People
1. Gabriel
Marzook nana had this great friend called Gabriel, an innocent fun-loving type.
One day he arranged for G to come to Savoy cinema to watch a movie.
M went early and bought 2-ODC numbered tickets according to the seats and with one ticket he entered the foyer. Then he left the foyer and at its entrance collected the Exit Card from the usher and waited at the entrance for G to arrive.
To re-enter the foyer by those who have already got their tickets plucked and counterfoil issued to them is with the Exit Card.
All tickets were sold out and the House Full board was displayed. G had not yet arrived.
At the first bell, G arrives and meets M who tells him he had bought only one ticket to G’s disappoitment. M tells G not to worry and gives G his Exit Card and tells him to enter the foyer. G is in trepidation asking M on how M will enter without a ticket! M tells him not to worry and that he will creep in with the counterfoil ticket. G knows it’s House Full and there will be one guy with a ticket but without a seat which G occupies without even a counterfoil ticket!
G hands over the Exit Ticket at the entrance to the foyer with dread, hoping he wouldn’t be asked for his counterfoil and breezes in and takes his seat.
The second bell rings and the show begins. Now M enters the foyer with the other ticket and seats himself in the dark next to G who is stunned, asking M how he got in.
M is silent and tells him to keep quiet and watch the show.
Now there are late entrants coming into the foyer assisted by the ushers who use torchlights to identify seat numbers and usher them to their seats.
Now whenever such an usher appeared looking for a seat, G, who thinks he has no ticket (which is M’s pocket), is on pins in high tension during the first half of the show as M coolly watches and enjoys the movie [Firo]
After the show G is told the story to his shock and amazement of Marzook nana’s antic! Then M takes G to dinner and they have a great laugh!
G used to sell coffee a good friend of mine too. His bill Thomas worked at Chartered Bank with me and Fudge. The Sheriffs at 43 used to rag Gabriel who was dumb and occasionely smart. He used to come there to sell coffee. [Sid]
2. Kukul Charlie
Was a street hobo who had the knack of imitating animal sounds with his mouth. He used to walk along the streets of Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte and even visit homes seeking a coin or two to make his day. We were most enamored by his skill and ability and enjpyed his antics although ever kid in town was also very much afraid of him on account of his attire and demeanor. He was often seen hanging around the Majestic Theatre and Mayfair/Lion House at Bamba. [Faz]
3. Dompe
Dompe was an old man, short and stout, who frequented 298 often seeking a handout. s much as the kids were mortally scared of him the elders used to use "Dompe coming, Dompe coming..." as a means of getting us to behave and conform to their requests at home. [Faz]
4. Jumping Jesus
Was an old Burgher lady, clad in fancy attire, who used to walk along the streets, begging, in a skipping style and hence was named so by the people. Many claim that she was mentally unsound and abadoned by her family. [Faz]
5. Alvis
Alvis was brought to 300 by Rasheed Appa from Matara where he used to be the driver of the late SS Issadeen, father of Kabeer, Imthiaz, Ismeth, Fazal, Naushad etc who lived down Haig Road at Bambalapitiya.
He occupied the garage and was driving Appa's old CN 786 A-40 vehicle. He was a very talented artist and the garage walls were always adorned with his pencil drawings and paintings.
He eventually married Nancy, after a brief love affair, the girl who use to come to 300 to cook. I was told they had kids but no idea where they may be now. He was also a very good handyman in the garden and fixing things around the house. [Faz]
6. The Rakwana Boys
Abu (Hameed), Shareef, & Deen were three boys from Abdullah Ismail's (AMA Azeez's wifes brother) tea estate in Rakwana where Rasheed Appa used to visit regularly for hunting deer and spending his holidays. They were all from a very poor estate family with multiple kids and their parents could not sustain them any longer. The very first day Abu came to 300, he was about 11 years old, we took him to the beach down Sagara Road and he was so scared to see the sea for the very first time in is life that he came running back home. We had to chase behind him and catch him.
Abu & Deen were raised by us at 300 and later went on to carry on their Electrical shop in Wellawatte while Shareef was sent to Mummy's sisters place at Kiribathgoda. Shareef went on to work as a chef at a resort in Anuradhapura where he settled down. Sadly, only Deen is alive today. [Faz]
7. S K Wilson
When Ich Uncle went to conduct a survey in a remote area he picked in a young Sinhala boy who was looking for a job as a doméstic and as a result brought S.K.Wilson to take up a job at 298. He was asked to occupy the garage witha camp cot being given to him to rest his head. Wilson used to sweep the garden and did odd jobs for our Grandma like buying groceries etc. He also used to wash Uncles Farouk, and Ich Uncles car almost daily.He was paíd a small salary and he grew up at 298 where our Grandma treated him with great sympathy and affection. When he heard about our Grandma passing away he mentioned to me that he felt that his mother had passed away.
Then as time passed and as many new sons in law entered the family and things became a liitle hard economically a solution would have to be found for Wilson for his upkeep as he also became very attached to the family. Our grandparents didn't want to pack him off. So they approached my dad and he found employment for him at the Chartered Bank, while he still lived in the garage at 298. He used to dress in immaculate national dress and leave every morning for work. He would then wear the labourers uniform when working at the bank. He still did the odd jobs but was not paid a salary. He later got married and moved out. [Sid]
Marzook nana had this great friend called Gabriel, an innocent fun-loving type.
