The “Major”
Mohammed Hussein Ismail
Mohammed Hussein Ismail, known as "Major Hussein", is believed to be the oldest man in the Fort. He talks about his ten years in Trincomalee where he worked in a jewellery shop during the second world war and the military men he came across.
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When I go to the mosque, the Imam calls me Major!
They call me “Major” because in Trincomalee, my movements were with the British army. Our firm was there. They used to come to our shop to buy goods and everything. At that time military time. It was open to every foreigner to get employed, to open a eating houses. They can’t eat our hot curries! They opened their own shops. The “ABCD café”: American, British, Chinese, Dutch café. They all joined together and opened it. Those times, in cafés, everything was very light. Not hot stuff. Actually, I didn’t know what lard was. I didn’t know what were chips. I went inside the kitchen to see what lard was and I came out and entered a huge place with tables. A kitchen on one side. One or two people cutting onions, one or two cutting potatoes, using machines to cut them into chips. In our religion lard is strictly prohibited. We only use ghee and butter and enjoying with that. Lard is used mainly by non-Ceylonese. Sometimes we can’t go into their kitchen. Such a bad smell! My words, actions are all like that of a major. “Order,” I say like that. Even my religious advisor, when I go to the mosque. Imam calls me “Major”! Galle, Colombo. Everywhere. Many people! When they hear me called “Major”, then they also call me “Major”. First of all they did it as a joke. After that when others also called me that, people thought I deserve it. It doesn’t hurt me. I accept it, to keep company with them. If I ignore them, then I have no company.
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