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| Sunday, 6 February 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Determination is all it takes At 6ft. plus with a physique to match, he is a giant of a man. Once upon a time he was also a rich man, owning several boats and commanding the respect of the people far and wide. But destiny hasn't been kind to him.
Rendered blind by a vengeful action of poisoning at a village wedding, forced into poverty in his bid to regain his vision, hampered by a weak heart that needs corrective surgery and suffering from a bad case of filariasis is that gives new meaning to elephantiasis, he was however beginning to rebuild his life and was contemplating giving his two daughters in marriage, when tragedy struck again. This time in the form of the devastating tsunami. It washed away his business, his house everything he owned and almost took his life. But 62-year-old Amaradasa de Aabrew is not someone to sit quiet and moan his fate. "If I rose from the depths of despair once, I can do so again," he says. But Aabrew is not a young man any more. Nor is he a well man. Living in a rented house (rent deferred for six months) in Piyagama, close to Kosgoda, as far back from the sea as he could get, he talks about his past struggles, his present predicament and the future he wants to give his two daughters Dilupa Dilrukshi and Nilupa Nirangi, without whose heroic deeds he might well be a mere statistic - dead or missing - today. Aabrew who was a seasonal fishermen owned several boats and made a good living supplying fish to Colombo. But mass poisoning at a wedding in November 1983, which he describes as an 'act of vengeance' rendered him blind in both eyes. Determined to regain his sight, he sold his boats, gave up his thriving business and went from one eye specialist to another seeking a cure. He underwent several surgeries before accepting that the optical nerves were damaged beyond repair and he'd have to learn to live as a 'blind man'. It wasn't easy, recalls Aabrew, who had to begin his life anew and grope his way to earn a living to feed and clothe his young family. Strong in mind as he was strong in body and determined to overcome all obstacles strewn across his path, he set about creating a new business, using his knowledge of the land and the English he learnt at school. He built a hut on the Kosgoda beach, adjoining a turtle sanctuary run by a relative, learnt all there was to know about the coconut tree and its multifarious uses, taught his daughters how to convert coconut husk into coir the traditional way, and went into business as an 'agenda' on the itinerary for tourists taking in the sights and sounds of the southern coast. His business was explaining the holistic nature of the coconut tree - how every part of it serves a useful purpose. "Business wasn't bad," he says, recalling he'd made many friends among the tourists who'd often pay him return visits just to have a chat with him. Enchanted and impressed by his explanation, that also included hands-on activities and tasting some of the refreshing goodness of young coconut, the visitors would drop a few rupees, dollars, euros or dirhams into the proverbial hat, enabling him to make a decent living and even contemplate a grand wedding for his two daughters. "He wanted us to have a good life and used everything he earned into making us a beautiful house. He was even preparing to give us in marriage and had made separate sets of jewellery, furniture and even bought electronic home equipment," say his daughters. But December 26 changed all that, forcing the family to flee for their lives. "I knew there was something odd about the sea that morning, and told my father we should get away, but because he couldn't see and because of his leg, he couldn't move. We - my sister and I put him on a chair, but the water gushed in and was up to his chest within minutes," says Dilupa, remembering the awful moments of that morning, when Aabrew begged his daughters to forget about him and save their lives. They ignored the plea and carried him to safety, returning later to save many others in a similar predicament. Everything the family owned was reduced to rubbles, and whatever left behind by the tsunami were stolen by robbers. "They had used an axe to break open the almairahs and stolen all our jewellery," says Dilupa, explaining that all they had that day was Rs 100 given by a tourist earlier morning. The family, including Aabrew's wife who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease, live in a rented house. They don't know how they will get the money to pay the rent, which is minimal. But they are determined to rebuild their shattered lives and get back on their feet. "As long as I have the strength I can survive," says Aabrew proud that he had made many friends among locals and foreigners, who may lend him a helping hand to re-start their lives. His optimism is echoed by his two daughters, who say as long as the family is together, they can face anything and everything. Anyone who is interested in helping the Aabrews to get back on their feet, can make a donation to K. D. D. de Aabrew, A/C No. 02-2093601-4 Hatton National Bank, Ambalangoda Branch. - Hana |
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