We live in such a busy world that we hardly have time to remember those jolly times of yesteryear and catch up with our neighbours' children whom we once played cricket with. But, when we do have time to talk about 'those days', they always bring a smile to our faces. And, that smile is something we really appreciate.
This is what Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha had in mind when he wrote the book, "Friends". As the author explains, "My main aim in writing these stories is to help my readers smile, to chuckle, perhaps even to laugh out loud and remember those times". Launched on Thursday, "Friends" contains short stories, essays, reflections and commentaries relating to friends and incidents in the author's life.
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| From son to father:Sanjiva presenting his book to
Sam Wijesinha. |
Author Elmo Jayawardena introducing the book said that the stories present a "warm and light-hearted look at human relationships and the many facets of friendship".
"This (Friends) is a fascinating subject and made me look back on those good old days. The stories are very beautiful, touching and tender," he said.
From the tale about Tarzie Vittachi who taught him about the Sovereign Republic of Amnesia, to Uncle Tissa's 'departure lounge' where a group of "uncles" met regularly and enjoyed time together until they were called up for their inevitable flight to the next world to an old lady called Mrs. Schokman and his dearest friend Sam, the stories from the first section titled, "Old Friends" are many.
Once an army officer, now a senior lecturer at Monash University, Australia, Dr. Wijesinha also talks of teachers who influenced him in the past, pen friends whom he actually met years later, of strangers, of his friends in the medical world and of those patients who became his friends in his book.
"Over the past few years I have been contributing articles to The Sunday Island and The Sunday Times. These articles or stories were a reflection of the society I grew up in, where life was quieter and simpler. I felt that the time had come to select the best of these and publish them in book form, to share them with others," Dr. Wijesinha said. |
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