Ajith - the schoolboy

With all my heart, I truly hope
To leave something here on earth...
That touched another, made them smile
And gave to my life, worth.
-Author unknown

As I sat behind the desk, before me were many little faces and waving hands eager for my attention - among them Anil, Upul, Mithila, Devasiri, Leelanath, Bandula, Lakshman, Pathiratne … and Ajith. This was in the Standard 2 classroom at Trinity College, Kandy.

I remember them all, each at his desk and today with a tear in my eye I recall with vivid clarity this chubby little boy in his well polished shoes, crisp white shirt and blue shorts, hair well combed, accompanied by his adoring ayah, a warm motherly type, who absolutely worshipped him and looked after him like gold.

He was hardworking and always eager to please his teachers, and never failed to have his homework completed, a bunch of well-sharpened pencils in his hand ready to get on with the day's work. I can remember the puzzled expression he used to have if he happened to make a mistake.

He was never happy until he had fixed that. I know I have somewhere among my treasured souvenirs a pile of photographs they gave me when I left, among them a studio picture of Ajith and his sister, who sadly met with a tragic and untimely end just last week. I remember her, too, with the same round face as Ajith.

All this came to me as I stood at his bier, seeing for the first time the adult I had only spoken with on the phone but sadly never met -- except in the pages of every newspaper published in the country. I was so proud when I realised that Ajit Samaranayake, Editor of the Sunday Observer, was my former student! I used to clip out special articles he wrote. He was happy when I telephoned him and said he remembered me very well, and today I discovered that he had even taken a letter of condolence I wrote when he lost his father, home to his mother and she even remembered my name before I could say it, when I spoke to her. It was a humbling thought … that he hadn't forgotten me.

It made me so glad that Ajith's little sister, Nishamani, whom I knew for the first time today, even remembered my dad in Kandy. It was so wonderful to be with Ajith's family after all these years, bonded by the values and traditions that only those who have had the privilege of being raised in Kandy know and understand.

Mano, I condoled with albeit briefly. We had a sort of instant bonding but alas tempus fugit, we decided we should meet someday so she could fill me in on the Ajith that she lost. It was the wish of my friend Dayan that I write about the Ajith I knew and Mano endorsed that view today ... thus from poignant memories this emerged.

Sri Lanka lost its finest journalist - and perhaps an irreplaceable void has been created.

"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere." - Tim McGraw

May Our Heavenly Father grant Ajith the peace that passeth understanding …. the peace that eluded him on earth.- Sriani de Silva