Life of mixed emotions

Lusida speaks of life with Minister Mervin Silva:

"Giving his whole soul to anybody whom he thinks is his friend, is the very fact that lead him to trouble. Whether it's his family, relative or friend, it's Mervin who would break his neck. He has no patience when he gets into such moments. Her won't care whether he is earning a black or white mark from that. He would even jump into the fire to protect his `friend'. That's him," reveals Lusida, wife of the `trouble man' who has won `the most popular Actor's Award' in his recent clash with the Media. "But, he is a man with a good heart," she begins, exposing her life with Minister of Labour Mervin Silva.

Though he was playing a real villain's role with the electronic media in his recent clash, Mervin has been a stage actor, drama director and producer in real life, when he was young, in his village, Beliatta. `Weera Kolla' (the hero) was among his few famous dramas which appeared on the village stage in 1965. "I don't bother to put my words into prose or verse. That's why I've never written a screenplay. What I have to say, I tell it then and there frankly. I have no time to waste putting words on a paper," said Mervin once.

Question: Mervin has stated on many occasions that it was you, his wife who brought him luck.

Lusida: Tolerance and patience are the two secrets in my life with him (beams).

Jayamanna Arachchige Mary Lusida was born on March 23, 1958 the eldest to a sister and three brothers to J. A. William Appuhamy, landed proprietor and Cicilia Madis, a Roman Catholic family at Thalahitimulla, Kuliyapitiya. Thalahitimulla Junior School, Kuliyapitiya Convent and Kuliyapitiya Maha Vidyalaya (presently known as Saranath Vidyalaya) were the schools she had her education up to O/L.

"I was brought up by my grand parents as my younger siblings were born with close years to each other. I was an average student who played Net Ball a bit and led the march past at school sports meet," recalls Lusida.

What plans fate has for us, is the most unpredictable thing in this world. Lusida was in the classroom when she got a message from her Principal to ask her to take part in the Beauty Contest for the Sinhala Avurudu Festival of the area held that year. Lusida was just 14 years then. Though her orthodox family background was not pleased with the idea, they couldn't oppose the Principal's request. As everybody predicted Lusida won the crown. The teenage `Avurudu Kumari' received many arrows from cupid, but her secured background however did not allow her to accept any.

"I was 15 years when I saw two paper advertisements asking for a new cast for two films. It was the time that I also had the craze for film acting. When I won the crown as the `Avurudu Kumari' my desire to be an actress became more. I knew my parents wouldn't allow me, but managed to get around my grand parents who were there for me always," she says.

Chaperoned by her grandparents Lusida went for the interview held in Colombo for the film `Apith Soorayo' which was to be produced by Somapala Seneviratne, Passara MP. There were two young gentlemen on the interview board. One of them was firing questions at her; not about her talents in acting, dancing or at least singing, but about her personal data. "I felt strange though," she recalls. They received a shock, when this young man came out, met her grand parents and proposed to her. "I got scared, but had the courage to tell him that my parents should give their consent. He even gave us a lift to Pettah bus station when we were returning," she reminisces.

Lusida was too immature to think far about that incident. But, it was her grandma who wanted her to write him a letter thanking him for the lift to Pettah. "That was the way of our old villagers who wanted to be grateful even for the slightest help they got," she says. Matters were forgotten until the second surprise occurred after a few months. Mervin was seen at her doorstep. And it was the beginning of another love episode. "He was holding a Managerial post at the CWE (Sathosa). I was too immature to think and realise whether he was the man for me, it was a puppy love. He was extremely jovial and light-hearted. However, my parents didn't like him first as I was still a school girl, the 14-year age gap between us and the difference in the religion. We were Roman Catholics and they were Buddhists," she reminisces.

Question: What happened to the film?

