Curses & Black Magic in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka a Land of Curses & Black Magic

It seems like months have gone by since I wrote my first post called an Interesting Life all about the difficulties of self publishing. I would love to say it was all going smoothly but it isn't. Today my book has been prepared for publishing and I am ready to upload it, so what's holding me back?
Simple the internet or lack of it!

According to my Chinese horoscope today is a lucky day, yet I still haven't published my book. Some day soon Backpacking Sri Lanka will be published! (Fingers crossed!)  Unless of course I truly am cursed by an interesting life! Or should that be I am just cursed?

Sri Lanka is a land full of superstition and having someone cursed is an everyday occurrence as I found out one day.

 Cursed by My Neighbours!

When I first moved to Sri Lanka I lived in a lovely little house close to the sea. On the left side of the house there was a vacant plot of land owned by my Landlord's sister, on the right an abandoned half built house. At first there were no problems at all and I had no issues with anyone. Then one night I came back to the house to find the old deserted house lit up like a Christmas tree and my house in total darkness. The electricity had tripped, so I sorted it and thought nothing more of it as these things happened in Sri Lanka, there were always power cuts. As for the half built house I just thought the owners had returned to finish it and electricity was now installed.

The next day workers appeared on the empty land next to me and began to build a house for the landlord's sister.

The house they cursed!

In the days and weeks that followed I was subject to more and more "power cuts" sometimes the power would be off for the whole day or night leaving me sweating in 32degree heat. I complained to the estate agent who allegedly complained to the landlord and the electricity board. But nothing got resolved. The power cuts continued.
I discovered that the half built house was being used by the builders who were living there whilst building the house. Funny, they seemed to have no problems at all with their electricity and every night the half built house was lit up like a super charged Christmas tree.

Then I started having problems with the water - in that I had none! I noticed how next door had no problem filling their tank.  It was all getting way too much and I was well and truly mad. Then one day the electricity kept cutting off, it was strange as it went off every time they used the power tools on the new house. So with my very strong and fit male friend - hero Chris I went next door to the building site to find out why they had power and I didn't.

The answer was simple, they had set up an illegal connection to my electricity and water. They were helping themselves to both!

I'd like to say it all ended well, but it didn't! The builders claimed my landlord had given them permission to do it, he said he didn't and blamed his sister and everyone blamed everybody.  There was a lot of shouting and arguing and things got ugly as hero Chris ripped their connection out. The dog killing neighbour (we named him that because I had seen him take a machete to a dog) came out and joined in, then other neighbours came out. They all said the same thing. I was white, I was a foreigner, I should let them use the electric and water and pay for it!

Unleashing The Curse!

As the days went by the arguments continued, the dog killer threw dog shit into my front garden, hero Chris threw it back. The workers continued to use the electricity, Chris continued to disconnect it. They continued to divert my water so we diverted it back.  And so it went on and on and on. Until we got a man from the electricity board to come along and threaten them with prosecution. Only then did they permanently disconnect from my supply.
That night hero Chris and I returned to the house after a well deserved beer, as we opened the gate there was a huge cheer from builders and neighbours. We weren't sure why until we saw the white string across the door way.

In Sri Lanka this type of string is used for blessings and curses. It wasn't hard to figure out which one they had given to us. By breaking the string we had unleashed the curse and the wrath of the demons and they were delighted.

I didn't stay much longer in that house - couldn't stand the neighbours!
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P.S. I would be really happy if you would leave a review of my book :)
Gail Leach Smashwords Author of Backpacking Sri Lanka 
Click here to view the book - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/617107
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