Caught in the blast

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

He was on his way to buy a newspaper. That simple everyday routine saw Siemon Sirisena, 62, a resident of Pannipitya being killed in the suicide attack on Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunga last Monday.

Siemon Sirisena

After having been paralysed for some years, Sirisena had made a partial recovery. The second in the family with two sisters and one brother, Sirisena being unmarried lived with his younger sister, 57-year-old Violet and her family.

He had worked in the Ratmalana Railway Station as a mechanic, but fell ill at a young age. “My mother who was a pensioner wrote a letter to then President J. R. Jayewardene about my brother’s sickness. After her death the pension money was paid to my brother,” said P. A. Gnanawathie, Sirisena’s elder sister.

That Monday morning Gnanawathie and Sirisena had left their younger sister’s home in Pannipitiya. The blast occurred soon after she bid him goodbye and turned to the right, heading towards the Old Kesbewa Road.

Violet (57), younger sister

“When he gets the pension he spends most of the money buying fruits, chocolates for the children in the area and of course papers,” Gnanawathie said. According to his sisters he would read newspapers the whole day. It had been his favourite pastime, since fell ill.

Gnanawathie (73), elder sister

“Once he pawned a piece of my jewellery to give some money to his friend, who had financial difficulties. Later he got it back as promised. He always helped others. When we were little children, he kept my brother and I entertained all the time. He was a responsible brother as well,” says Violet, recalling childhood memories.

“My brother loved to ride bicycles, when he was small. I still remember the time when he was a schoolboy and rode his bicycle in between someone’s legs, got bruised, and was admitted to the General Hospital. All the patients started complaining of his loud singing in the ward,” said Violet recalling his childhood pranks.

All they have now are the memories.