Lusida: It was never produced.Lusida sat for the O/Ls in December, 1973. On January 17 of the following year, Mervin met with a terrible motor-cycle accident breaking his left thigh bone. "He might have thought I might leave him. But, by that time, my love was too strong to break off," she smiles. With his crutches Mervin appeared for his wedding picture at a simple wedding held at her place on February 22 in 1974. Her family who were typically conservative villagers didn't want to let their affair to drag on too long.

"We were staying at Boralesgamuwa. He was at the CWE. On my request, Mervin put me back to school at Stafford Ladies College, Colombo to do A/Ls. No one knew I was married and thought Mervin was my elder brother, and some of my class mates had even fallen for him. I couldn't continue as I had no time to study other than roaming around with him on his mo-bike," she laughs.

Hewa Koparage Mervin Silva was born on March 25 in 1944, to H. K. William Silva, businessman and Kusumawathie Muthukumarana as the eldest of three brothers and a sister at Kahawatta, Beliatta (Hambantota District). Mervin started his education at Methodist Vidyalaya, Kahawatta and ended at Beliatta Maha Vidyalaya. Between these two he had changed nearly 5-6 schools. He was the Drill Squad Captain, Class Monitor and School Prefect, though simultaneously held the record for giving his mother the highest number of complaints from school, as the most notorious student out of all. "True I was well-known for that. But there were many times that I was publicly caned alone by the Principals. I'd never revealed about my friends if I got caught alone. I've never betrayed my friends. Once for such an incident, I was sacked from school. It was the late Deputy Speaker D. A. Rajapaksa, father of the present President Mahinda Rajapaksa who took me back to school. Our family and the Rajapaksas have been family friends for ages. We were born SLFPers.

It was Mahinda Rajapaksa who introduced me to Sirimavo and Anura Bandaranaike. It was he who showed me the path to politics. So whatever happens, I am grateful to the present President from my whole soul. I was the organiser of the first SLFP rally where the present President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared at Beliatta in 1970," Mervin once said to the Sunday observer.

Mervin lost his CWE job from time to time due to his Politics and Trade Union actions. He claimed to be the first President of SLFP Trade Union (CWE) who won through secret ballot.

The new life of Lusida and Mervin was moving somewhat smoothly until he was appointed as the Chief Organiser of Thissamaharamaya in 1982. By this time, they were parents of two, Malaka Manojith and Sandeepani Malika who were born when Lusida was 18 and 20 years respectively. "We bought a house there and he was running his businesses while actively involved with SLFP party politics. It was 1989, the peak of the insurgence period. Mervin was contesting for the Thissamaharamaya in the General Election.

I faced the most dreadful experience that year," she sighs.

Question: Would you like to share it with us?

Lusida: (After being silent for a few seconds) My son was in the school hostel at Guruthalawa at that time. My daughter was about ten, and she was playing with Mervin's two daughters who were then about 7 and 3 years inside the house. Mervin was with some party people outside. I was inside the house when I heard a sound of fire crackers. I just peeped out and saw Mervin coming into the house as if nothing was happening. "They are firing," he said. I got alarmed and pushed him into a room, locked the door. He was struggling to go out. While holding the door nob tight not allowing him to be out, I felt I was slipping. The floor was a pool of blood oozing from his leg and back. He was also shot at. But with all that he was trying to go out to get at his Podi Malli (youngest brother) who were among the others outside. The three girls who were playing in the adjoining room came running into ours through the common door in between thinking some were throwing sand on them as when there were gun shots, the walls of the house were damaged and cement pieces were thrown in. However, we all got into one room. After a few minutes I pushed Mervin on to the bed convincing him I would see what had happened. I ran out. Many were lying on the sitting room floor, shot and wounded. I had to jump over them to reach the doorway. When I was closing the front pane door I saw more people were fallen on the ground in the front compound. Many were wounded. Then Mervin came out. Podi Malli and another were dead. Mervin who didn't believe Malli was dead put him into his jeep and rushed to the hospital, not thinking of his own injuries. He drove the jeep himself. Mervin's sister's husband was also among the wounded. We all came back to Beliatta. While Malli's funeral was at Beliatta Maha Gedara (main house), Mervin's sister and her wounded husband were at their place just a few miles away. It was just after one week of the earlier incident. How unfortunate it was, some gunmen intruded into their house and killed both Mervin's sister and husband after tying down the rest at the place. Their two daughters remember the incident slightly. It was horrifying and insufferable. Mervin's father died after one month, and his mother fell sick. She is 86 years now, but still cries over her children's deaths.

