final draft 3.

Lila longed to come back to this very village, where she grew up, where her family suffered – everything stays the same. As she enters the river bank that leads to her house, she remembered the days when she came back from school with Robbi, her bestfriend although neither one in the village agreed to their friendship because of their religion. Robbi, where could he be now?
The commotion outside Lila’s one-bedroom small village house made her felt curious as to what is happening. She got distracted, so she got up and head straight to the main door, where her parents were already standing.
“What’s happening ma?” asked Lila in Sinhalese.
“I’m not quite sure myself Lila, look at them yourself.” Her mother, Luchmi, answered, looking all confused. Lila looked outside, and to her amazement, the narrow pathway in between her house and her neigjbour’s house outside was filled with unknown people striding past through. Some Englishmen were walking together with the others too, mainly Indians. But to Lila, the faces there were unfamiliar. The other villagers, who was all curious like Lila and her family were watching the commotion too, confused. Since neither of them knew what is happening, Lila and her parents went back in the house and her father, Mr Raja, locked the door.
“Thats the British people, but the other Indian people, I am not sure who they are. Lets just hope nothing’s going to happen,” her father added and went straight to the room they shared. “Lila, aren’t you going to sleep? Off to sleep now, you’ll be late for school tomorrow.” Mdm Luchmi said, and Lila just nodded and went to the room. Next morning, after freshening up herself, Lila head to the kitchen for her morning refreshment. Mdm Luchmi handed her a glass of tea, and gave her books for school. Lila’s father had gone to the fields for work and her mother will be off to the market as soon as Lila leaves for school. On her way to school that day, one of Lila’s bestfriend, Nina, came hurrying behind her.
“Lila, did you hear about the Tamils yesterday?” asked Nina, gasping for air as she had ran all thw way in other to catch up with Lila.
“Tamils?” Lila asked in surprise.
“Yes, the Tamils. They came with the Englishmen to stay here and work here. Thats what my father told me. Isn’t that unfair? My family’s very angry! They cannot just come here and stay here. This is our country, not theirs!” added Nina angrily. Lila shrugged and continued walking. Tamils.. work.. stay here... thought Lila the whole day. Somehow or rather, Nina is right. The Tamils cannot just come here and snatch away whats ours.
Later in the evening, Lila and her parents went to the rose square where the villagers always held the discussions, events and festivals together. “We cannot let them stay here for free! After all, we were the majority here! Tamils do not belong here! Sinhalese do!” said one of the leaders in the village.
“Yes, yes! This country is ours!” echoed the other villagers.“Therefore, we will now head to the British people and say our part. Lets go!” Along the way, Lila was pushed further to the back of the crowd, and lost sight with her parents. Lila than decided to go home and wait for her parents when sudenly,
“Psssst! Psssssstttt!” Lila looked everywhere to locate that voice, and finally she found someone under a bush.
“What are you doing there? Get off that bush!” Lila said in Sinhalese. “I don’t understand anything you just said,” replied the boy. Lila was familiar with that language, she learnt it in school. “You’re a Tamil I see.” Said Lila.
After a few days of disagreement in the arrival of Tamils in their village, the Tamils was stated as “stateless”. Lila was getting alomg well with her new friend Robbi, although she knew that they were not suppose to. The village people was quite happy with it until one day. The villagers began to realised that the Tamils gets better jobs than them. Robbi told Lila that the advantage of Tamils is that, they could speak English and therefore, British offers Tamils better jobs than Sinhalese.
“That is certainly not fair at all!” shrieked Lila.
“SHHHH! We cannot let anyone know that we’re here. Do you want me to teach you some simple English?” Robbi said.
Lila had learnt the English language and got better at it as days gone pass by. The villagers also agreed that the Tamils had to learn the Sinhalese in three years, or they shall be chased out.
“Lila! What am I suppose to do? My family cannot be chased out!” Robbi said.
“I can help you.” Lila grins.
“You’ll help me? Are you sure?”
“Yes, lets begin.”
Robbi’s family and him himself was saved. Robbi managed to learn abit of Sinhalese, which was better than nothing. Their friendship gets stronger, no matter what the hardships that they went through. A few years passed, and Lila went to University. Same goes to Robbi. Sri Lanka also had been even towards the Tamils. Tamils were allowed to stay there, in some parts. But, the Tamils still had to speak Sinhalese.