One day he arranged for G to come to Savoy cinema to watch a movie.
M went early and bought 2-ODC numbered tickets according to the seats and with one ticket he entered the foyer. Then he left the foyer and at its entrance collected the Exit Card from the usher and waited at the entrance for G to arrive.
To re-enter the foyer by those who have already got their tickets plucked and counterfoil issued to them is with the Exit Card.
All tickets were sold out and the House Full board was displayed. G had not yet arrived.
At the first bell, G arrives and meets M who tells him he had bought only one ticket to G’s disappoitment. M tells G not to worry and gives G his Exit Card and tells him to enter the foyer. G is in trepidation asking M on how M will enter without a ticket! M tells him not to worry and that he will creep in with the counterfoil ticket. G knows it’s House Full and there will be one guy with a ticket but without a seat which G occupies without even a counterfoil ticket!
G hands over the Exit Ticket at the entrance to the foyer with dread, hoping he wouldn’t be asked for his counterfoil and breezes in and takes his seat.
The second bell rings and the show begins. Now M enters the foyer with the other ticket and seats himself in the dark next to G who is stunned, asking M how he got in.
M is silent and tells him to keep quiet and watch the show.
Now there are late entrants coming into the foyer assisted by the ushers who use torchlights to identify seat numbers and usher them to their seats.
Now whenever such an usher appeared looking for a seat, G, who thinks he has no ticket (which is M’s pocket), is on pins in high tension during the first half of the show as M coolly watches and enjoys the movie [Firo]
After the show G is told the story to his shock and amazement of Marzook nana’s antic! Then M takes G to dinner and they have a great laugh!
G used to sell coffee a good friend of mine too. His bill Thomas worked at Chartered Bank with me and Fudge. The Sheriffs at 43 used to rag Gabriel who was dumb and occasionely smart. He used to come there to sell coffee. [Sid]
2. Kukul Charlie
Was a street hobo who had the knack of imitating animal sounds with his mouth. He used to walk along the streets of Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte and even visit homes seeking a coin or two to make his day. We were most enamored by his skill and ability and enjpyed his antics although ever kid in town was also very much afraid of him on account of his attire and demeanor. He was often seen hanging around the Majestic Theatre and Mayfair/Lion House at Bamba. [Faz]
3. Dompe
Dompe was an old man, short and stout, who frequented 298 often seeking a handout. s much as the kids were mortally scared of him the elders used to use "Dompe coming, Dompe coming..." as a means of getting us to behave and conform to their requests at home. [Faz]
4. Jumping Jesus
Was an old Burgher lady, clad in fancy attire, who used to walk along the streets, begging, in a skipping style and hence was named so by the people. Many claim that she was mentally unsound and abadoned by her family. [Faz]
5. Alvis
Alvis was brought to 300 by Rasheed Appa from Matara where he used to be the driver of the late SS Issadeen, father of Kabeer, Imthiaz, Ismeth, Fazal, Naushad etc who lived down Haig Road at Bambalapitiya.
He occupied the garage and was driving Appa's old CN 786 A-40 vehicle. He was a very talented artist and the garage walls were always adorned with his pencil drawings and paintings.
He eventually married Nancy, after a brief love affair, the girl who use to come to 300 to cook. I was told they had kids but no idea where they may be now. He was also a very good handyman in the garden and fixing things around the house. [Faz]
6. The Rakwana Boys
Abu (Hameed), Shareef, & Deen were three boys from Abdullah Ismail's (AMA Azeez's wifes brother) tea estate in Rakwana where Rasheed Appa used to visit regularly for hunting deer and spending his holidays. They were all from a very poor estate family with multiple kids and their parents could not sustain them any longer. The very first day Abu came to 300, he was about 11 years old, we took him to the beach down Sagara Road and he was so scared to see the sea for the very first time in is life that he came running back home. We had to chase behind him and catch him.
Abu & Deen were raised by us at 300 and later went on to carry on their Electrical shop in Wellawatte while Shareef was sent to Mummy's sisters place at Kiribathgoda. Shareef went on to work as a chef at a resort in Anuradhapura where he settled down. Sadly, only Deen is alive today. [Faz]
7. S K Wilson
When Ich Uncle went to conduct a survey in a remote area he picked in a young Sinhala boy who was looking for a job as a doméstic and as a result brought S.K.Wilson to take up a job at 298. He was asked to occupy the garage witha camp cot being given to him to rest his head. Wilson used to sweep the garden and did odd jobs for our Grandma like buying groceries etc. He also used to wash Uncles Farouk, and Ich Uncles car almost daily.He was paíd a small salary and he grew up at 298 where our Grandma treated him with great sympathy and affection. When he heard about our Grandma passing away he mentioned to me that he felt that his mother had passed away.
Then as time passed and as many new sons in law entered the family and things became a liitle hard economically a solution would have to be found for Wilson for his upkeep as he also became very attached to the family. Our grandparents didn't want to pack him off. So they approached my dad and he found employment for him at the Chartered Bank, while he still lived in the garage at 298. He used to dress in immaculate national dress and leave every morning for work. He would then wear the labourers uniform when working at the bank. He still did the odd jobs but was not paid a salary. He later got married and moved out. [Sid]
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