MEDICAL BATCH 62 REMEMBRANCE DAY - 2023 (4)

 MEDICAL BATCH 62 REMEMBRANCE DAY - 2023 (4)

More tributes and recollections

Firstly from Harischandra Boralessa and next, Suriyakanthie Amarasekera

(1) Fond Memories by  Bora

It was in the early 1950s that I got to know JC. We were both at STC Prep at the same time.   

JC was an excellent athlete. He and my elder brother Ranjith competed in the sprint events. I vividly remember how they competed in the 1955 Western Province Athletic meeting.  By this time at Royal, JC had won the 110 and 220-yard events. My brother Ranjit came runner-up. 

That same year, JC came second at the Public Schools Athletic Meeting Sprint Events and Ranjith third. Both were beaten by an athlete from Richmond College Galle.  JC and Ranjith were awarded Public Schools athletic colours that year. Subsequently, JC concentrated on the 440 yards (400 m)  and became the Public Schools Champion. In 1958 he was appointed Captain of Athletics at Royal College. Later in life, he made a significant contribution to his alma mater. 

His younger brother Asoka (also known as Unda at Royal) was my classmate -  along with Siri Cassim, Nalin, Chanaka de Silva, Ravi Wicks - at STC Prep. One day, Asoka came into the classroom crying. He told us that his parents would send his aiyah to “Maggonna”. Poor Asoka! He did not realise this was only a threat by his parents to scare JC because he had been naughty at home.  Incidentally, when my brother and I used to have fights at home, our parents also threatened us with, “Ohelawa (you all) yawanna thiyenne Maggonnata not St Thomas.” 

JC was very fond of a “cup tea punt”. He was ready for it at any time of the day, particularly at the faculty canteen or Mayfair/Lion House. I often used to get a ride on his motorbike from Kynsey Road to Havelock town. He would always insist that we start the journey at the faculty canteen with a cup tea punt. I remember JC as a very popular member of our batch; he moved freely with all his batchmates, was a lively baila singer, rhythmical baila dancer and enjoyed a drink and a joke.   

During our internship, we shared a room at the LRH. We were not great buddies but we got on well. He always kept his bed neat and tidy. It used to annoy him when one of our batchmates would come into the room during our off weekends and, attracted by the scent of his after-shave lotion, would make a mess of his bed. 

While it is true that we were not very close friends, I still have fond memories of JC. May he rest in peace. 

(2) Fond recollections by Suri

“Death ends a life, not a relationship; All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here,”  Marie Schwatz. 

I would like to dedicate this to all my dear departed Batch Mates and especially to  Cecil Saverimuttu, V P H Rajapakse, Mangalam Sabaratnam Krishnadasan, Zita Perera Subasingha and J C Fernando, the 5  who bade farewell to us since the last Remembrance Day in 2022. 

I must confess that though I  remember Cecil Savarimuttu very well, I did not have a close association with him as a student or after he graduated.  I do, however, remember his pleasant smiling face and gentle demeanour. 

V P H Rajapakse, a fellow Anaesthetic Colleague with whom I was in touch from student days, was a gentle, soft-spoken, much respected Anaesthetist. His contribution to the field of Anaesthesia as a Teacher, Trainer and Senior Consultant based in Kandy, is significant and praiseworthy. One thing I  remember about our student days is that he was dubbed Victor Proctor  Hector Doctor by our irrepressible J.C . who loved to give nicknames. V P H dealt with this teasing in his calm, unruffled manner. 

Mangalam Sabaratnam Kriahnadasan, or “Mangy” as she was fondly called, was always bubbling with fun and laughter. Her beautiful smile is etched in my memory. I was saddened to hear of her protracted terminal illness. Learning that she had caring sons to look after her was comforting. I am torn with regret that I lost touch with her after she migrated, though I used to hear news of her from Sura, her close friend. 

Zita Perera Subasinghe   My dearest sister from another mother . Her demise was an irreparable loss not just to me, but to all of who loved her. Her indomitable spirit rising over the pain and suffering of her long-drawn-out terminal illness, and her cheerful brave acceptance of the inevitable end fills one with awe and admiration. She was a muti-talented genius who designed and created a breathtakingly beautiful wedding dress for her daughter Nisha, and enchanted us with her creative writing that was so inspiring. I am very fortunate to be given a booklet of her poems. I keep it on my bedside table near my Bible and often dip into it when I need courage or cheering up.

I thank God that the friendship bonds forged in the Anatomy Lab reeking of Formalin, in June 1962, have stood the test of time. We share so many precious memories, some sad, others joyful. I remember standing by Zita in the pouring rain at the graveside of her precious father as he was laid to rest. I remember Zita being picked up by the Clock Tower on Kynsey Road by a handsome young man in a red sports car- making all the girls envious! I remember her taking me to Ray Bans Fort to buy my first pair of sunglasses ( which cost all of Rs 40/- )from this charming handsome young man (Joe). Zita was there at the christening of my son Shaan in the UK when she took on the responsibilities of being his God Mother. She kept a watchful eye on him and was delighted as me at all his achievements… winning all Island Oratory contests, playing the lead role in several Drama productions, and Vocal performances. She was ecstatic when Shaan chose a career in Medicine. She was also the Attesting Witness at his wedding.

Having Zita as a Consultant Colleague at Sri Jayawardanepura General Hospital was so enjoyable.  We had to watch ourselves chattering too much during the operation lists! I was so proud of Zita when she performed the first ever Laser Eye Surgery in Sri Lanka, and also when she was inducted as the President of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka.

I find comfort in the fact that I could keep in touch with Zita in the last difficult months of her life via WhatsApp.I used to message her several times every week, and though she could not respond at times, her daughter Nisha assured me that she read them and found them helpful.   Her demise has left an aching void in my life, and I comfort myself that my precious friend is now free from pain and tears. I look forward to the day we will meet again, one glorious day, beyond the Sun Set. 

J C Fernando. The pain of his departure is still so fresh in our minds. J C, who I can confidently say was the most popular boy in the batch, endeared himself to all of us with his quirky sense of humour  and caring ways. Though he had so many impressive achievements in the field of sports, he was never proud or boastful. He was the live wire at any party with his skilful Guitar playing, pleasing Baritone voice, and of course, his own “naughty” version of well-known favourites. He was responsible for giving nick names Pocket Edition, M….. Massive, Mother Lanka, K ..usuma and Brat of the Batch (myself )are a few I can recall. 

Apart from being good company, J C was a deeply caring person, always ready to lend a helping hand. I remember with gratitude his support, advice and encouragement when I had a nasty fall and needed a Total Hip Replacement of my right leg in 2018. I attribute my ability to walk without a limp, drive a vehicle, and swim barely 5 weeks after surgery to his support. He even sent me a videotape demonstrating the safe way to get in and out of a vehicle after hip surgery. 

It was heartbreaking to see J C so incapacitated after his CVA in January 2020 with limited mobility and, even worse, dysphasia. We can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for him. The way in which Sura cared for him during the long 3 years of his illness is absolutely amazing. She left no stone unturned to ensure that J C received the best care possible, despite not being in the best of health herself, having a severe benign tremor and a Total Hip Replacement. We have to find solace in that J C is no longer suffering and wish that he attains the supreme bliss of Nirvana.