This is a salutation to my friend, James Senaratna of Karlshrue Gardens who passed away recently. He was a good and loyal friend to many, both rich and poor.
James was a product of Royal College, Colombo, the arch rival of my Alma Mater, in an era when the value of learning literary works in English, Latin and Greek was fully appreciated. Benefiting from such opportunity, his voracious reading and exceptional memory, James was a veritable storehouse of knowledge with the special ability to enrich conversation by recalling appropriate classical prose and verse with the greatest of ease. In a tribute to his teachers, James wrote, “I thank my teachers at Royal College, Colombo and older brother V.A.J. Senaratna who directed me in what to read in English & Latin. He also endeavored to teach me Mathematics & Physics and probably had to use a great deal of will power to refrain from using Greek at my ineptitude and ignorance.”
James’ father was a surveyor. Travelling with his father helped James to learn and love the way of living sans basic comforts and of appreciating the beauty of unspoilt nature accepting the associated challenges and risks. Perhaps it was such rugged exposure that enabled him to excel in Rugby and battle with the waves of the ocean swimming to the island’s reefs even at the age of three score and ten.
The Sri Lanka Police was the ideal career for James. He served in many stations throughout the island and in the Police Training School in responsible positions.
After his retirement from the Police, he functioned as the Chief Security Officer of Sri Lanka’s largest newspaper establishment and later took charge of the security operations of a multinational company and its associates. Listening to his experiences in working life with eloquent gusto, was indeed a treat.
A favourite pastime of James was composing poems. His poetry was inspired by nature’s beauty, the good deeds of people, about those deserving condemnation and, of course, the changing scenes of life. It is apt to quote here his epitaph in verse:
“Now the time has come for parting
Let there be no tear – no sigh
Make not this a time of sorrow,
Now I say my last goodbye.
We who walked and talked together,
Come to where our roads divide.
I must take the path out yonder
You must take the other side
Grieve not that I travel onward,
Now I seek the great unknown.
Wish me luck in this last venture
This road I must walk alone”
We remember him walking with that characteristic limp and face writ with courage.
S.N.A. Tennekoon |
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