Kamalika Abeygunawardena and husband Malin Weeraratne and a Beetle

Here is a tale of typical Ceylonese hospitality and respect for doctors, at that time, related by our batch-mate Kamalika Abeygunewardene’s husband, and our senior by a few years at the Medical Faculty, Dr.Malin Weeraratne.

“Kamalika was an intern in Kalutara, and I was surgical SHO, at Ridgeway, in early 1965, I was bringing her from Kalutara, for the weekend, in my Volkswagen Beetle, when it broke down somewhere near Panadura, I believe. Since I knew the problem was with the carburetor, I was in the process of dismantling it, when, a middle aged gentleman, from the house, near where the car broke down, came up and asked me, what I was doing. He saw Kamalika in the front seat, and I told him, that I was taking my wife, to Colombo, for the weekend. He then said, “This is what happens when teenagers get married early!” to which, I said, “Excuse me, we are not teenagers, we are doctors”. His face fell, and he told me that I should not get my hands dirty, and insisted that we come to his house. He asked his wife to make tea, and sent his servant to get the baas, to fix the car”.