Jayamanne Mawatha
The Legacy of a Fierce and Generous Man
In Mudiyansegewatta, a village with a funny-sounding name, was a unique cross street, a lane called Jayamanne Mawatha. Thanks to the grumpy old man Annavi Seeya, it popped up out of nowhere. He was like a fortress, with locked gates and prickly fences, protecting his world from everything, even playful cricket balls! He wasn’t a fan of kids and hoarded his stuff, letting mangoes rot instead of sharing them.
Even grumpy old men can surprise you! Annavi Seeya did a good deed, gifting the neighbourhood a skinny strip 10 feet wide and 150 yards long. This became Jayamanne Mawatha, a path to the wider world named after the giver himself (my grandma’s cousin, by the way!).
Jayamanne Mawatha was special. On one side, you had Annavi Seeya’s land, still a mystery, and next door, Baby Akka’s house, bursting with fruit trees and love for kids. Her grandkids, Merril and Elmo, were our playmates; her treats were legendary! Behind them lived Peduru Seeya, always smiling, cycling around in his sarong. His wife and daughter were teachers, and their son Rohan joined our games. Their land had a cool bamboo patch and a big rice field.
The other side of the lane was different. Marcileno, Annavi Seeya’s cousin, had a tiny house packed with daughters. Next door was Thomas Ayya’s land, which doubled as a, well, not-so-pleasant surprise — a slaughterhouse! Cows mooed, blood had a metallic tang in the air, but Thomas Ayya himself was a friendly guy, always smiling and waving in his red shoulder cloth. Last came Benjamin, Marcileno’s brother, with his big cow-grazing land and the endless rice field beyond.
So, that’s the story of Jayamanne Mawatha in the 60s and 70s. Not just a lane, but a place where grumpy old men do good deeds, kids have mango-and-treat adventures, and life unfolds in all its simple, surprising ways. No fancy words, just real village life.
Annavi Seeya’s real name was Jayamanne Mohottige Jeramius. Jayammanne Mawatha is a tribute to his generous legacy.
