Wasantha may have been mischievous and may have made blunders at a great cost to himself. Yet, he was a rare character who, with his narrative skills, endeared himself to everyone. We will miss his wisecracks, his extraordinary humour, especially those creative “gems” spun instantly. Naturally he was the livewire at every family gathering and it certainly would be hard for his relatives and friends to come to terms with his death.
He was the youngest son of Edwin and Chintha Unantenne and because they lived at Gampola he was boarded at Trinity College, Kandy. Later, when he travelled to school from home, he also visited his uncles and aunts in Kandy and more often us, the reason being that he had got too close to my friends at Kandy High School.
In those restricted times, to which we belonged, I, his cousin, had to play the role of his messenger and the number of times he got me into scrapes was countless. He had huge plans for himself and he couldn’t be satisfied with anything less. As I now reflect, Wasantha pursued missions impossible -- chasing stars!
As a veterinary surgeon, he was a hit. Anecdotes related by pet owners who visited his clinic at Nugegoda, if compiled into a book, would indeed be a bestseller. I used to wonder whether it was really his veterinary skills that worked or his gift of the gab. The secret of his success, according to him, was: you treat the owner before the pet!
In his private life, it was a different story. He, much later in life, had many regrets. It was “I should have done this or I should have done that.” Why he lacked the strength to take charge of himself, I couldn’t understand.
He was living at the Balana Pass during his last years. The number of steep steps to be climbed to reach him put us off from visiting him more often. On the phone, he broke down. We thank Maureen, his wife, for being by his side during his most difficult times.
Whatever directions he may have taken, with him around, there never was a dull moment. We will miss his vast reservoir of anecdotes he used to relate to both branches of his family -- the Unantennes and the Kehelpannalas. As cousins, we will cherish his memory and our fervent wish is that those on whose toes he trod would realize that to err is human.
Rajitha Weerakoon |
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