Of student fun and ELTU days at Pera Uni

The passing away of our dear friend, colleague and batch-mate Aubrey, came as a great shock to all of us as it was so sudden and totally unexpected. Saturday, October 12 was the scheduled date for our annual batch gettogether and we had assembled at the Royal Mall, Peradeniya for the event, expecting Aubrey to show up too. That was when we heard the sad news.

Then we learnt that Aubrey had taken ill just there (Royal Mall) on the previous day and had been rushed to the Kandy General Hospital where he passed away. He had come to Kandy to cover a cricket match between St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota and his alma mater, S. Thomas’College, Mount Lavinia. After the match, we were told, he had come to the Royal Mall, one of his favorite haunts, to have a cup of tea. As he looked ill, his friend had urged him to see a doctor immediately. But he had gone to a pharmacy close by instead, and had collapsed there.

As his niece said later when we met her at his funeral, Uncle Aubrey died just as he would have wished to have died - in Peradeniya (his haven) after covering a cricket match (what he loved doing most) and enjoying a cup of tea at his habitual haunt. She had high praise for the students of Vidyartha College and Rahula College who had been of immense help to her during his funeral, handling most of the arrangements. He had been their cricket coach for decades. We were gratified to hear that weeks before his passing, Aubrey had been honoured and feted in grand style by Vidyartha for his services as cricket coach.

In 1965, Aubrey, Manel Eriyagama, Kumari Wadugodapitiya and I entered the University of Peradeniya along with our batch-mates. Then too, just as now, only a handful of students offered English for the Degree, and consequently we were a close-knit group. By the end of our third year, the special (English) batch had dwindled to just two, Aubrey and I. Sitting side by side in the lecture room, we were sometimes mistaken for a couple, which we were definitely not! The chemistry between us did not work that way at all!

However, he did have crushes and a host of admirers .One day, at the beginning of our first year, Aubrey told us that miss so and so, the prettiest girl in our batch, had asked him to accompany her to the bank in Kandy, as she didn’t know Kandy well. He was naturally elated! The next day, we were eager for news. He did a ‘thumbs down’ and told us humorously that her first sentence had been about her boyfriend! He developed a fancy for an exquisite, petite girl in the general batch, but matrimony, I suppose, was not on the cards for him. Much later, we colleagues were hopeful that he would ‘settle down’ at long last when romance seemed to be in the air once more. But it was not to be. Aubrey’s first love, I believe, was cricket.

I must write here about a story, one of many, that he relished and often related to his colleagues in the ELTU (the English

Language Teaching Unit) much to their amusement. The incident took place during our undergraduate years in our third year. Our Juniors who used to join us for certain lectures, had dared him to do something ‘naughty’ and he had accepted the challenge. Unaware of all this, I walked into the lecture room and sat beside Aubrey as usual. I noticed a lot of giggling at the back but did not know what was in store. Quite unexpectedly and suddenly, Aubrey put his arms around me and planted a kiss on my cheek! Shocked and taken aback, I took up the only ‘weapon’ I had, the heavy volume of ‘The Complete Works of Shakespeare’ on my lap and brought it crashing down hard on his shoulder, amidst much laughter and cheering! Aubrey had won the bet.

Another incident he liked to tell was about Prof. Souza. One day, I was standing on the corridor, outside our lecture room,waiting to go in for his ten o’clock lecture on Chaucer. When the bell rang, to my surprise, Prof. Souza walked out with Aubrey in tow. Prof. stopped and glared at me and said accusingly “you’re late Miss!” I was flustered and muttered that the lecture was scheduled for ten o’clock and not nine. Then he turned to Aubrey (who had obviously got the times mixed up) and said “Young man, you have the makings of a good journalist!” This proved to be prophetic.

In 1970, Prof. Doric de Souza, our much revered lecturer and later our ‘Boss’ invited us to join the Sub Department of English even before our results were out. A request from him could not be disregarded and so Aubrey and I joined the ELTU as ‘casual’ teaching staff of the Sub. Dept. of English, and were paid a small stipend (Rs.15 per hour). On days that we had no teaching, we just kept away not wanting to claim payment for just hanging around. Prof Souza summoned us one day and asked us how we managed to pay our Hall fees when we earned so little and we had to admit that our parents came to our rescue. Then, peering at us over the rim of his glasses, he ordered us to report for work daily and we did!

Aubrey was to become the much loved Coordinator of the ELTU of the Faculty of Arts -a position he held with distinction and dedication until his retirement. He was in his office and at his table from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, never absenting himself from work, as long as I can remember. He was charming and easygoing, but firm when tough decisions had to be made. He couldn’t countenance ‘shirkers’ and had no patience with them. Aubrey was particular about discipline and sound routines. Everybody looked forward to the fortnightly meetings he conducted, not only because of the ‘goodies’ brought by each member in turn but even more for his wit and humour that we greatly enjoyed.

Aubrey was a true democrat and endeared himself to all. He was equally at home with those who held the highest offices of the university like the Vice Chancellor and Deans, and just as comfortable with the non-academic staff of all grades of the university. He was popular among the students too. It is indeed a privilege to have known him – the perfect gentleman. We will miss him greatly.

Sumangalika Dharmadasa