Anecdotes-4

Asantha U. Attanayake

Romance across Music

Hope everyone remembers the feelings and emotions we had when we were in our high school, I mean during our Advanced Level classes. Whether or not one is in love with someone, the feelings for a romance is there as they are ‘in the air’. Even hormones offer a pretty good service to generate these romantic feelings.

My Mom’s and Dad’s all-time favourite song is Haroon Lantra’s “mage naamalie bandi aadare” and I used to like it a lot. It says about a lover who comes into his mind but evades in real. Even now I like it though I don’t get to listen to Sinhala songs that much as we get to listen to music only when we drive. Therein, the priority is given to my American ‘chauffer’ as we mostly drive long distance in the night, and all through the night, he needs some music to not fall asleep. (My singing voice is not useful here.) We like to travel in the nighttime as daytime all the witches and demons are on roads causing heavy traffic.

Well. Going back to the music, my husband doesn’t like to listen to Sinhala songs that much as they, to him, “lament and wail” all the time. Well, the inevitable differences in the arts and culture. Even though he likes English songs, he doesn’t care much about pop music either. He likes country music and Don Williams’ “Good ole boys like me” kinda person, he is. Even though I didn’t much care for English music, when I got to ‘hear’ them, here I was, loving them too. Therefore, I must confess that I didn’t miss Sinhala songs much.

So, during that budding youth, every time I heard that Sinhala song, ‘mage naamali’, my heart skipped a beat and it was like I was walking on the seventh cloud. Even though I did not have a heart throb at the time, that song occupied a large portion of my heart that was kept for a love-expectant. You must not think that I was pretending to be a ‘good lass’ but I, in fact, was, as there was little room for a love affair in my life during that time due to very strict rules under which I was raised. I went to a well-reputed girls’ school in Kandy and the Principal was Mrs. N.K. Pilapitiya, the Principal par excellence. Also, my home background with my father who is a very strict disciplinarian, didn’t encourage any such either. Usually, boys fall for fair-skinned, needless to say, and I was nowhere near. In addition, I was barely 5 feet 1 inch, the second shortest in my class and was not noticeable even if one wore biconvex lenses. Those days at the Monday assembly, I was the second in line from front and in case the shortest girl didn’t turn up, I was right before the madam Principal, to be noticed by her.

Now, let’s get back to the romantic line. Now there was no need to dedicate the feelings for an invisible romance, as my knight was right here and love came in many (different) shapes and forms: as a quarter of a sweet and packed suitcases.

Recently there was a video of the song, “mage naamalie”. When I listened to it, I went back in my memory lane. Suddenly, my heart was again on the seventh cloud! And now there was a definite form to that once faceless feeling! It was ecstatic, no kidding! You feel alive and kicking if you feel that exotic feeling, at least once. I had this sudden desire to make my husband listen to that beautiful song. So, I carried the laptop to the bed where he was lying and sat by him. He knew I would run to him whenever I came across something exciting on Facebook. I went closer and kept my head on his shoulder as the video started to play. My heart beating fast; butterflies in my stomach.

Haroon Lantra, in his ever-soothing voice, started; “mage naamlie bandi aadare manamaaliyayi menike oya…” (I am in love with my beautiful flower, you my bride, my sweetheart…). My husband slowly raised his head to look at the video.

And then he asked, “What is that crap?”

Alas!

My romantic feelings! All went for sixers!