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Lost for 58 years … the prodigal son returns
A quirk of fate has seen a family in Ampara reunited with a brother lost for 58 years.B.M. Babanis and K.B. Sapumali, of Central Camp, Uhana in Ampara were parents of eight boys and two girls. The fourth of the family was B.M. Wijedasa, who was a noted trouble-maker at his school,
Wijedasa’s ‘family’ in Jaffna
Siyambalawewa Vidyalaya. The principal of the school was driven to expel young Wijedasa following acts of violence and vandalism in which the boy had broken furniture and beaten other students.
With his schooling stopped at the age of nine Wijedasa became a cause of trouble for his parents so his uncle handed him over to a Public Health Inspector stationed in a neighbouring village. When the PHI left Ampara for Jaffna he took the boy along with his family.
Wijedasa’s siblings, who had guarded a vestigial memory of their brother, searched for him once they had grown up. When their father passed away in 1972 a message was sent to the address of the PHI. Apart from a money order for Rs. 50 no communication came back.
More than half a century later, however, the stage was set for a surprise.
Earlier this year, a student named Pritanjani from Mallawi in Jaffna, in her first year at Batticaloa University, became friends with a girl named
The man who returned: B.M. Wijedasa
R. Sita, who came from Central Camp, Ampara. One weekend, Pritanjani told her family that she would not return home as usual that weekend but spend it with her friend at Central Camp.
Hearing of this, a man going by the name of Muttu, who had been living at Pritanjani’s family home for many years, revealed that Central Camp was his hometown.
Pritanjani noted Muttu’s details and discussed them with Sita’s mother during her stay at Central Camp. After seeing Muttu’s former address and discovering other details, it became clear to Sita’s mother that Muttu was no other than B.M. Wijedasa, last seen 58 years ago.
On July 4, all Wijedasa’s siblings left for Mallawi, enjoying a very warm reunion with their estranged brother after more than half a century. The next morning, Wijedasa left his “family” in Jaffna and returned to Ampara.
When we visited the house at Thimbirigolla, Ampara, relatives and neighbours had gathered and Wijedasa was recounting his story of the past 58 years.
After moving around various places with the PHI’s family and after a few misadventures, Wijedasa had found employment at the house in Mallawi, where he had looked after the family’s children.
Wijedasa’s sister, B.M. Babynona
Wijedasa also described the ordeal he and the others had to go through during the war. “Sometimes we had to stay underground for days. We had only kadala to eat, with no coconut,” he said.
“After the war things improved a lot. We got houses, roads, things developed. The family with whom I stayed last loved me and treated me very well. I would love to spend my time between Mallawi and here (Ampara) for the rest of my life,” he said.
Wijedasa speaks flawless Tamil. His Sinhala, however, is a little dented.
Wijedasa’s sister, B.M. Babynona, said the family was overjoyed to have this brother back.
“We thought he was no more. Now we are so happy! The family in Jaffna welcomed us so warmly and treated us well. Even their neighbours came to talk to us. Even though (my brother) was Sinhalese they had looked after him throughout the war as if he were family. It was thanks to them we got him back. We don’t want him to go back but he would like to return there.”