school friendship 

I attended Polonnaruwa Bandiwewa Maha Vidyalaya since Grade 1, though the school's name has now changed to Polonnaruwa Parakramabahu National School. I met many friends there, but to be honest, they weren't just friends—they were like my own brothers and sisters.

Even though some friends left for other schools after the Grade 5 Scholarship exam or O/Ls, those of us who stayed until A/Ls shared a beautiful, brotherly bond. There was no division between the girls and the boys. On some days, we even shared and ate our rice together from the same plate. We never betrayed one another, and when we did something wrong, we took the punishment and got hit by the teachers together.

Even though our school days have ended, if we see a school friend on the street today, we always stop to talk. It truly is a beautiful friendship.