To visit the children together with Roy, as always, was a pleasure as he questions the grandparents and aunts, in ways we would not dare. Resla had become a teenager and was happy about some extra pocket money from her Auntie Monika.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was, as always, shy at the beginning and did not like to be the center of attention.  Looking with her at the photographs from the last couple of years did make her relax and we had a lot of fun.  We had met her grandmother the previous day in Hambantota.  It is a special feeling to recognize people at every corner in a town on the other side of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, Maduka was both open and friendly, and in need of new clothes.  We took him and his cousin as well as Bomali shopping.  Sadly, the girl had developed diabetes and the necessary medication was a big burden for the family budget.

Her mother, Maduka’s Auntie, is a very warm person and she continued to keep the house and the children in an impeccable state.  Not an easy task under the given circumstances.  As always, there was no way to talk her into buying something for herself;  it would be such a great help that the boys were settled with shoes and clothes for a year.

Ruhi had become even prettier.  She had lost her rotten baby teeth and there was a set of beautiful new ones.  While she was inspecting her new well-stocked pencil case for school from her Auntie Christine, all of them were in full sight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was riding her grandfather’s bicycle when she spotted us admiring cactus close to their house.  She quickly got down from the bicycle, and you could even say that she ran towards us.  She greeted us a bit shyly and it was therefore, an even bigger joy when she slipped her hand in mine to walk back to her grandfather’s house.  Being homesick for our grandsons, I told her that I would love to have a granddaughter like her.  She was quite flattered and I got a very warm hug when we left.

Of course, we “had” to look at her school notebooks.  It was amazing how well she was writing in Singhalese and Arabic, as well as English.  Roy reminded her to use her talent to write a letter to Auntie and Uncle in Switzerland.  The grandfather brought a letter from her to Roy`s house the next day and the way he had written the address, it was maybe best, that it had not been sent off by mail.