Buddhists — but they loved and cared for us a lot. We are Catholics, right? But they would come to our place to listen to Buddhists preaching on the radio. And the Tamils also loved us — they came to buy fish from us and bananas as gifts. They loved us.

We made a hut using big coconut branches and wood from the palm trees. And we stayed out there for three years. Then we went to a place called Ali Oluwa. There we cleared the forest a bit and stayed there for another four years. We went to Madu Church almost three times a year then. Now I can’t go. My children go there now. Now, they let people go. They let all of them go. You know there was this war? After the war we can’t go there again right? Because of that – during the war we didn’t go anywhere. It was before the war we did all this. Those days there wasn’t any war. When the war started we stayed in our village. After that our children went abroad.

I met John Fernando. Then the two parties talked and proposed marriage. So when they asked whether I liked him, I said yes and so did he. And we got married. We don’t do it by choice — we did it with our parents’ consent. I got married in ’55. In ’56 my eldest son was born. In ‘57 the second daughter was born. After another three years I had my other two babies. The seventh was born after five years. I had 22 grandchildren. One granddaughter died. Then my daughter had another two children so altogether it is 24!

We’d splash salt on the big fish. The smaller fish we put them in salt water. We need to put the fish out in the sun, and turn them over. Then put them in baskets. My husband did all these things.

I told you that our children went abroad? After that we didn’t go fishing anymore. The two children were abroad and had no way of coming for the funeral. It was only after two months they came and saw him. Because they had no way of coming they were very sad.

I couldn’t also cry so I stayed by the body and had a pill under my tongue. I didn’t cry. I had so many things to say. Everyday, before I die, I want my children to be in front of me. For me to see them. After I’m gone it’s okay, right?