Sarah Nalin still remembers the moment her younger cousin, Daniel Amalathas, came into the world; how tiny he was, how excited she was to hold him, to watch him, to help care for him.
鈥淭hat ginormous smile of his, when he was missing his two front teeth, will forever be engraved in my heart,鈥 Nalin, 32, told a sea of grieving loved ones gathered at Malvern Christian Assembly on Friday for a memorial in honour of 19-year-old Daniel, killed in an August shooting at Scarborough Town Centre.
In front of Nalin, Daniel鈥檚 casket, adorned with roses, lay open for loved ones to pay their respects. A slideshow of childhood photos聽鈥 from Daniel in diapers to his teenage years聽鈥 was projected onto the walls behind her.
Daniel, or as Nalin refers to him, “Thambi,” meaning little brother in Tamil, 鈥渨as not just a beautiful child on the outside,鈥 she said, but a well-mannered and curious boy, who frequently peppered her with questions growing up.
The casket of Daniel Amalathas leaves the Malvern Christian Assembly on Sept. 5.聽
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 StarNalin recounted a childhood spent watching Daniel ride his tricycle down Jaguar Street in Scarborough, where they grew up in the same family home. Sometimes, they would take trips to Pizza Pizza or the mall, walking hand-in-hand as they went. They attended community gatherings and celebrated holidays together.
Amongst her most cherished memories was giving Daniel his first dog, Shalom.
鈥淗e was overflowing with happiness and his smile filled the room,鈥 Nalin said. 鈥淟ooking back, I realized what a blessing those years were. From the moment he came into the world, (...) he was our golden boy, our joy and our light.鈥
Nalin never imagined that instead of growing old together, she would instead be asked to eulogize her little cousin, just days before what would have been his 20th birthday.
Just before 2 p.m. on Aug. 21, police were called to Scarborough Town Centre at 300 Borough Drive for reports that someone had been shot. Responding officers found Daniel on the floor of a bathroom near the mall鈥檚 food court.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two teenaged boys, whose identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, are facing second-degree murder charges in the 19-year-old鈥檚 death. Both made their second court appearance on Friday morning.
An avid student,聽Daniel was enrolled in the automotive engineering program at Ontario Tech University when he died.
鈥淗e loved to learn,鈥 said Daniel鈥檚 uncle, Anthony Basil. 鈥淗e had a lot of plans for his future; he wanted to buy a van, to build a house, to buy old cars and fix them up.鈥
Outside of his studies, Daniel cared deeply for those around him, Basil said, often preparing his family home-cooked meals before they left for work, and again when they returned, or offering his younger sister rides to school.
鈥淗e loved his family,鈥 Basil said. 鈥淗e’d say, 鈥楿ncle, I want to have a good life with you, uncle, I will take care of you when you’re old,’鈥
鈥淚 will miss my boy,鈥 Basil continued, before stopping to compose himself.
In a brief but emotional address,聽Daniel鈥檚 mother, Judin Basil, described her son as a warm-hearted, devout Christian, who never missed a 9 a.m. service before heading to work.
鈥淗e was a very good boy, a very kind boy,鈥 Basil said. 鈥淗e never argued with us, even when he disagreed, he used kind words towards us.鈥
Fighting through tears, Daniel鈥檚 father, Amalan Mariyasathan, recalled having been recently hospitalized, only to draw comfort from his only son.
鈥淗e was with me the entire time, telling me, 鈥楩ather, don鈥檛 worry about anything, I will take care of everything,’鈥 Mariyasathan said.
鈥淭oday, that strong foundation of our family has fallen.鈥
In the weeks since Daniel鈥檚 death, investigators have remained tightlipped on the circumstances and motive in the case, leaving loved ones to guess who would want to hurt the 19-year-old.
As far as his family is aware, Daniel 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have any problems with anyone.鈥
鈥淢y heart aches with all the unanswered questions,鈥 Nalin said in her address. 鈥淎nd I pray for justice more than anything.鈥
Despite the lack of answers, reflected in almost every speech was a simple request: that Daniel鈥檚 loved ones not ruminate on “the why” or fall into anger, but rather, to channel their grief into love and faith.
Even in their grief, said Rev. Devanathan, Daniel鈥檚 parents have been able to embody that request.
鈥淚t is incredible; their faith is so strong they鈥檙e even praying for the perpetrators and their families,鈥 Devanathan told the room. 鈥淔or that, I want to commend you.鈥
As the service came to a close, Daniel鈥檚 family gathered around his casket, embracing one another, while the church came together in prayer. Daniel鈥檚 body was then escorted by a procession to the nearby Resthaven Memorial Gardens, where he will be buried.
鈥淭oday is not a goodbye,鈥 the reverend said as part of his final remarks. 鈥淏ut a farewell for now.鈥
Daniel Amalathas, 19, was identified as the man found dead in Scarborough Town Centre last week.聽
Submitted by Anthony Basil
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