Question: How did Mervin take all this?

Lusida: I don't know what `iron spirit' he has. Putha was in the hostel, and we kept the daughter at our friend's place. I stayed with Mervin who was still with injuries. He is a person who doesn't know the meaning of `fear'. He continued his SLFP election duties, pasting posters and so on. I was fearful, sleepless and used to get shaken up even for the slightest sound, thinking we too would be killed at any moment. But, nothing seemed to worry him. He was so cool. He could eat well and sleep well. He didn't give up though he knew the UNP would not let him win. He lost it for a few votes. It was the longest nightmare in my life. After facing the horrifying incident Mervin and his family left Thissamaharamaya and settled down in Colombo at Park Road in 1993. Over a disagreement with the late Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Mervin was banished from SLFP in 1992. Though he went to courts against it and won the case, he couldn't get back into the party. Simultaneously, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardane made arrangements for Mervin to join the UNP under late President D. B. Wijetunga in 1994. Same year he won the Thissamaharamaya seat under the UNP ticket and returned back to the Parliament. In 2001, Chandrika Kumaratunga invited Mervin to join the SLFP again, and appointed him as the Minister of Social Services. Though the same year he contested the Colombo Central on the SLFP ticket, Mervin lost. In 2004, on President Chandrika's request Lusida stepped into the Parliament through the National List. She resigned and gave her seat to her hubby to return back to the Parliament.

Mervin became the Deputy Minister of Labour and Foreign Affairs under Chandrika's Government. And then in 2005, he was appointed as the Non-Cabinet Minister of Labour by the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, the post he has been holding upto this date. Kelaniya is his seat at present.

Question: That's all about him what's about your children?

Lusida: Both my children first studied at the village schools at Kuliyapitiya and Thissamaharamaya. After that Putha was in the hostel at St. Thomas, Guruthalawa and then at S. Thomas, Mount Lavinia. He did some Diploma Courses in Computer, and now helps in his father's businesses while being Mervin's Private Secretary. Duwa went to St. Paul's, Milagiriya and to Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo. My daughter is my best friend. She is a simple and calm character; became a lawyer, married and is now a mother of a one-year-old son. Our grand son, Rithu Akarsha's most favourite person out of all of us is his Seeya, Mervin (laughs).

Question: Do you like to reveal your true feelings about your life?

Lusida: I have faced many many problems in life, especially in 1989. Still I have fear over his life, but there's nothing I can do as he does what he thinks is right. He has no patience at all. But, that's it, and would forget all about it then and there. I've rarely noticed him living with hatred. However, living with a husband like Mervin is not at all easy. He serves everybody with the same spoon (smiles). I think, I have developed a lot of tolerance and patience. How I've got all that, I don't know (smiles). May be because I've been facing many things since I was a teenager (after I got married). To tell the truth I really don't like politics, and would prefer a calm, quiet and unnoticeable lifestyle (smiles).

Question: What do you both have in common?

Lusida: We both love Sinhala music a lot, especially Jothypala's songs. Mervin can sing well. Mervin's mother said he was living his life with Jothy's songs and added that he said he used to sing softly songs especially when pretty girls were around (laughs).

Question: Your future plans?

Lusida: I'm the Vice President of the Seva Vanitha of the Ministry of Labour, and would try to render some service to the society. My daughter too got married through an affair and is living happily with her husband Madawa Angulugaha who owns a Ticketing and Tours Company. To see my son getting married and settled down would be my other dream. I have asked him to find any girl whom he thinks is suitable for him.