The buy turned into a present!

Asenior prelate of Malwatte Chapter Viharaya recently attended a religious ceremony held in the Kuliyapitiya area. On his way back to the temple, he saw a bed of orchid flowers in a wayside flower garden run as a commercial venture. The prelate, a lover of flowers, got the driver to stop the vehicle and asked the acolyte travelling with him in the vehicle to inquire about the price of the orchids. The garden-owner said that they charged Rs. 400 for a flower.

The prelate, in the meantime, saw several carnation bushes in bloom and wanted to know the price of carnation flowers and the reply was that these flowers were being sold for Rs. 800 each. The prelate bought several orchids and carnation flowers and the garden-owner inquired whether the flowers were bought for a need of the temple. The prelate replied while tendering money for the flowers: “I want the flowers for the flower vase kept in my cell in the temple. A special guest is going to call on me today. He is … (he names a candidate expected to contest the upcoming big poll). That is why I am buying flowers!”

The garden owners face creased into a smile. “Ane hamuduruwane… If you are to use these flowers on the occasion of his visit to you, I am not going to charge a single cent for these flowers. Please consider these flowers a present from me to both you and your visitor,” he said and handed the currency notes back to the prelate.

After handing back the money, the garden-owner paid obeisance to the prelate in the customary fashion.