Darling we aren't too old, though we pass the jubilee gold

He refused to do the marketing...

she said "never mind" :

by Lakmal Welabada

"I'm a writer and a poet, so I can't be bothered doing the marketing, in buying sugar, dhal and chillies for you. You will have to handle things alone," he said. "Never mind. I will look after all that," she said.

"I have only two suits including this, which I'm wearing now. It sounds piggish, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Never mind, we will get a few more stitched later," she said.

"I'm a heavy drinker. You'll be in trouble," he tried the last trick. "Never mind. If you have the will there's a way. We'll try to reduce the addiction gradually," she replied.

These were some of the interesting bits in the letters exchanged between Piyasena Rathuwithana and Doslin Wijegunewardana.

Since his mind was focused on another affair Rathuwithana refused the proposal made to him. But his parents who got to know about his love affair almost dragged him to see Doslin whom they thought would suit him better. Rathuwithana was angry, but had to obey his parents who were pressing him hard. He was ready to say 'no'.

But when Doslin came out with a tray of betel, Rathuwithana paused. Something twittered in a corner of his heart. She was fair and pretty with sparkling eyes. But he quickly regained his senses as he was conditioning his mind to refuse her.

This did not work. So he wrote Doslin a few letters, mainly to discourage her, thinking she would just drop him like a hot potato. His idea was to refuse the proposal through her. But her intelligent and witty replies made him dumb.

"She is a woman both with beauty and brains," he thought. And 42 years later this stubborn poet and writer who has also become an astrologer wrote this verse to Doslin who ultimately became his beloved wife..... And he never lets her do the marketing.

Everything is done by him. Rathuwithana is a neatly dressed man with a radiant personality with sober qualities. All what he had written to her about himself were 'pure' lies.

Magathota vethath baadhaka apata hemasanda

Mata ath velaki oba langa vethoth piyabanda

Mata hema dinama paaya thibe purasanda

Biya seka nomatha kaluwara reyak pilibanda

"We encounter many obstacles on our way all the time. But your love is the most supportive gesture that lights my path like a full moon that shines in the sky which diminishes the dark patches. You are my moon that shines in the sky throughout my life..."

Pallek Kankanamge Dona Doslin Wijegunewardana was born to Suwaris Wijegunewardana, landed proprietor and Saanchi Nona Mallawarachchi of Meegahatenna, Mathugama as the third of five siblings. "I always wanted to be a teacher, and was very happy to serve as a teacher for 33 years," she says. "I always supported him by being a non-nagging wife," she laughs. Doslin could be defined as a wife with a most humble personality. The two tied the knot on January 8 in 1965 and were blessed with two sons, two daughters and five grandchildren.

Piyasena Rathuwithana is not merely an astrologer, but also an expert in 'Vaastuvidya' (occult science affiliated to architecture), a poet who has an excellent talent for composing poetry and reciting verses instantly (Hitiwana Kavi), a writer, a teacher, a journalist and an administrator.

"Positive thinking does not necessarily mean that one does not have to believe in occult science or in Astrology for that matter," Rathuwithana expresses his opinion based on his 50 years of experience as an astrologer who has surmounted many a obstacle that came his way. He has been using his knowledge to help people who are saddled with formidable problems fate has burdened them with.

Personalities in politics, business, art and so many others who hold top positions in many fields have been coming to him for his predictions and advice throughout his life. It won't be an exaggeration if one says that this genius is the only astrologer who has been working closely with every statesman who has reached the top in Sri Lanka.

Born on October 15 in 1931 to a farmer cum merchant father, and an illiterate and loving mother who was still intelligent enough to perceive things with a correct perspective Piyasena Rathuwithana was the fourth or the 'lucky middle' in the family with seven siblings.

"Since my mother had not gone to school or didn't know a single letter in the alphabet she had a never ending thirst of giving the best education for all of us. So all the time she used to ask us to study. So I got used to read each and every piece of printed material I got on to my hands. At that time Sinhala papers like 'Silumina', 'Dinamina' and 'Sinhala Jathiya' were the most popular newspapers we had in our villages," he reminisces.

After getting through the Senior School Certificate exam Rathuwithana's father sent him to learn English. He read A.B.C. under a railway station master called Mr. William. And then he went to Mr. Gnanasundaram at 'Gnanodaya' night school and to Mr. Walter Perera, a photo-journalist who worked at Lake House.

While learning English Rathuwithana got the opportunity to associate with many educated Buddhist priests which helped him to be thorough in Sinhala literature and Buddhist philosophy.

Simultaneously Rathuwithana started writing little verses and short stories to newspapers like 'Janatha'. After passing out from the Nittambuwa Teachers Training College, Rathuwithana got his first appointment as a teacher at Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Nikepe, Dehiwala.

