Basil Fernando：Six Short Stories of Sri Lanka

152 KEIEI TO KEIZAI
Between him and his friend there was a relationship that had gone on
for years. They had contributed to each other's decisions in many ways,
rather almost in every way in recent years.
They got to know each other after the insurrection of 1971, when sud­
denly all their generation began to think very intensely. He was 28, then, an
assistant priest living at the archbishop's house. His friend who was a few
years younger was a final year student of law and a leader of the student
movement. He was preoccupied all the time, thinking all the time, talking all
the time.
Inside his room in the arch-bishop's house they used to meet with
others who would drop in and out as they had time. They discussed
everything from Thomism to Marxism. The lunch would always be from the
archbishop's table.
The resolutions for the university Catholic federation were often
drafted there, some calling on the archbishop to dispossess himself and join
the poor without just talking bullshit about the poor.
Despite such diversions they were very serious all the time, trying all
the time to find out what would solve our people's problems.
That was about seven years ago. They had made many choices
thereafter, but their relationship remained essentially the same.
His friend Joseph graduated from the university, joined the revolu­
tionary league. He did not want to practice law, so he found an instructor's
post in a university. He did not have much work, so he could devote his time
to his league.
Litus followed everything they did. He read their paper, which was
published twice a week, and went to their meetings, theoretical discussions,
and from a distance followed their May Day rally, which was small and
spirited.
Litus had heard that the leaders of this league were somewhat