give him every service and to undertake every errand of his willingly, But this was not to be for long, because a new cook engaged by the guest house keeper quarreled with Peter and Jane and eventually the brother and sister had to leave the guest house on that account though the owner of the house and even Ekanayaka himself tried to pacify them. 

Peter and Jane, though they had taken employment as waiters, had seen better days at one time, being the children of an affluent ‘madal fishing mudalali'. It seems that one of the fishing mudalali's boats was engaged by two of his employees without his knowledge in transporting gems of a Muslim business man Abdul Marikar, across to India off and on. After a few trips, Marikar's confidence was won by the two employees and Marikar always engaged the particular boat for his smuggling activities. One day at midsea, temptation entered the minds of the two men and one of them hit Marikar on the head. Marikar knew what was going to happen and jbmped overboard into the sea. Being an expert swimmer, he managed to reach the mainland and went to complain to the Police. In the meantime the two boatmen also landed and hid the gems in their homes which the Police later searched and recovered the whole booty. They charged the two men for attempted murder and robbery, and Peter's father for aiding and abetting although the latter knew nothing of this incident However, the Mudalali managed to escape legal punishment but not until all his prOperties were mortgaged to spend on the Supreme Court case. When he died, his properties were sold to meet the mortgage bond and the children, Peter and Jane, were left destitute. That was how they were forced to seek jobs as waiter and waitress in the guest house. 

To come back to our hero Sub-inspector Ekanayaks, he continued to remain in Chilaw, as not only the clergy headed by the Bishop, but also the laity headed by the Member of Parliament made representations to the Inspector General of Police whenever Ekanayake received transfer orders. He personally attended to raids, and for reducing the crime rate in Chilaw, he received promotion after promotion and in the end succeeded the Officer-in-charge. Who retired on reaching the age limit. 

one day Inspector Ekanayake, now Chief Inspector, received information that Peter was running a 'kasippu' den. He organised a raid with some constables, but found the house abandoned as obviously Peter had received prior information and had fled in time with all his utensils. On the following night Peter came to Ekanayake's room in the guest house with a bottle of whisky and an envelope containing money. for Peter had become rich by selling his illicit brew. 

'Sir," said Peter, "please accept these gifts and leave me alone.” Though when he wore the Police uniform, Ekanayake was a terror to the criminals and other unscrupulous elements, personally he was a kind-hearted man. He advised Peter to give up his nefarious activities, but when Peter insisted that he should accept the gifts as there was no other job that Peter could do, he got the devil into him and thundered, “You bloody fool, unless you take your things and get out from here, I'll have to blow your brains out!" When Peter was still insisting, Ekanayake kicked him and at last he ran away with all his might. 

Ekanayake instructed his chief sergeant to arrange a raid in the following week and to keep all relevant facts strictly confidential. When in the following week Ekanayake and his assistants arrived at Peter's place, the latter took his unlicensed gun and shot at Ekanayake. But Ekanayake, thanks to his training at the Police Training School, managed to escape the shot and in turn to direct his pistol at Peter, who fell dead. A constable had attacked Jane with his baton and Jane fell and dislocated her right knee. When Ekanayake went up to her, she said, "Forgive us, Sir, l have «told my brother several times not to do this job; but he told me that he had no other iob to do.” When Ekanayake looked at her sweet, pathetic face, tears came into his eyes and he lost no time in carrying her in his arms into his jeep, and then to the base hospital, Chilaw. 

The Medical Officer was a personal friend of Ekanayake and everything possible was done to restore the knee cap to its original position “fortunately it" was a ‘simple dislocation. That night Ekanayake had no sleep because the face of the pretty girl Jane haunted him. Having nobody to support her now that her brother was no more -she was helpless and Ekanayake thought that the best way of compensating for her loss was to marry her as a pretty girl in a pitiable condition into which she had fallen as a result of a rowdy brother, who did not listen to her advice, deserved succour. So, as soon as she was discharged from the hospital, he married her by special license, and they lived happily ever after. 

Ekanayake willingly ignored the following telegram sent by his father:-

“Don’t marry a pauper, Received proposal for you- pretty girl with lakhs.”

Jane, of course, could not be regarded as a pauper. All the money that her brother earned, both lawfully and unlawfully and whatever properties he had, passed into her hands.