Counting and Cracking

S. Shakthidharan

• Publisher: Currency Press
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781760627140
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

'In Tamil we don't say goodbye. Only, I will go and come back.' S. Shakthidharan's extraordinary multilingual play Counting and Cracking traverses countries and decades to bring us an epic tale of family, love and politics. On the banks of a river in Sydney, Radha and her son Siddhartha release the ashes of Radha's mother so she can be at peace with her ancestors. Into the water go the particles of one life, but unknown to Siddharta, Radha still holds onto the ashes of her beloved grandfather, brought with her when she left Sri Lanka 21 years before. And so begins a story that spirals out across Australia and Sri Lanka, taking in four generations of a family and their connection to a country that continues to give them equal measures of sorrow and joy. It is an exhilarating, moving and necessary tribute to people of all backgrounds who are forced to live in exile and build a new home from the heart up. ??? 'A story of survival and hope, of human connectedness, and our deep desire to understand three things – our history, our identity and what home means to us.' — Community response.To read some responses to the first production of Counting and Cracking from members of the Sri Lankan community, visit the Kurinji website: https://kurinji.com.au/counting-and-cracking-community-response/

ACT ONE

SCENE ONE

Haigh Park, Western Sydney. 2004. The banks of the Georges River.

A Hindu priest sits on the ground. He chants in Sanskrit.

Siddhartha sits beside him. He holds a small ornate urn. He wears jeans but is bare-chested. His shirt and shoes are on the ground nearby.

Radha stands behind siddhartha, watching him closely. She is dressed in a saree and carries a tote bag.

The priest chants, swiftly and precisely. Siddhartha repeats each line of the chant. He struggles with the unfamiliar words, and, in his Australian accent, with their pronunciation. Occasionally the priest repeats a phrase and siddhartha attempts it again. As he chants the priest guides siddhartha through the actions and gestures of the ceremony: he ties long grass around his finger, pours rice from a plate into a bowl, blesses a small fire.

The priest stops chanting and stands. Siddhartha stands too: still holding the urn.

PRIEST: குடும்பத்தில இருந்து யாராவது ஒரு ஆம்பிள்ள அவரோட கூடப் போக வேணும். (A male from the family should go in with him.)

RADHA: ஒருத்தரும் மிச்சமில்ல. (There is no-one left.)

Beat.

PRIEST: [looking at the urn] உங்கள்ண்ட அம்மாவுக்குத் தெரிஞ்சவே யாராவது. (Someone who knew your mother.)

RADHA: ஐயர் நீங்கள் [போவீங்களா]? (Ayar. Would you?)

PRIEST: நாளைக்கு யாரையாவது [பிடிச்சுக்] கொண்டு வாங்கோ. மிச்சத்தை அதுக்குப் பிறகு செய்வம். (Find someone and bring them tomorrow. We’ll finish the rites then.)

RADHA: எங்கட அம்மாவ உங்களுக்குத் தெரியும் … தெரிஞ்சவ ஒருத்தரும் இங்க இல்ல. (There is no-one. Please. You knew my mother.)

Beat.

PRIEST: [sympathetic] Okay. [To siddhartha, in English] Come. Together, together.

He walks into the river.

SIDDHARTHA: Do I follow?

RADHA: Into the river.

SIDDHARTHA: Are you serious?

RADHA: No questions.

SIDDHARTHA: I should have worn shorts.

RADHA: Jeans is bad enough. Your ammamma would be disgusted.

SIDDHARTHA: I’m not sure we should walk into the Georges River. It looks pretty green. This is probably illegal.

RADHA: Kunthavi Aunty did her mother’s funeral rites here and said it was fine.

SIDDHARTHA: Oh if an aunty said so … Can I put my shirt back on?

RADHA: I don’t think anyone cares about your stupid body that looks like a stick.

SIDDHARTHA: So can I?

RADHA: No. Go. Go.

SIDDHARTHA follows the priest into the shallows.

The priest chants in Sanskrit, then:

PRIEST: [English, to SIDDHARTHA] Okay okay, now, you.

The Priest gestures to Siddhartha. SIDDHARTHA looks to radha, confused.

[To RADHA] அஸ்திய தண்ணீல கலக்க சொல்லுங்கோ. (He must release the ashes.)

RADHA: [to SIDDHARTHA] You must let the ashes go into the water.

SIDDHARTHA: Yes.

PRIEST: [English] Let go. Let go.

SIDDHARTHA slowly empties the contents of the urn into the water.

Without looking at siddhartha, the priest takes the urn and returns to the bank.

RADHA: Come.

SIDDHARTHA: [returning to the bank] That’s it?

RADHA: No questions! Yes.

SIDDHARTHA: That’s it.

RADHA: That’s it....