Darling we aren't too old, though we pass the Jubilee Gold

Sixty-seven glorious years.... Centenarian and wife down memory lane

by Lakmal Welabada

"Seeya is the best person to be my attesting witness," Chiranthi went on insisting when her parents were preparing her wedding arrangements. None could resist this humble granddaughter's adamant request. So her 'Seeya' (grandfather), Warusakoon Mudiyanselage Edmond Charles Wijekoon who celebrated his 100th year just one month before the function, signed as the attesting witness at his beloved granddaughter's wedding, in June 2003.

"Don't complain about growing old as many people don't have that privilege," once said Earl Warren. And so after three years of their granddaughter's wedding, the Wijekoon couple has the same thing to utter. Now he is 103 years and she is 89 years; and they are married for the past 67 long years.....!

Feebleness and partial loss of memory have made them more or less confined to a limited space. But their spirit seem active and agile still.

Edmond visited Omattu Mudalige Somi Ratnawali on a bright day in the year 1939. Jayatissa, Edmond's friend and a distant relative who had come along to support the prospective 'groom' was seated beside him. "How is she," nudged Jayatissa. "Hmmmm......," nodded Edmond.

And of course what else does he have to tell about that 19 year old beauty. So that he simply okayed it. The pretty spinster was almost like a 'little mermaid out of water' as it was her very first marriage proposal. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. The smart suitor in the full neat white coat and trouser with a tie looked extremely handsome.

"He is 15 years older than her, and working at the Ceylon Postal and Telegraphic Department," Ratnawali could remember her father disclosing about him to her mother. Hiding herself behind the curtain in the living room, the prospective bride listened to her parents' conversation on the previous day.

Naturally, she wanted to know about the man with whom she was going to share her life for the rest of her life. "He is from a very affluent background too, and the whole Dehi Ovita area is theirs," she remembered her father saying.

"He looked decent and policy conscious," was the recommendation given by the father-in-law-to-be after Edmond and Jayatissa went off. Ratnawali's heart pounded. And that night he came in her dreams on a white horse in the same neat white attire. After a few months of the meeting, Edmond and Ratnawali entered wedlock on November 23 in 1939.

Reminisence

Where she bought her wedding trousseau and how they spent their honeymoon has already faded away from their memory. But she could remember having their wedding rituals on a 'Poruwa' at her home at Narahenpita, and then having a function at the YMBA, Colombo. Former Finance Minister and well known economist, Dr. N. M. Perera and Mr. A. P. Jayasooriya, one of the founder members of the SLFP government and Minister were 'their' attesting witnesses.

Edmond was born on May 19 in 1904. His father was Warusakoon Mudiyanselage Punchi Bandara Wijekoon from Mawanella and commonly known as P.B.Wijekoon. He once owned the dealership of Kerosene oil of the area (just like the sales agents of gas and petrol at present). P.B. associated with the British and the elite society throughout, while his wife (Edmond's mother) restricted herself to her home, looking after Edmond and his younger sister and brother.. P.B. even sailed abroad many times, and was fluent in English. He rarely spoke in Sinhala though he was very well versed in both languages.

Edmond's mother's ancestors were all 'Vidane Aarachchis' at Dehi Ovita and owned a lot of land there. His father became very rich after he married his mother. Abundance of money provided him a cosy life with extremely less worries, so that he paid less attention to expanding the property income. As a result it began to deteriorate.

Edmond first studied in a school at Awissawella in order to get a good Sinhala education. Later he was sent to Carey Baptist Mission School (today Carey College) and studied upto the Elementary School Leaving Certificate.

He wanted to continue his studies, but his mother was not able to sponsor him further. He joined the YMBA and went to the Kandy branch. He stayed there doing odd jobs at its recreation centre. His heart ached when he saw boys in white suites entering Trinity College, Kandy. But his earning was not sufficient enough for him to re-start his schooling. In the meantime, his father who saw an advertisement in the Ceylon Daily News asked him to apply for a job in the Postal and Telegraphy Department.

Edmond's luck laid there. He was selected and sent for a two-year-training at the Technical College, Maradana. The dedicated young man soon won the hearts of the British. It was during the Second World War that he could show his efficiency to his superiors.

The machine which brought the morse code telegraphic messages was dead. The British engineers were lost, and were struggling to repair it. And it was at that moment that this young man Edmond came to their rescue. He somehow managed to repair the morse code machine.

No sooner the Ceylon Postal and Telegraphy Department got a message from England - 'The Japanese are on the way to bomb Ceylon'... the Ceylon government got the message. So they hurried up in taking the precautions. The cannons installed at the Galle Face border were turned up and pointed at the sky anticipating the invasion of Japanese aircrafts.

