Farewell beloved Mavis

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I agreed to write this appreciation for Mavis Gardiner nee Henry, my dearest friend, on the request of a mutual friend of ours.I have known Mavis over a long time, since our Ladies College days. I remember her and her sister, Helen Henry, as beautiful girls in our senior school. They were absolute beauties in their short uniforms and ponytails. Many of us younger girls were very much in awe of them.

It was only a few days ago that I received my weekly call from Mavis. We would have very long conversations. We had such a long association that we would talk about just about everything including our children, grandchildren and how our lives were progressing. In fact when I chatted to Sanjeev’s daughter, Sheanna, at the funeral, she was surprised how much I knew about her life. Mavis had spent a lot of time telling me about her lovely grandchildren.

I was also very much with Mavis through the difficult time she went through to conceive her beloved son, Sanjeev, succeeding after a vow made to the Church of Saint Jude. Mavis was a devout Catholic and prayed for a miracle. Sanjeev was her miracle and his birth was the highlight of her life. In later years she used to always tell me what a special and wonderful son Sanjeev was to her. She had this amazing bond with him. He took great care to always be there for her. She blessed him abundantly and every day for being the son he was.

I remember beautiful Mavis modeling for Tuckers Autodrome in her beautiful Kanchipuram saree. She was a ravishing beauty and when she walked down that ramp, none of us were surprised when our dear friend Cyril fell madly in love with her.

Mavis was always very possessive of Cyril, who was a keen dancer. It was only Subo and I who had her blessings to dance with him. My husband Wicky taught Cyril to do the cha-cha. He would love to twirl me around the floor and he would call me his favorite dancing partner! We were very close friends and we enjoyed many wonderful memories together as young couples.

The very close bond between the Gardiner and the Sellamuttu families went back through several generations of friendship and business ties through Ceylon Theaters, Cargills, Millers, etc., in the post-colonial era. Mavis also considered my mother, Sundari, and her sisters, Rajesh and Yoga, to be her very closest friends.  She often spoke about my mother and father, Rasa, and the bygone dancing days at the famous “Mascarilla” at the Galle Face Hotel.  I am happy that our children continue this long friendship and bond that our families have enjoyed for generations.

Mavis was a wonderfully loyal and constant friend to me. She never forgot Wiky’s or my birthdays. We have got accustomed to, a lovely cake from Galle Face Hotel as always being a part of all our birthdays over the years. Just the other day she mentioned to me that she was going to send me and “Wicky boy” (as she called my husband) a gourmet meal from the GFH.

That was the generous and kindly nature of my dear friend Mavis Gardiner. The end of the friendship we shared leaves a great void in our lives. I will always love you my darling forever friend. I will miss you for the rest of the days of my life. Goodbye sweet Mavis and may your  wonderful soul rest in eternal peace.

Sheranee Sellamuttu