Luxury Prisons Vs simple Homes

The temporary home for me these days is in Colombo suburb.The area is residential, well secured and luckily not absent from greenery too.Its a quite visible that 20perch blocks were sold to different people few years back. Still there are some bare blocks and its wonderful these blocks of lands were not "developed" by a land sale company before selling. Therefore few large jak trees and some coconut trees are around while hedges are full of small wild bushes.

New houses are building up day by day.When walking down the lane I have observed how luxury type houses emerged here and there within weeks. Now , after few months earlier bare lands were totally occupied by these massive houses. The walls surrounding almost all sides gives a look of fortress than houses to these homes.The height of the walls explained how in-secured the home occupants would feel.From the gates open rarely I can saw 20 perch blocks ware fully covered with cement. Few pots of flowers were here and there. Luxury vehicles come and go in the early morning and late evenings. A grandfather was seen inside the walls sometimes , just eagerly looking through the gate which is open slightly.School vans come and go every day. But kids nor adult was rarely seen outside. May be the occupants do not want to be part of the environment they live. But for me , its too difficult. After a busy day , when I come back home, the clear empty sky and the mild breeze invite me to stay little time outside. Some times I just walk out the large gate of my apartment and emerged silently in the blessing of the nature still felt around thanks to few bare lands around.

Next to the my lane I have noticed a big family lives in a traditional home. The grandfather raises a herd of buffaloes there so the house is not unnoticeable at all. The few bare lands by my lane is the feeding ground for these creatures.Initially I wonder how this old man occupy all these lands so freely with no hesitation - like the owner of all lands. But later I manged to see the things more clearly and how much he is integrated with the environment than many of us. He may not know the actual owners of the lands. He may not worry also. He would never want to claim ownership of these lands. He just feed his mighty army and let the field become more and more fertilized. With time I felt the most lively part of the environment is the herd of these buffaloes, the feeding , washing and milking of them. He is active and full of energy and walk like a king with his herd , allowing me to feel little jealous about the freedom he enjoys.

But soon I found more lively things.I was shocked by the giggling and screaming of kids around in a recent weekend. Through my window I saw some children, both girls and boys in simple cloths were having a nice time with a double swing hanging on Jak tree in a bare land nearby. Some kids were playing with sliders made out of coconut branches. The grandfather , the owner of the buffaloes, was keenly looking at the swing , and even from the distance I could figure out the satisfactory , proud smile on his old face ! May be he is really proud of his work or the proud of his grandchildren who are carefree and enjoying the life to the fullest.

I wonder who are people really enjoying life in my surrounding. This grandfather may be the poorest person in financial terms in this area. But what about his well-being & happiness ? Does the overall happiness is a direct function of wealth ? Anyway I felt sorry for the kids and grandparents locked up in luxury prisons and the life they miss just in front of their lives.