THE HARD BOILED CHANGE AGENT
He is the Corporate mogul who rows his boat to work, while his counterparts are chauffeur driven in their latest gas guzzlers. He is the Industry Leader whose pictures or interviews you will never see in any Business or other publications. He is an aviation enthusiast, erstwhile racing driver, thriving entrepreneur, obscure philanthropist, elusive adventurer and fanatical Introvert. He is unlike anyone else you know in the corporate world.
THAT FIRST HELLO
We owe our introduction to each other, to Aviation. It was in the late 1980s that I first met David Pieris. That was the time my husband Chira and I launched our Flying School in Ratmalana. David was one of the three barnstormers who frequented the Upali Aviation hangar at Ratmalana; the other two being Ray Wijewardena and Rakhitha Wickramanayake. All Light Aircraft enthusiasts.
[Chira of course, had known David since 1971 during the JVP insurrection. They were both in the Air Force; Chira flying helicopters while David flew fixed wing in the Volunteer Air Force (VAF). This meant that their paths didn’t cross too often. Eventually both aviators went their separate ways; Chira moving to China Bay and David staying back in Katunayake]
On that first encounter at the entrance to the Upali hangar, I said a meek ‘Hi’ to David, who briskly walked past with just a casual hand gesture and a “hello”. Frankly, I didn’t much care for the man. “Why did he have to always wipe off his smile and replace it with a smirk?” I thought to myself. Then one day David walked into the hangar with a stunningly gorgeous lady in tow. She was clad in olive green overalls and looked somewhat like the Hollywood movie legend Anne Sheridan. I watched as they walked around the Max-Air Drifter. “Perhaps he is planning to impress his lady friend with his flying skills” one of the engineers whispered to me.
As the duo pushed 4R-DPA out of the hangar, the lady turned back and smiled at me. It was a smile that emerged from the bottom of her heart. And thus, began my long-term friendship with Esther Struys Pieris.
INTO THE WILD
Although David is older than my father, I have never addressed him as uncle or even as Mr. Pieris. It was always just David. He in turn addressed me as ‘Machan’ “ado you bugger” or in the worst case ‘You bloody woman!’
One day he asks me “Machan…have you ever gone camping?”
“Nope” I replied.
A week from that day, we were all packed up and, on our way, on my very first camping trip. We made our first stop at the Ranna Lagoon — where we planned to camp for four days.
After about two days however, I realized that I was the only one whose gut microflora was off balance. Waking up at the crack of dawn, I used to peer through my tent and watch Chira, David and Esther disappear into the backwoods, confidently clinging on to their two-ply godsend, while I suffered from serious vacation constipation.
“You bloody woman, you are going to die of constipation” David bellowed.
On the third day, after a long drawn out castigation, David and Chira drove me to the Tangalle Bay Hotel nearby, where I could defecate like a decent human being. Cursing and muttering incoherently, the two men ordered a pot of tea while waiting for me to finish my task.
The next day we were on our way to Welikanda.
While passing Handapanagala, we saw a very attractive flat patch of land suitable for camping and David suggested that we lay over here for one night. But as I leaped off the jeep, the first thing that hit my nostrils was the strong stench of putrefaction. David and I curiously followed the putrid smell and trudged further into the thicket until we reached a half-burnt carcass of an elephant!
Undeterred, and wrapped within our own collective balky mentality, we pursued until we arrived at the Handapanagala lake — which was dry. It was not surprising that David made up his mind immediately to ‘camp out in the wilderness’. Within minutes we were pitching our tents. At dusk, David lit a campfire right in the middle of the dry lake bed; and we spent most of the night relating hilarious Air force jokes.
The next morning, we were woken up by a man on a bicycle, shouting, “Mahattayala eeye re methanada nida gaththe?
[Sir did you all sleep here last night?]
David replied in the affirmative.
The man was clearly shocked. Holding his head he began to shout “Budu ammooooo..methanin thamayi val ali rena reta duwanne”
[Oh Mother of God, this is the path the wild elephants take every night]
“Did the elephants see the campfire and retreat? Was it our good fortune that they didn’t cross the lake bed that night? Did they actually move across keeping a safe distance from us?” so many questions were running in my mind that Friday morning. Two days later we stopped at a wayside kiosk to buy the newspapers. The Sunday Observer headline read ‘HERD OF WILD ELEPHANTS RAMPAGE THROUGH HANDAPANAGALA…”
DITCHING THE BUG SMASHER
Usually any Ultralight accident or incident is considered severe compared to those in other categories of sports aviation. But in David’s case, his Drifter flying episodes had us in fits. For instance, the story of him ending up on a mango tree by trying to experiment aerobatics ; or the time when the rotax engine quit on him with the starter cable all wrapped around the propeller! or when he ran short of fuel, landed on the Mount Lavinia beach, and haplessly watched as tourists bade him “good morning” and walked away, were side splitting!
