AND FINALLY
When all we can do is say a prayer . . .
ON EASTER Sunday, in our lovely parish church, as glorious sunlight shone through glass and we celebrated Jesus and life, the minister said a prayer for our village shopkeeper . . . something about Sri Lanka.
Not having heard the news, I had no idea what this meant. Afterwards, somebody told me about the horror.
Outside, children eagerly roamed the graveyard on the annual Easter egg hunt. Among them, clutching four shining eggs, was the child of Kandeepan and Shamala who run the shop. ‘Kandy’ seemed still in shock from a phone call from his father to say one of his relatives was killed in the terrorist outrages.
He told me the relative shouldn’t even have been in Negombo — where a suicide bomber killed at least 110 in a church — as he lives in the country. Sadly, he shook his head. I said I was so sorry. There was nothing else to say.
At the end of last year, our village was shocked because some vile blokes threatened Shamala and stole thousands of pounds worth of booze and cigarettes. Of course, our society is not perfect. Greed and thuggery are timeless. Yet so is kindness.
Within days, the community raised more than £3,000 to help our shopkeepers — and I wrote about it here. At the time, Kandeepan expressed his thanks: ‘You have been an amazing and courageous community by helping us a lot after this incident. A heartfelt thank you for all that you’ve done.’
Now, in contrast to that good news, his family’s single loss so many miles away served to bring the terrible terrorist atrocities close to home.
The sun warmed a peaceful churchyard in an ordinary English village, where Kandy, his wife and son are settled and happy — and so valued.
Did he know we had said prayers for them — and their country, I wondered?
And what could I do — as I walked away to join my own family for a perfect day — but add a silent, protective prayer for our precious democracy?
Bel answers readers’ questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, london W8 5TT, or email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. Names are changed to protect identities. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence.