Just who could this be? By Nihal D Amarasekera
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He joined our batch direct from school. Argyll endured the pain and pleasures of our journey through the years in the faculty. During the rag, size mattered and he was subjected to a few more indignities than the rest of us. In those glorious times, we did many of the ward classes together and got dragged unceremoniously through the mud. Being closer to my end of the alphabet, we did most things together. He was always a lively and friendly guy. Argyll lived by the sea in salubrious Kollupitiya. He came from a long line of businessmen. His father owned a shop in Colombo-Fort. They had a gem business and also dealt with guns and bullets. All kosher and above board, I hasten to add.
My memory is of Argyll being brought to the faculty in a chauffeur-driven limousine but that may be yet another of my delusions of grandeur.
In the faculty he was approximately 5’8” in height weighing around 60Kg. He wore no spectacles didn’t smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. Argyll was fair-skinned with short black hair. He played carrom and table tennis in the Men’s Common Room but never played billiards. I have a vague recollection he played Contract Bridge but that memory is hazy.
Argyll was best of friends with a very bright student in our batch. This guy was much more volatile and defiant than Argyll. They were inseparable all through the 5 years. Being like chalk and cheese this was an unlikely friendship. Argyll was large, rounded, soft and benign and reminded me of a Lipoma but I have kept this description to myself until now.
In those distant days, we were both ardent fans of Dixieland Jazz. We loved the music of the Dutch Swing College Band and the banjo music of Eddy Peabody. What attracted us to Dixie was the rich and warm sounds of the saxophones and the clarinets and the foot-tapping beat of the strumming banjos. Our special favourite was the popular piece called “Ice Cream”. He owned a tape recorder where he recorded Dixieland music from the radio. Argyll invited me home to enjoy the music in Hi-Fi stereo. While doing so we downed several cups of delicious Arabic coffee and some yummy sweets. I do remember those long chats of our hopes and dreams for the future, all those years ago.
It brought us great joy as our paths crossed once again as we started internship at the General hospital Kurunegala in 1967. He did General Medicine and Obstetrics. Argyll was one of those in our internship who did the job both quietly and with huge competency. Living in the same quarters I got to know Argyll well. Well read and articulate he was a cultured gentleman, thoughtful, kind and helpful. I recall most fondly his wonderful tongue in cheek humour. At the quarters there was a guy whose eating habits left a lot to be desired. He enjoyed his food immensely and made a sucking noise in the process. Argyll called it ’The Sound of Music’. This is not an attempt to deify the man when I say he never spoke ill of anyone and saw something good in everyone. Being a teetotaller Argyll’s presence was a blessing. Warm, caring and engaging, he looked after the rest of us when we drank too much and nursed our hangovers. Argyll kept his own stock of paracetamol which he gave out like smarties to the deserving.
The flushing toilets had not reached the dry zone yet. The Kurunegala quarters had bucket latrines and the daily ablutions were an unpleasant business. Those at the back of the queue in the morning had to endure the worst. Argyll had his own answer to the problem. He had a generous stock of Bulgarian cigars (we called them the Bulgarian bog punts) which produced noxious fumes to counteract the nasty odours. The non-smokers had to make a quick exit breathless and blue poisoned by the fumes and driven by the stench. When it was my turn, I developed a reflex apnoea.
Once the interns hired a coach and went to the historic rock at Sigiriya. Argyll took his gun with him and shot a wild duck. Our quarters' chef was an asthmatic and we called him ‘Rhonchi’ Rajapakse. He cooked roast duck for us and served it minus one leg, as he always did with his chicken dishes. Our chef was a ‘lovable rogue’. He looked after us well and we all still feel a deep affection for him - RIP. Incidentally, we may have lead shots lodged in our appendices to remind us of those happy times of our internship. What amazes me now is how one could keep a gun in the quarters and also take it to Sigiriya and shoot wild birds. Reminds me of the stories of Samuel Baker, the English explorer and his journeys in Ceylon with Rifle and Hound, circa 1855. Some things indeed have changed for the better!! Despite his flings with guns and bullets, Argyll is a gentle soul.
After Internship, there were the sad goodbyes and we went our separate ways. I lost contact with Argyll while we built our careers and raised our families. I connected with him after several decades through a mutual friend Michael Satchie who owned a BSA Bantam in the faculty. Satchie later emigrated to USA and lived in Florida until his premature death. Hard-working and determined to succeed, Argyll had a rapid climb to the top becoming a much sought after specialist in Colombo with a booming private practice. He remained a well-respected person in his chosen field and a member of several prestigious professional bodies. He has now retired and does charitable work in his speciality providing a useful service to the community.
