Old friends rediscovered

When my parents first came to Hantana, in 1984, the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) was managing the Hantana Housing Scheme. Two of the Authority's young employees were Perera and Saman. Those days, without cell phones, was hard to track down "field" employees who would sign the register and disappear into the scheme. Perera and Saman soon made friends with my parents (who were among the first residents at the Hantana Scheme) and would spend most of their working day hanging around the Braine household, attending to minor repairs, running errands, and dealing in cars (more about that in another posting). Perera and Saman were probably the most frequent visitors to my parents' home those days.

Perera. Below, Chandani and younger daughter Nimali.

In the early 1990's, Fawzia persuaded Perera and his wife Chandani to move to Pondside. They went with their daughter. Another daughter, Nimali, was born while they were at Pondside. However, their stay didn't work out (Chandani was fortunate to escape death from a stabbing) and they returned to Kandy. Fawzia and I were in the States at this time and we had little knowledge of what was going on. Eventually, although we returned to Hantana regularly, we lost touch with Perera and Chandani.

Then, a few months ago, my sister Beaula and I were taking a morning stroll when two women, mother and daughter, passed us, turned back, and asked if we were the Braine's. Although I had never met Chandani, I knew at once it was she. We were delighted to meet them again and to know that they, too, were living at Hantana in a house they had rented. My sister resides at Hantana now, and Perera and Chandani are regular visitors. Saman, who no longer lives at Hantana, also paid us a visit.

My only regret is that Fawzia didn't get to meet them before she passed away.