- Pablo is fascinated by the woman who empties his outhouse every morning - she appears divine to him. He takes her hand and leads her into his bed shortly after arriving in Ceylon.
- Pablo arrives in British Ceylon from Burma to flee a traumatic relationship that had changed from love into passionate obsession. He notices a young pariah woman who empties his outhouse every morning. To Pablo she appears divine. In one morning, he takes her hand and leads her into his bed. Unable to believe or accept her bizarre fate, she remains passive throughout the series of events that unfold thereafter.
- Alborada ( The Dawning of the Day )
Serving as an International Diplomat, Pablo arrives in British Ceylon as the new Consul for Chile in 1929. He comes from Burma, having taken the relocation as an opportunity to flee a traumatic relationship that had changed from love into passionate obsession. Exhausted by the violence and impatient for freedom, he arrives empty handed except for the memory of the severed relationship with his former Burmese lover; Josie Bliss; 'love terrorist'; 'a species of Burmese Panther' as he named her. Living in a beach house (with is first local servant, Ratnaigh) in an unpopulated coastal area near Colombo, he attempts to bury his memories in the vast tropical shores, and takes refuge in an atmosphere of solitude which he himself creates. He spends his time taking long walks on the beach, observing native life and attending formal gatherings hosted by the European colonial masters. Those who usually enliven Pablo's lonely abode is a woman he meets at such a gathering.
His balance of solitude is abruptly broken by the unforeseen appearance of his Burmese lover, Josie at his doorstep. She had crossed the Indian Ocean carrying a sack of rice, a mat, and a bag of his writings with the hope of finding him. Her arrival completely disrupts Pablo's discreet existence. On his way from Rangoon to Colombo, Pablo had written his famous poem 'The Widower's Tango' and posted it to Josie. On the night of her arrival, the frightened Pablo sees a nightmare in which she performs his own poem, The Widower's Tango at his bedside. She makes the front steps of Pablo's house and its surroundings her dominion. After creating havoc for a few days, the woman decides to leave Pablo forever and disappears as abruptly as she arrived. Though free from her violent obsession, he remains disturbed and confused.
One day, he notices the young "Sakkili" (pariah) woman who empties his outhouse at the crack of dawn, every morning, and disappears before the sun rises. These low-caste Tamil women belonged to a community that was imported from South India and were treated as 'untouchables' both by natives and their colonial masters due to the repulsive job they were destined to perform. But, to Pablo, she appears divine. She reminds him of a deity he had seen while he was in India. He is vexed by her appearance and her indifference. His frantic efforts to gain her attention are in vain. In his desperation, one day, he decides to stand in her way, blocking her path.
Under a curtain of rain, he takes her by the hand and brings her, his Hindu Goddess, into his bed. Unable to believe or accept her bizarre fate, she remains passive throughout the series of events that unfold thereafter. This act of sexual intimacy, unlike similar moments he had shared with numerous women, is ritualistic for Pablo:
What Ratnaigh, the servant, sees is a different story. Parallel to Pablo's fantasy of a divine encounter, Ratnaigh witnesses the truth: an act of rape. He stands outside the room, listening, to the brutal exercise of power.
Awakening from his fantasy, Pablo finally sees the shivering, imperfect body lying beneath him and the terror in her eyes. She is not a divine goddess, but perfectly human; flawed; frightened; powerless. He realizes that he had lost. Escaping the worn-out Pablo, the woman runs to the ocean and desperately attempts to cleanse her body of the filth and shame of her experience. She stands waist-deep in the sea, scrubbing and clawing her body in vain. Coming out of his room, Pablo comes face to face with Ratnaigh, who has packed his belongings and is on his way out of the house. Pablo watches him leave. Later, a frenzied Pablo goes to his outhouse and starts cleaning it on his own.
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