Appreciation
View(s):My special friend
CHEREEN DHARMARATNE
It would be correct to say that Chereen’s lively nature caused her to be a highly popular friend who had the time to enjoy our classmates’ monthly lunches despite her busy career of running a Montessori training school as well as a Montessori children’s school. Her success in this is seen by the fact that her teacher trainees have lucrative jobs all over the world, Many of her graduates taught under me at Asian International School where their excellent training was so apparent.
This tribute to her is to show a side that only her friends and I saw. To her family she was extremely loving – but as her three children will attest, she was strict. To her employees she was firm but with us (her youthful schoolmates) she enjoyed a relationship which was extremely personal, relaxed and very close.
In school Chereen was noted for four things; Her ability at Maths, her undeniable beauty, her ability on the piano and her total madness for cricket. Most of us were keener on the cricketers rather than the game itself with which we had a barely nodding acquaintance. While we were thrilling to team players like Channa Gunasekara, the Nirmalingams and the Tissera brothers, Chereen was thrilling to style, scores, stance and stamina.
“Isn’t Jugsy positively ducky,” Mo would glow.
“Duck is the word you idiot. That’s what he got out for,” answered Chereen bringing Mo down to earth.
“Well I think he is great anyway.”
“In what way please tell?”
“His looks anney.”
“What’s that got to do with his batting for heaven’s sake?” asked Chereen genuinely bewildered
“Who’s talking of his batting you clot,” said Mo crossly. “I think he looks divine. Doesn’t he look divine girls?”
We conceded he did.
“Are you girls nuts or something? Jugsy can’t even bat.”
“But he’s the Captain?”
“Seniority,” said Chereen dismissively. We shut up.
Her life as an excellent mother of three and her busy career kept Chereen very occupied but never interrupted her cricketing life. Here is another tale.
On one occasion the Indian cricket team was playing in Colombo but for some reason Chereen bought FOUR tickets by accident and found they were standing room only.
“And at my age anney. How could I stand through an entire cricket match?”
So she bought a bottle of wine, a packet of imported biscuits and went home to watch the match on her TV in the comfort of her living room.
“And the cost of all that ruined my watching pleasure,” she complained.
We laughed till we cried.
“Chereen,” we almost wept. “Why do these things only happen to you?”
“Funny you should ask me that,” said Chereen, “and I’ve come up with the only possible intelligent answer.”
We leaned forward interestedly. What was the secret of her ability to have amused, entertained and kept us in stitches these many years past?
Chereen smiled guilelessly.
“I’m honest,” she said.
This has been a tribute to a laughing, loving, ebullient and deeply sincere friend of 75 years. I could have asked for none better and her place in the hearts of our mutual group will never be filled. She was a genuine and good Christian all her life. May God bless her always.
Added to the above was a quaint turn of phrase which had us rolling with laughter.
Goolbai Gunasekara
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