24 April 2019 12:03 pm
The Prime Minister, the virtual Head of State at that time was a highly respected leader of the Green Party. The member who used to borrow money from the Prime Minister was a Blue Party one who hailed from a Walawwa in Ruhuna. This member, who represented his seat in the council for about 30 years, looked on as a lovable, easy-going character was deeply addicted to liquor.
In those good old days, it was very seldom that an MP, no matter which side of the great divide he belonged to, would approach the Prime Minister. Whenever this particular member wanted to borrow money, he would just hang around the place where the Prime Minister happened to be. When the Prime Minister noticed the member’s presence, he would hail the latter.
“Hi! Lucky…Anything special that brought you here?”
“No, Sir…I just came this way!” would be the member’s stock reply.
“I don’t think that you have just come this way! There should be some reason! What can I do for you?”
So, the member would cringe a little and say, “I am hard-pressed these days, Sir! Got to meet heavy expenses…”
“So, just tell me how I can help you!”
“Don’t you know, Sir! I can’t approach just anyone for a loan! I wondered whether you could lend me a few rupees!”
“Ah! Is that your problem?” the Prime Minister would say and reach for his trouser pocket.
He would offer the member several hundred-rupee currency notes pulled out from his trouser pocket. The member after receiving the money, very often, much in excess of his immediate need, would make a beeline to his favourite club to enjoy a drink.
By the way, they say, that this Prime Minister never used a purse and used to carry a few currency notes rammed inside his trouser pocket. He never had the habit of counting the money before giving it to anyone either.
The MP would never return the money he used to borrow from the Prime Minister nor did he stop borrowing money from the latter at regular intervals. The Prime Minister would never say “no” to his request either.