We used to call her Miss Leela and she hails from a very well connected Athukorala family of Wewala, Horana. Incidentally, her brother’s son was one of my best friends – Wimalasiri Athukorala, was her brother’s son. Her brother Mr. Athukorala and my father worked in the same organization – Hegala group. This relationship supplemented our bonding right through the school career very strongly. Mrs. Leela Munasinghe was a very versatile teacher with faculties for music, dancing. She was one of the finest “katakali” dancers sri palee had ever produced. She represented Sri Lanka at a very special dancing function of the government in the early 1950s.
I invited her to participate in the teacher felicitations which we held at Moratuwa – Ranjith Sri Palee hotel in 2008. She had a little difficulty about walking in the advanced age, her comment to me while accompanying her from the car echoes in my mind even right at this moment. She told me – Nandasiri, I can live another few more years, as I am very happy today about this function. She came with her son – a very senior General Manager of Hayley’s group who is in control of a factory (agrochemicals) at Anguruwantota. Now I must mention about late Mr. Munasinghe too in this right up of mine.
Mr. Munasinghe hailed from Aramanagolla, Horana – a very strict teacher with a white national dressed most of the time and helped all the students as if they were his relations and friends. Unfortunately he had an untimely death. Mrs. Leela Munasinghe took up the responsibility as a lady and brought up the family in an exemplary manner. I used to telephone her at least once in two three months and she used to talk about early days, all teachers and students and finally ends the conversation with a very unusual tone “budu saranai”. That is Mrs. Leela Munasinghe even today. Not only a teacher, but her horizon extended further as a senior citizen of a high caliber of living values. As all the Atukorala’s whom I knew in that era was equipped with their life’s special mission.
Thank you madam for the guidance and even today’s I am encouraged even by simple conversation as one of my family connected teacher. We wish you and your family all the very best in life.