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

The 'darling of an old man'

Reveals her love story :

by Lakmal Welabada

"It's better to become the darling of an old man than be the slave of a young man," believes Sumanawathie Kumarihamy Wijekoon beginning the love story of her 54 years of married life. "So, I have been his darling for the past half a century," laughs Kumarihamy.

"She had long curly hair that flowed below her knees. And who would say 'no' to marry a pretty girl like her?" asks her 86-year-old husband, H.M. Ranasinghe. "I'm not that old, but just nine-years older than her," he winks.

Hitihamy Mudiyanselage Ranasinghe was born on August 8 in 1920 at Meewaddana, a remote village, 15 miles away from the Kurunegala town, off Puttalam-Kurunegala.

"I'm a 'Godaya' (a villager)," laughs Ranasinghe. "And I'm proud of it," he stresses. "My father was H.M. Mudiyanse, a cultivator who owned a fair amount of land. My mother was Chandrasekara Mudiyanselage Ran Manika. I had an elder sister and two younger brothers," he says.

He recalls his childhood memories in his house which was situated in the middle of 20 acres of coconut land adjoining the Meewaddana Wewa (tank) and a large stretch of paddyfields.

"I began to study in the Panadare Buddhist Mix School which was adjoining our village. And then when I was about nine years old my parents decided to give me an English education and entered me to Maliyadewa English School.

Those days it was a very small place with about 100 odd children. But today it is the biggest school in the whole North Western Province with more than 3,000 students. I got through my Junior School Certificate (JSC) and entered Dharmaraja College, Kandy.

During that time (in 1937) Mr. L.H. Mettananda was the Principal at Dharmaraja College. So I did the London Matriculation Exam in 1940 and left school," he recalls.

The Second World War began in September 1939, and it became a risk to live in Colombo. The Colombo crowd started moving into the countryside.

This paused Ranasinghe for a while from seeking for a new scope in the city. "I wanted to come to Colombo for my higher studies, but I had to halt it as it was unsafe to live in Colombo. And I employed myself at the Land Registry as a temporary clerk.

After sometime I got through the Government Clerical Examination and became a permanent clerk in Class-3. Those days Clerical service had four steps, Class 1, 2, and 3, and then the Especial Class... I got the post at the same place in 1941, and my monthly salary was Rs,40. There were scopes for promotions in the same category, but my aim was not that.

I always wanted to be a lawyer since I was a child," he says.

Every time when Ranasinghe's father came to Kurunegala to meet a lawyer to deal with his property matters, he would not forget to jabber with his son, Ranasinghe about the aura of mightiness with the aristocratic look of the leading lawyers in the Kurunegala Courts.

For a village cultivator like Mudiyanse, a lawyer seemed a majestic figure next to a King of the British Royal family. "So, Appachchi's talks has engulfed me giving a gigantic picture of becoming a leading lawyer one day," he laughs.

In 1942 the Japanese bombed Colombo and then lost the war. The Colombo city began to revive again and Ranasinghe decided to step forward. He resigned from the government service and entered Law College in 1945.

While following the 4-year Law course, he got through the Intermediate Examination in Laws of London University as an external student in 1947. He passed out from the Law College in 1949 and took oaths at the Supreme Court, and started practising at the District Court of Kurunegala from 1950.

"My parents were jubilant. When I entered Law College, my father used to boast about it with the villagers that he had planted a money tree - 'Mang Salli gahak hitewwa'. And I was the first Lawyer of my whole village area.

"Ilandariya, now it's high time for you to think of settling down," once his uncle told him. Ranasinghe paused a while as his thoughts lapsed on a fair face which he saw at his senior's residence. "No, Putha, we prefer a Kandyan girl to be your bride.

After all you brought fame to our family, and we want you to outshine with a lovely wife from a good family," opposed his parents. So he cleared his thoughts from his mind. The young lawyer had no intention of hurting his parents. He had been an obedient son. And on the other hand he had not conditioned his mind for any love affair still.

An informal visit to a house of a Station Master, Mr.Wijekoon at Dehiwala seemed to have changed his life. "My uncle just fetched me there, saying there were two marriageable age girls in that house. So I also went, but was desperate to choose one as there were a number of girls roaming around. When I told my uncle about it, he laughed and arranged a formal visit to their place," he smiles.

Sumanawathie Kumarihamy (Sumana) was working as an Accounts clerk at the Treasury Department. Her elder sister who was in the university and who had no intention of getting married soon had given her consent to her parents to find a proposal for 'Nangi'.

So, it was Sumana's turn to move as a bride. The young lawyer with his relation sat for lunch when Sumana came out with wet long hair with curls all over. Ranasinghe was stunned a bit, but was careful not to show his excitement, and talked a few words with her casually.

"Who won't like to marry a girl like that?" was the only sentence he uttered to his uncle when he asked "How is the girl?"... "Oh! Amma, isn't he too dark for me," grumbled Sumana at the other end. Sumana was the fairest of all in her family.

And of course the prettiest. The dark well built young lawyer seemed a bit outcast for her though both were coming from well off high Kandyan family backgrounds. "What are you talking? Darkness is the only mismatch between you two.