Regarding our batch Argyll has
been a reclusive figure thus far. He has not been to any of our gatherings and
reunions. But Argyll has had just a brief connection with the blog. His tribute
to his lifelong friend Michael Satchie alias Satchithananda, on our blog is a
masterpiece of English writing and shows his brilliant literary skills. I do
wish he was regular on our blog. In his own words:
The dark unfathomed
caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower
is born to blush unseen
And waste its
sweetness on the desert air" - From
Gray’s Ellegy
For the few who still have
difficulties identifying the young man here is another clue, a mirror image of
his name. Good luck
We make contact often to reminisce the past and also to discuss the perils and the pitfalls of the present. Let this be a tribute to my friend of over 50 years. I wish him a long and happy retirement.
December 30th. 2020:- And here is an update as all of you guessed correctly.
Ok Nihal, I think I know who Argyll is! Am I supposed to write his mane here? Shooting wild duck in Sigiriya? Was that legal then? I am sure it is not legal anymore. As for Michael Satchie, I got to know him very well during my time in NYC and he was extremely kind and helpful. Later, in 1990 when I worked for two years in Staten Island, I also got to know his siblings and his mother. (Satchie and his wife had already moved to Florida.) Sadly, only one of his sisters is around today. His brother and wife became my very good friends when I was in Staten Island, and I am very much in touch with his sister-in-law. Satchie was "a real mensch!"
ReplyDeleteSrianee
DeleteWhat was legal 50 years ago in the dry zone is a good question. Doctors were royalty then. When we were on call we went to the cinema and when there was a call for us they stopped the film and showed a notice to say who was wanted in hospital. That was the extent of the power and glory.
Michael Satchie was my pal since faculty days. We played carrom and table tennis in the Common Room and listened to classical music despite the mayhem around us. He was a cultured and principled gentleman who had more than his fair share of misfortune in later life. The adversities that brought him hard times naturally made him ultra-sensitive and he was easily offended. Despite all that we remained close until the very end.
Before Apple Computers reached the zenith of its popularity we became fans of these terribly unreliable beasts. Apple brought us together again finding ways to overcome its technical problems. It was then I became aware of the sadness in his life. Satchie was a gentle soul, kind and helpful. He knew about his own illness better than his doctors and was well aware when his end would come.
He is now free of pain and suffering.
May Michael Satchie find Eternal Peace.
I remember that you and Satchie shared a love of Apple computers. I have been using them (graduating from one model to another, as needed) ever since I purchased our first Apple IIE, when my daughters were in high school, in the 1980s. Incidentally I didn't find them 'unreliable beasts!' Yes, Satchie had a rough time with his illness at the end of his life. He was a gentle soul.
DeleteAbout Argyll, I knew the answer was Cassa, but never knew anything about his love of Dixieland Jazz or hunting. Thank you for writing this tribute. It is too bad that he is not in touch, but I hope he knows that we are enjoying learning about his exploits on this blog! All the best to him.
Not 'mane' but name!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a true story if it is true. Argyll was a fellow Consultant in Kandy in 1978 when I was Neurologist there. Jayasena Hettiarchchi was Physician and the three of us used to meet often for a chat. One day, Argyll got into his big 503 and was trying to reverse the car with difficulty in a narrow road with a steep decline. While he was maneuvering, the rear wheels went over the edge and the car was balancing with the rear wheels in mid air! Argyll was trying to get out of the car but his weight was what was keeping the front of the car on the road and if he got out, the car would have tilted and fallen down! We got help from several strong men and asked Argyll to keep calm with his arms embracing the lucky steering wheel. The strong men pushed the car forwards, enough to change the dynamics and a much relieved Argyll scampered out out of the car and started laughing in his characteristic manner with his whole body convulsing as he always did when laughing. It was like a Hollywood movie.
ReplyDeleteNice story a great escape.
DeleteYes Mahen, this was a great anecdote! Not an unusual occurrence on our narrow roads.
DeleteI can think of MHMC as the person you have been talking about.
ReplyDeleteSumathy
DeleteYou are right.
To all my learned friends
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome to post the name of the mystery person in the Blog.
Without any doubt it is Sirry Cassim! He told me that he always wished to be a surgeon, but being lazy ,did not want to be disturbed at night. Therefore he specilised in ophthalmology. He is a Mullah at present.
ReplyDeleteI spoke with Cassim few days ago on WhatsApp. He is deeply religious much more than in our Kurunegala days. We reminisced about the duck shooting and he corrected me that it was a TEAL and not a duck. To the untrained eye there is no difference.
DeleteI had contacted him via WhatsApp on Nihal's request over an year ago.He mentioned about his voluntary work.The moment you seea Muslim with a beard,you can easily guess that he fears God."He or she will be reciting "la Oklahoma IL Allah Mohammedan rasullah(There is no God,but God,Mohammad is the messenger)By repeating three times you convert yourself to Islam,that is what I gathered from Muslim friend.
