Page 19 - Ganesh Arunasalam

Ramalingams
He was the young and stylish Mama who used to visit us and empty his
pocket to treat us with sweets and ice cream.
As a child, Mama was sent to live with our Amma, then a young teacher, and
so they shared a very special relationship through life. We heard all the
pranks he got up to which still bring a smile to our faces. Like when Mama
fused the lightbulbs in the house to escape homework; he would secretly
place a copper coin between the bulb and the holder — so there was no
light!
From the old days
when he visited us as
children in Jaffna, to
the times he would
stay with us in
Colombo on his way
home to London, to
more recently at his
new house in Jaffna
— these were all very
special memories.
Mama had a talent for entertaining us with his creativity. Like the time he
transformed himself into an Arab with just a white bedsheet.
Memories of Mama are still fresh in my mind, like the arrangements he
made for my ponnu paakum before my wedding, at Mama and Mami’s
house.
Rathy
That pleasant and relaxing evening we spent sitting on the edge of the veranda, chatting away, while Yarlini was busy feeding mango leaves to the calf will stay with me forever.
Shanthy
18