The Magic Continues..

Rahul and I were to leave at dawn for a four-hour scooty winding ride down the mountain, when we realized the night before that we could not contact Aaliaa's nanny to come early because Aaliaa, the super techie kid, edited her cellphone number and changed it to our local extension number. She comes regularly at 9:00am and were afraid we would lose our chance in getting the signature. I can't leave the airport in Chennai without it. Thus, I woke up at dawn the next day to rush to my office hoping to find her cell number in my school diary, but to no avail.

We waited for 9:00am and took our chances. The 4 hour ride was managed in 2 hours - to our own surprise. The bike did not over heat, thus, we did not have to stop regularly. The roads were clear. When we reached the special district police office, the guy we needed was there alone waiting in his office. It took him less than 10 mins. to get everyone else's signature in the main office and we were way on our way back up to the mountain. The last time we were there, he was nowhere to be found and we waited for 2 hours.

When I needed money for my tickets, it took my friend less than an hour to send the money to me. Within the same day, I had my tickets home- all available on the dates I needed, even the PAL slot that said closed in the internet. For my local clearance, the last time I went to the local police here, we went 3 times because he was never around and waited long even when he was around finally. But this time, he happened to be there outside chatting, he hardly read my papers when I approached him and quickly grabbed a pen to sign it.

Then this evening, after I finished packing, I went out to do my last grocery shopping for Aaliaa's food, snacks etc. Got her her Nutella, pancakes, pasta, milk, vitamins etc. then proceeded to buy a gift for my father's doctor. This is the doctor who did not charge for my grandmother's doctor's fee all those days she was on the ICU til her last breath.

In that gift shop, I met my Catholic co-teachers who just came that very evening from the Lady of Health chapel. When they learned about my sudden going home, she said, bring that oil for healing that was just given to us a gift by the nun. She said she will light a candle and say a prayer for dad tonight.

The shopkeeper listening, offered to give big discounts for the gifts and before leaving sent a gift for my dad ( whom he never met or knew). It was morsels of rice blessed by the Dalai Lama and given to the Gurkha soldiers who went home with bullets and bullet holes in their jackets but alive after the war. As a Muslim, he said "inshallah" as I bid goodbye, and added "I know though, your dad will live that's why I gave the gift."

My new year started with miracles. I have been praying that I reach not seeing tubes in my dad's nose and mouth and I got a mail from my cousin today that they may remove it tomorrow.

Though my face is scorchingly painful from the sunburn in driving down in the heat of the plains for 6 hours, I have been smiling all day long, from one place to another.