One day Chira decided to buy off David’s ultralights and give the man some respite from his bug smashing ordeals.
“Machan what are you going to do with these?” David asked.
“Nothing much… just rebuild them, fly them into Bolgoda, land in front of your house, and invite myself to lunch!” Chira quipped. “That’s a bet.” David acquiesced.
The bet is still on.
FOUR ROMEO — PAPA CHARLIE OSCAR [4R-PCO]
In 1991 David bought a Beechcraft Baron 55 aircraft in the USA and decided to ferry it all the way to Sri Lanka. That was the very first time he set foot in North America. Prior to embarking on the ferry flight to Sri Lanka, while clearing customs, David was harassed by the US customs for carrying 15000 dollars in cash in his Cargo Pants. David explained that he needed the money for refueling and other expenses on his long flight to Sri Lanka. But the obnoxious US customs dudes were pissed off — mostly when they learnt that this loafer had purchased a B55 paying cash! After much haggling he was released.
[Upon his return, David promptly wrote a stinker to the US Ambassador about his ordeal. The diplomat responded apologizing profusely for ‘the misunderstanding’. But David never bothered to set foot in Yankee land ever again]
David flew the first sector from New York to Lisbon with a rated American pilot. Chira took over the reins from the American pilot, in Lisbon. David and Chira then flew from Lisbon to Athens, and onto Luxor with a one-night layover in each destination. They stopped for a couple of nights in Bahrain to spend time with David’s son Johann Pieris, a Gulf Air captain, who was stationed in Bahrain at the time. The next sector was from Bahrain to Mumbai and onwards to Sri Lanka. It was on this trip that Chira really got to know David, quite well.
David was not just a pilot. He respected his aircraft to the degree that he was extremely careful. I kept learning from David, this fine man, whom I personally disliked. His self-realization of his limitations to fly the complex B55 aircraft was admirable. He always accepted his limitations. “Machan Chira, you must come and help me fly this thing so I can learn about it. I don’t know everything about this machine” he would humbly request. He would carry out many practice flights until he fully understood the handling and flying qualities of the aircraft. He was elated when he got Instrument rated. That allowed him to fly into clouds and use only instruments to navigate in low visibility.
The B55 was re-registered in Sri Lanka as 4R-PCO. This registration was established on ARPICO — the brand name of Richard Pieris and Co Pvt Ltd., where David was a founding director. The B55 opened new markets to David because he was now able to cover more distance and reach his subsidiaries much quicker. During peace times, we would fly often to China Bay, stay at the Sea Anglers club and carry out risky expeditions to Marble Beach with the help of the Sri Lanka Navy. There is nothing like travel to get to know someone better — they say.
David lost his Licence a few years later owing to a pacemaker. The fact that he couldn’t fly the aircraft anymore meant that he was left with a very expensive toy to maintain. He sold the B55 to Daya Gamage — a businessman and politician.
THE ROGUE WAVE
On 10th September 1995, David suggested that we come over to his home in Bolgoda so that we can jointly celebrate our birthdays which is one day apart; his on the 8th and mine on the 9th of September. It was a lovely balmy day and after lunch he suggested we go fishing out to the ocean. We eagerly piled into this boat and set off. David picked up an experienced fisherman at the Panadura pier and positioned him on the bow of the boat. The man was giving David instructions on how to steer the boat away from the rocks and currents. The rest of us were all seated in the center. The sea was absolutely flat and calm.
All of a sudden, a massive ‘rogue’ wave hit us, impacting our boat with tremendous force. David hammered the throttle, and the extra power propelled the boat up the wave and over. We were instantly flung off our seats, hovering motionless for a second in the air before plummeting back into the boat.
Chira fell back on his butt on to the fiber-glass seat. His L1 and L2 vertebrae had fractured, making him completely paralyzed waist down. He lay semiconscious at the bottom of the boat, feebly giving Esther and me instructions on how to handle his injury! In the mad rush, he was trying to follow his Scout Master’s instructions on handling injury — to the T.
We quickly returned to base and David managed to get a stretcher from the Panadura police station. After rolling Chira’s 100 kg body mass on to the stretcher, the fishermen carried him all the way to the Panadura Base Hospital. In the meantime, David went in search of an ambulance, with the intention of moving Chira to the accident ward at the General Hospital. After trying the whole day, at around midnight David managed to get the ‘Siddhalepa’ ambulance; a makeshift Hi-Ace van with an unsecured camp bed!
We barely managed to bundle Chira into the rattletrap, when the driver stood on the accelerator and the jalopy leapt away from the Panadura hospital, racing down the empty Galle Road with the attendant at the back struggling to shut the door. Esther and I followed in our vehicle wondering how badly poor Chira must be getting tossed and bounced inside the so-called ambulance. But we were also guilty as hell for laughing all the way to the Town Hall.
