My Life Portrait' .....War was severe. We had no food for more than a day. It was very dark. I had a little brother who was eight years old. The only thing

‘My Life Portrait’

…..War was severe. We had no food for more than a day. It was very dark. I had a little brother who was eight years old. The only thing I could hear was bombs and sounds of aircrafts. We were told not to go out of the bunker. After another day the sounds of bomb died out. My mother told me to stay inside the bunker and she went outside to see whether the coast was clear. She came back and told us to come out of the bunker. When we went out, as we have never seen light for two days, we had to close our eyes. We had a little food left in our house. It was covered with fungus. As we were so hungry we ate all the food dividing it to ourselves. When the fight is over and if it’s calm outside my mother used to tell me stories about how the war began and many more stories. I was the first son and I just had one brother. When the war began there was a law set out that at least one in a family must join the army. We were so afraid because our father was the only one in our family, so they came to our house and took my dad with them. I have never seen my dad for seven years. Sometimes when my mother used to tell stories, tears drop off her eyes; when I see that I used cry loud.

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After we ate our food my mother started to tell a story she started: About six years ago when you were little, I left both of you with my mum and I went to register my name, as I do every year. When you were small you used to crawl out the home. I bought you a toy knife. You go out the home and dig the ground. After I finished registering the army took hold of me and told me that the enemies have rounded up. So they told me not to go anywhere. I was very afraid about you two. I was praying to God and the fight began. As it was the armies place, it did not take so long, so the fight was just over in about two to three hours. It was early evening. I ran home to see you two and I saw my mum and your brother in the bunker, and I didn’t see you. My mum was crying and I asked her what happened. She said crying “I gave your little son milk and made him sleep and I fell asleep. I woke up hearing the sound of the bombs and I was shocked to see only the younger one. I ran inside the bunker thinking of at least saving your younger one”. When I heard this I burst out crying and went out calling your name. After a while I heard someone whispering “umm umm” I followed the voice and saw you hiding under a bush. I lifted you up and kissed you until you were wet, from that day I never left you alone.

After she finished the story we went outside, if the war is finished it will be normal outside except the roads and the bushes because the only thing you could see will be blood and dead bodies. People living in that area come around to check whether someone related to them have been died. I saw people crying and in a corner I saw an old woman sitting still beside a little boy. My mum went near to her and asked her what happened. She said the one dead was her grand son and he is the only one who is alive and she started crying. My mother comforted her. I saw a big gun lying beside the lady and went to touch it. It was much hot nearly it burnt my hands and it was heavy and I can’t even lift it. My mum told me not to touch it. After a while we heard the sound of army truck coming round announcing everyone to go home. We ran home we nearly reached our home; suddenly we heard a big bang it just fell on the place where the old lady was. As I turned back I saw the lady shattered into pieces. We ran into our home and hid under the bunker again. I was so hungry and my little brother was crying of hunger. We had nothing left in our home to eat so we had to stay in the bunker till the war was over. After a few hours it was calm outside. We got out of the bunker and I nearly fainted without food. My mum told us stay in the house and she rushed to the next house which was a shop and got biscuits and water for us to eat. We had our food and me and my brother fell asleep. My mum was leaning on the wall and thinking about something. It was morning I woke up and my mum was asleep leaning on the wall. I woke her up and leaned on her lap and started to cry. My mum asked me “why are you crying” and I told her I want to see dad and she started to cry with me. She said “one day your dad will come and the war will be over, there will be no crying. We will have a big house a big garden for you and your brother to play. We will have lots of foods to eat and we will never be hungry again. We can sleep peacefully without worrying about anything” and she finished telling her dream. I wish one day this dream will come true and I am praying to God to make this dream come true……..

Janarthenan Singarajah