Her memory will live on in the precious stories she shared
On my many short visits to Sri Lanka Aunty Mona was always around and I remember all the wonderful stories she related. Aunty Mona is no more but her legacy lives on as a part of it lies in her friendship with my 94-year-old mother.
After I left Sri Lanka to live in the USA 32 years ago, I began to realize the value of the old stories. At my request, Aunty Mona consolidated all her recollections and we shared letters and phone calls with updates as she remembered. It all came together and I was happy to present it to her but it never got published as intended.
Mona would have celebrated a birthday on January 9, but short of another milestone she left us on December 27 , 2014 to go to her eternal rest..
Writing Mona’s recollections encompasses not only her life experiences but those of the couple we remember as Uncle Khoban and Aunty Mona who were friends with our parents from a time before I was born.
Freddie was Alfred Khoban Wickreme and Mona was from the Krishnaratne clan. Freddie was educated at Trinity College, Kandy and Mona at Ladies’ College, Colombo.
The association between our families goes back decades when my parents and the Khoban Wickremes served the Government of Ceylon in the late 1940s in places like Vavuniya, Kandy, Matara, Puttlam and Jaffna Fort. Mona was born in Jaffna Fort when her father Mr. Krishnaratne, Assistant Superintendent of Police served in Jaffna. She married in Jaffna in 1941. My father Percy Malalgoda better known as “Sonny” and my mother Violet better known as “Tiny” together with Freddie and Mona Khoban Wickreme go back to when my father served in the Judiciary and Khoban was a Government Agent prior to holding many other positions that included Conservator of Forests, Port Commissioner, Secretary to the Cabinet to name some. Khoban served under several Prime Ministers. Mona played a significant role in all the cities they served making friends and keeping everyone happy. Mona and Khoban and my parents, prior to my father’s early demise had positions of respect and upheld the highest standards of integrity in keeping with their official positions.
Khoban was the Assistant Government Agent in their early years in Kandy at the time of Lord Mountbatten. Those were eventful days for her as the wife of the Assistant Government Agent. It was a time when dignitaries from Colombo arrived by helicopter landing on the helipad at Peradeniya bringing Lord Louis Mountbatten and Lady Mountbatten, the Earl of Caithness and his wife among those who arrived to witness the Kandy Perahera. Among them was also the eighth Earl of Spencer, father of Princess Diana who served as Equerry to King George VI and later to Queen Elizabeth between 19521954. These royal visitors were attracted to Benares sarees in shades of peacock blue and maroon with gold trimmings in their shopping expeditions with Mona.
In preparation for the Queen’s first visit to Sri Lanka since her coronation, Mona recalled how her husband Freddie was appointed to spend several months in London in 1954 studying royal protocol for the visit of the Queen and Prince Philip to Ceylon. He was attached to the Palace staff to accomplish this mission. At that time, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke was the minister in attendance and Khoban was his secretary. They lived in a small flat in Knightsbridge within easy access to Buckingham Palace. Every morn- ing a car was sent for Khoban to go to the Palace for intensive training in royal protocol. During this time, they were privileged to be invited to many Palace functions. As she recalled, one such occasion was to witness English Jockey Sir Richard Gordon being knighted by the Queen.
Dinners and lunches at the Palace were formal occasions when guests were announced by the herald. They were announced as, “Mr. & Mrs. A. S. Khoban Wickreme of the Ceylon Civil Service.” Instead of a curtsey to the Queen, Mona greeted her with hands together in traditional Sri Lankan or “Ceylonese” style. Although royal protocol was strict, some flexibility was provided to member nations to greet the Queen in traditional style – a deviation from other royal protocol. She remembered that the rich silk sarees were greatly admired in the palace.
The Coronation was the most exciting experience. In Mona’s words, “We had to be in our seats at dawn on a cold misty morning. The streets were lined by thousands of people waiting to see Princess Elizabeth arriving in her gold carriage with 10 white horses and all the guards in their red black and gold regalia with impressive headgear-- a truly spectacular sight.”
The Sri Lanka flag flew high when Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, the Governor General, Dudley Senanayake and Sir John Kotalawela joined in the procession.
The service at Westminster Abbey was solemn and dignified when Princess Elizabeth with Prince Philip beside her, took an oath to pledge allegiance to the throne. Khoban and Mona were among those witnessing this historic occasion.
Khoban was later awarded the title Commander of the Victorian Order (CVO) by the Queen for services rendered to the Queen.
On returning to Sri Lanka, the Khoban Wickremes were long standing members of the Rotary Club of Colombo. Mona was also a member of the Inner Wheel Club and served as President. In addition, Mona joined the National Council for Child and Youth Welfare and took charge of operating the Pamunugama Children’s Home. Without children of her own, she devoted her time to the welfare of needy children in the home. The Pamunugama Children’s Home was originally instituted as a TB Convalescent home for children released from the Welisara Hospital after being cured. With the eradication of TB in Sri Lanka, the home was transformed to accommodate needy children.
Mona recalled how she enjoyed regular visits to the home serving as honorary warden for over 25 years. She handed over to none other than my mother Violet Malalgoda who continued to run the home until age 87. Among the hundreds of children who passed through their hands, they were par- ticularly proud of one orphan who became a Thoracic Surgeon now practising in the UK.
Khoban continued his service in the Ministry of Transport under Sir John Kotelawela.
Mona was present at a function when Sir John Kotalawela and Sirimavo Bandaranaike were witnesses at a wedding in the Nugawela Walauwa in Kandy. The bridegroom’s party arrived with Kandyan drummers and dancers followed by the bride with the same grandeur. As they sat around the registration table, and the witnesses were in readiness, Sir John in a loud voice said, “Madam, be careful where you sign--- otherwise you and I will be married!” The wedding party roared with laughter. Such was his humour she recalled even as he held a high-ranking position as the Prime Minister of the country.
People like Mona inspired my mother into charitable work. They are the unsung heroes for their decades of service. Gently and quietly they continued to give a part of their life so generously leaving behind a legacy of service. Mona will always be remembered by those whose lives she touched. For me, she lives through memories and the times I shared with her and my mother who often mentions Mona in our long-distance conversations-that means she truly misses her friend who filled her with laughter in their innumerable years of friendship.
Anjalika (Malalgoda) Silva