To our unborn baby

I still remember how eager I was, as a child, to see a rose bud after a rose sapling was placed in the earth. Everyday morning I would go near the rose bush, expecting to see a blossom. My childhood passed me by quietly and in my passing adolescence, my hobby of gardening brought me to your mom at the university.

I felt like I am the luckiest and happiest man on Earth the day we tied the knot. But your mom insisted that I would be the luckiest and the happiest man when a bud emerged in our little rose bush. From that day on I again went back to looking for a rose bud everyday morning.

I felt that the bud that is going to emerge was going to be a mixture of all the good qualities of your mom and dad. To everybody's glee you were conceived on my birthday. Only then did your mom's words really sink in, I was really the luckiest and happiest.

You were given a name on the very first day that you came into being as a very tiny form in the belly of your mom. She used to call you 'Pencha' even without knowing whether you were a boy or a girl. She said it is immaterial. 'It's our 'pencha.'' She harboured many hopes about you since then. She protected you. She never ate anything which she thought might harm you. She used to walk very patiently. She went to the temple and made a vow for you. Everyday she offered flowers to the Budda and prayed for you.

She was so happy and wanted you to be very healthy.

One day your mom said that you have become mischievous and she alone cannot look after you. I said that you must be getting restless as you are alone. She said that you too were helping her to finish her work at office and offered your services to me as well! We had very big hopes for you and were waiting till the bud bloomed into a beautiful rose.

But we never thought the bud would bring us sorrow one day. When your mom noticed it, we never thought that you would depart without seeing the light of day. We tried our best to keep you. We wanted to see your lovely smile and beautiful blue eyes. Alas, we were not so fortunate. Your mom said that you left us for a reason that we may never know.

But it was you, our 'pencha', ever since you come into being. Both of us are now looking towards the horizon till you return.

Our loving 'pencha', come back and show your lovely smile to us and be with us making your mom and dad the luckiest and happiest forever.

Yours loving Dad

Sujeewa Weerasinghe