A Reply to ND's Open Letter - Sent by Razaque Ahamat

 

I know I have not replied soon enough to ND's 'Open Letter' to me posted some time back ..Any way better late and concise than never.

 

It was events pertaining to our days as Med Students living and travelling from Wattala to Med School. ND touched upon those lovely carefree days scrounging upon our parents and getting in to some 'ungainly situations'!! We ND, Bernard, and I used to 'study' and revise Physiology and Anatomy at my former school, St Anthony's College, Wattala. ---mostly Physiology as I 'studied' Anatomy elsewhere.!!! Shall leave it at that.!!!!! 

 

Of course there were others from our junior batches who used to be regular train travellers to Med School, namely Ananda Cooray, Ananda Perera, Jayasinghe (a childhood polio victim) ) -- all now deceased, including our Bernard.

 

In his posting ND speaks about a Johnny Jayasundara, who was living next to his home in Wattala whose family I believe were at one time very close family friends, but fell out in the 1940's. I shall refer to this episode/saga at a later posting in order not to repeat myself.

The three of us used to meet at occasions at my place for a meal etc.. At ND's place we gathered for a meal, that I quite vividly remember having the privilege of meeting his uncle Group Captain Rohan Amerasekara, Head of Royal Ceylon Air Force.

 

As you all are aware. I am not one for long drawn out postings as I suffer from 'verbal constipation'!! This is mainly a throwback to my childhood when I suffered from a speech impediment -- severe stammerng, and was bullied by name calling --- 'Gohtaya' and 'Goluwa'.

 

As mentioned earlier I shall refer to ND's Open Letter' in some of my future postings.

After qualifying we all parted company and went our own ways in different professional career pathways only to meet at Batch Reunions (London 1992, Hihhkaduwa--1996 & Cinnamon  Lodge 2007). Besides this, I remember ND visiting us on a Sunday at Tooting, London when I was working at St. Georges Medical School Hospital.

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