the good news was that Helen had joined the WRNS two years before and was now serving in Signals as teleprinter operator at the great Naval Base at Trincomalee and so we would see her when we reached Colombo. But he also had some very bad news to convey. Sadly my Aunt Helen, Mother’s sister had died aged only 43 after a minor operation, from septicaemia. Mother was devastated and wept and wept as the two sisters were very close. We all adored Helen, she was such a live wire with a great wit and a deep fountain of common sense. I still remember vividly saying to me aged eight whilst mixing a cake with a cigarette as usual hanging from her lips:
“Always remember one thing Mike, that there are two sorts of people in this world, the damn fools who will never listen to an older persons advice and experience, and the others who do listen. It stands to reason that if a person has walked along a certain path and has seen or endured the snags, it is a good thing and wise to take their advice and avoid the same pitfalls”
Poor Aunt Helen how much we would all miss her warmth and kindness!
We travelled in stately fashion in a comfortable sleeper across the huge subcontinent of India for 4 days by train via Madras, From that city southwards we passed through scenes of indescribable drought and famine in South India, such a contrast to the damp lushness of the northern Jungle in Ceylon, that one could in an instant appreciate why over the past 2,000 years there had been so many invasions of the Tamils attacking the ancient cities of Lanka. We eventually arrived at Colombo Fort station at 11 am in a tropical downpour. There we met up with my brother Hugh in his bright red Singer Sports car. Helen was still in naval uniform on special compassionate leave and had travelled overnight the 9 hours from Trinco. I travelled with Hugh in the pouring rain in my new smart all white tropical shorts and shirt. By the time we reached the Galle Face Hotel they had turned into a mottled red and pink pair from the dye leaking from the wet leather seats! We all five of us in the family had a wonderful reunion and our first meal ever round a table together, as with the war and the disruption that it had caused our family, it had been impossible, spread as we were across the world from England to Ceylon, India Australia and Japan. Mother and I spent six months in Ceylon just recuperating and enjoying ourselves mostly at Luckyland Estate in the cool hills of Udapussellawa 5,000ft above sea level. However after a couple of weeks it was arranged that I would stay with a Singhalese family, the Fonseka’s in Colombo and would go to a Singhalese cramming school to prepare myself to catch up on my education. I stayed in their lovely relaxed rambling typical Singhalese house in Cinnamon Gardens. Father Fonseka was an orchid enthusiast and a member of the orchid circle in Colombo through which he had met Father also a keen grower. Sadly all those lovely rambling old Sinhalese bungalows with their spacious gardens and gracious easy going living, oozing character and tranquillity have now all vanished to be consumed by modern small boxlike apartments. Each morning I would walk to Alexandria College and sweat over maths and Shakespeare etc and then for relaxation would walk in the heat of the early afternoon to the Colombo Swimming Club which overlooked the sea and had a lovely pool. It was packed with servicemen and women having a romantic time amongst the coconut palm trees waiting for a ship to return to England. There were about half a dozen old school friends I knew as well of my age so we all had a great time together diving showing off to the girls and just feeling wonderful . Then shortly before Christmas I got bitten by an insect on my chin and the following day I bumped it on the same place on the edge of the swimming pool. Next morning the whole chin was hard red and sore and not quite knowing what to do, I walked to the Galle Face Hotel and saw the resident doctor there, a man who had the appropriate name of Dr. Chisel! He took one look at my chin and arranged for me to go that very instant into the planters Fraser Nursing Home. His speed undoubtedly saved my life. There was no anti-biotic available apart from Sulpha or M&B tablets. These me put me on immediately and I lay in bed in an acute coma and next day was so delirious that I was running round the garden in the most terrible nightmares as the poison attacked my brain. He then lanced the boil and the puss etc poured out and within a day I was back to normal. I realised what a close thing it had been and how
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