The Mangala I knew

His mother and I went to the same school and as such the two families knew each other well. Then we left school, got married, moved to Colombo and lost touch.

A few years later, to my great surprise and pleasure, I found the Samaraweeras were our neighbours in Kollupitiya. It was back to base with our friendship reaffirmed. Mangala was a little boy then and we didn’t take much notice of him.

Then he went off to England for further studies and came back an interesting young man – a young man who looked and saw out of the box. He had wide and varied interests, full of enthsiasam and promise.

As I was his mother’s friend, I was very welcome in that house. He showed a keen interest in fashion, in textile designing – totally aelien to the next move he made into politics. Though I was much older than him, we had much to talk about and laugh about.

Even after he reached dizzy heights in the political field, he kept in touch. Always interested in what we were doing, inquiring after the children, even remembering their names.

He was great man who didn’t lose his head or his common touch. I’m deeply saddened by his death.

May he rest in peace.

Padmini Nanayakkara