I was extremely lucky to travel with you to Australia, where we had wonderful adventures; thank you for being my chaperone! I was blessed to also have been your student. You were my greatest supporter and my greatest critic. With you, there was always room for improvement. 

She was a big believer in Christ’s love and the last thing she said to me was, “It’s all in the hands of the Lord”. She trusted him wholly to take care of her, every step of the way in life and in death, and He did.  

My dearest Achchi, you embraced many roles ranging from teacher and mentor, to sister and mother. You were uniquely kind, generous and selfless to all. To me, you were simply my Achchi. You always wrote elegantly about the Greats who should be remembered. Attempting to do justice to you feels impossible, and yet, I try. As you aptly titled your piece on Fr. Peter Pillai, I dare say, your legacy is the same—gone, “but the ripples still go on”. You were the strongest Catholic I knew and had such unshakable Faith amidst tough situations. Your generous spirit was seen across your involvements in school, church, and society.

“It’s all in the hands of the Lord”: Audrey de Silva Wijeyeratne was remembered for her strong Catholic faith and selfless generosity

Akka (Ashinsa) and I were incredibly blessed to have many years growing up around Orient. I vividly recall being rocked to sleep, milk bottle in hand, and then waking up groggily from an afternoon nap, to be introduced to your students mid-class. You often sang to us, be it “Hinchi Pinchi Haawa” or the poems in the Noddy classics to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas”. From the Far Away Tree to Jane Austen, our love for English Literature and reading was fueled by your indulgence. Over time, we found ourselves creating great messes to make great memories! We would build fortresses out of your curtains, bedsheets, and furniture, and re-enact classic stories like Goldilocks—except our dear Carl Seeya would be Silverlocks—a ploy to trick us into eating our soup! I fondly recall the many games of kan kan booru where we would chase you and Nandi (Samantha), who once ran over the dining table to give us the thrill of the chase! You gleefully allowed my extortionary behaviour of using up all your Sunquick cordial for a ‘lemonade stand’ or cutting your own flowers to make bouquets which were also sold back to you! You and Carl Seeya, whom we sadly lost a year ago, enriched our childhood with tree houses, rope ladders, swings and much more!

Whenever we were sick, you would be there. A rub down from your gentle, caring hands with your signature sharshapada thailey or batu thel would heal any ailments. Your food was the definition of comfort food. Your beef stew and fried rice were something you happily made for me whenever I came on holiday. Your rhubarb stew, lingus, koonissas, and simple potato and onion dishes were an absolute staple at every family meal. Your home was always open to anyone needing a meal, refuge, or company.

I was extremely lucky to travel with you to Australia, where we had wonderful adventures; thank you for being my chaperone! I was blessed to also have been your student. You were my greatest supporter and my greatest critic. With you, there was always room for improvement. Your cards to me with your own writing will be treasured forever. I recently told you how much solace I find in reading your book and how I would often turn to it for advice, and you were thrilled to hear this and said your “writing had served its purpose”. You were always proud of our achievements, in school, university or in our hobbies. When moving abroad for higher studies, you reassured me that the little cousins would not forget me, even if they would miss me terribly. You would call me so often in Canada, and I looked forward to those precious calls at all odd hours, when we’d chat for hours.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of fond recollections, but merely a start. I hope it paints a picture of the immense love she had for all her grandkids, and the love that was returned by us. When questioned about whether she needed anything—be it food or luxuries- a prompt response was: “Aiyoo Child, What for?!”. She was a simple woman. She was a big believer in Christ’s love and the last thing she said to me was, “It’s all in the hands of the Lord”. She trusted him wholly to take care of her, every step of the way in life and in death, and He did.

To you, my darling Achchi, I say in death as I did in life, thank you for everything; for your stories about Seeya and the good old days, for your hard-working hands that healed, and for your golden advice. I love you, Achchi. God truly created His best through you! We miss you, and tears flow as I write while listening to Jim Reeves, and though not the most eloquent, these words are most sincere. I write with all my heart, in loving memory of the lady who taught me how to do so.

The writer is the Granddaughter of Audrey De Silva Wijeyeratne.