Denzil's Stories

Reunion at Pearson The Green Man and the White Murano Denzil Jayasinghe · T he Boeing, a gleaming behemoth of metal and promise, descended upon Toronto’s Pearson Airport, its wheels kissing the tarmac with a gentle screech. DJ, swept along in the tide of disembarking passengers, clutched his modest luggage, a tangible link to the life he’d left behind in Sydney. The fluorescent-lit corridors of the airport stretched before him, a labyrinth of modernity that left him feeling unmoored. Each step echoed with the weight of anticipation, the familiar streets of his youth now replaced by this sprawling monument to progress. As he emerged from the terminal, the crisp Canadian air nipped at his cheeks, a sharp reminder of his new reality. With trembling fingers, DJ fished his phone from his pocket; each ring an eternity as he waited to hear Nimal’s voice, a beacon of familiarity in this sea of strangeness. “I have arrived, my friend,” DJ spoke into the device, his accent a melody of distant sh

Of Brokers, Brides, and Teenage Rebellion Clearing the Stage: A Tale of Unwanted Boarders Denzil Jayasinghe · This essay   is a humorous personal essay by Denzil Jayasinghe.   The essay recounts the author’s experience living in a crowded Sri Lankan household   with his parents, unmarried uncle Christie, and matchmaking Grandaunt Anna.   The narrative centres on the constant stream of marriage brokers paraded before Christie, who has no desire to wed.   The author humorously describes his awkward encounter with a broker and frustration with the living situation.   Ultimately, the author’s rebellious act of claiming his uncle’s room leads to the departure of Christie, his mother, and Grandaunt Anna, to the quiet satisfaction of everyone remaining. A h, the curious case of Grandaunt Anna and Uncle Christie, two characters plucked from the pages of Sri Lankan domesticity and dropped unceremoniously into our humble abode. Bless her misguided soul; Anna had taken it upon herself to be her n

A Childhood Friendship and the Divergence of Paths Denzil Jayasinghe · In the sweltering heat of August, our family would make the annual pilgrimage to Mabima for the church feast. Mabima Seeya’s sprawling home, a cornerstone of our family history, stood waiting. It was where my grandmother drew her first breath and later exchanged vows with my grandfather in the local church. Mabima Seeya, our family patriarch, flung open his doors to relatives near and far. The air buzzed with the chatter of granduncles, grandaunts, uncles, aunts, and cousins of every degree. While the adults indulged in social rituals, we children were left to our devices in the vast yard. Here, Mabima Seeya introduced me to a lanky boy with an infectious smile — Leo Gamini. We were a rare commodity at these gatherings, and we teenagers soon found ourselves exploring Seeya’s garden, swapping stories of school life and boyhood adventures. Leo Gamini Gamini was a natural daredevil, scaling fruit trees with ease. After

Unbroken Threads: A Memoir of Friendship Across Worlds Denzil Jayasinghe · In the depths of my memory, I can still feel the warmth of that shared bed, the one Ajith and I squeezed into during those carefree nights of our youth. I was eighteen, brimming with dreams and ambition, while Ajith… Ajith was a free spirit, untethered by the constraints of education or career that bound the rest of us. Our friendship was born in the pulsing heart of 1970s Sri Lanka, where finding kindred spirits who shared our passion for Western music, fashion, and ideals felt like discovering hidden treasures. Ajith became more than a friend; he was my shadow, my constant companion. My mother’s cooking became his sustenance, my clothes his wardrobe, my home his sanctuary. I remember the surge of hope when I re-enrolled Ajith in school, paying his fees and buying his books. For a fleeting moment, I could change his stars. But Ajith’s spirit was too wild, too free for the confines of a classroom. When he droppe