eLanka “Good News” page – By Des Kelly

It is indeed refreshing to receive any good news at all these days, so I was more than happy to read this latest e’mail from brother Ian, in Sri Lanka, where he now lives, and where he seems to be very happy. If it were not for Ian Kelly, I wouldn’t be writing ANYTHING now, & so, Ian, “thanks mate, for saving my life, not once, but twice.

My brother Ian was one of a few Champion Swimmers of Ceylon, during the 1950’s & 60’s. He was a proud member of the “Kinross Swimming & Life-saving Club in Bambalapitiya, (the hub of “living” in Ceylon, at the time). Ian is three years my junior, twice as large (& @ 82, I still weigh around the 110 kilo mark). As a “singer”, Ian made a very fine swimmer, & it was exactly the opposite for me.

Cannot remember the exact dates, but TWICE, I tried to swim to the reef in the Indian Ocean opposite the Kinross Swimming Club, TWICE, I was very lucky indeed, that Ian was “fooling around” with a few of the “beach cuties”& “saving” those who could swim, even!, while I was steadily “drowning” about 500 yards away. It was easy enough to swim TO the reef, with the outgoing tide, but coming back to shore, was something else, altogether.

On both occasions, this would-be swimmer, thought he was close enough to the beach, to lower his bloody legs, and walk, only to find that the Indian Ocean was deeper than he thought.

On the first occasion, Ian swam to me when he realized that I was in trouble, told me to lie back in the water, placed himself under me and “back-stroked” to the beach.

On the second occasion, when my shout of “HELP”!, again interfered with his nefarious activities in the water, he swam up to me and said “the next time you disturb me in the water, I’ll let you bloody drown, understand ?, if you can’t swim, stay on the bloody shore”!. Anyway, folks, you cannot have everything. I was always better-looking than Ian & he knows this. Now, please enjoy this good news.