Remembering Anton Fernando by Lalith Fernando

Anton-- One of a kind.
Having the same last name, I had the fortune and pleasure to sit next to Anton and be in the same group all through the five years of medical school thereby come to know this unique person closely. Anton had friends every where and no one too big or small for him to associate .He never lost a moment to talk to anyone who had befriended him, and invariably got late to his destination because of this. I wonder this was the reason he got late on the first day of medical school. Anton was all ready and willing to help anyone no matter what time of the day it was.Anxiety, getting excited, worrying about disasters/ failures were not in his vocabulary; his concern was to take care of it and not worry. They say "time and tide wait for no man". Anton did not wait for the time nor the tide. His lightheartedness was extreme. Anton(he was my best man) was driving me to my wedding ceremony when the fan belt broke somewhere on Flower Road; Anton was cool as a cucumber while my bride to be and relatives were getting worried and anxious that I may have done a bunk. Needless tosay I began to worry in getting late for this important,one-time-in-life occasion; Anton's response -"We have all afternoon, she is not going anywhere"!!. In addition to all these qualities there was a very much lighter side as well. On the way to Peradeniya for our convocation, stopping at Pasyala (as tradition warranted) for Kadju (girls), Anton teasing these girls one by one ,was asking them how much each cashew costs( they were sold in 100 s) while sampling a few at each kiosk. He had no need to buy any by the time he reached the end of the kiosks, as he was already full. He never missed a western cowboy film; even during the exam times he dragged me to watch them. All he could say was "Maximum that could happen is fail"; I know for certainty he prepared for signatures each morning on the train from Jaela to Maradana and impress the likes of Profs. Waas and Lester Jayawardan.,As we all know Prof Rajasuriya and Cooray to smile was an extreme rarity; Anton achieved that too.Anton, the unique person he was, after his internship requested Head office , to be trandferred to Ambilipitiya where nobody wanted to go; this may explain why he went to Botsuwana.One thing that stuck in my memory is that Anton loved the song - 'Lo Ada Ninde'; it was his favourite song and sang it all the time and asked me to sing along too; it was sung at least ten times on the way to Peradeniya and back. I sing this song often in the shower( that's the only place I am allowed to display my singing prowess!) and of course remember Anton.--- I regret I could not see you for a very long time. Hope you are listening when I sing this next time; for you Anton, my friend, "Rantharu babale nil akase, lassana mal waage".