HEMAKANTHI WIJEKOON My unforgettable grandmother, there’s so much to write about

When my mother remarked this morning that I had not written anything to the newspapers in memory of my grandmother who passed away last year, I felt miffed. I considered it to be insensitive to limit all the wonderful moments I spent with her to a few words. Then again, here I am, putting down my thoughts on a computer keyboard, getting distraught over having to revisit the past. My grandfather was born on January 10, 1924. It was quite a coincidence that my grandmother’s demise happened on January 10 of 2023 - what would have been her husband’s 99th birthday, had he been alive. She outlived her husband by 17 years. Of the two of my grandparents, it was my grandfather who wished to live long to see his grandchildren get married and have kids. However, it was my grandmother who was able to relish all these milestones – she was present for both her grandchildren’s weddings and was able to enjoy being promoted to the status of a great-grandmother with the birth of my son. By her demise at 96 years of age, she had witnessed and experienced much more than any of us could ever have in all our lifetimes put together. My grandmother suffered from osteoarthritis in her legs, for as long as I can remember. She had trouble climbing stairs, standing for a long time and sometimes even sitting down. However, her ailments, aches and pains never stopped her from baking the most delicious of cakes, cooking the creamiest of coconut milk curries (‘kiri hodi’) and formulating the crispiest of fried sprats and dried fish. I still remember the taste of her ‘handi kavum’ (oil cakes with a scalloped ridge) and ‘unduwel’, which were prepared with much pleasure when my cousin and I passed important exams such as O/ Ls and A/Ls. These sweets garnished the new year table every April as well. There was a time that my grandparents lived close to the Kandy Hospital. My mother and two uncles were still kids then. Due to the proximity to the hospital, there were regular visitors and patients from the respective villages of my grandparents, who were provided with food and accommodation in their house. Although life was tough, my grandmother wholeheartedly catered to the needs of all these visitors and patients. One could easily see that it is this good karma which enabled her to receive continued support and care during the last three years of her life, when old age had taken its toll and she had to be confined to a wheelchair most of the time. There is a lot I could write about my grandmother, hence, the pressure of trying to squeeze everything into a concise write-up. She practically brought me up, basically went into an early retirement just to take care of me as a child. Being an English teacher, she was the one who nurtured my language skills, my aptitude to communicate without fear and to go forth and conquer my dreams. She is always with me, every time I write or type a word, because she laid the basics and foundation in lining up my thoughts in a meaningful manner. Missing you is inevitable, but given the wholesome life that you led, we know you are in a good place. May your journey in samsara be a short one.