Transit Room

We are passengers in transit

We reach freedom in rented boats

In sealed compartments

Fleeing execution, prosecution, hunger

Crossing oceans of death.

Yet, they confine us in secret islands.

In undisclosed locations- in secret solitude.

Transit Room

“I am going to make it big” Rohan walked in with hurried footsteps as usual and threw his bike keys on the table. “What now you got a ticket to America? Why not you first get a proper job to pay for you’re re loads and mobile bills ”? Sajith’s voice was angry. Rohan was not interested in Sajith’s advice. Get real Sajith, what are you doing working eight to five and not a single savings. “I want big bucks man in a short time, can’t be wasting getting up daily in the morning going to work .I want to cross some border to a land of everything”.

Wait for kingdom to come then you could cross the border. This may sound a strange conversation between two good friends but it was common for sajith to lose over Rohan’s callous attitude to life.

Sajith decided to give up on his advice. This was also normal; whenever the subject of work was opened for discussion it ended up in a confrontation between the two. Rohan saw the west as a doorway for greener pastures he would never settle for anything less. Sajith knew end of the day the paying the bills was his responsibility. Despite the expenses he was saving some money to send home to his parents. The two met through a mutual friend when sajith was looking for a room in Colombo while studying for his IT program. Rohan was kicked out of home over his late nights and the company of thugs, and drug dealers he kept as friends. It seems he had the right to be edgy and bitter, It was this cruel society that never gave him a chance to a start his life, he often thought.

Initial agreement between the two was to share the rent, but this rent never came and Sajith ended up paying for both.

The room had a little bathroom and no kitchen. There was a tiny little stove in the corner for cooking. The walls were peeling off and when it rained the roof leaked at certain spots. It all depends how the monsoon winds guided the rain and the leaks would also shift with the rain. The two usually would run around the house with little buckets to pick the rainwater.

On a clear day they would sit out side the tiny little balcony and smoke a cigarette both sharing one. Sajith was an occasional smoker or otherwise a non-smoker, but days like these he kept Rohan company. Moonlight would light up the surrounding, and the tiny twisted balcony would resemble a stage with all the lights, camera focused on the two actors. The street light just outside the balcony was flickering, it needed to be fixed. The two travellers in this transit room were in deep contemplation of their next transition. Where would fate take them Rohan was staring at the road outside in deep thought.

Sajith always advised Rohan to go back to his parents. On many occasion he had seen a tiny tear that escapes Rohan’s eyes. But he hated this outward show of emotion so he would immediately wipe his face and walk out. Sajith knew Rohan had this big heart, if he only had the courage to change his mindset, perhaps he would achieve many things. Instead he was buying time. He never invested in education considering it to be a waste of time. He would often say, “ Yeah Bill Gates was a dropout” “Isn’t that a good reason enough” “why cant we all make it”.

I have to make it man I want a BEEMA like Irshad’s. “ Another useless rich friend who just took over his fathers car business” Sajith would draw a point.

“Well Rohan you got to work hard to get a BMW” “Until then do you want me to pay your bills”

“I know one day, Italy, Europe or America, here I come” " And good bye Sri Lanka".

There you go again looking for the easy way out.

To day, Rohan has splashed Sajith’s cologne all over and generously applied his hair gel. He sounded like he was in a mighty hurry for a meeting.

“Where are you off to Sajith quizzed?” "is it a job interview?'. “Why don’t you join us?”

Rohan answered not keeping eye contact.

“What’s new, by the way have you seen my cap?

“Which one”? “Ah, the baseball cap, poor postman I felt sorry for him cycling in the hot sun so I gave it to him”.

“Are you freaking mad Rohan”? “I got it from an old friend who is in America”? “It’s not a cheap cap”?

“Really I am sorry about it”? “But I will get you one from Italy Man” with a grin on his face he promised to get a cap from Italy.

“Never mind the cap brother can I have 500 bucks”?

