Her life was brief but beautiful
The old adage, ‘the good die young’, rang in my ears as I heard with shock of Kalindi’s death. She was one of those golden girls, richly endowed with ‘joie de vivre’, love, and a radiant smile which glowed from within.
Outward beauty and the beauty of the soul were both hers in abundance. A devoted daughter, wife and mother, she has left her mother Kamini, her husband and two sons devastated by the irreparable void created by her tragic demise, so early in life. She had been to see me just a few days before her death, to invite me to their Xmas Market, which I have not failed to attend, ever since I first met her and her mother. Each year as the end of the year approached, she came to see me to personally hand over the invitation.
When I think back, I wonder if I had included her as one of the youngest personalities, in my book ‘Fifty is Company’, because of a sixth sense that she would not be with us for long. As mothers, we all have our dreams, that our children would follow our footsteps in one way or another. Kamini was fortunate that not only did Kalindi follow her footsteps in the creative talent she possessed; but was her right hand in her classes in needlecraft and Interior décor, and the dynamic force behind every exhibition.
The mother and daughter were an inseparable couple and had a deep and symbiotic relationship. Working together, teaching together, passing on their talent and knowledge to others so that it would enable their pupils to enhance their lives; all this joint effort on their part had forged an unbreakable bond between them, till the cruel hand of death took Kalindi away. Although an only child, Kalindi was refreshingly unspoilt and was constantly reaching out to others, particularly those in need in love and care. Her parents, Kamini and the late Harold, although their respective worlds revolved round her, had given her the right upbringing. She was unselfish, practical and down to earth, didn’t live in a dream world with her head in the clouds. The beauty or mystery of life is not about arriving at answers, but in the process of seeking it.
Another link between Kalindi and me was that we were both past pupils of Bishop’s College, Colombo. She had even visited the Sisters of St Margaret who founded Bishop’s College at their convent at East Grinstead, although they had left Bishop’s College, long before she entered its hallowed portals. I think the fact she was a Bishopian had influenced Kalindi in her short life, helped her to face both ‘triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same’.
Kalindi had a wide network of friends, built up from among pupils to whom she and Kamini passed on their talent. She thought of her talent as a kind of therapy too. Apart from her excep- tional good looks, Kalindi was a seriously insightful, and emotionally sensitive person. I’m so thankful that she was blessed with a most supportive husband and a happy marriage which underpins and is the base of life.
I shall miss you, Kalindi, your visits, your lovely smile and cheerful voice over the phone, which were like a welcome burst of sunshine on a dull day. My prayers will always be for her mother, husband and children as I grieve with them for a wonderful irreplaceable person. We must thank God that we had the joy of her presence, although all too brief with us; the memories of which, will never fade away. Ilica Malkanthi
Karunaratne