"If I'm not around, whoever it is, they'd leave the money on the table."

The first thing that comes to my mind when you say Kochikade is St Anthony’s Church. Then the Shivan temple. There’s nothing else to say. Only those two. That’s Kochikade.

I was born here. My father got married here. You see that house just in front? All of us were born in that house.

When I was young, I never listened to anyone. I roamed around town as I liked. When I came home, I’d get thrashed! Even then I’d go out again and get into trouble.

If I got into trouble on the street, a Muslim gentleman nearby would beat me and chase me back home. When I complained to my father, he would tell the man to punish me again!

Now there are divisions. It wasn’t like that in those days. If I went to a Muslim home, they would give me food. If I went to a Sinhalese house, they’d feed me. The same with a Tamil home. It’s only now that everyone is divided.

Back then everyone knew who I was. They’d say, “There goes that troublemaker.” Now people don’t recognise me. They come looking for me instead. I’ve become calmer now.

Some incidents in life made me realise that violence is bad. Slowly I changed. Why should I lie to you? I used to drink and smoke. I stopped smoking after two years, by myself. I kept drinking for some time, but now I hardly drink at all. When I was young my ego led me into fights. Even if I got punished at home, I would still go out the next day and fight with the same person again.

This well has been here for about 150 years. Before my grandfather, someone else ran the baths. My grandfather worked at the harbour. When he retired, he bought this place with his pension.

There used to be a wall here. That side was for women, this side for men. People came here to bathe. If I wasn’t around, they would just leave the money on the table. If someone I knew didn’t have money, I’d tell them to bathe anyway. That trust is there.

My grandfather bought the baths because he had nothing to do after retirement. He always sat here smoking a cigar, reading Kalki or Ananda Vikatan.

I think he started running the baths in 1972. He died the next year — January 14th, 1973.

First my grandfather ran the baths. Then my father. After that a relative. Now it’s me.

After me, I don’t know who will run this place.