THE EXORCIST

The Supreme Court was packed to capacity with the relatives and friends of a middle aged woman who was alleged to have been killed by the accused and with the relatives and friends of the accused as well. All of them were waiting impatiently for the verdict to be delivered. When the Jury arrived after their deliberations, the sounds of silence were as deafening as the roar of thunder. 

Bentota Acharige Kumudu Fernando stood in the dock with a haunted look on his drawn and unshaven countenance. He resembled a trapped animal at the mercy of a hunter while a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Then his lips appeared to be moving fast as if he was muttering something. But actually he was praying to the Buddha, the Enlightened One, to save him from a murder charge as he had not deliberately committed such a heinous crime. 

Since the day the woman Menike died owing to his thrashing her with a fire-brand, Kumudu lived a fugitive’s existence, knowing the law will eventually track him down. But then like a drowning man clinging to a straw, Kumudu recoiled from this hard cold fact that nobody can escape the long arm of the law. 

”The Jury has brought a verdict of guilty of carelessly causing the death of a human being, but those gentlemen have simultaneously recommended some leniency as it was not a premeditated and deliberate murder. l sentence you to 10 years Wit." said the learned Judge looking at the accused as if to say, "I have administered justice tempered with mercy." Those formidable words which held a note of finality brought Kumudu to the immediate present with jarring force. He had heard that prison life at the time was so horrible; he thought it better to die than live there for ten long years. 

Kumudu took his mind back to the past which came into focus with crystal clarity. He, no doubt, was the black sheep of the family without caring two hoots for the advice of his poor father, who earned his living as a devil dancer, “kattadiya" and exorcist. His father spent his hard-earned money to educate his only son as the other children were all daughters, but the fellow studied up to the Seventh Standard only, and dropped out of school with the result that he was unable to get a suitable job. 

One day at his father's persuasion, he went to see the Manager of a tea factory, where there was a vacancy for a security officer. 

Manager: I know your father, but I don't know you at all. What are you? 

Kumuadu: I'm a human being. What are you?

Manager: Oh, no! I meant what are you doing now? 

Kumudu: Now, I am answering your questions. Manager: No, no. What's your job at present?

Kumudu: Nothing ! 

Manager: I'll give you another chance by relating a story. You know, after all a security guard is a glorified watcher. The watcher in this estate told our Superintendent, Mr. Williams, who was preparing to go to Colombo by train that he saw a dream in the previous night that a terrible train collision took place near the Gampola Railway Station and implored him not to go anywhere by train that day. Though the Superintendent did not believe in dreams, he postponed his trip as his journey was not that urgent. On the following day the newspapers reported the collision of two trains in Gampola and the impact was so great that several passengers had died. Mr. Williams sent for the watcher and thanking him and giving him money and gifts in kind for saving Mr. Williams' life, told the watcher not to come for work in future as he was discontinued from service. Now, can you tell me why the watcher was discontinued?

Kumudu: I don't know, sir.

Manage:  I’m sorry. You tell your father that there is no job for you here. 

Kumudu went away crest fallen. Misfortune never comes single. A few days later he lost his father and was left to bear the burden of the whole family with no job in hand. However, people who knew his father came to Kumudu for advice on occult matters and he automatically fell into his father's profession. He came to be known as Kumudu Gurunnanse. 

One day a villager by the name of Appuhamy came to see the Gurunnanse and told him (Kumudu) that the farmer's wife Menike was possessed of a devil, who is creating trouble for all of them and the whole family was suffering untold hardship as the children too were falling ill very often. Kumudu thought for a while and said that there would be a 'huniyama' (charm) buried in Appuhamy's garden by an enemy and he would be able to dig it and throw it out if he was paid Rs. 250 for his trouble. Appuhamy bargained with him and reduced it to Rs 175/-, which Appuhamy paid in advance. 

Kumudu put in his shirt pocket a tiny copper box and wore his usual black coat over it and taking also a bottle of charmed oil, went to Appuhamy's house. He asked for a mammoty, and when Appuhamy said he would come and help Kumudu suspecting that Kumudu would introduce the charm, Kumudu said, "No, no; the point is, it is necessary that I should be stark naked in the dark while digging for the charm and nobody should see me." 

After digging at a corner of the land, Kumudu came back and called the inmates inciuding Menike and showed theme small box in which were ash, bones, thread etc. He gave the charm to Menike and asked her to burn it. Thereafter he uttered some 'manthrams’ while anointing Menike with the oil he had brought. The psychological effect was such that Menike too looked normal and happy. 

“Don't worry. Now everything will be O.k." said Kumudu Gurunnanse and went away rejoicing that he was able to hood~ wink all of them so successfully. 

But three days later Appuhamy visited Kumudu and told him that the devil had reappeared in Menike, who was scolding some imaginary ghosts and spirits in filth so much so that the children got frightened and were crying. 

"ln that case," said Kumudu, "the sure thing to drive this obstinate demon away for good is to have a devil dancing ceremony. Observing that Appuhamy was looking worried, Kumudu continued, "Of course, so far as I am concerned, I can help you by reducing my charges, but you will have to Spend considerable money on drummers, my assistant, the shed with ‘gokkola' decorations, masks and other knick knacks." 

”What to do, Gurunnanse," said Appuhamy, ”I can't allow my family to suffer like this even if I have to mortgage my property to meet these expenses," and in a week's time he got everything ready. 

0n the appointed night, there was a large gathering to witness the traditional devil dancing ceremony known in Sinhala as 'Thovilaya’. Menike, the principal actress too started dancing with Kumudu Gurunnanse and his assistant, and of these two wearing colourful masks, each had a firebrand, while two drummers worked up a rhythmical sound. When the dancing performed to the throbbing beat of drums-a rhythmic dialogue of sound and motion-reached its zenith, Kumudu addressed Menike as if he was addressing the devil in her-

"Are you not going away?"

”No,” said Menike. 

Kumudu then gave her a thundering slap and asked again. “Are you not going away even now?" 

I “No," replied Menike again, prompted by the devil in her. Then Kumudu began hitting her with his firebrand. Appuhamy then leaped forward and held Kumudu's hand saying, "Are you going to kill my wife ?" 

"Please don't interfere if you want me to drive this obstinate devil away," said Kumudu and began hitting the woman with the firebrand right and left again and again until her clothes caught fire and caused a blaze. The woman fell down crying loud. Some people ran to bring some water but it was too late. They then put her into a bullock cart with her burnt skin hanging out here and there, and took her to hospital. but all in vain. She gave up not only the devil but also her own ghost on 

the way. 

The people not only accused Kumudu as a murderer, but also came to assault him. He ran for his dear life and it took the Police nearly six months to arrest him and bring him to book!