From grades 1 to 5, I would usually be in the top 15 in my class. A class usually had 50 students. You could say that I was doing good. I was never the best, but I could hold my ground. I passed the grade 5 scholarship exam with flying colors. However, things took a drastic turn at the end of grade 6. The teacher wanted to talk to my mother. It turned out to be that my class position had degraded drastically. My ranking had lessened to 51, and there were only 54 students in the class.

The Sri Lankan education system is highly competitive. Making matters worst, the quality of teachers in the government sector is generally poor. It is the common belief that you need exceptional tutors and dedication to keep ahead of the competition. The competition is for higher education and the limited university intake. To help improve my grades in science, Mrs. Rizana Carder introduced Mr. Wijesinghe to us. Mr. Wijesinghe was the science teacher at Maliyadewa College Kurunegala. He was known to be a good teacher.

Mum and Rizana decided it would be good for me to have individual attention. It was costly but probably was the better choice. Mr. Wijesinghe set the tuition course for every Saturday at 10:00 AM. A session lasted almost 2 hours.

Wijesinghe sir was almost always on time, like clockwork. He was at my door at 10:00 AM getting down from his Honda Mate, or he was not coming. His handwriting was unique and was very orderly. Just watching him improved my note-taking skills, and these traits I carry on to this date. He was exceptionally good at explaining the subject, which I believe came from his knowledge and passion. Sometime later, Mr. Wijesinghe moved the time slot to morning 8:00 AM. This engagement went on for many years, and I remained very competitive in the science subject.

Then it was time for the OL exam. He ended the class a little early. Mum thought it was a bad idea. But he said I needed time to settle down. It was like the dead week in university. We took some photos, he gave me some advice and wished me the best of luck. Following the exam, he paid a brief visit. He wanted to know how I performed. I was a little worried, so he asked some of my answers. He smiled and said that I had nailed it. He was right. He had laid a solid foundation in science I will use throughout my life.

He was a unique kind of person. I have met individuals more qualified than him but nowhere close to him in wisdom. I was pleasantly surprised to meet him when dropped by Mrs. Bandaramanike's funeral off Illuppugedara Road at Wilgoda. Almost 15 years had passed, but he was still the same man I used to know. He was curious about freelancing what I was doing as a freelance software developer. He had stopped teaching and now spending his time in meditation and religious activities as a Buddhist. When I asked why he stopped teaching, he replied, "ඇති ඉගැන්නුවා." "ඇති" brought a smile to my face as he would say "ඇති..." at the end of each class. He was a man who knew when to start, how to do and when he should stop. I hope he is spending his retirement as he wishes.

I am glad we were reunited, and I hope we will meet again soon.