Free Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai Page A

not.”
    “Why?”
    “Because.”
    “So then you are anti-Sinhalese.”
    “No!”
    “But you just said –”
    “What I meant was that, yes, in principle I would. But now …”
    “There is someone.”
    She nodded.
    They were both silent. They didn’t seem as friendly any more.
    It was a full day of rehearsal, and a lot of people went to Green Cabin for lunch. There were only two vehicles to take us to the restaurant – a minivan belonging to one of the girls and Anil’s car. By the time Radha Aunty and I got to the gates of St. Theresa’s, the minivan was full. Radha Aunty grabbed my hand and hurried back inside the gates again. “Let’s sit down for a while,” she said to me and pointed to some steps.
    “But we’ll miss the ride.”
    “Never mind. We’ll take a bus.”
    I looked at the fixed expression on her face and I saw there was no point in arguing, but I couldn’t see why she would give up the comfort of a lift to Green Cabin to stand in the mid-day sun and wait for a bus.
    When we arrived at the restaurant, all the tables were taken and the cast occupied the row of open-air booths that were detached from the main part of the restaurant. Radha Aunty held on to my hand as she went from one booth to the other, looking for a place. Anil was in the last booth with a group of his male friends. When he saw us, he moved a little andindicateci that there was enough space for both of us. Radha Aunty hesitated, and then quickly ushered me into the booth ahead of her, so that I was seated between them. As Radha Aunty looked at the menu, I saw Anil’s friends glance at him and smile. He returned their looks with a stern expression.
    When the waiter had brought their food, he began to take Radha Aunty’s order. Anil insisted that Radha Aunty have his lamprais but she pretended she had not heard him and ordered one from the waiter. She also ordered a plate of pastries for me and two glasses of lime juice. Once the waiter had gone, Anil repeated his request, but she shook her head.
    “Then I shall wait till your lamprais comes,” he said stubbornly.
    “Why is that?” Radha Aunty asked rudely.
    His friends had begun to eat, and they looked at each other in amusement.
    “Because you are a lady and it would be impolite.”
    Radha Aunty shrugged dismissively. “Think of me as a friend, not a lady.”
    One of the boys at the table made a noise that sounded like a suppressed laugh. Radha Aunty fixed her eyes on him. “You should be careful,” she said, “there are bones in the chicken and we wouldn’t want you to choke.”
    At this all the boys started to laugh helplessly and even Radha Aunty grinned. “Honestly, you all are quite mad,” she said.
    After this, the atmosphere eased and Radha Aunty chatted with them until our food arrived. By now, the boys had almost finished, but Anil was still waiting to eat with us. Radha Auntyhad scarcely begun to eat her lamprais when the waiter brought the finger bowls and bill for the other boys. Radha Aunty looked at them in alarm and said, “You’re not going?”
    They nodded. “Have to go and do an errand for the pater,” one of them said.
    Another one put his hand on Anil’s shoulder, gave him a steady look, and said, “Anil, machan, we will see you later.”
    The others grinned. They went into the main part of the restaurant and we heard them laughing. The other cast members were getting up to leave as well. Radha Aunty called to some of the girls to come and sit with us, but they shook their heads and said they were going across the road to Sharaz to do some shopping. Soon the only ones left were the three of us. Radha Aunty began to eat quickly now, as if she, too, had to do something before rehearsals began.
    “So,” Anil said after a silence, “where does he live?”
    “Who?”
    “Your intended.”
    “I don’t have an intended.”
    “You know what I mean.”
    Radha Aunty ate in silence for a while and then said, “America.”
    “You met him