Pa. Singaram
Translated into English by Saravanan Karmegam.
Chapter 3: Five Heads
Pandian left by his bicycle to visit the depot at Shungai Rengas Way. While passing through Avudu Market Street he saw three Japanese soldiers and a Malay citizen wearing a ‘cap of freedom’ on his head standing silently on a platform on the left and were watching the Chinese houses clustered in row on the opposite side.
The shops in Kesaavan Street were closed. No sign of any living being, nor any movement of vehicles on the street. Kesaavan, the main business centre of the town bore an intimidating look without the bustle of humans.
In the front, a truck loaded with Japanese soldiers was moving on that polished path. Some soldiers, instead of opening it gently, were trying to break open the front door of Devros bungalow. He took a turn towards Kerk straat Street, and went past Dermulan Restaurant. Japanese officers were standing there, singing songs aloud. He crossed a railway crossing and heard the sound of truck coming towards him. He moved towards left, and gave it way.
“Yure…eh?” A Japanese voice, hurled at him.
He turned his head right.
“Indo…Indo…” The soldiers standing in the truck yelled.
He acknowledged it with a smile and reverted aloud, “Banzai”.
“Indo- Nippon…hail…hail…”
They held their palms together and affirmed the friendship between Indians and Japanese.
The truck left the spot. On the right, was there Roxy bioscope platform, followed by Hong Kong, Shanghai and Swatho Streets. Sudden blasting sound of gun went off somewhere near. Chinese boys took to their heels and disappeared.
He stood confused and thought of going back. Speeding military vans were coming in the front. He moved aside, gave them the way.
“Thambeee…Thambee…”
It was the voice of Nakutha Marakkayar, the owner of photo shop.
He parked his bicycle at the corner of foot path, and entered the shop. Marakkayar was standing there wearing full sleeves vest, red colour lungi, wooden slippers and a live cheroot in hand emitting smoke.
“You have called me. Haven’t you? What’s the matter?”
“Please have a seat Thambee…Don’t go that side. They have kept some chopped heads on the street. Merciless blokes”
“What! Chopped heads? Where is it brother?”
“At Wilhelmina Straat corner. We don’t have anything to do with it. Do we? Have a seat”
I am going to the depot, brother. An urgent work”
“Don’t go there now. You can go after sometime”
“It is very urgent, brother.”
“Thambee…Please listen to my words”
Nothing beyond these words of Marakkayar did fall into his ears as he got onto his bicycle.
A crowd was standing in crescent with some distance from each other at the empty ground lying between Hakka and Wilhelmina. They were standing petrified without even batting their eye lids like erect statues.
Without alighting from the bicycle, he stopped on the left side of the footpath with his one leg on ground and craned his neck through the crowd to get a glimpse.
Five chopped human heads were kept on a waist-high table. The soldier who was standing behind the heads was earnestly combing their dishevelled cropped hair one after the other. The Japanese men standing around it were playing with each other. The boards carrying a warning message written in Malay, Tamil and Chinese languages were kept near the table.
‘This is the punishment given by the Japanese army to robbers and rebels. Those who do not return the robbed items to the respective places from where they were looted by 8 O clock tonight will also face the similar fate’
Pandian had seen such chopped heads earlier too. The heads of Kendai Thuppatta Vellimuthu, his brother Mayalaku, and their assistant Pulikuthi were kept on a Carrier Stone at Vayitruluppai.But it was due to some personal enmity and was executed in secrecy…
He looked around and saw people in crowds staring at those heads without batting their eye lids. They were standing as if possessed by some evil spirit.
The soldiers standing around were playing merrily. The one who was combing the hair was scrupulously combing the heads one after the other. One of them sitting there got up suddenly, jumped up in front of the crowd and roared, “Arreee!” by keeping the first two fingers of his right hand like a knife, pressed them against his neck and enacted an horrendous scene moving it on both sides as if slitting his throat.
“Allaah…” a wheat complexioned Malay man shrieked, and sprinted towards west. The shock that had kept the crowd stunned got vanished in seconds. The intimidated crowd took it to heels for their life and disappeared, followed by the sounds of footsteps.
The tremor that shook the crowd hit Pandian too and left him petrified. He glanced at on both sides. No one was found, except the heads that were on show and the soldiers.
With their wide-open mouths and dim eyes, those five heads were lying, to be very right ‘standing’, on a table at the empty space lying in Hakka-Wilhelmina junction. The Japanese soldiers standing around them were playing. The one with comb was tirelessly combing the heads one after the other, slowly and meticulously.
He moved his leg from the ground, started pedalling his bicycle. ‘Whose heads are they? Might be of those robbers! Or some who happened to fall into their hands! Whoever it may be, the pillage has stopped. Hunger pangs started striking the stomach. I need to go to Khadar’s shop to have something.’
He took a turn towards south in Wilhelmina Street. The Methodist school was filled with Japanese soldiers. Military vans were standing on the corners of streets. The tables and chairs from the school were removed, loaded, and wooden boxes were unloaded from the trucks. Window panes and black boards were reduced into pieces of scrap fire wood. A deafening noise followed: “Thakkanara. ithaa kuchi…yomiyuraa…shikamitshu”It seemed that they were calling each other. Suddenly a shrieking sound as if coming out of torn throat pit.
“Keire…eeiii”
A captain, looking stout and short alighted from the car that halted near the entrance. The soldiers stood to attention and saluted him.
While crossing the railway gate, “White away” Chellamuthu came in front of him and posed a question in English.
“Pandi…when will your country get freedom?”
“Next Thai poosam”
“As per the tradition, we can have only Kavadiyaattam during Thai Poosam”
Khadar’s shop was found closed. He knocked at the door. A boy opened the door.
“Greetings brother” Khadar, who was still not fully awake, received him heartily.
“Can I have something to eat?”
“Please have a seat. I’ll get you something to eat. I made it for my people. Vegetarian stuff anyway” Khadar closed the door.
“No matter whatever it is. Serve it now”
He left the shop after having the meals quickly. The Sumathra Way was lying empty without any human bustle. The houses, belonging to Chinese people, were found locked.
His bicycle turned towards left and stopped. He unlatched the curved door closer and went in. All the items remained undisturbed. Those three trucks were still standing in the shed in the back yard. Crow bars, spades, masonry scoops, and bamboo baskets were found neatly stacked up.
He lay on the sofa near the window on the right in the room. His eye lids fell, almost closed as his weary eyes had got heavy.
“Ure…Indo…” a Japanese voice shook him.
“Hello Sir…”
“Hello” the Japanese lieutenant bobbed his head, and then roared in a good English. “How many trucks are here?”
“Three trucks…in the back yard”
“We take over those lorries for the military use of hon’ble Thenno Heikka. You would receive a copy of receipt. Now let’s go to the backyard”
They left him taking those trucks along with them. He got a piece of paper with something scribbled on it.
Standing on the street, Pandian kept looking at the rear of the car in which the lieutenant had left. “I have seen this car somewhere. Haven’t I? …yes…it belongs to Limpin sheikh. Right and wrong are to be decided on the basis of sheer power one wields. If you hold a gun in your hand, you will get a dosa without having to pay for it. Sometimes, even if you have money, dosa wouldn’t be available.’
***Chapter 3 ended***