After six months in hospital, Chira survived the wedge fracture which almost cut his spinal cord. He regained his flying Licence and was back on the roster to David’s utter relief.
THE PECULIAR BUGGER
If you asked anybody in the Corporate world whether they knew David Pieris, you may provoke a barrage of responses, but the most hackneyed sentiment is that he’s a “peculiar bugger”.
An introvert to a fault, David is nearly invisible in most situations; even within his own premises at David Pieris Motor Company. Most employees were totally oblivious to the fact that the man meandering in their dominion, clad in cargo pants and t-shirt, was their Chairman! How did this recluse build such a robust conglomerate without an iota of public relations skills? I was baffled beyond comprehension.
David abhorred any form of publicity. So, one day when a photographer from a society magazine focused his lens towards David and Esther, David went ballistic. He grabbed the man’s camera and hissed in his face “You publish my picture in that piece of rag and I’ll sue your bloody ass”. The shutterbug was visibly shaken. He just could not come to terms with the fact that a segment of the upper crust actually shunned his publication.
David lives his life on his own terms. A case in point was when he invited us to tea at his newly acquired apartment in Colombo. As we entered the visitors parking slot, Chira realized that he had forgotten to note David’s apartment number. I decided to run back and check with the security guard. But as I took a few steps forward, I knew that I didn’t have to bother about the matter anymore. Slotted among a basement full of BMWs, Mercs, Prados, Jaguars and other luxury vehicles was a solitary Bajaj Trishaw!
THAT MISERLY GENE!
When it came to frugality, David could give a run to John Paul Getty — the renowned Industrialist. Stories of his parsimony were both funny and true. Like for instance, when his daughter Teruni asked him for a discount on behalf of her friend Vinod. David promptly replied “No problem. Ask him to see me with the receipt” A while later Vinod entered his office, receipt in hand. David gave him a generous Rs:5 discount on a Rs:3800 purchase.
My dad related a story about David being a heavy smoker back in the day, but went cold turkey no sooner the price of a fag went up by 5 cents! If ever I tell my parents that we’re going out to a meal with David, mum would repeatedly yell at me “remember to take extra cash”
One day Chira and I coerced David to join us at the Hilton for dinner. He flatly refused, but eventually caved in when Chira agreed to foot the bill. That was David’s first time at the Hilton. From the time we arrived, David was suffering from premonitions. He refused valet parking because he knew that valet drivers had to be tipped. He declined the bell-boy’s offer to help him with the door or his bag, lest the fellow got some fancy idea of a bounty for his services. That night after dinner, when David’s son Johann tipped the waiter Rs:500 it almost caused a medical emergency!
Then just when I made up my mind that the man was being prudent or astute about his money matters, one of David’s Bajaj agents drops a bomb shell on me. “Madam Mr. Pieris is not the person you think you know. He’s an extremely shy philanthropist. He supports a large number of families in the border villages and other impoverished areas. He looks after these people down to the children’s uniforms and school books. He has given employment to hundreds of youth. Mr. Pieris never distances himself from everyday people. He has a very humane approach to everything he says or does.”
Dang!
A NEW BEACON OF LIGHT
In 1998, David’s youngest son Eshan arrived on the planet. He brought with him not only good looks, but a whole bundle of adorable traits and soul talents which he began to exploit immediately upon his arrival. This kid took karmic bonding to a whole new level. His actions were packed with asymmetrical thrust, that invariably sent his parents into a flat spin. His skillful emotional manipulations mellowed his old man to the hilt.
David found a new purpose in life. He began to pay attention to his health and well-being. He withdrew from his adrenaline adventures. The once tough pragmatist, who resisted sentimentality in any form, was going all mushy at the paw of his infant son. But his adamantine elements had not diminished altogether. Lifting the mosquito net that covered his son’s bassinet he blurted “Machan, this bugger will not go to any bloody international school. This bugger will go to S’ Thomas College”
By the age of four, Eshan was putting his old man to the test — in style. One day on their daily sojourn to play-school, David tried to engage junior in a conversation. But the fellow was not in the least interested in idle chatter. David kept on coaxing him, in both Sinhalese and English. After a long lapse of silence, David got a response; “Stop acting like an idiot and drive the jeep”
On reaching the play-school, David was seen on his knees, struggling with Eshan’s shoe laces and persuading the brat that shoes are meant to be worn on both feet, and no, he cannot put them on backwards. A group of ladies watching the drama unfold at the kindergarten were in splits. “Damn good for Mr. Pieris. Ha ha ha…finally somebody is giving HIM a hard time” one lady quipped.
Eshan turned out to be one of the nicest young men you ever saw. A very grounded young man, he grew up sharing his birthdays with children from rural sub cultures. He shared his toys, books and other goodies but most importantly he shared his happiness with these kids.
THE JOURNAL ENTRY
“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.”
― Albert Schweitzer