DeleteAnother clue to his identity is that he opted for Sinhala medium while Satchi opted for Tamil medium while studying in Royal.He is a Musalman.
ReplyDeleteWell done all! The cas is out of the bag. Things I remember about him. His convulsive laughter, trousers just below the nipple line, amiability and Peugeot cars,
ReplyDeleteCorrection to my misprint.The wording should be as follows.
ReplyDeleteLa illaha illallah, Mohammedan Rasullah (there is no God but God, Mohammed is the Messenger).
Of course it's Cassa as we called him. It was great to anaeathtise for his list at Eye Hospital when I returned from the UK way back in 1981 I remember going to his place at Carlwill Place in Colombo3 to hand deliver the Batch Souvenir we had printed with all the photographs of the Batch for our 40th Anniversary Reunion which he was unable to attend
ReplyDeleteSuri
DeleteHow lovely to have you on the Blog. Being his anaesthetist you wouldnt have missed the diagnosis. You've confirmed my comment that Cassa is a recluse.
Nice to see you on the blog Suri. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
ReplyDeleteNihal
ReplyDeleteArgyl was a class mate of mine at STC Prep,I went to the school by the sea and he went to the next best in 1953.After eight years I found myself in the same sig group as Argyl C along with Navam,Jonny,Chittha and Lady Chellappa.
Mahen ,I can still picture Argyl's bouts of convulsive laughter,at times whilst standing he used to shake his leg (flexion and extension at the knee and hip) probably to the "Sound Of Music". Argyl was quite flexible unlike his pupil Robertson who had fixed views.
Argyl was very amiable and good company.
Bora
ReplyDeleteI remember Argyll's Akathesia very well. He was constantly pulling up his trousers. The great and the good were at STC. I remember a ward class with Ernie Peiris when Lady Chellappah was presenting a case. Dr EAP couldn't hear her and called her WHISPERING PECTORILOQUY
The very best was opposite the Welikada Prison by Campbell Park!!!! Once a boy at Wesley behaved badly and a teacher told him he would end up in the institution in front. The lad finally became a Superintendent of Police.
DeleteI don't know whether you know the Gunasekeras who lived down Siebl place I think in K'pone and the father was a Doctor. Ther were three sons, Asoka, Ananda and Ranjan. Ranjan was with me at Royal and went to the E Fac. Asoka was at Wesley and I think he became a doctor. The sister was Sakuntala.
DeleteErnie Peiris, another fantastic teacher! He made jokes with such a deadpan face. I still remember him teaching us about Ankylosing Spondylitis, because there was a young man in his ward who had an advanced stage of the disease. This was our 'Preclinical' rotation and we were rather raw and clueless. He got quite mad at us for not having the case histories ready on time and threw all of us out of the ward! The others in my group who shared the rare distinction of having been thrown out by EAP were Sunna, Padmini Goonewardene, Swyrie, Lakshman Jayasinghe and Maheswaren. Perhaps there were a few more. (I remember this incident because it was so rare!) Of course, he was not a malicious man, so we were allowed to return the next day after a proper apology was made.
DeleteSrianee. EVP was a true gentleman, a wonderful teacher and a very noble band principled doctor. We were very fortunate to have had teachers like him.
DeleteI recall one humorous incident in a ward clas. My colleague who shall remain nameless was asked to desrcribe the opisthotonic posture of a patient with meningitis and he came back without any hesitation and said “Sir, this patient is mentally backward”. EVP had a wicked half grin on his face and I wish I could recall what he said!
Asoka Gunasekera was 2 years senior to me at school. Even as a pimple faced schoolboy he was a refined gentleman.
DeleteA few years ago I met one of Ernie's daughters at Arpico in Colombo (He had 5?) because she knew my sister-in-law, who introduced us. I told her how much her dad's great example as a physician and teacher meant to us. I felt good to be able to share that with her. She may have been very young when he died.
DeleteCassa was a good friend of mine and we played bridge together with late jGW at Cassas home in Kollupitiya
ReplyDeleteI knew another Cassim a parallel batch from Peradeniya.The very name reminds me the novels I read about Arabian Nights.
I wanted to guess the person without reading any of the comments beforehand. That is exactly what I am doing right now.
ReplyDeleteThe person is obviously "Cassa". An incident that I will always remember is that my daughter who was a small child at that time, had accidentally caused an injury to her eye while trying to brush her hair herself. As she was complaining of severe irritation, I took her to Cassa that evening. The following day happened to be a Public Holiday (Independence Day) and the hospital was closed. But Cassa got the Op Theatre opened and removed a bristle of the hair brush. Fortunately it had just missed a serious corneal injury. I shall always remember Cassa with much gratitude for that kind gesture.