“Why don’t you ask your rich friends?”

“I will repay you once I go to Italy”.

“When will you ever stop this Italian dream and start living in the present”

‘I am waiting for the cows to come home’ Sajith said cynically –yet he had no heart to say No. But he was still angry over the cap. With a reluctant mind and an open heart he gave Rohan the money.

Rohan walked out making a gesture with his hand as if a plane was taking off. Off to Italy man

Watching him doing this was irritating to Sajith. He put his head out and screamed out of the balcony, “I know you are going out with those thugs, I read your SMS”.

“You mean Nalan, Sandy, and the gang. I don’t care we hang out at Molly’s my expenses all paid for”.

“Good for you”.

Once Rohan was out of the equation Sajith walked out to the street to buy his dinner, while walking his thoughts were with Rohan .He knew he could not play the big brother any longer but things had to be sorted out.

He wanted to eat something different to day other than the old Roti Parata and Chicken Curry, but that was the cheapest meal he could think of. On Sajith’s pay day or when Rohan gets a few hundred rupees helping a friend with his cell phone business they ate fast food at pizza hut or McDonalds. But to day it’s one of those koththu days (the shredded wheat flour bread mixed with chicken,vegetables and egg) seems like an ideal dinner to day- Another 4 more days for the pay.

At The Kareemas Sajith spotted one of Rohan’s old friend’s and got in to a conversation. “Looks like Rohan as usual gone for a night out” Ranil quizzed “ Yes I think with Nalan and the crowd”.

“Oh, the gangsters, they bashed up some guys at the Turf Club yesterday, and the guy is in the hospital pretty serious” Ranil was spilling the details.

Sajith was furious leaving the koththu behind he dashed out of the place and ran up to the room and flung the door open. I will send him to Italy and packed all his clothes in bags and left it out side.

He was lying in bed thinking his next plan .He did not realize that it was way passed midnight. He felt his stomach crying out for food and wanted go back for the Koththu. Just then he heard a usual voice. He didn’t realize it was way passed 2 in the morning “What’s up man?” “Still no sleep?” Sajith was irritated by Rohan’s tone. He pretended not to hear. Tomorrow I am moving out from here by end of next week I should get my visa I spoke to some friends. Sajith felt a sense of trouble but did not bother to convince him. So the next morning Rohan left silently packing his bag he did not wish to burden Sajith anymore. This was a starting point in Rohan’s life he felt sad to leave the Room, but life has to go on. He now worked out a master plan for over the next few months. He had found a boat operator and started collecting money basically borrowing from everyone. He did not have the courage to ask Sajith .If he did it would only be a lot of advice pouring in.

It’s been months since Sajith heard from Rohan, besides he had changed his number too so he has no new number for him. He decided to call Rohan’s other friends later that day. No one seems to know. So he decided to call Rohan’s parents and he gets through to his mother. “Hello aunty I haven’t seen Rohan in awhile wonder if everything’s ok”. “Did he not tell you that he was going out of the country? “He actually took all the savings we had, saying he will pay back”. “Oh really?’Sajith knew there was something strange here. He had a gut feeling that someone might have taken Rohan for a ride. He sensed this strangeness over the past few weeks when he opened the cupboard and Rohans picture fell off. He started pacing up and down the room wondering what to do next. Perhaps it’s best to call up some friends in the Afternoon and check on Rohan. He thought for a moment since it was a Sunday it would be impossible to get through to anyone in the morning, better do it in the afternoon.

The early morning sun was warm and harsh as it trickles through the trees that surround the balcony. He sat down at the edge of the stairs with the newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. While flipping through the pages the bold headline captures his eye “A Boat Carrying Illegal Immigrants Capsized in mid sea”

Sajith anxiously tries to read the list of names with sweaty hands – I had the chance and I never stopped it …, He thought tears trickling down his cheeks. He covers his face with the newspaper and started to sob.