Once the Japanese entered the border the cannons managed to attack a few of them. A few crossed the border and bombed the mental hospital, Mulleriyawa. But the British could minimise the destruction due to the efficiency of our 'Sinhala Kolla'... Rewarding his skill Queen Elizabeth 11 awarded him with a Silver Medal when she visited Sri Lanka in 1953.

The famous poet, scholar and Sinhala nationalist Buddhadasa Sirisena from Horana was Ratnawali's father and Lokuralalage Dona Ciciliana from Narahenpita was her mother. Her father was a Government Tax Collector. And almost the whole of Narahenpita village was owned by Ratnawali's maternal family.

Ratnawali was born on August 7 in 1919 at Narahenpita as the third of nine children. "I was the first girl born to my parents. My father got entangled with the civil riots that propped up against the British in 1915, and was in jail for a few months. Then, the trial dragged on until the year I was born. I was a few months old when he was acquitted from the case. So my father always believed that I brought him luck.

He was very fond of me. He was a very mild parent and loved all his children, and was very conscious of our education and good behavour," recalls Ratnawali.

Ratnawali along with her four sisters went to St.Bridget's while her four brothers went to Royal College. "When we go to drop our brothers at Royal College, the boys there used to tease and follow us.

So the cartman had to chase them off with the cane he used to control the bulls. It was unforgettable," she laughs. Pretty Ratnawali was a bit different from the others. Although she studied at a non-Buddhist school she was always impressed by the Buddhist doctrine preached by her well versed father. So, she on her own took a decision to change her school at the age of 16 and entered Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo. Her aim was to learn Buddhism. She went up in her studies till the London Matriculation.

Accomplishments

Ratnawali is said to be well versed in Shakespeare as well. She even used to quote Shakespeare at times. However, after her marriage she became a dedicated wife. After staying at the Postal and Telegraphy Departmental quarters Edmond started building their own house at Elvitigala Mawatha. "I spent my whole life to build this house," he says.

It seemed to have occupied him throughout. But Edmond went up in his career ladder. He couldn't enter an Engineering Faculty. But this courageous self learner did all the City and Guild distance exams of UK while working as the Inspector of Telecommunications at the Postal and Telegraphy Department.

He pioneered to establish the transmission centre at Welikada, and was in-charge of the centre until he retired as the Assistant Engineer in 1962. The 'Amathuma' journal published by the Sri Lanka Telecom felicitated Edmond on his 100th birthday in their publication in July 2003.

Ratnawali and Edmond are blessed with two sons and four daughters. Looking after the aged parents is not an easy job. But their eldest daughter Indrani Nanayakkara has devotedly taken up this challenge.

It was her daughter's wedding that her father signed as the attesting witness. "Both our parents were enterprising people. And both were quite interested in astrology. They moved in high society and enjoyed life. Both loved charity work.

Thatha (my father) still talks about the Chethiya he constructed at a temple in his village, Dehi Ovita. My mother has been giving numerous alms to the temples and for the poor, throughout her life.

Those days our house was always packed with visitors. My parents loved entertaining people. We had a joyous childhood under their shelter," recalls Indrani.

Senaka Wijekoon, former General Manager of the Shipping Corporation, one of the Wijekoons' sons arrived in their residence from Australia, when I (the writer) was at the discussion with the couple.

Edmond seemed elated to hear his son's voice after a long period. Since his poor eye sight was not allowing him to get a clear vision of his beloved son, Edmond tried to figure him out by feeling and patting him several times. Ratnawali didn't feel restful until their son was served with some short eats and a cup of tea.

If she was able to run about she wouldn't have waited until the maid did it. The good old couple have no worries. 'Touch wood' Edmond has been free of the so called common problems of cholesterol and diabetics. Other than the slight arthritis problem Ratnawali too has no such big ailments. What's the secret of the long life span with that kind of a good health?

"Both my parents had no malice in their hearts.

We have never experienced such things in our life with them. My father was an extremely honest workaholic. He was loved by both his superiors and subordinates," says Senaka.

"One day one of the drivers at the workplace had fallen a sleep when the Chief Engineer of the Telegraphy Department paid a sudden visit in the afternoon. When inquired Thatha had said the driver might have fallen asleep as he was after a night shift. likewise he had helped and protected his workers from troubles many a time. That's why his subordinates still visit him," he claims.

" 'Patience' is the only weapon against troubles. And 'Patience' is the key to a successful married life," was the only few words uttered by Ratnawali when I was concluding.

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