After rooming around dark Colombo market and bus station area, which is probably the worst place to be alone at night in the whole city, I’m finally sitting in the night bus to Jaffna. Sri Lankan buses, I call them “baila buses”, they need a separate article, cause they take a huge part of Sri Lankan experience, where you can smell a variety of aromas from cheap “Aramanni” perfume to sweat from “Pettah” seller which didn’t take a shower for a few days; in “baila” buses you can die and rise again with thanking God that you are still alive after driver’s show of his driving skills; there you can also start loving and hate at the same time local “baila” music, I sometimes think that they play it to hypnotise the passengers not to get panic attacks of the driver’s driving skills. Also in the buses, you can make “close friends”, who fall asleep and “accidentally” fall on your shoulder and later on your boobs, some “accidentally” touch your ass following “baila” music rhythm or losing the balance after buses’ sudden 90 degrees turn, some “accidentally” mix the seat handler and your lap… I tell you, “baila” buses is a place where you can see real Sri Lanka.

But to come back to the story, the bus leaves at the midnight and should arrive at 6 am in the morning. To make my overnight bus ride at least a bit comfortable, I came almost an hour before to take a seat next to the window, so I will have a natural AC and will avoid situations when passengers from my both sides “accidentally” fall asleep on my shoulders. Just after few minutes, next to me sat a mid-age man, nicely dressed and with a briefcase. “Something unexpected”, I was very pleasantly surprised. Not even a minute passed, the man named Asker introduced himself by telling his all biography and it scared me more, I understood, that it will be worse than “baila” music and I should forget about sleeping during the journey, cause my “traveling friend” looks too excited about the trip and wants to share his happiness with me. Before the bus moved, Asker ran to the shop to buy “Mentos” for me, probably he knew that I will need extra resources to listen to him.

My new friend Asker, has 2 daughters and a wife, he was very excited to show all pictures and videos of his family from the phone, luckily his phone didn’t have a huge memory, so at some point, it had to finish and if I politely tried to show that I’m falling asleep and I put my head on a window, I was wakened up by his loud voice and phone screen light in front of my eyes which shows how his 2 years old daughter is trying to take selfies. I finally decided to give up on sleeping during the journey, it just looked mission impossible.

Asker is a businessman, he has his jewelry business in Sri Lanka, and he is going to Jaffna to meet his potential jewelry buyers. Jaffna is famous for jewelry and gems, the city hosts many jewelry shops and invites people from all over the country to get some “blink-blinks”.

I thought Ok, something new, I was quite interested to know about how does his business work and started listening more carefully. He told me that he sells only luxury items, gold and “Swarovski”, cause only this is on market these days. From the time he came to the bus, I noticed his shiny brown briefcase, I felt that it hides something very mysterious and important. Asker was constantly brushing its surface and strongly holding the handle, it interested me more and I was thinking what could be there…. Gold? Or just clothes? Important supplier’s documents? Or his wife’s made samosas? Without me starting a word, Asker saw my curiosity, bent closer, and whispered to me: “I’m going to Jaffna to meet my potential business partners and I’m bringing my the most expensive and valuable items to show to them”. While other passengers were sleeping or hypnotised by “baila” music, Asker secretly opened his briefcase, took out a clear plastic bag with some colourful cheap Chinese jewellery: coloured rings, “rainbow” earrings and plenty other crap which reminded me my childhood, the similar stuff I was getting together with a chewing gum bought from the “kiosks”

But I couldn’t say anything bad, I was just laughing inside and showing curiosity what else he has in his secret briefcase. After the descriptions of all the items, he handed it to me and told “it’s for you, take it”. It was very kind of him, but what I could do is just laugh and push it back to him this “very expensive jewelry”. What I would do with it? Probably it would be in the garbage bin straight after I get out of the bus. What he would do without it? Probably would lose his business deal in Jaffna. After long and boring polite refusal to take it, I just stopped and agreed, whatever makes him to shut his mouth for a bit. After jewelry, came time for sunglasses, he was so proud to show me a small collection he was carrying, and without many talks, it was also in my hands. I thought that time, I’m in Sri Lanka, approximately 3 a.m., in a “baila” bus on the way to Jaffna, and a passenger is gifting me his all “expensive” jewellery, so surreal! I looked at all of his given crap in my hands, and tried again to hand it over to him, but yes, I’m naïve, wasn’t so easy, but after an explanation that without all of this he will come back home with empty pockets for his family, he agreed to take the glasses back, yah, probably left to me the cheapest stuff he had.

It’s around 3-4 a.m., still 2 hours left of hugging my bag-pack and nodding from Asker’s stories, but at least no one tries to “accidentally” sleep on my shoulder, I tried to be positive.  When I thought that he showed all his briefcase content, Asker whispered – “I have something more to show you”, he took a wrapped piece of cloth, unwrapped it, and handed me 2 gems – “it’s Swarovski, very expensive, you should save it, it’s for you, it’s my present for you”. I looked closer, there were 2 shiny gems, yellow and green, I’m not an expert, but it doesn’t look real. My memory is blurred of what happened after and how I was reacting, probably from the amazement of this surreal situation, but what I can clearly remember, is that he was very proud and excited giving it to me. The bus is getting closer to Jaffna, so my new friend Asker took a piece of white paper, rolled there the gems, and wrote his contact information if I will ever want to see him. I nodded, “for sure, I will”. I saw he paused giving it to me like wanted to change his mind, he took a pen again, wrote on it “Hi” and handed it to me.

The bus was approaching Jaffna and I started to worry more, what to do now? Put all the gifts on the seat and leave? Take it? … The best would be just to leave everything and “wash the hands-off”, but that time everything looked totally different, my head was contemplating a few scenarios already and trying to find the best one. It’s almost 6 a.m., bright outside, so not so scary, if he will follow after I get out. So I stood up after seeing the first Jaffna town’s building and got out with some crappy plasticky jewelry in my bag-pack. Asker just waved through the window and wished good luck, I saw him siting very happily with this journey.

Do you wonder what happened with all that stuff I was gifted? The jewelry I gave to very poor girls from Indonesian fisherman island. “Swarovski” – still with me, I think it’s one of the best souvenirs I have from abroad.