The family friend
We accompanied haughty “Labroy”
from Badgordesberg (West Germany) to Sri Lanka and he was our secular
friend, who loved the company of my two children. We altered his name
from Labroy to Lambert and after sometime he was familiar with the new
name. However my grandmother called him Lambo.
 Our friend, an agile and a cute character, was eager to play “Hide
and Seek” with my children, run about and chase fast after the tennis
ball. I watched with interest and pleasure how Lambert wrestled and
toppled down both children effortlessly. He had a robust build. I
encountered no paranoid as he did demonstrate enough respect and
restraint when in their company. He was a faithful friend true to his
tribe, at the same time preserving his identity and paradigm. Delighted
Lambert, hurriedly occupied the front seat whenever I started the car to
go out.
He soon transformed his eating habits from bread, butter, beef and
special tin foods accustomed in Badgodesberg to rice, vegetables, fish
and flour associated meals. He did not want winter dresses in our warm
region - Ratmalana. He opted to go to the nearby super market and manage
limited marketing. Salesgirls were fond of him to speak in broken
German, but he never responded but pondered, I was told, dis-approving
their wrong language.
He did not allow any visitor to enter our compound after 7 p.m.,
unless with the approval of inmates. Once he fell seriously ill and the
members of the family were highly depressed and inquisitive of his
condition. A course of vaccination cured him within a week. However, as
time rolled by he became weak and not interested in our children’s games
and even food. He neglected the meals and did not like to bathe, travel
or go for walks. To our dismay and despair, there developed a radical
change in Lamberts disposition.
We consulted a couple of German friends and surgeons, who predicted
that his days are now numbered. The family was in a quandary. The two
children exhibited astonishment and apathy.
After a couple of days, Lambert breathed his last, leaving us in
great grief. Religious rites were performed followed by an alms-giving.
We lost for ever an honest-faithful-playful guardian. A few weeks
lapsed, when we received a fax message from West Germany intimating that
the German friend who gave us Labroy, is to visit Sri Lanka to take
charge of this “oldest friend of mankind” as they wished to cross-breed
him with a female of the same tribe and clan of shepherd dogs.
We faxed back detailing what happened to Labroy, our erstwhile family
friend. Indeed, “He was a friend in need”.
-Susantha S. Edirimuni
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