My visit to Sri Lanka many years ago took me to the Eastern coast line to savor its beauty and landscape. The sea had many surprises and many legends were woven into the mysteries of the deep. It was here that I met Samuel.

Samuel was a descendant of the Portuguese that invaded this beautiful Island many years ago. As I often watched, he would appear at the same precise time every evening, immaculately dressed except for any form of footwear on his feet, and make his way down to the twin span bridge. He would sit there for many hours staring out to sea and sometimes I could hear him talk to himself. I would sit beside him, but he would not know that I did. He was oblivious to the world around him. He lived in his own world. All those who knew him told me that he made his way to the bridge each evening hoping that his lost love would return to him. No one seemed to know very much of his story, or who his lost love was.

I was determined to talk to him, as my curiosity got the better of me each day. At first he ignored me.

”Hello you are Samuel, aren’t you? I am Thomas; I am on a short holiday. How are you? Would you mind if I sit here with you?”

Samuel just nodded his head but did not show any interest in continuing a dialogue with me. Yet, I was persistent.

“Care to tell me about this place, why you continue to sit here every day?”

I wanted to know his story. I was finally able to engage him in a monosyllable conversation and I thought "okay it's an achievement". I continued to sit there on the bridge with him saying nothing, just enjoying the peaceful scenery and the great ocean in front of me. Most days I would swim in it savoring the joy of the surf. Then one day I was stung by a manta ray and suffered a lot of pain. It was then that Samuel came to me and offered his hand in friendship.

He was quite an interesting bloke, with much experience of the sea. He told me stories of his ancestors and how they had invaded this country. This was a rich experience for me. I was taken back many years and felt I was a part of that time. Samuel could tell a good story. The adventure was compelling.

He also confirmed the legend of the singing fish. But, he told me,

“You know Thomas; they are not fish that sing, but a beautiful maiden who is my love.”

This is what he told me one evening,

"For many years I dressed up in my best suit, tie and shirt and sat on this bridge to hear her sing. The sea would mourn and the waves would break harshly and I wondered where she was. 'Will you sing to me tonight? Will you hear my anguish heart cry out to you to come back to me just one more time? I will go on being here for you for all time; I love you, come out of that sea and sing to me.' I would plead of her every night."

The village people told me that at a certain time of the year I would be able to listen to the legendary singing fish. It was intriguing to know if this was real or just fantasy. I needed to know and combed the beach waiting for hours to hear this phenomenon.

One evening, while I sat on the twin span bridge in earnest conversation with Samuel, I heard it. Samuel was once again transported to his world and was oblivious of my presence. He got off the bridge and made his way to the sea in a trance, walking the shallow sea for quite a long distance out, while I sat watching him mesmerized. There in the distance half engulfed in the breaking waves I could see his dim outline in a dance pose. He seemed as though he was actually holding on to a form of a woman and in surrealistic display danced into the sea to disappear forever.