Tennis champ VP gives a lesson in empathy

I was cherishing every moment of the incident when the male passenger eventually had to get off at his bus stop

I was seated on a bus plying the 177 Kollupitiya-Kaduwela bus route in the night of May 6 2026 when two attractive ladies boarded the vehicle  near the Sri Lanka Tennis Association. They were obviously after a training session and took their seats, but not in the same row. After the bus had travelled some distance, a man in his mid-thirties boarded the bus and sat on the seat in front of one of these ladies. When the bus conductor approached the male passenger and requested  the fare, the latter said that he didn’t have money because his debit cards was suddenly not functioning that evening.

The bus conductor was lost for words and the male passenger asked the bus conductor “what is your response?” 

Promptly the sports lady seated behind this male passenger offered some money to him along with  comforting words. The male passenger was hesitant, but eventually accepted money from the helping hand that was extended towards him.  

I was cherishing every moment of the incident when the male passenger eventually had to get off at his bus stop. The sports lady went on chatting with her fellow travel mate while the vehicle passed a few more bus stops; before they both got up to get down from the bus. 

I took a quick glance at this generous  sports lady and I realised she was a former national champ who had dazzled in tennis, table tennis and cricket. To protect her identity,  I’ll name her VP.

In a country where we have upstart sportsmen and women, VP gave us passengers a lessons on kindness and  empathy. 

Ravi Nagahawatte 

Thalahena