Otherwise it's a perfect match with good horoscopes with good backgrounds. He sounds a very good boy, well educated, a lawyer! So, what else are you looking for? Stop all your nonsense and give your consent for this," blaggarded her mother. Sumana nodded her head. Her mother with a smile watched 'Sudu Duwa' going back to her room with a frown on her face.

Sumana was born on May 30 in 1929 to Yapawannaku Rajapakse Mudiyanselage Banda Wijekoon, a Railway Station Master and Wanasinghe Singhaprathapa Range Bandara Wanninayaka Mudiyanselage Ranmenika Wanninayake.

"I had two brothers and two sisters and I was the middle. Ours was a very attached family though we had to move from station to station with my father's work. I studied at a number of schools all over the island due to this.

After my SSC I joined the Treasury as I was not that keen in going for higher education like my elder sister. There were so many who were interested in me, but I did not want to give a thought about them as my mother was very strict, and I knew I would be in trouble if I tried to go against her wishes. Always I wanted to get married with my parents' blessings. And Rane's was the first proposal I got," she reminisces.

The wedding of Sumana and Rane was held at Palm Court, which was close to the Colombo Museum. (And this place is no more there at present). As the custom, of that time the groom used to conduct the bride to his place just after the Wedding reception.

"It was the first time that I went to his place. It was around 9 pm when we reached there. Villagers were on either side of the road waving and peeping through the car shutter to view 'Ape Advakath Mahattayage Kolomba Manamali' (our Advocate is bringing a bride from Colombo).

I was wondering what was happening, but smiled at everybody to indicate I was appreciating their cordial welcome," smiles Sumana.

"There were four to five tables laid for dinner. As the custom the bride should not get off from the table (where she is seated) until everybody finished having meals. "Oh! it was terrible. I was in the full Kandyan kit with seven necklaces, Nalal Patya, bangles and other heavy jewellery, and was very tired as I had been dressed since the morning of that day.

My elder brother who noticed that made Rane to take me to the room for a change. However, I didn't have a full change except removing the most heaviest jewellery," she recalls. "We went on the honeymoon trip on the following day and stayed there for a few days. After that my parents and relations visited us at Rane's place.

That day when my people were going back I went to their car and cried a lot. Later, Rane told me that he thought I was trying to go back with them. He had got scared! Ha! Ha! Ha!," laughs Sumana.

The new couple started their new life in a rented house in the Kurunegala town. "When I was at home, I never went to the kitchen, and didn't know to prepare even a cup of tea. But, neither my husband nor my in-laws made it an issue to discard me. Instead they provided us with enough servants.

They were jewels. But I felt so shy and embarrassed. But I have been very good at sewing since I was a school girl. However, I attended cookery classes and mastered the craft. Later, cooking became my most welcome hobby. I loved to entertain people with my cookery," she says. "She is an expert cook," butts in the husband. "Even the neighbourhood was asking her to throw a cookery class, but she hasn't thought about it yet," he continues.

Sumana and Rane entered their newly built mansion just opposite Maliyadewa Boys' School, Kurunegala, and stayed there from 1960 to 2004. "I practised at the Kurunegala Courts from 1950 to 1993," says Ranasinghe.

The social loving couple was a prominent figure in the Kurunegala town. Ranasinghe was the Secretary and then the President of the Kurunegala Bar Association from time to time. He was also closely involved in the YMBA, Kurunegala in which he was the Secretary for 7 years and then the Vice President for 5 years.

"Rane was a very methodical person. He fulfilled his duties as a husband and a father to our utmost satisfaction. I was a wife who never demanded anything, but he knew that it was his duty to fulfil what I wanted. He earned money, but never wasted it. His methodical quality has been one of the best qualities I admired," says Sumana.

"Is she buttering me?" asks Rane from a far corner of his house. Sumana and Rane are blessed with a son and a daughter. "Our son, Wasantha Meewaddana is the Director of the Sri Lanka Standard Institution and our daughter, Harshini Mapa migrated to Australia with her engineer husband in 1991.

Our grandson, an electrical engineer, is married and having a 6-month-old baby daughter making us great grandparents.

Our granddaughter is doing medicine in Australia," says Sumana showing us three pictures of her two grandchildren and the great grand daughter fixed on her pantry door. "When I tell Rane that these three are the most lovable ones in my life, he asks me why he does not fall into that list? Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughs Sumana.

The happy duo had involved in many charity work. "We gave 'Dana' every month for twelve years at a stretch to the Sri Vajiragnana Dharmayathanaya, Kurunegala, until we shifted to Millennium City, Athurugiriya. Our son is staying at Malabe.

He wanted us to be around him so that it was easy for him to get at us in any emergency. I should mention about my daughter-in-law as well. She is a jewel to us. When I broke my hip she attended to me like my own daughter.

We don't miss our daughter that much because of her," says Sumana. "I'm very much against boarding the children (of any age) in boarding houses or school hostels.

Children should be brought up under the shelter of his or her parents. The parental love is something that nobody can replace in life," advocates Sumana.

"We miss Kurunegala as we stayed there for 44 years. But we are blessed with an excellent neighbourhood here in the Olympus Park, Millennium City as well. Every month there's a 'Bana' sermon (preach in Buddhist doctrine) in either of the residencies in which we all can participate. We value that unity so much," points out Sumana.

"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. So, for me my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world," says Ranasinghe proudly. "There, There, now he is buttering me," laughs Sumana.

[email protected]