Father's Love

The year is 2016. I see an expression of a father's love for his child. The ten year old girl is Yehansa. I see her Dad, amidst all his other toils, going that extra mile and more to surprise her with a beautiful tank of ornamental fish when she visited him for the summer holidays since she prsently lived her mother. It's not easy because there are many other things to get done. Other expenses too. Yet, his heart is set on making her little heart happy. Every detail is being seen to. Utmost care is taken so that the outcome is the best.

The little girl is happy. One of her childhood dearest wishes has come true.

As an adult she is sure to look back, as I do now on my own years gone by. I hope she will, in the years to come, treasure this as an expression of her Father's love?

***

The year is 1978, and I am a little girl attending Primary School. A time when I was totally fascinated with books. My favorite author was Enid Blyton. The more books I had, the better. My love was books.

During this time I wanted a particular book, "Hurrah for the Circus". I knew what the cover looked like and wanted it for my own ever so badly. So, I told my father that I really needed this book. I made my request loud and clear.

At the time I was spending most of my time at my grandmothers house. I was pleasently surprised one very rainy and stormy evening. In a brown paper bag "Hurrah for the Circus" was delivered to me by the servant who was employed at our home. Thathi had gone to work by bus that day. He had stopped at KVG's Bambalapitiya, in the pouring rain, to get the book for me. He had returned home very tired and was too exhausted to drive to grandma's place. As I wanted the book very badly he had sent it with the servant.

A few weeks prior to that day I had gained a point for my House at School. In the book Dad had written, "To my darling Sasha. For getting a house point. Love, Thathi".

I still hold on to the book and I have kept it safely in my children's book cupboard. I remember this as an act of a Father's love. It must have been very difficult for him, changing buses in the pouring rain? He had also been very sick in the intensive care unit of a hospital a few years before and was easily tired. But he did it for me. I still hold on to this memory. An act that I will treasure forever.

Sashi Mendis - Feb 2019