His very first day at school was also a memorable day due to an interesting episode. "It was my very first moment as a teacher. I was asked to teach Health science to grade 8.

At the class, a boy asked me what the appendicitis is and how it functioned. I had not even heard about it before this. But without showing him my ignorance I repeated the question and asked the whole class to find an answer. None could reply.

I said I would not give the answer at that very moment, and asked the students to try to find the answer and tell me at the next Health science lesson on the following day.

And I quickly went to the library, referred text books and found the answer. It was a good lesson for me as after that I never failed to answer any question raised by my pupils in my 33 years of service as a teacher," he boasts.

After having his training at the Teaching School, Nittambuwa Rathuwithana got a transfer to Nalanda College, Colombo. And simultaneously the doors of the Lake House also opened for his talents. Mr. Shri Lal H. Liyanage, Editor of 'Navayugaya' called him to join the newspapers as a stringer-journalist.

This was the time when the Lake House editorial was planning to start a Sinhala paper for children. Rathuwithana was assigned to work for it. And he made the first dummy for the children's newspaper in Sri Lanka. It also comprised an English lesson for the first time in the Lankan history. 'Mihira', the name for the children's paper was also given by Rathuwithana.

While teaching at Nalanda College in the morning Rathuwithana continued his journalistic career in the afternoon. Gunadasa Liyanage, George Lesli Ranasinghe, Mahanama Dissanayake, Wimalasiri Perera and Edmond Ranasinghe were among his colleagues in journalism whom he still remembered fondly.

The article with the headline 'Kapuwa Dewale Ketha Karai' (Priest of the Kovil uses the Kovil premises as his toilet) which he wrote to 'Shri Lankadeepa' in 1982 against Mr. R. Premadasa, Prime Minister at that time changed his arena.

Though he expected a rain of stones, Premier Premadasa who recognised the knack of the genius called him to the 'Sucharithaya' (the centre where Premadasa spent most of his time). And then onwards Rathuwithana became one of the closest 'pals' of the premier. Rathuwithana assisted almost all the literary work of Premier, and was also the chief astrological adviser of the statesman.

Prime Minister's loyalty towards Rathuwithana made unnerved so many envious characters in the journalism field.

So a stream of petitions started pouring in to the Premier's hands. In one of such petitions, It was said that Rathuwithana was not at all suitable to assign for the duty of Premier, as Rathuwithana was a drunkard, a womaniser and an non-UNPer.

His colleagues who were also close associates of the Premier helped Mr.Premadasa to throw away the first two unreasonable reasons against him. But the genius Rathuwithana did not deny the third factor. Instead he went on to say to the Prime Minister, "Sir, I am not an UNPer, but a Premadasian.

I work for you as I esteem your political philosophy. Even if you leave UNP tomorrow and join SLFP or Communist party I'll be with you." After that the Premier never brought any petition against Rathuwithana received by him to the limelight. Instead Rathuwithana was appointed as the Coordinating Editor of the 'Pera maga' magazine issued under the guidelines of Premadasa.

After sometime the Premier promoted Rathuwithana gradually to much higher posts. He became the Working Director of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation in 1990, and then the Working Director at the Water Board.

A UNP ticket was issued to him to compete to the Mathugama seat at the general election held in 1989. Without a single poster and a short spell of publicity, Rathuwithana got 14,000 votes. He lacked only 300 votes to win the seat.

Whatsoever he managed to persuade the Premier to give two garment factories, a clock tower, electricity and telephone facilities to Mathugama area. On his advice, Mr. Premadasa gave teaching posts to 7000 external degree holders of Sri Lanka in 1993. After the election in '89 Rathuwithana kept a full stop to his political career and continued to work for the Premier.

How he learned astrology is also an interesting story. He was preparing for his Masters' degree when his elder son was born. He took his birth time to three astrologers, and heard the woeful news that his son had a life span of 12 years.

It was the biggest heart breaking news he had ever heard. At first no solution came to his mind. But then he felt that poison could be treated with poison. He had to find some answer for this sorrowful situation. He put all his work behind. Rathuwithana decided to find a way to fight against the fate of his son through astrology.

He learned 'Bhawa' method of astrology from Sara Gurunnanse, a celebrated astrologer who lived in Kegalle. Following Gurunnanse's opinion, Rathuwithana has never put a plaque written his name and his astrological title on it before his office, and never asked for a fee from his clients. People who are satisfied with his predictions offer him a fee as they wish.

Every moment, incident and event in his life has some special and aesthetic value. Enjoying a happy and successful family life with his children and grandchildren, Rathuwithana recalls all those precious moments with lots of self satisfaction.

So many things remain unwritten about Piyasena Rathuwithana's personal victories as well as about his predictions that had come true. Since we have limited space for the article we better stop here. Our genius astrologer will continue from this point, in his autobiography which he hopes to complete very soon.

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