{"id":97616,"date":"2022-08-16T04:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T04:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=97616"},"modified":"2022-08-16T05:10:45","modified_gmt":"2022-08-16T05:10:45","slug":"in-appreciation-of-anoma-c-abeyewardene-1951-2022-by-michael-roberts-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/in-appreciation-of-anoma-c-abeyewardene-1951-2022-by-michael-roberts-19\/","title":{"rendered":"In Appreciation of Anoma C. Abeyewardene, 1951-2022 – By Michael Roberts"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Appreciation of Anoma C. Abeyewardene, 1951-2022 – By Michael Roberts<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Source :\u00a0thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0knits up the o\u2019er wrought heart and bids it break -Macbeth\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

\"In<\/span><\/p>\n

As we grow older and realize more clearly the limitations of human happiness, we come to see that the only real and abiding pleasure in life is to give pleasure to other people.<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 P G Wodehouse<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

How do we form our friendships? Is it a matter of chance? Does it depend on who sat next to you in class? Or does it spring out of an act of kindness? Or a crisis shared? In modern times friendships and connections are much publicized matters, but in our youth friendships happened quietly. You went to school, you met others your age, you played, you talked, you enjoyed fun times, you became friends\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

I try to cast my mind back to earliest days \u2013 about 65 years ago. The usual classroom interactions, singing class, cubs, football field \u2026 gossamer-like memories flit through my mind. There is one encounter, and aftermath, that is strong in memory. It may have been about 1959~60, and during the monsoon season since Anoma had his raincoat that day\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"InWe were chasing each other on the main grassy playing field, when I made a grab for him and caught part of the raincoat \u2013 which ripped badly! We were both not sure if it would have major repercussions. He travelled quite a distance to school and the long journey back must have been a difficult one, pondering what his parents would say. A day or two later, the teacher addressed the class.\u00a0\u201cI have received a note from Anoma\u2019s mother. She says that he came home with a torn raincoat which cost 25 Rupees, an amount which is too much to make up easily. She says the tear was not his fault. Who is responsible for this incident?\u201d.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I owned up in front of the class, and the teacher gave me a few days to bring 25 Rupees and hand over to Anoma. My heart was pounding, but I nodded and agreed to do so. I knew that the sum was large, and I would not be able to approach my parents about it easily. I had occasionally seen a rupees ten note and it seemed very big.<\/span><\/p>\n

One wonders at what age a child feels that there is a divine order that sometimes intervenes in personal struggles. I had not worked out how I could solve my problem or mentioned it to anyone. Unexpectedly, a day or two later, my mother handed me the \u2018school milk money\u2019. We took this to school monthly for the daily half pint, supplied via the National Milk Board, that some of us opted to have. The sum was exactly 25 Rupees!<\/span><\/p>\n

Later that day I handed the money to Anoma, knowing it would get him all squared up at home. I went without the daily chocolate milk half-pint during that month. I suppose that the episode, when both of us went through an unexpected \u2018crisis\u2019, strengthened the tie of friendship. We never discussed it afterwards. I only realised after my mother\u2019s death in 2015, that I had never told her or any of my six siblings of this episode from childhood.<\/span><\/p>\n

1962 was the year we went over to the adjacent big school, Royal College. Anoma and I were not in the same Form but interacted at some of the other lessons. We\u2019d always meet in Religious Knowledge class. He had information of the College from his dad\u2019s schooldays and would relate these tales sometimes. I think his dad knew the principal and some of the masters personally. Later I found that very many people knew his dad, who had been a well-known master and iconic figure at Richmond College, Galle. He also hailed from a family whose ties with the Methodist Church were deep \u2013 the Maharagama Church & Manse had been built on Abeyewardene land, probably gifted, adjacent to Anoma\u2019s home, \u2018Mahamega\u2019. Over the years every Methodist Minister & family who came to the parish made friends with the Abeyewardenes. In those days the area was known as \u2018Mahamegawatte\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anoma left his mark on the various groups that he was part of and individuals whose life\u2019s path crossed his. In College days, one group where memories of his personality will endure, is the Cadet contingent. A \u2018gang\u2019 of us who happened be Boy Scouts already, were attracted by a notice that indicated that 2nd formers in 1963 would be recruited to attend the annual Junior Cadet camp in Diyatalawa in February the following year. We lined up outside the West wing lobby one day after school, and about 30 were picked out by senior cadet NCOs and officers to be given a rapid training. One of the two junior cadet platoons had been disbanded due to unsatisfactory behaviour, and a decision had been made to forge a platoon out of \u2018brand new\u2019 recruits! Since the camp was only a few months away there was intense training for us youngsters, all 12 & 13 years old. There was a training camp held at Hanwella MMV premises for us to experience the rigours of camp life. No doubt the intense training done together involving squad drill, PT, camp duties, first-aid classes etc ensured we formed a strong bond.<\/span><\/p>\n

