New Horizons – 13 – Consolations

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Aluwihare, Anne Ranasinghe, Arjuna Parakrama, Batik, Belihuloya, Bill McAlpine, brass foundry, carpentry, Dileeni Raheem, Diyaluma, Embroidery, Ena de Silva, Fr Stephen Abraham, Gale Bangalawa, Harin Abeysekera, Horton Plains, Ian Goonetilleke, Ismeth Raheem, Jean Arasanayagam, JVP, K1, K2, Kadurupitiya, Knuckles range, Maduru Oya, Mahaweli, Michael Ondaatje, Nihal Fernando, Nirmali Hettiarachchi, Nuwara Eliya, Peradeniya University, Peter Burleigh, Priyani Abeysekera, Punyakanthe Wijenaike, Shanthi Wilson, Shirley Perera, Suja, Uda Walawe, Wasgomuwa, Yala, Yolande Abeywira

In those years of constant change in the mid-nineties, continuity in terms of family life was provided most solidly by my aunt Ena. We had become great friends way back in 1983, when my adventures at S. Thomas’ had prompted her to seek to get to know me better. We got on superbly from the start, and as she said on her 90^th birthday, when it was clear that she was dying, there was no reason to be sad for we had had such good times together.

These were first and foremost at Aluwihare, her wonderful home in the hills, which she had transformed into a magic retreat, full of colour and exotic artefacts. In addition to the batik and the embroidery done by her girls, as she still called them a quarter of a century after they had begun working with her, she had created employment for the boys of the village too, a carpentry shed and then a brass foundry. And then she had also started a restaurant, not one but two for she had no sense of restraint, K1 as she called it down the hill from her home where meals could be booked by tour groups, K2 on the roadside, which was not only a Kitchen but also provided rooms to stay.

The first was catered to by her own cook, Suja who she claimed could not boil water when she had first come to work, but who now produced the most marvelous concoctions. The other provided work for the middle aged ladies of the village, some of them relations. Though they exuded confusion as they bustled about, they were quite charming, and those who stayed and those who ate were entranced. The American ambassador, Peter Burleigh, used it seems to stay there often, which may well have been for nefarious purposes, but he was dearly loved by the ladies.

We had gone down often to Yala in the eighties, with memorable holidays during the times of turmoil, when we had the Park practically to ourselves. But when the JVP insurrection was over, more and more people began to visit, so we found other places too, Uda Walawe and Horton Plains and more frequently Wasgomuwa, which was a relatively short journey from Alu, over the Knuckles range to the Eastern plain.

Travels with Ena: Yala and other travels – Part 1

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Andrew Kumarage, Anil Gamini, British Council, Ena de Silva, Loku Puttuwa, Maduru Oya, Podi Puttuwa, Raji Ratwatte, Sam Bickersteth, Shanthi Wilson, Suren Ratwatte, Uda Walawe, Wasgomuwa, Wilpattu, Yala

In 1984 began a comprehensive programme of travels with Ena. The highlights of these were trips to Yala, and also to other parks, Wasgomuwa and Uda Walawe and Wilpattu, and also to Maduru Oya where her contacts allowed us to stay with the Park Warden.

The first trip was in February, shortly after I had joined the British Council. Almost immediately after I started work I developed a bad back problem, which kept me in bed for a few days. I was not too keen then to go on the trip that had been arranged, but my mother persuaded me, realizing I think that, though I was not very fond of family gatherings, this was an expedition I would enjoy.

In addition to Anila and her friend Shanthi Wilson, whom I had known vaguely when they were at school together, and met subsequently in England when she was doing a postgraduate at Cambridge while Anila was in Oxford, the party included Ena’s nephews Raji and Suren Ratwatte, whom I had known only as energetic little boys when we were growing up. Raji was six years younger than me, twelve years younger than Chari his older brother, prompting the quip that Ena and Phyllis clearly belonged to the race of lions – Ena’s son Anil Gamini, who had been at Oxford as a postgraduate during my first year, was twelve years older than her second child Anula Kusum.