Thanks for that story Lucky. Just shows what s nice Chao he is
DeleteMahendra, Asoka Gunasekera was in the 300 batch in Colombo. Later I came to know him very closely in Galle, when he assumed duties as the Professor of Gyn. and Obs.He married Ramya Wijesekera who is a cousin of Chanaka. Asoka's sister married Ganendra Senaratne who was senior to me at RC.Asoka's step-mother, taught me at the RPS.
ReplyDeleteI worked with EVP'S wife, Philline, at the Chest Hospital, Welisara,after my internship for nine months, before joining the Colombo Faculty as a lecturer. Russell Pau was also at Welisara during that time. Philline is a very nice person and I have treated her grand children in the past. One of their daughters entertained us in Sydney in the early 1990s when ten of us from the Colombo Medical Faculty spent a couple of weeks in the Department of Medical Education in the University of New South Wales, where Raja Bandaranayake was working.The visit was related to a major change in the curriculum. Thereafter I served as the Chairman of the Clinical Stream. Some Sri Lankan doctors in Sydney entertained all of on a boat cruise in the Sydney Harbour but Oliver Peiris was not one of them.
Sanath
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to be in a Ward Class group of keen students making it easier to duck and weave and hide behind to avoid attention. EVP spotted me and I was recognised as a shirker often getting me to present cases during those long 2 months. I recall him asking me not to sit in the patients chair to avoid getting an anal fistulae!! He gave me a hard time until I met him at a relatives birthday party. In that environment He was a different person altogether witty friendly and charming. But at the GHC he continued to pick on me to present cases. Perhaps that did me some good in the long run. EVP was a great teacher during our Golden era of medical education.
Nihal (ND) wrote a lovely article about our teachers including EVP here is the link-. https://colombomedgrads1962.blogspot.com/2016/02/their-names-liveth-forevermore.html
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mahendra! You have helped me on the last day of 2020! And you always help me in my problems with technology. I hope to do better in 2021. And I hope to appear more often on the Blog. I realise what a precious thing it is! Thanks again!
DeleteMahen, I re-read Nihal's post about our teachers. Thank you
Deletefor reminding us. The comment I made about EVP then is almost identical to the one I made above. (At least, I am consistent!)
HELLO! THISIS ZITA HAVING PROBLEMS POSTING A COMMENT.
ReplyDeleteI am appearing as anonymous.
My reply to Nihal’s ‘who could this be?’
This strange journey on the Orient Express
Was enlightening but I couldn’t guess
This enigmatic batch mates name
For that, I do feel a bit of shame
When truth was revealed in the end
I agreed to facts regarding this friend
Of whom we, friends, can be truly proud
And to whom Nihal gives praises loud!
Now it’s time for others to follow
And in poetic phrase to wallow
Of one of their mates in batch ‘62
Hey, all! Rise up to the challenge do!
Zita
ReplyDeleteOh so lovely comment in poetry. Cassa is from your own speciality and I'm sure you must have met him in official capacity as well as socially.
You're right, Nihal! We worked together at the Eye Hospital, Colombo. He was indeed a great colleague, so helpful if needed, nice to have a chat with in Common Room. He is a person of high integrity.
DeleteSuper! Best Quran Teaching offers experienced and certified tutors for you to Learn Quran Online with Tajweed in affordable price.
ReplyDeleteNihal
ReplyDeletei saw this only now. It is Cassim. I just spoke to him. He is unaware of this article. I told him to have a look, he said he will do so.
By the way he did the 6 months course in Zoology with me. He confirmed it today.
We worked as House Officers at Eye Hospital together.
I remember going to his place on Galle road Kollupitiya with my brother to record Music Johann Strauss Blue Danube Waltz etc. when I was working at Eye Hospital.
He was Consultant Eye Surgeon in Kandy and I had to wait till he came to Eye Hospital on transfer for me to go to Kandy as consultant Eye Surgeon. I was there for 5 years and came to Eye Hospital and we worked together till we retired.
I remember going for the S.A.A.R.C.Eye surgeons Congress in Nepal in 2000 with Cassim, his wife Rezona and other Eye Surgeons.
We meet him at our annual congresses but on some occasions he is missing as he travels abroad to visit his two daughters. Chira
Dear Chira
DeleteSo good of you to inform Cassa about the article. Being a very modest guy I didnt have the heart to tell him thinking he may be offended. Anyway the cat is out of the bag as the saying goes and I'm pleased. It is a tribute to my friend, a gentle soul and a fine colleague.
The "Cas is out of the bag" of course!
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ReplyDelete