We did not know then that the decision to join the junior cadets would lead to connections which would endure and form memories which we would savour until the end of our days. Anoma\u2019s dad had also been a cadet in his youth and had told Anoma stories of camps. Evidently Royal had been the first College where a volunteer unit was formed as far back as 1881. A cadet battalion became a reality about 20 years later with Royal, St Thomas\u2019, Wesley, Trinity, Richmond etc being the first schools in the CCB. Later it had expanded to become the CCC \u2013 Ceylon Cadet Corps, of which we were the latest recruits.<\/span><\/p>\n

As with all memories, invariably one\u2019s very first experience leaves the most lasting impressions. Many of the gang in later years attended at least 3 junior cadet camps and 1 or more senior cadet camps held annually at the Diyatalawa army cantonment. Most memorable is our very first trip, in February 1964, on the \u2018special cadet train\u2019 which may have had about 500 on board, setting off from Fort Railway Station on the exciting journey all the way to Diyatalawa. Being a \u2018special\u2019 train full cadets and officers of the 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0Battalion, we were given special treatment, which meant being shunted aside as required at various points along the journey! Regular trains always had priority over our train.<\/span><\/p>\n

I recall my mother giving advice before the trip \u2013\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t put your head out of the train window going upcountry. Your Uncle Ira did that as young cadet and he developed a severe ear-ache due to the cold wind.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Anoma told us about the danger of getting coal flakes in our eyes, probably a tip from his father, this being the steam locomotive era. When the train went through tunnels the smoke would fill the compartments if the windows were down, and we soon learnt to push them up. That first trip we got special treatment all right, since the train took about 15 hours to make the 150 mile trip, reaching our destination close to midnight! Most of us won\u2019t recall what we ate during that very long day, or details of what we were taught (First-Aid theory etc) while travelling, but all of us remember one memorable episode that probably filled close to an hour!<\/span><\/p>\n

The two platoons were naturally together, and we had the adjoining baggage car also to ourselves. There were a few of the older cadets, going on their 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0or 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0camp, occupying the baggage car and they had a baila sing song going. Maybe as a bit of a rag, they got some of us recruits to contribute a verse or two. When it came to Anoma, it was not a verse but an entirely new song that he introduced to all. Not only the tune and words but a dance too! Soon everyone \u2013 officers, senior NCOs and all the cadets took turns to come into the baggage car and experience seeing and hearing Anoma. It was exhilaration personified \u2013 he gave us a true audio-visual experience, singing and dancing \u2013 a song that his father had taught him! As Ram Rajan & Muthu, at the service, recollected recently, the four-line repetitive ditty went like this: \u2013Ta ra ra ra boom badiye;\u00a0 Ooru gus mung handiye<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Mage thatha bundiye; Ta ra ra ra boom badiye\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Almost everyone in the RC carriages took turns at joining in, and the revelry was greatly enjoyed. Anoma, transported to another zone, kept up the singing for what seemed like ages, bathed in perspiration, and giving of himself. Although he is no more present to sing for us, there are former cadets scattered around the world now, who will be able to close their eyes, and visualise \u2013 while a smile spreads around their face \u2013 a 13-year-old boy giving a musical performance from the heart, that is imprinted in our hearts forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

About ten years ago, I found the original song, dating to 1891, on YouTube and sent it to Anoma. He was glad to hear the tune which he drilled into our heads on a train all those years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n