Landlord marries tenant... and lives happily ever after

by Lakmal Welabada

Don Peter Lawrence Weeraratne handed over the toy he bought all the way from Colombo to the little girl at her home in Galle. "Thank you, uncle," she almost grabbed it from him. Lawrence patted her head with a smile. Their fathers, long time comrades had known each other for a long time. The little girl Indra unwrapped the small parcel and took the toy out. It was a sweet little hen who laid eggs each time she pressed a button. Indra was thrilled, and started playing with it.

She was having great fun. Lawrence had picked it up from the Pettah pavement vendor as he loved to give presents to little ones and see them enjoy playing with them. So, if he saw some unusual toy anywhere he would buy it and keep it to give whenever he encountered a little one. But, this time the little angel he had given the toy to was the daughter of his father's comrade. For him she was just another 'little one' of a known family who was eighteen years younger to him. And he never ever thought that she would one day be his 'bride', the life long partner, for the past 42 years!

Lawrence was born on December 2 in 1922 to Don Coranelis Weeraratne of Kalutara South and Alice Weeraratne.

"My father was an Expense Store Accountant (ESA) at Royal Army Service Corps. We lived at Egoda Uyana, Moratuwa with three sisters and a brother. I am the second among the five siblings," grins Lawrence.

After his stint at the Royal Army Service, Lawrence became a bill clerk at the Galle Face Hotel, and worked there for 38 years.

The hard working youth had a load of family responsibilities. At the same time he had a dream of having a house of his own. So, he worked hard. He came to work early in the morning to the Galle Face Hotel and would work there from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. By 7.30 pm he was at the Tropicana Night Club and would work as an accounts clerk from 7.30 pm to 2.00 am. He would spend the few hours left on a bench of the night club, and re-start work at Galle Face Hotel the following morning. And on Saturdays and Wednesdays he worked at the Colombo Race Course from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm with the permission of the Galle Face Hotel.

The courageous young man managed to support his family, while buying 21-perches of land at Asoka Place, P.B. Alwis Perera Mawatha, Katubedda, Moratuwa for Rs,20,000 in 1958. "I spent Rs,4000 per perch. I took a government housing loan of Rs,15,000 and another loan from Galle Face Hotel and built this house. It was one of the greatest achievements of my life, and I am so proud of it," he says humbly. His duty to his family was also fulfilled simultaneously. His mother who was at death's door held his hands and uttered, "Mage Puthe Umba Budu Venna Ona (My son, may you attain enlightenment as a Buddha one day)," Lawrence still recalls her words in tears.

Indra Devanarayana was born on August 20 in 1940 to a jewellery businessman and a landed proprietor, William Carolis Devanarayana and to Elena Danthanarayana who lived in Galle. Indra was the middle child of two - an elder brother and a younger sister. She was known as a very mischievous girl who played for the school teams of netball and tennis. Debates, choirs, girl guiding and all the concerts staged at her school, Sanghamitta Balika Maha Vidyalaya never passed off without her participation.

"After our father's death it was my brother who shouldered everything. He was at the Railway Department, so each time he had a transfer he dragged us also to the place wherever he had to go. And I must especially thank my sister-in-law, Seetha Akka who took care of my mother, our younger sister who was deformed and myself. She is still my best friend," praises Indra.

When Indra's brother got a transfer to the Moratuwa Railway branch they began to seek a place to stay. By that time Lawrence had already completed his house. Nanda Danthanarayana, an aunt of Indra was residing next door to this newly built 'castle'... So she let the news go to Indra's family, who came there on rent. Lawrence was happy to associate with his old family friends, in fact Indra's brother was one of his very good friends.

He used to visit them once in two months when he felt like collecting the rent from them. Still he had hardly any feelings towards the young damsel roaming around his own castle very freely as if it was her own. Although he was nearly twenty years older he was gifted and blessed with youthful looks. "And still, no one can say my correct age," he butts in.

However, aunty Nanda who was used to peeping through the fence and watching the pretty young Indra attending to her roses in the garden, was thinking of bringing a proposal for her. Indra was after O/Ls and was learning professional sewing under Vijitha Rajapakse Abeywardane at Dehiwala. In fact if Lawrence happened to see her at Dehiwala, he would give her a lift home. But still he had no special feelings for her. But aunty Nanda had. She came out with the proposal. The horoscopes were well matched.

Lawrence was laughing to himself. He could remember how he presented Indra a little toy when she was about four-five years old. He looked through the mirror. His first love affair was already gone. And now he had to think about a new future. What people said about him was correct. No one could guess his age. He felt confident. Suddenly he saw Indra on the mirror, beside him. It was an illusion. Now she had begun to haunt him. He beamed. So, for the first time, he had begun to think about Indra differently.

The age gap of the suitor matched for her by her aunt and her mother bothered Indra a bit. However her brother too had given his consent to the marriage. After a brief fuss she said 'OK'... Now Lawrence was paying frequent visits to her place. An incident that took place in his presence touched him a lot. Alice was Indra's servant. She had a son of one and half years. Both the mother and son were under the kind shelter of Indra's family. The little one was sick that day. Alice was at her chores and had little time to spare for her baby. Indra took her turn. She took great care of the little son. She washed him, changed his dirty clothes to a new suit, powdered him, and then lulled him trying to put him to sleep. Indra didn't know that Lawrence was watching all this. But, his heart ached for her. "She is a courageous and kind girl," he thought.

They got married on June 5 in 1964 at the Galle Face Hotel, his own work place. Sir John Tarbot, Chairman of the Galle Face Hotel and the District Judge James Gunewardane were the attesting witnesses.

So, Indra was the first and the last tenant of Lawrence. The landlord married the tenant. The pretty young 'tenant' really fell in love with the 'landlord' after she entered her once rented and now her own home with him.. After a few months Indra's mother happened to make a comment on her son-in-law. She wanted to test how her daughter was feeling about her new wedded life. "Aney, Eya hari hondai, Amma (Mother, he is very good and kind)," when Indra uttered these words in a blushing tone, her mother wiped off a tear in her eyes. So Lawrence and Indra have been living happily there after, and celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary this year.

"An astrologer who tallied our horoscopes had predicted that none of us would be able to produce children as we were not destined for that. According to our 'Porondams' (matching factors) ours were not 'Kiri Vrukshas' (non-reproductive). But within eight years of marriage we were blessed with five children - four daughters and a son. My mother-in-law scolded that astrologer for telling lies till the day she passed away. Our elder four got married at the Galle Face Hotel. Our youngest daughter is a professional dress maker like her mother. She does bridal dress making too. I am very proud of my children as they are doing very well today. We have five grand children now," says Lawrence carrying the one-and-half-year-old little granddaughter. His eldest granddaughter who just returned from school was waiting for him to join her for lunch. "He won't have his lunch until she comes home from school," says Indra.

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